tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70335323030933287332024-03-13T03:05:17.016-07:00Going GourmetStephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-11009127918776709792019-06-30T09:13:00.002-07:002019-06-30T09:15:30.301-07:00Lazarus Awakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It has taken me a long time to get over some of the last years disappointments. I feel like I can once again breathe. That is what Lazarus probably thought when Jesus gave him breath again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Financially last year was a very good year for our business. We continued our turn around from the dire days of late 2016 when I was nearly cast to the dirt and probably our company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But every year brings its issues and its blessings. 2018 was a year mired in instability. For various reasons, some documented on this blog, we found ourselves working out of four different commercial kitchens. As one can imagine, the stress of it was quite substantial. I felt like a gypsy last year wondering around Dallas looking for a new place it seemed daily to work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am pleased to say we are now in a stable work environment and as a result, I believe we are providing for our clients at our highest level ever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Looking back at last year now does come with some other disappointment. We always look forward to growth and new challenges. We journeyed on two courses last year and none have been rewarded thus far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We traveled to Ireland last year on a culinary tour to bring back recipes, insights, culture and more to do a pop-up restaurant in our former culinary kitchen. We thought this would be a great way of marketing ourselves to new and old clients and create a group that would grow and spread the word about our catering company. We advertised on Facebook, we were written up in GuideLive of the Dallas Morning News. We really felt like we were about to realize our vision for growing our catering business. Alas, three weeks before our pop-up was going live, we received notice we and others had been kicked out of our kitchen because the company we leased from Pilotworks went belly up. It was a massive blow to us. It was the perfect location to do pop-up restaurants and with its demise, so went our vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Secondly, we have a vision for a mobile Brazilian churrascaria to grow our business, especially in the corporate and wedding business. It has been a vision of mine since 2017. We visited Memphis and Miami to meet with competitor vendors to move our project along. The dream isn't dead after meeting with both. They are both unique but both come with serious pros and cons. We actually bought some equipment and have it on the ready, but feel we need to create from scratch the unit to do our dream up right. I will fill you in as we progress. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am as of now prepared to get back on the saddle and write more on this blog for food reviews, recipes, culture, and life. I can breathe again!</span></div>
Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-7605686384025837742018-10-21T06:37:00.001-07:002018-10-21T07:32:11.047-07:00Kick in the Crotch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are a man, you know the feeling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Imagine that happening three, four, five times in a week's period. That is what my nether region has felt like. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last Saturday our rented kitchen abruptly closed its doors. The corporate email was received at 5pm'ish and was stamped </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">effective immediately. Needless to say, that was a round-house kick to the groin region. Here is the article...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All our possessions were locked inside the Pilotworks facility on Webbs Chapel and LBJ freeway. I had to get them out. I raced our family back from a soccer trip in Austin and headed to our former kitchen. It was too late. We were locked out. Our access cards had been denied. Panic set in, sheer utter panic. WTF were we going to do? How were we going to continue our business with no place to operate out of, how was I going to bring in the funds to feed my family and provide a living for them? So many thoughts, all unpleasant were spiraling out of control in my mind. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Depressed and wishing only of sharp pointed objects, we got into our car and were just driving off when we saw security driving towards us. I jumped out of the car and flagged the security guard down. I was prepared to lay in front of the vehicle like the protesting bloke in Tiananman Square 20 years ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <img alt="Image result for tiananmen square tank man" height="282" src="https://static01.nyt.com/packages/flash/photo/20090602-Lens-Behind-Tianamen/20090603-tank-cole-1000px.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, it didn't come to that as it was raining and miserable outside. I did my best acting job and begged her to let us into Pilotworks. I think the tear rolling down my cheek did the trick. I looked pathetic and my tepid masculinity needed some testosterone boost. But the ends justified the means and she opened the door to us. I called my folks to bring their cars so we could load up.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">A few hours later we had our last possessions and our last memory of what was a great culinary playground. During this time I was dialing all my food friends in the industry and to the kitchens available around town. I was amazed of all the people that were willing to help us out and 24 hours later we had moved into our new kitchen at the Cookline in Plano, owned and operated by Renee and Kevin! What a blessing they were to us. We had found a home and were able to not miss a beat and began cooking for our clients on Monday without skipping a beat.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, kick to the crotch dos! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <img alt="Image result for kick in the crotch" src="http://flagshipfreedom.blubrry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/1759143-kicknut.jpg" height="289" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our pop up restaurant Slainte that was to be unveiled Friday the 26th at the Pilotworks facility is now scratched. My idea of traveling to new places to uncover the food of distant lands and bring back these ideas and memories to the people of Dallas and to our client and friends has gone up in smoke.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">So disappointing on so many levels. To be frank I wasn't thrilled with the lack of response to this one night launch of Slainte. The interest I believed would be there never rose to the level I expected. This is a meat and potatoes town. It isn't New York, Chicago, or San Francisco. It shouldn't be a surprise to me as Dallas was voted the 31st food city in America. Pretty bad for the 6th most populated metropolitan area in the United States. <a href="https://www.guidelive.com/food-and-drink/2018/10/09/dallas-named-no-31-best-foodie-city-united-states-wallet-hub-plano-105">https://www.guidelive.com/food-and-drink/2018/10/09/dallas-named-no-31-best-foodie-city-united-states-wallet-hub-plano-105</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It is Dallas, where mostly steakhouses and tex-mex thrive. I wanted to bring something new and fresh but not many were gain for it. We still would have had a great night, but as of now this endeavor is over. Maybe a Lazarus moment for Slainte is to come, but for now, my energy and emotion has been sucked out of me along with my month's rent and deposit to Pilotworks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: large;">And to add insult to injury I had a blowout on my car this past week and my wife had a flat tire at 4.30am as we are trying to deliver breakfast for two hundred in Garland. This has been our week!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> <img alt="Image result for kick in the crotch" src="http://i.imgur.com/3RMkEXa.jpg" height="400" width="319" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will recover from this as will our business. Not sure I can have any more children, but that is another story. I was going to leave my last part of my culinary trip for this coming Friday, but as it is now a no-go I will finish my trip to Ireland on this blog. So stay tuned and Slainte!</span><br />
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-49121567978868982362018-09-18T12:53:00.003-07:002018-09-18T13:03:19.134-07:00Save The Date - 10/26/18 "Slainte" Pop Up Restaurant <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: "poor richard" , serif; font-size: 26pt; line-height: 37.0933px;">Slainte Pop Up Restaurant Menu<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "poor richard" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><b style="background-color: black;">Guinness Cured Irish Salmon atop of Soda Bread Crostini with Kerry Gold Horseradish Spread<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: black;">Come and Experience the Food and Soul of Ireland from Chef Stephen Martin's Summer Experience in the Emerald Isle </b></span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-29323065786218506552018-08-30T13:06:00.000-07:002018-08-30T15:59:30.787-07:00Dingle and Inch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dingle and Inch sounds like some new Disease, but it fact it is two lovely places outside the Ring of Kerry hugging the Atlantic Coast. You can take the plethora of tour buses to this area if driving on the left, down terrifying narrow roads unnerves you or you can do like me and risk life and limb to do it myself. </div>
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First stop was Inch beach. It is a lovely long beach that is soft on the feet but firm enough for cars to drive on it. I think I am most definitely wrong, but Chariot's of Fire could have been filmed here. I can envision the timeless scene as the men of British Olympic team waded through the surf like Greek Gods as they trained for the Summer Olympics. Though on the chilly side, it was so peaceful and serene you barely noticed the briskness. It was one of my favorite beaches I have been to in the British Isles. It was unspoiled and surrounded by marvelous hills that sprsng from the water.</div>
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We had a lovely walk along the beach and breathed in the salty sea air. Not much does better for the soul than this.</div>
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Just down the coastline is the town of Dingle. It is a well known tourist town but not too touristy if you know what I a mean. They had a Michelin starred restaurant I wanted to eat at, but found it was bloody closed for lunch, even though they were purportedly open. Very disappointing. So we did what we always do when we have no clue where to eat; ask a local.</div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-2551810654886542372018-08-30T12:36:00.001-07:002018-08-30T12:36:35.741-07:00Irish Herb Crusted Lamb with Mint Salsa Verde<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This dish will be featured in my "Pop Up "Slainte" Restaurant. This recipe is not scientific so measurements are not exact. It is to taste...<br /><br />- Rack of Lamb preferably Irish (New Zealand, Welsh, English or Australian Lamb also fine)<br />- Season with Salt and Pepper and smear Chops in a Dijon Mustard<br />- Bread Crumbs- A cup or two pulsed finely in food processor<br />- Add Chopped Parsley, Chives, Salt Pepper and Lemon Zest<br />- Combine ingredients and toast in nonstick pan with a 4-6 oz butter<br />-When the butter is incorporated and the bread crumb mixture begins to smell toasty remove to cool<br />-After cooling, pack mixture around the lamb chops and let rest<br />-Preheat oven to 400 degrees<br /><br /><b><u>Salsa Verde</u></b><br />- Chop equals amounts of parsley, basil, mint, chives and tarragon (about 1/2 a cup each)<br />- Take Jalapeno or Serrano pepper and remove seeds and finely mince. - Zest a 1/4 cup of lemons<br />- Open a small Anchovies tin and place all ingredients in Blender<br />- Add 1/3 Cup of Lemon Juice<br /> - Blend ingredients <br />Drizzle XV Olive Oil into blender until a nice sauce is formed<br />- Taste for more acidity, salt or pepper, or more XV Olive Oil <br />Leave at room temperature<br /><br />Place Herb Crusted Lamb in Oven in roasting pan - top rack preferably<br />Cook for around 20 mins until internal temperature reaches between 125-129 degrees. Remove from oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut chops two chops per portion. Arrange on plate and serve Salsa Verde next to Lamb Chops<br /><br />Bon Appetit </span><br /> </td></tr>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-13347506734204736712018-08-19T15:06:00.001-07:002018-08-19T15:52:06.630-07:00Killarney<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Put this place on your bucket list. You will thank me later. On the West Coast of Ireland is the County Kerry. Killarney and Dingle and other lovely towns that reside around what is know as the Ring of Kerry. An an interesting fact I came across. You will notice many towns begin with 'KIL". Well in Gaelic that means church. So each town with that name has a church in it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's unspoiled nature, babbling streams, beautiful valleys and soaring landscape make it in my eye's mind,the Irish Garden of Eden. You breathe the air and you are intoxicated. If you are keeping up with the blog you probably know I have a thing for Irish butter, well this is the place a lot of it is produced. You will see it even in some finer grocery markets in the states, Kerry Gold. You can see why the food taste so bloody good. Take a look at what the cows and the sheep are eating. Some of earth's finest vegetation!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We started off the morning at the Killarney Park Hotel, in the heart of the city center. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a wonderful hotel with lovely rooms, great staff and of course great food. It is also very accommodating to the American tourist which is another huge plus for the hotel. We had a long day ahead of us so we stocked up on a big breakfast in the handsome dining room.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I tried the local smoked salmon and the delicious Kerry buttered scrambled eggs. My daughter had an oldie but a goody. Two soft boiled eggs with soldier toast points. A classic staple from my youth. We also engaged in their freshly baked loaves of bread and the Kerry butter as well the traditional Irish breakfast staples of black and white pudding and Irish rashers. We stuffed our selves silly and were now ready to begin the day's journey!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We took a horse carriage ride through The Dunloe Pass, Our horse, Betty was an old lady and didn't quite seem to be in the mood to haul or Texas asses through the pass. At a few points we had to do some serious incline walking because Betty just couldn't do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even though we had the slowest horse in the group, we didn't mind. It gave us more time to enjoy the stunning scenery. We went up the Dunloe pass, which is very narrow and windy. This was not for the faint of heart. There were quite a few times we had to veer off to allow a car to nestle by us. The ride took a few hours and then we were taken to Muckross lake where we took a motor boat back towards Killarney and Ross Castle. It was quite an amazing day and found it a great way to see the beauty of County Kerry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were quite hungry when we arrived back at the hotel. So we decided to eat at the hotel. We were in for a real treat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am sorry to do this to you, but take a look at this above and don't tell me this doesn't look amazing. Local caught lobster with truffled Kerry drawn butter, rocket and Shaved Parmesan salad with the tastiest Irish chips. OMG!!!! Amazing...</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-62279111969615708072018-08-17T15:38:00.003-07:002018-08-17T15:38:40.878-07:00Guinness Cured Salmon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Whole Side of Irish or Atlantic Salmon</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Bottle of Guinness Stout</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Place in Pan - Mix Ingredients Together And Cover the Salmon in the Mixture - Get Dirty with It</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Cover with Plastic Wrap - Leave in Fridge for 24 hours</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Flip Salmon Over and Smother Ingredients Over It</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Set Aside for Another 24 Hours in Fridge</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">After 48 Hours Rinse of Salt Mixture and Thinly Slice</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Bon Appetite!</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-79817414375913219202018-08-11T14:07:00.001-07:002018-08-11T14:07:24.157-07:00Wish I Could Share<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let me tell you if you haven't made my Guinness Soda Bread you are missing out. Too lazy to make, I will have some for you at my pop up Irish Restaurant in October!</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-19947419480832167532018-08-06T14:43:00.000-07:002018-08-11T09:53:02.868-07:00Side Trek<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Traveling is like life. You make plans and then life or chance changes your path. Before we left the beautiful Kildare county, we ran into a lovely lady on the grounds of the K Club. We struck up a conversation and I mentioned I was a chef in Dallas. She had visited Dallas the year prior to meet her friends. So our conversation lasted with so much common ground. She was absolutely lovely and very friendly. We talked about why we came to Ireland for a food tour and discover my culinary roots. We talked about our itinerary and that we were going to Killarney the next day to discover the food on the west coast of Ireland. She said we must first detour and go to Cork and visit the English Market. It was a must see for someone like myself that thinks 24/7 about food. I didn't know about it, actually never heard about. She explained it is situated in the heart of Cork City. It is a roofed market and has been trading since 1788. It was developed and is still owned by the Cork City Council. It is the oldest municipal market of it's kind in the world. I was sold. Family we are off to Cork!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Cork is located on the southwest coast of Ireland. It is connected to the sea by Cork Harbor and the lovely River Lee flows through its city center. It is a university town and also a large sea port brimming with activity. The drive from Kildare was about three hours. The roads were never busy and the emerald landscape never tired. It was the easiest car trip I had ever made and quite possibly the most enjoyable. Finding the English Market was a bit of a struggle. F</span><span style="font-size: large;">inding street parking in Cork is a task in futility. You have to park in one of the large parking garages nestled throughout the city. That ensures a good walk because they are always located far away from where you need to go. For us, it wasn't much of a problem. Exploring a new city is always exhilarating. Using google maps my son led the way. We hovered down windy streets. The city was bustling. At this point we had not been to downtown Dublin so this was the busiest place we had visited. We finally found the English Market. It was huge arcade of vendors, selling everything from olives, to local breads and cheeses to Irish saddles of lamb and Irish made sausages.</span></span><br />
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The vendors were so friendly and informative. They were so proud of their products and it showed. Eager to give samples and explain anything you might have a questions about. Would give any consumer great confidence in buying there. I loved the smell there. Earthy smells from freshly baked bread, the fresh smell of delicious cut meat, the perfume of fresh produce. It tickled the senses. I had been to food halls when I was younger. There was a fish market in Liverpool we would visit with my grandmother and I always loved the smell of the sea in there and of the smoked fishes. It was always a delightful treat to visit there. The English Market brought back those type of memories. Though I wanted to buy the whole market up, we still had a journey to to Killarnery so we got a few artisan pastries. There wasn't a restaurant in the Hall so we asked one of the vendors where we could grab lunch that utilized the markets provisions. They directed to a cute restaurant, The Spitjack, that was only a five minute walk away.<br />
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The food was really nice, especially the Traditional Irish Porchetta. So damn good. I am not just saying this to say it, but the food tastes so much better in Ireland, cleaner and healthier tasting. It doesn't taste like it just cam off a Sysco Food truck. It taste like it just came from a farm, which in this case it did. Again the food was simple, but prepared well with not a lot of fuss. Let the product speak for itself. </div>
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We had one last stroll back and came across of all things The Butter Museum. We had just missed the beginning of a butter class they were offering but they allowed us back there and we watched the art of butter making. Again I will emphasize, potatoes and butter. Ireland does this better than any place else. I mean who else devotes an entire museum to butter. Amazing!!!! We did get to nosh on some of the creamiest and velvety butter one could imagine. What a perfect way to end our surprise visit to Cork!</div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-22860967208407920222018-08-06T14:11:00.004-07:002018-08-06T14:23:44.816-07:00Greatest Chef Ever? Passes Away<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: white;"><img height="266" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kg_geF-n7S8M1o6AQ1hIiZOzOYM=/0x0:4928x3280/1200x800/filters:focal(2070x1246:2858x2034)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60738701/michelin_man_joel_robuchon.0.jpg" width="400" /></span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Joël Robuchon has more Michelin stars than any
other chef in history. He opened his first restaurant, Jasmin, in
1981. He was the contemporary to many fine chefs, like Gordon Ramsey which
he argued was one of his most talented but frustrating chefs. They often came to verbal blows, but one time Ramsey was just a little to snarky for Robuchon's liking so he threw a plate at him. (I would have just clobbered him with my fist!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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best known in the states for his namesake restaurant in the MGM Grand in Las
Vegas. I never made it to his restaurants but it was always a dream of
mine. His food was meticulously prepared and he didn't accept anything
but excellence. The food world lost another titan of the industry.
Au revoir mon frere! We will still enjoy the recipes and the legacies you left
behind. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-22175843967698925692018-07-30T14:03:00.002-07:002018-07-30T14:03:20.072-07:00Menu for Irish Pop Up Restaurant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Irish Pop Up Restaurant "Slainte!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stay Tuned for the Date. We will be hosting our first Pop Up Restaurant at our new home at Pilot Works Dallas. Learn about Ireland its food and the flavors of the Emerald Isle. It will be BYOB and seating will be limited. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Keep Visiting the Blog for Updates on the Event or call us at 469.450.1814 or check on us out at Gogourmetcatering.com</span><span style="font-size: large;">!</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-27271133592691734542018-07-29T07:49:00.001-07:002018-07-29T08:47:29.118-07:00Howth You Lived?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Howth Summit is a gorgeous peak on the East Coast of Ireland on the outskirts of Dublin. Directly across the Irish Sea is my family home of Liverpool. They say Liverpool is Ireland's second capital. My mum's side of the family all came from Ireland. My grandmother was born in Ireland. Don't know why it took me so long to get here, but this island has just cast a spell on me. I am enchanted with its people, its landscape and of course its food.<br /><br />It's always a challenge when you have to form a plan for the day with three other distinct voices. My daughter had a friend that visited Howth and according to my daughter it was a must visit. I asked why? She said it would be a great Instagram picture! Social media strikes again! I quickly did some research and found it to be a beautiful place with something to interest me as well, great seafood!</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vMwllfL_XHI/W13URQNw86I/AAAAAAAAC48/YD_GprF0gCYBMKIme9mXjr93nSB6En7eQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180702_122821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vMwllfL_XHI/W13URQNw86I/AAAAAAAAC48/YD_GprF0gCYBMKIme9mXjr93nSB6En7eQCLcBGAs/s320/20180702_122821.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4T2Vb_Y8qk/W13OYQcxYeI/AAAAAAAAC4c/a4GkpSio8zMWpYr8nqn-JDdrzFYX5FaIACLcBGAs/s1600/20180702_111801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c4T2Vb_Y8qk/W13OYQcxYeI/AAAAAAAAC4c/a4GkpSio8zMWpYr8nqn-JDdrzFYX5FaIACLcBGAs/s320/20180702_111801.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />Finding the summit was no easy task. I think we circled the peninsula twice before we found a Pub named the Howth Summit Pub. We figured it was nearby and soon found it. There were miles of walking trails from the top of the summit to the base where with cold Irish sea lapped along the jagged rocks. 18 months ago I would have died trying to walk this, but with new lease on life, a new mechanical mitral valve, pacemaker and by the grace of God I was able to meander the hills, keeping up with the rest of the family. The air was crisp, but the sun kept it from being uncomfortable. It was a magnificent day. We built up quite an appetite after the climb back up. We scurried down the narrow roads, always remembering to stay left, back to the town center and the port. Something had caught my eye on the way up to the Howth summit and I knew I had to take the family there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beschoff Bros. is a local legend in Dublin. It has several locations now on the eastern seaboard of Ireland. It's history goes back a hundred years when Ivan Beschoff, a maritime sailor for the Tsar of Russia after serving as a deckhand on the Battleship Potemkin emigrated to Ireland. More here <a href="http://www.beshoffbros.com/history/">http://www.beshoffbros.com/history/</a>. It's a great family story that keeps growing year by year as the next generation Beschoff's carry on Ivan's legacy. They have their own fleet of fishing boats that catch their fresh fish for their stores right the port of Howth. They had several types of white fish to choose from, haddock, cod, plaice, hake. I chose the haddock, which is a bit oilier and probably the stronger flavored of the others. My wife and kids stuck with mild moist cod. Let me tell you something it was everything and more than what you could have hoped for, no let down. It was crispy and light. The fish was sweet and tasted as fresh as the sea. The chips were also great especially with some Malt vinegar, a condiment that is required for this Irish delight. Because of today's stiffer health regulations, you can't serve fish and chips in newspaper, but nevertheless we enjoyed the experience with no silverware and ate at a quaint park bench overlooking the port.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Howth is a great spot and well worth a day trip if you visit Ireland. We took the scenic way back to the K Club in Kildare and stopped at the Cliff at Lyons. It was only a quick stop, but as was told by a local a must stop. It was a beautiful place in Kildare on the canal. Small bungalows and cottages, beautiful manicured gardens and ponds with flowering lillies lined the property. Let me tell you it was stunning. It was the private residence of Ryannair Founder, who turned it into a lovely boutique hotel. <a href="https://cliffatlyons.ie/">https://cliffatlyons.ie/</a>. I would like to stay a night there on our next trip to Ireland and recommend you do as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fresh sea air and jet leg had wiped us out. We retired back to the hotel and a nap. We had decided we didn't want to go back out and wanted to just stay in, but didn't want to have a real fancy dinner again. We decided to eat at the club house which is for members of the K Club gold course. It was a nice casual restaurant with a great view of the golf course. It was also perfect timing to watch the world cup as well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I really don't know what is more exciting eating a meal that you think will be excellent and is or eating a dish that you think will be okay and you find out is utterly fantastic and unexpected. I think the latter for me. Let me first off state, I am stealing this dish for my catering menu. Pan Fried Hake with Grilled Leaks, Curried Raisins & Cauliflower with Noisette Butter. Not only is it a real looker the flavor combinations that on the surface seemed unconvincing was mind blowing. This was unexpected. As you can tell from the menu, this was a menu designed not for the foodaphile, but for the everyday man. But I think the boss allowed for the chef to show his true worth with one dish. Thank God he did because it was one of my all time favorites! Well done Chef!</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-15465399461129664912018-07-22T08:09:00.004-07:002018-07-22T08:14:59.776-07:00Irish Guiness Soda Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: white; font-size: x-large;">This Irish Guinness Brown Bread </span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.0pt;">INGREDIENTS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1 cup quick cooking oats (not instant), plus more for sprinkling<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">2 and 1/4 cups whole wheat flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1/4 cup all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1/2 cup brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1 teaspoon baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">2 teaspoons kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">11-12 ounces Guinness beer (1 bottle), room temperature<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1 cup buttermilk<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: white; font-size: 14.0pt;">INSTRUCTIONS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Preheat oven to 425°F and butter a 9 x 5 bread pan, set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In one bowl, add the oats, whole wheat and all-purpose flours,
brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">In another bowl, add the beer, buttermilk, melted butter and
vanilla. Whisk to combine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stir until fully
mixed. Batter will be wet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan, sprinkle more oats
on top. Place in oven and then turn oven temperature down to 400°F. Bake
for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Remove bread from pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack
completely before slicing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-63346577012265915622018-07-16T13:14:00.001-07:002018-07-17T12:53:05.063-07:00Day Two - Celbridge, Maynooth and Straffan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is Castletown House. It was built in the 1720s by </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">William Conolly, the wealthiest commoner in Ireland. Castletown is still the largest Georgian Style House in Ireland. We visited this stately home which is located in Celbridge, a quaint town in Kildare County, on our way to our major stop, A Gastro Pub recommended by our doorman at the K Club! Yes the mission is food, always food, but we try to get a little culture along the way.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E6lJVmXkck4/W0z489ImyCI/AAAAAAAAC2o/pM7aiTcUcnoMr21vGe81EFgVgibs_vALQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180701_145801.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E6lJVmXkck4/W0z489ImyCI/AAAAAAAAC2o/pM7aiTcUcnoMr21vGe81EFgVgibs_vALQCLcBGAs/s320/20180701_145801.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Only a few minutes down the road in Celbridge was the Village in GastroPub. I was told it had good food and drink and this is where our insider ate every Monday. This was going to be our main meal of the day. We had a stout full Irish breakfast in the morning: Sauteed Mushrooms, Roast Tomatoes, Black and White Pudding (not the sweet kind, think blood and oats), Scrambled Eggs and Irish Rashers. (Think Canadian Bacon) The K Club also had a smorgasbord of pastries, breads, fruits and homemade Irish Smoked Salmon. But before gush about our Sunday Roast, the scrambled eggs were the best I had ever had. They were done low and slow with tons of Irish gold (butter). I could write a novel about them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You don't generally look at pub food and have drool pool at the side of your lips, but I admit it happened looking down on these beauties. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't know why but the meat in Ireland just tastes better. It tastes the way God meant it to taste. The same can be said for the ham and the pork roast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Juicy lushes slab of meat caressed with golden Irish potatoes was better than finding gold at the end of the rainbow. They love their potatoes. I mean </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">it is a love affair. They had two types of potato side dishes with each entree, both mashed, one with a croquette and the other oven roasted. I wasn't complaining they were amazing. I loved how they served the oven roasted vegetables in a side dish. Just so simple, delicious. It was a great Sunday supper.</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-21480856669322424262018-07-13T14:54:00.004-07:002018-07-14T14:55:23.725-07:00Day One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is my son at the K Club in Kildare Ireland, 30 mins east of Dublin in the quaint village of Straffan. <a href="https://www.kclub.ie/">https://www.kclub.ie/ </a>. This is where we stayed for 3 nights. For those that have read my blog from the very beginning you will know why I had to visit Ireland. I wanted to see Ireland in its full glory, not just Dublin so I created the trip to explore three distinct areas of Ireland so I can see how the food and country varied. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIX-p9FjK7I/W0kfbwZeczI/AAAAAAAAC0k/7p03qY6H6oobt8E-l4Xsksdo1GW-jy2OQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_113225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIX-p9FjK7I/W0kfbwZeczI/AAAAAAAAC0k/7p03qY6H6oobt8E-l4Xsksdo1GW-jy2OQCLcBGAs/s400/20180630_113225.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is my wife and daughter from the back side of the K Club. This manor hotel is stunning. The grounds are like a mini Versailles, the staff are so warm and welcoming and rooms are large and elegant. The food as you will see did not disappoint.</span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XyImrW1MY3Q/W0knTBFI-LI/AAAAAAAAC0w/ZvqxlNJ2MPUBEC840mTeLaIHNNnFsmygwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_131435%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XyImrW1MY3Q/W0knTBFI-LI/AAAAAAAAC0w/ZvqxlNJ2MPUBEC840mTeLaIHNNnFsmygwCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_131435%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PGF8V-yAGQw/W0kpy0LJuhI/AAAAAAAAC08/xJUxOrm-SPUWvgA14ICiUIaQpd87ndrvgCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_131441%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PGF8V-yAGQw/W0kpy0LJuhI/AAAAAAAAC08/xJUxOrm-SPUWvgA14ICiUIaQpd87ndrvgCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_131441%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were absolutely shattered when we arrived mid morning. We were hungry but they were still serving breakfast, and we had already eaten breakfast on the plane over. So we found a quiet sitting room/drawing room off the main foyer and parked ourselves there. Within minutes the four of us faded off. I awoke as a couple came into the room to have a meeting with the catering director for their wedding. My wife's mouth was agape with drool pouring from it and my daughter was snoring a storm up. My son was dead to the world. I nudged them all to wake up. We looked a sight. I was embarrassed but oh well. They were very nice and didn't seem flummoxed by us. But we decided it best to leave them to their business. So by this time lunch service had begun and we sat down in an other quaint Victorian room where they served a light lunch. I had an open face Irish Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Capers and Red Onion on Irish Soda Bread and a Horseradish and Irish Butter Spread. My wife nibbled on a local Chicken and Watercress Sandwich. The kids noshed on this below: Clotted Cream, Strawberry Preserves and the best damn scones I have ever had in my life!!!!</span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k4lKol_5lcE/W0ksVOo3dJI/AAAAAAAAC1I/w_g3nyqWJC41YZQebwNNM8y4Ki62sLdGwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_131640%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k4lKol_5lcE/W0ksVOo3dJI/AAAAAAAAC1I/w_g3nyqWJC41YZQebwNNM8y4Ki62sLdGwCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_131640%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mDrI5fhP0OM/W0ksrZsEluI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/It1098HfKjc3yk9yK1bRPRrgpDB38m96gCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_133039%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mDrI5fhP0OM/W0ksrZsEluI/AAAAAAAAC1Q/It1098HfKjc3yk9yK1bRPRrgpDB38m96gCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_133039%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />Let me tell you how simply prepared it was, but yet the ingredients were of such high quality they burst with flavor. The presentation was spot on, not pretentious but graceful. I wish I could get something so simple and tasty here in Dallas. Unfortunately we are surrounded by fast food restaurants and we are in too big of a hurry to relax and enjoy some simple but refined food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qWYSh6w8SiQ/W0ktoZo85rI/AAAAAAAAC1c/vOqEYapoHFgmmvaFTi9uBxEd0fuDk9avACLcBGAs/s1600/20180701_111706%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qWYSh6w8SiQ/W0ktoZo85rI/AAAAAAAAC1c/vOqEYapoHFgmmvaFTi9uBxEd0fuDk9avACLcBGAs/s320/20180701_111706%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As we finished lunch we were given our room key. What a relief as we could barely keep our eyes open. We decided to take a nap and relax for a few hours. After awaking from our midday slumber we walked around the beautiful K Club grounds. They have a great golf course where the Ryder Cup was played years back. The weather was brilliant, 75 degrees and sunny. They were calling it a heat wave. Six weeks had passed without rain, unheard of for Ireland. After a good brisk walk across the fairy and leprechaun looking grounds we got back to our rooms and got dressed for dinner. Rule of thumb for Europe: They dress up far more for a nice dinner than we do in the states. </span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oS2KZPUglCQ/W0kzZqEzXZI/AAAAAAAAC1o/OFQ4OzVEJ7ARJJPhC2shXWpLuRrMBCELACLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_193514%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oS2KZPUglCQ/W0kzZqEzXZI/AAAAAAAAC1o/OFQ4OzVEJ7ARJJPhC2shXWpLuRrMBCELACLcBGAs/s320/20180630_193514%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HZDP4AbaNuo/W0kznFeaOEI/AAAAAAAAC1s/_oFlmOyM0G0VDqMKFhO3XGne5_00B1PawCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_195656%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HZDP4AbaNuo/W0kznFeaOEI/AAAAAAAAC1s/_oFlmOyM0G0VDqMKFhO3XGne5_00B1PawCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_195656%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vdEp3xTV-k/W0kz0hfMN4I/AAAAAAAAC10/9KWbwcgzdaIM0VPhxYNMUdogwxwKyhAqQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_195700%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7vdEp3xTV-k/W0kz0hfMN4I/AAAAAAAAC10/9KWbwcgzdaIM0VPhxYNMUdogwxwKyhAqQCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_195700%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-av9EzhP2rY0/W0k0CPFSNtI/AAAAAAAAC18/m8v_5WExs7INbwCQK25dfJzDnJMg9rDTACLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_195741%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-av9EzhP2rY0/W0k0CPFSNtI/AAAAAAAAC18/m8v_5WExs7INbwCQK25dfJzDnJMg9rDTACLcBGAs/s320/20180630_195741%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-atLKlBvcIEs/W0k0RpTwHYI/AAAAAAAAC2I/yv7ED0GhwuY77wVueKQU0Ckb8N8PmiENACLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_204727%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-atLKlBvcIEs/W0k0RpTwHYI/AAAAAAAAC2I/yv7ED0GhwuY77wVueKQU0Ckb8N8PmiENACLcBGAs/s320/20180630_204727%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SqGY10qnUTw/W0k0bsernVI/AAAAAAAAC2M/-xObi9DgJfAeIkne4RDjMho0ZIxPLwkTwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180630_204734%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SqGY10qnUTw/W0k0bsernVI/AAAAAAAAC2M/-xObi9DgJfAeIkne4RDjMho0ZIxPLwkTwCLcBGAs/s320/20180630_204734%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am going to let you on a little bit of a spoiler, but heck you'll get over it. Though this restaurant is without a Michelin star, it was the best of the trip. The Byerley Turk restaurant in the K Club, named after a famous racing horse was amazing. We were seated on their patio on a stunning evening sunset over looking the nicest grounds one could imagine. Above are some of the food we ate at the restaurant. Irish Sea Prawns in garlic butter melted in the mouth. The Irish Fillet of Beef with Bordelaise was grass fed. It was much different the grass fed we have here in the states. It was less gamey and more subtle of flavor. I preferred much more than the beef here in the states. The pork done three ways was a stunner. It came with basically a caramelized chicharon bark. Umm so good. The pork belly was sweet and luscious with a great flavor from the fat. The loin of pork was juicy. I was told it was sous vide and the pan seared. (FYI sous vide is the way to go with meat.) Invest in the Joule. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/(https://www.chefsteps.com/joule">https://www.chefsteps.com/joule</a> The desserts were straight out of heaven. My wife had a Kerry Cream Rice Pudding with Vanilla and raspberry coulis. I shared a warm chocolate tart with a quenelle of chocolate hazelnut mousse. First rate! My daughter said it was the best dessert she had eaten. Despite all the food just described the star of the show was the potatoes, Irish potatoes. They just taste different. They had a real pleasant minerally taste. Then you add the amazing Irish butter and you could just dine on that all night! Rest assured this will be a recurring theme.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overall the food was flawlessly executed, flavorful, provocative while the service was warm and sublime and not pretentious. French technique, modern gastronomy, old world charm, and Irish ingredients made the perfect recipe for the evening. It was a magical first day.</span></span></td></tr>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-34447478736479577112018-07-11T10:54:00.003-07:002018-07-11T13:55:14.964-07:00Ireland in a nutshell! "It's Perfect"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Beautiful Lakes</u></b></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Stunning Valleys and Streams</u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am writing my food and travel blog for my company, Go Gourmet Catering. Food and travel is my passion and to be a chef that is inspired, you must find inspiration. I was inspired beyond belief by the food, people, and landscape. I am going to be writing a detailed description of our culinary adventure in Ireland for all our clients, soon to be clients and friends. A chef with no passion is a cook. Let me bring Ireland to you. I will be finishing the blog with an exciting new menu for our catering company and for a pop up Irish dinner based on our travels. So check back daily for my recap of food, the people, and the country! Slainte!</span></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-33652600641452467822018-07-02T12:55:00.000-07:002018-07-02T12:55:55.329-07:00Wi-Fi Is For Shit...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Will have to give my daily food tour updates from Ireland when we get better WiFi. So far I am impressed with two ingredients Butter and Potatoes....<br />
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<img alt="butter balls" height="266" src="https://www.davidlebovitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/5002087979_ea452d4847-1.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<img alt="Image result for irish potatoes" src="https://cloud.lovindublin.com/images/uploads/2015/09/_relatedEntryImage2x/Sack-of-potatoes.png?mtime=20150901122753" /><br />
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-30937570919789393962018-06-25T19:29:00.002-07:002018-06-25T19:29:20.974-07:00Fun Facts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="361" src="https://d5qsyj6vaeh11.cloudfront.net/images/whats%20available/food%20and%20drink/article%20images/food%202015/main-food-infographic-carousel-01-WEB.jpg" width="640" /></div>
Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-72635632547122002332018-06-14T12:56:00.002-07:002018-06-14T13:01:48.147-07:00Looking forward to Experiencing Michelin Two Star Restaurant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When researching my culinary trip to Ireland, I looked at the top restaurants in Dublin. The city is flooded with great restaurants. They have many haute cuisine restaurants as well as neighborhood bistros and pubs that do serious good local food. But I had to have one indulgence. One knockout, that really sets the bar for food in Ireland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My indulgence for this trip is to eat at <span style="background-color: white; color: #909090; font-size: 18px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">RESTAURANT PATRICK GUILBAUD. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You may wonder why I want to go to an Irish restaurant with a French chef. Well, this is the only two star restaurant in Ireland. Enough said. Look Below. Local Irish flavors with French Technique. His reputation as an innovator of fine cuisine really excites me. I look forward to tasting dishes like these below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img height="165" src="https://restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Restaurant_Patrick_Guilbaud_Slider9.jpg" width="400" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looking forward to meeting with Chef Guilbaud and learning from him. This is how you improve as a chef by learning from your peers.</span><br />
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<img height="165" src="https://restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Restaurant_Patrick_Guilbaud_Slider11.jpg" width="400" /></div>
Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-24513316663116264362018-06-08T04:58:00.001-07:002018-06-08T04:58:12.679-07:00A legend dies...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="225" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DfKlutYUEAAHosX.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Very sad. Culinary world crushed. Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. He woke up the<br />
world to the life of a chef. The hard life, long hours, the sex and drugs and great food and friends.<br />
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He will be missed. He brought a unique style and openness that few can deliver honestly. He brought the food of the world to the masses and gave us a taste of what is out there. We are all now hungrier for those experiences. Thank you Anthony.</div>
Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-70435297777951980622018-05-27T08:11:00.002-07:002018-05-27T08:14:47.434-07:00Getting ready...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img height="225" src="https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/imagevault/publishedmedia/sceyejs0ulk8g7maus65/giants-causeway.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Count down...minus 31 days and counting...First culinary trip. Ireland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Can't wait to explore the food, the people, where my ancestors came from.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think this will broaden my horizons as a chef. See how other chefs in different countries interpret the same ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I come with eyes wide open and hope this trip helps me to become a better chef and that I come away different ideas for my catering company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is all about growth. You can never stop growing in life, professionally, spiritually, intellectually.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Be inspired, and be the best you can be!</span><br />
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-53785994531865637672018-05-27T08:04:00.000-07:002018-05-27T08:04:39.082-07:00Sum of the Parts....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Some restaurants hit at every level. It is emotional, it is energizing, it is delicious, it is comforting, it is unforgettable, he service is great, the ambiance is marvelous and food is out of this world....You get the point. Some only hit a few notes, some strike out and some gently touch most if not all.<br />
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I am always looking for standouts in every city I visit. I want that true dining experience that encompasses a city. When you say, name your favorite restaurant in every city, you have a name or more. Well I have been to Miami dozens of times and quite honestly no restaurant ever resonated with me there. It was all very blah. Nothing memorable. I knew a city of that size had its gems, but I needed a local to help me out. I called my nephew who is in the process of getting his law degree down in Miami. He is from West Palm but now lived in Miami with his lovely soon to be bride. I told him he had to help me out. He had to find a place that was Miami, something you can't get anywhere else in the states, something unique.<br />
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He proceeded to ask me what kind of cuisine. I said, I would guess something seafood related as we are surrounded by water. Made sense to me.<br />
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He asked to give him some time. An hour later, he called. "I've got it!" he said. "I haven't been here but it has been on my bucket list for the longest time!"<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">JOE'S STONE CRAB</span></div>
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Light bulb moment. Why yes, Joe's Stone Crab! Why the hell didn't I think of that place. Miami's oldest running restaurant. Iconic South Beach haunt. A place that celebs, politicians and the common man collide over the seasonal stone crab. Man I was pumped. This is what I was looking for, a true legend, a unique food, in a great part of the city.<br />
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The place is a food palace. Located in the trendy and fashionable South Beach, Joe's occupies almost a city block. It is old world but still hip. They don't take reservations so we met up with our family an hour before they opened at 10.30 am. There were already people waiting. No one cared, it was beautiful day and we were all hungry for the experience. The waiters were attired in real retro suave wait jackets and bow ties.</div>
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These waiters work 9 months of the year and have 3 months off when the restaurant closes. They do so well that they have enough dough to carry them though the downtime, Very cool. <br />
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You feel you like you were transported in time back to the days of the swinging 20's. It has that vibe. It is formal but not pretentious. The service was very warm, affable but professional. They struck the perfect balance. They had been trained well.<br />
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The menu was quite small and not too pricey, except for the stone crabs that are worth their weight in gold. One of the interesting menu items was the half fried chicken for $6.95. What a deal. Joe believed in having something anyone could afford on the menu.<br />
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I had the crab cakes and stone crab claws. Some at our table ventured out to Lobster Rolls and Crab Salad. <br />
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The stone crab was the real scene killer. Fresh, lush, sumptuous. Their famous dipping sauce was like a remoulade and very tasty. The crab cakes were light and very nice. <br />
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We indulged and had their key lime pie. Great crust, tangy filling, delicious. The food was very well executed. The whole experience was just great. I will definitely be back and would recommend it to all. It is one those special places where the whole experience is better than each part, but when you bundle it together you end up with a great experience.<br />
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-84638857568416047222018-03-24T12:34:00.002-07:002018-03-25T08:39:43.576-07:00Part Deux....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I want to say <i>Nothing</i>, I really do. And maybe it is true, but I will not say it absolutely for fear of misleading you, but almost <i>Nothing </i>gets me more excited than eating good food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really get worked up about it. I dream about it. I tell all my friends and family about it. It is glorious and it makes me happy, except for my bulging waistline. So when I have bad food I really go to a dark place. All this pent up excitement for the upcoming dining experience falls quicker than a souffle. You don't want to be around me after a bad meal, the day, the night is ruined. I sit and stare at the television in a comatose state. I am not nice to be around (ask my wife and kids).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So with that out of the way, let me introduce to you the step brother of Brennan's Houston, Brennan's New Orleans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My wife had been there before with her family when she was young. She went there for brunch and had their famous eggs hollandaise. She had great memories of the place and remembered the food being great.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After my experience with my son in Houston, I was super pumped to try the original Brennan's in New Orleans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We stayed in the French Quarter. It is a place we love, but my son hates. While we wandered to Cafe du Monde for some pre-dinner beignets he stayed in the hotel. New Orleans is a great place to people watch, so walking around is fun, especially when eating beignets and slurping hurricanes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We got dressed and picked up our party pooper son and headed off to Brennan's. Along with the sugar high, my adrenaline was pumped for Brennan's. Our experience in Houston was just awesome and I wanted to have it replicated and perhaps even surpass its sibling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first thing I noticed when we entered the restaurant was that this was not as fancy as the Houston outpost. It didn't alarm me because this was the French Quarter. It was old and had character. The second thing I noticed when we were escorted to our table was how not busy it was. It was Saturday at 7.00 pm. You would think it would be jumping with activity, it wasn't. It was like a half bloomed tree. We were greeted by a very young waiter. He didn't look a day older than 18. I found this strange. When I ate at other peers of Brennan's like Galatoires, I had always been served by very seasoned professionals. This was a food city and being a waiter was a real good paying job. This wasn't like being a waiter at Applebee's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The waiter was very nice, but he didn't know much. He took out his pocket book and rehearsed his prose. Everything was scripted. He made no eye contact with us as he paraded through the lines, all dull and monotonous. What a buzz kill.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was getting this funny feeling in my stomach that we weren't in Kansas anymore. Something was odd, and not it a good way. This wasn't what I had in mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were given our menus and my concerns passed as the menu looked quite pleasant but much different than the one in Houston. At this point I didn't know they shared nothing but the iconic name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was so ready to tell me wife and daughter what we had eaten in Houston and what I recommend for them to eat, but nothing looked familiar. We were then brought bread. Oh yeah I thought, you guys are going to love these carb ridden delights. Uhh no. They weren't the same bread as in Houston. In fact, they were nothing short of blah! I started to sweat. Houston we have a problem. The evening was off to a triumphant thump.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">JACKSON SALAD (me)<small style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 12.15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"></small></span></h4>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Brennan's Original - Quail Eggs, Nueke's Applewood Bacon, Valdeon Blue Cheese & French Dressings <span class="menu-item-price" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">$9</em></span></span></small></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ROASTED VEAL CHOP (me)<small style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 12.15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"></small></span></h4>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Strauss Farms "pastured" Veal, Preserves Horse Mushroom, Creamed Salisfy, Sauce Chasseur <span class="menu-item-price" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">$47</em></span></span></small></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"BLACKENED" REDFISH (wife)<small style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 12.15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"></small></span></h4>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sweet Gulf Rock Shrimp, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Lemon Beurre Fondue <span class="menu-item-price" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">$34</em></span></span></small></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">GRILLED PRIME NEW YORK STRIP (son)<small style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 12.15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"></small></span></h4>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Creekstone Prime Prime New York Strip, Short Rib Debris, Sweet Potato Dauphine, Duck Egg Béarnaise <span class="menu-item-price" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">$40</em></span></span></small></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">PARSNIP AGNOLOTTI EN BRODO (Daughter)<small style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 12.15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1;"></small></span></h4>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em></span></small></div>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Parsley Agnolotti, Parsnip & White Truffle Puree, Parmesan Broth <span class="menu-item-price" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">$24</em></span></span></small></div>
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<small style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14.535px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.4px;">Sounds good doesn't it. It painted a nice picture and gave me hope that we can get back on the dining track. My wife has a shellfish allergy so she asked for no shrimp. The salad was decent. Not horrible. It was small and not memorable. Unlike the salad we had in Houston which was just fabulous with the shaved egg...hmm...I was the only one who had anything to start with, as we are all quite full on beignets. Our food came out quite quickly. I generally like a nice meal to be paced, but this felt rushed. Here is when everything went bad to worse. My wife who asked for no shellfish also received no sauce. The fish was stone cold and had an unpleasant smell and sans a sauce. My son's steak was overdone and under seasoned. It was as tough as nails and tasted like a paper napkin. My chop was fatty, and unappetizing. The plating was a mess. My daughter's pasta was just weird. Words cannot describe the disappointment. I had been looking forward to this for weeks. Nothing was good. It was an outright stinker. It was so bad that my son and wife told the waiter to take it back and that they lost their appetite. The waiter asked if we wanted dessert. We politely said no. When the bill arrived, they had only taken off my wife's entree, not my sons. We asked for the manager. And then asked for the manager. Finally someone came around. We told them this was unacceptable. They tried arguing with us. I threw out my chef's card and said this type of service was unacceptable. If I did that to our customers I would be out of business. Another manager came over and apologized about the other manager. After a few minutes of jostling he gave in and we paid only half the bill. Still an outright rip off. Spoiled evening, horrible food and bad service. Next time you think Brennan's, don't think NOLA think Houston.</span></small></div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-89089418055798122412018-03-02T14:33:00.000-08:002018-03-02T15:24:01.830-08:00Tale of Two Restaurants with the Same Name<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love to eat. So much so, I have been ordered by my doctor to shed a few pounds. I don't know about you, but most of life's greatest moments revolve around good food and drink. Think about a wedding. What are you really excited about, the groom kissing the bride or the open full bar and the kick ass passed hors d'oeuvres? I will only like you if you answer the latter.<br />
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So I get jacked for really awesome eats. Yeah, I cook and like my cooking but I also love to taste and see what other brethren are doing locally, nationally and internationally. That is how I become better as a chef, To taste, see, experience new and awesome places. They inspire me as a chef, and give me great ideas for new dishes and different ways to plate food.<br />
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So let me get to my first review. And let me preface this by saying I am very sensitive to bad reviews. They suck and I often times think they are full of s*^t, but that comes with the territory. You ain't going to make everyone happy a 100 percent of the time.<br />
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I travel many weekends with my son for competitive soccer. He plays on a USSDA team in Dallas. Which essentially means the highest level youth soccer in America. Very cool, but very time consuming. We travel all over Texas and will do more this coming year across the great plains of the U.S.<br />
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One of the first trips of the season was to Houston, which we here in Dallas like to call the armpit of Texas. Sorry Houston, but you mostly suck, except for some decent dines.<br />
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My son and I went alone and made it a boys trip. Th year prior I was in hospital for most of the season and couldn't go to his games. So I wanted to make it special. We went swag. We stayed at https://www.granducahouston.com/en/. Highly recommend. Very northern Italian/Tuscan vibe. Big rooms, great bar, nice pool. Loved it, as did my son who thought he was pimping it!<br />
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I made a reservation for after the game. I knew he would have an appetite after running around for an hour and a half. Win, lose or draw we were going to have a great night.<br />
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Well, his game was a bummer as we lost in the last minute of the game 1-0 to MLS Houston Dynamo. Tough loss. My son was bummed and dejected after the game but his spirits lifted when he asked if we were still doing dinner. "Hell yes, the quickest way to get over a loss is too drown your sorrows with food and drink!"<br />
<img alt="Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, sitting and indoor" height="320" src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23157343_10208651212912404_3907295840644880660_o.jpg?oh=964a239142a51c8cd1ff25e740d982dd&oe=5B07E755" width="238" /><br />
We went back to the hotel and got jazzed up and we he headed to https://www.brennanshouston.com/. Yes the icon sister/brother restaurant of the iconic Brennan's in New Orleans.<br />
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I love the old established restaurant that has been around for years, It had a reputation for excellence and an environment that suited that quest. The restaurant was in a brick building, just outside the downtown area. We were greeted by a very pleasant hostess and she swept us into the main dining room where they put us in the corner so we could have full view of the beautiful room. We had the lovely high back chairs that you could literally fall asleep in even without the aid of a cocktail. As you can see from my son's picture he was having a blast.<br />
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The service was great from the moment we arrived to the moment we sadly said goodbye. The waiter was very warm and not snooty considering he was not going to get the biggest bill with only one adult and a child. He seemed to enjoy serving my son. We looked over the menu like vultures looking for its dead prey. We were both ravenous. The long drive, the long game, the long wait for dinner time to arrive.<br />
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After eating two baskets of garlic bread, having a nice glass of sauvignon blanc we decided to make our choices. We ordered<br />
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Houston Cured Bacon Lardons, Deep Ellum Blue Cheese, Cherry Tomatoes, 10/15 Shoe String Onions with a Smoked Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing </div>
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Gala, Fuji, and Granny Smith apples, Tabasco Pecan Brittle, Maytag Blue Cheese, and "Bulleit" Spiced Cider Vinaigrette </div>
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Creole Fried Rice, Sunny Side up Quail Egg, and Mirliton Squash with Bird Dog Whiskey Glaze</div>
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Indian Creek Mushrooms with Wilted Green and a Charred Chili Cream Sauce</div>
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I finished with Creole Bread Pudding which was just delicious and my son got their famous Banana's Foster served table side.</div>
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<img alt="Bananas Foster" src="https://www.brennanshouston.com/files/29" /></div>
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Both salads were just great. Perfectly fresh, great textures, perfect amount of acidity and fat. Great size, not too much but not at all small.</div>
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The gulf snapper was fresh and rich with the crab and the chili cream sauce. My son's duck was gorgeous with its caramel bark and creamy quail egg. I was surprised he ordered such a complex dish but he loved every bite. It was all hot and perfectly executed Cajun cuisine. It was easy to see why they were still packing the restaurant after all these years. It was professional throughout. This was what I wanted and expected. It wasn't nouvelle cuisine, it was creole comfort food done prepared well. I was thoroughly impressed by the execution of the staff in the front and the back of the house. The flavors and the menu definitely resonated with me and gave me great ideas for our clients needing a Cajun feast.</div>
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Sadly, their is another restaurant by the same name but in New Orleans, that did not fit the bill......Part Deux.....</div>
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Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7033532303093328733.post-68845102470041504622018-02-15T16:09:00.001-08:002018-02-15T16:33:14.648-08:00What You Talking About Willis?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a month since I got a chance to sit down and opine with y'all (texan for you all). It wasn't by choice either. Sometimes as I have alluded life kicks you in the ass. Well, we just had this happen to us a few weeks back.<br />
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Let me help any young entrepreneur. Have a lawyer, a good one. If you don't have the money for one, put it on credit card. Legal representation is a must for any businesses entity. Make sure you read and understand contracts. Don't skim, don't procrastinate. It will be boring but you must understand what you are signing.<br />
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Don't do handshake deals. Most people suck. They will renege on it. Their spoken words are more worthless than the toilet paper you wipe your derriere (French for ass).<br />
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You might be asking what the hell happened. Well, I can't. But I can tell you what might have happened to a fictional person with similar circumstances as me.<br />
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Hypothetically speaking, this poor hard working chef who owned his own business for let's say 17 years, was renting a commercial kitchen in the area. The landlord of this establishment had recruited this very fictional character to come join this person's new commercial kitchen. It was new, it was clean, it was bloody state of the art. It was cool beans!<br />
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This very fictitious chef who is extremely debonair and good looking, decided this pad is the bomb. Let's do this. The two agreed and signed a year's lease. Well, three quarters way through the lease, the fictional owner went MIA. No one knew where this person was. Had this person been kidnapped, was this person murdered, did the person run away with a Latin lover? There were no clues. Bills for the building kept piling up, rent checks weren't being cashed. There were no cleaning supplies, their was no general maintenance, the place was falling into disarray.<br />
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In this fictitious world (which oddly mirrored mine), the MIA landlord was missing for 3 months more less. When the landlord finally returned, after a thousand phone calls and messages. This super good looking and skilled entrepreneurial chef confronted the landlord. It was amicable. After, being reassured the place wasn't going belly up, and that the landlord had been risen from the dead like Lazarus, the chef asked to renew the lease as it was now approaching the end of the lease. The landlord was very happy and excitedly said hypothetically, "Great! Perfect! Let's do it!"<br />
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Fireworks didn't erupt, but both parties were satisfied to renew the lease. All was done and dusted. (or so it seemed)<br />
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Fast forward in the magic time machine to a fictional time in the future like two weeks ago.<br />
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Imagine the surprise for the shockingly handsome chef, when he arrived to work to find a termination letter on his work table. This fictitious letter might have read something like, "Since you never renewed your lease, I will be terminating it and the end of the month..."<br />
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(WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT WILLIS?) (Ref. 70's- early 80's Different Strokes TV show reference)<br />
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Yes that is what came to mind in this chef's mind. Or WTF!!!<br />
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You see this person vividly remembers asking to be renewed and getting acknowledgement from the landlord that it would be.<br />
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But see this is the rub. You are f#@^'d! Because it is now a spitting contest and a he said she said type of thing. This isn't the good ole days when your word was your bond. When you spit into your hand and shook hands with your partner. No this is not that time. It is the bloody new millennium when values and ethics mean nothing and the only transactions of value can be done with good lawyers. Protect yourself. It is you against the world.<br />
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Again hypothetically speaking, in case you are wondering if this marvelously handsome and talented chef deserved to be thrown out? The answer is no. In fact the made up landlord said I would be happy to give you a reference. I had to kick you out because I found someone who would pay more than you. You see the word wasn't good. This landlord did not execute an extension of the lease on purpose even though they agreed orally because the landlord had some irons in the fire for a big fish client, so they strung on to the good ole chef as long as possible. Well, I believe in Karma and you reap what you sow. <br />
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Next blog, I promise will be about food reviews. The good, the bad and the not so bad.</div>
Stephen Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363216618786086522noreply@blogger.com0