Let me bite that.

Open-Faced

I eat a lot of toast. I love toast with butter and garlic and crushed red pepper. I love toast with almond butter and blueberry jam. I love cheese toast. I love toast with Nutella and slivered almonds. I love toast with olive oil and hummus. Whatever my mood, there’s a toast for it. In my opinion, the best bread for toasting, and for feasting on is Food for Life’s Genesis Sprouted Grains and Seed bread. It comes frozen and each slice is hearty and thick and full of natural and earthy flavors. It’s ingredients include organic sprouted wheat, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, wheat bran, soybeans, barely, millet, and sprouted brown rice. Sounds healthy eh? I figured if I’m going to eat toast day and night I may as well get something out of it.

My newest thing to do with toast, is make open faced sandwiches. I don’t need all that much bread in my sandwiches, I prefer the innards. With the adoption of this practice, I am getting fuller flavor from my meals and cutting my carb ingestion in half. Also, eating a sandwich open-faced with a knife and fork allows you to savor each bite and strive to make it as perfectly tasty as you can with equal distribution of components and sauces.

The open-faced egg sandwich is an even newer development in this affair. Usually I scramble my eggs, but after finally (kind of) learning how to fry an egg, I’ve taken to combining egg with anything I can over bread.

Here we have an open-faced egg sandwich with jalapeno havarti cheese, melted by a Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie patty and an over - medium egg, finished off with and a healthy stream of Sriracha.

Beautiful.

With the above egg ‘sandwich,’ my little brother showed me this trick. After frying up your egg and browning your bread, heat up some canned black beans (rinsed) and some fresh spinach. Place atop egg and enjoy as a delicious and hearty breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack.

So Snacky

As I’ve discussed occasionally in this blog, I try to eat healthily if I can. This can be really tricky considering that I am constantly hungry. I don’t eat a whole lot in one sitting, but throughout the day I probably have at least ten sittings. I’ve learned that my body needs to be constantly refueled. In addition to having a persistent hunger, I also love food. Because I know that there is nothing that can be done about the snacking, I’ve had to train myself into snacking on the right things. Today I made myself two healthy snacks to keep around for the next few days, so that when a snack attack comes along, I know that I’ve got something prepared that I won’t feel guilty about later.

First, I ran out to the Martin’s in Carytown. I only had a ten spot so I bought some slivered almonds, ground turkey, and fresh spinach. When I got back, I rummaged around deep into the freezer until I found a bag of frozen shelled edamame. I love edamame. It’s full of protein and fiber and is an excellent addition to salads. I cooked the edamame (I did it in the microwave but stovetop would probably be better). When it was ready I mixed in a bunch of slivered almonds, sesame seeds, and soy sauce. I ate a bunch of it right away and put the rest of it in the fridge to chill. It was deliciously fresh and crunchy and I even felt full when I was done. It also totally satiated the constant salt tooth I have.

I can definitely see myself waking up at three in the morning to hog out on this.

With the ground turkey and spinach I bought, I made a kind of taco salad with taco seasoning mix and a can of black beans. I browned the turkey in a skillet and then drained it. After it was dry, I added 2/3 cup of water and the taco mix. As the water came to a boil and the liquid thickened into a sauce, I added the drained and rinsed black beans and shredded spinach. I cooked it until the beans heated thoroughly and the spinach wilted. I’ve actually made this a bunch of times before. Usually I’ll buy some whole wheat tortillas or blue corn chips and will make myself mini turkey tacos. Occasionally I’ll also buy romaine and mix it all up with a little salsa. It’s also satisfying all by itself. The combo of the protein of the turkey and the fiber of the beans and the spinach also gives you what you need to build muscle and speed up your metabolism.

Fon-do!

Over the weekend I went up to Northern Virginia for my stepdad Mike’s birthday. Before I arrived, he informed me that the plan for his celebration was dinner at The Melting Pot. I was already excited about the visit but learning this made me even happier to be heading north.

The Melting Pot, as I’m sure most of you know, is a chain fondue restaurant. It’s the kind of place that is made for special occasions; proms, birthdays, anniversaries. Somehow I have always missed out on going during such occasions, so I was super happy that I’d finally be able to try it out for myself.

Upon our arrival, I was so excited that I could barely control myself. I had a lot of questions about what was going on during the process. There were six of us in the group which put us at a large round booth with two burners and pots in the middle of the table. Each person got a set of colored skewers for dipping.

After some debate and discussion and a good Q and A with our waiter, we learned that we got to pick two cheese pots for the table. There were so many options and they all sounded delicious. I’m sure any of them would have done quite well but I do think we definitely made some good choices. The first pot we chose was part of their featured four course fondue special feast, “Big Night Out.” At the moment, their fondue special is based on France. The cheese we chose was ‘Fondue a la France.’ It consisted of four French cheeses, bacon, onions, chives, and white truffle cream.  The next cheese we chose was mixed with spinach, artichokes, and garlic and ended up being my personal favorite. Our waiter mixed it all for us, throwing in spices and liquids that I could barely keep up with. As the cheese heated and melted he brought us our various dippers; soft breads, multicolored tortilla chips, crudités of carrot, broccoli, and cauliflower, and green apples.

 

 

We loved that cheese. We loved it a whole lot. I have to say that this was the highlight of my meal for sure. Hot. Melted. Cheese. I did manage to get cheese all over the front of my dress, but I don’t think anyone judged me for it, although they may have been upset that cheese was wasted.

Everyone got a salad choice and I chose a spinach, mushroom, bacon, and red onion salad with hot shallot vinaigrette. Quality salad, although if I had known the mushrooms were raw, I may have gone a different route. A bit of a bummer.

 

After quite a long time (the fondue is certainly a production), we were served our entrees. As part of the ‘Big Night Out’ deal we got plates filled with raw shellfish and meats. Lobster tails, garlic shrimp, filet mignon, pepper encrusted steak, chicken, and duck came all chopped into bite-sized pieces. There were also these weird yummy partially cooked raviolis.

Our waiter presented us with 6 or 7 different sauces for our meats; tarragon aioli, green goddess dressing with sour cream and chives, cocktail sauce, drawn butter, hot and sour sauces, blue cheese dressing, and yellow curried yogurt. An entire lemon per plate was given, ready to be freshly squeezed over seafood.

They got me with the sauces. So many options!

Cooking our proteins was where it got a little tricky. We got two hot pots that had boullion or flavored cooking liquid to cook the meats in. Each meat was to be placed on a skewer and put into the hot broth. Each meat had a different cooking time. There were six of us with two skewers each, and six different kinds of meat. With this many people and this many skewers I’m surprised no one got their eye poked out. We all had our cell phone timers out, trying to make sure that each meat was cooked long enough, each yelling out the time to one another. I definitely feel like I accidently ate a piece of undercooked duck. While the meats and broths were delicious and there were about 7 different kinds of sauces to dip the meat in, the process of cooking everything was a bit of a challenge. It was kind of harrowing, yet super fun and tasty. It was a whirlwind.

 

By the time we were getting seriously full, we realized that dessert was upon us like a desert wind. We’d been so engaged and focused on the cooking of the meats that we’d barely had time to consider our fourth course.

For the finale, we got to pick two chocolate pots. There was a set array of dippers that came automatically including bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, cheesecake, pound cake, brownies, and Rice Krispy treats. I love a smorgasbord.  

 

After a hilariously heated debate over whether white chocolate is chocolate, we agreed on the ‘cookies and cream marshmallow dream’ pot and the ‘flaming turtle.’ I really wanted to try some white chocolate fondue and I also wanted to try their traditional pot of  milk chocolate and crunchy peanut butter. I’ll have to get those next time. The ones we got were delicious, as, in truth, any of the pots would have been. They were both flambéed and the turtle one has caramel and chopped pecans swirled around inside. 

 

For his final trick, our waiter mixed flaming marshmallow with dark chocolate and Oreo crumbles. This one was closest to me in proximity, thereby receiving most of my attention.

My experience at Melting Pot was just that; an experience, and I loved it. It was great to spend time with my family, and the interactive meal was fun/delicious to enjoy with them. I’d love to go back and  just get the cheese plate and dessert or maybe even just go for one or the other. It was pretty expensive for all four courses, but the showmanship of it made it all worthwhile for any occasion.

Supermarket Curiosities.

Limited edition SwirlMallows. Chocolate and vanilla swirled marshmallows? Sure. 

Why yes, I will try you someday.

Hmmm. A little pricy for something that doesn’t seem to have much substance to offer. Maybe a nice centerpiece?

Prep Work

One of the main reasons I’ve been so bad about updating is because, around the holidays, I had a serious cash shortage. Because funds were so low I decided to cut my losses and do a big grocery shop to last me for a good long time. I bought a chicken, fruits, veggies, and a whole stockpile of snacks and healthy alternatives to eating out.

After I went shopping I realized that there was one more obstacle standing in my way to healthy and cheap eating; preparation. Sometimes just having the resources in the fridge isn’t enough. One of the main reasons eating out or at work is so nice is that there is no prep work involved, other than getting to your destination and placing your order. In order to simplify the process I decided to take a couple of hours to ready my ingredients for fast usage.

 

First of all, I boiled a full chicken. When it was done I picked it apart and then put the bones and broth back on the stove with fresh herbs, carrots, onions, and celery. While I did the rest of my chopping and peeling the broth simmered until a golden and flavorful chicken stock was born. Homemade chicken stock is an awesome thing to have around for soup making, and adding extra flavor to cooked veggies and grains.

Additionally, the smell of it simmering throughout the house is enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

As my broth simmered, I peeled a head of garlic and separated the cloves. I then poured a bit of olive oil over the garlic, wrapped it in foil, and put it in the oven to broil. Over about ten minutes it softened and roasted. When all was said and done I put the garlic in a bowl for use on sandwiches or chopped up on salad. Yum. Few things are as flavorful and healthy as garlic. The perfect addition to any meal.

As things roasted and boiled, I set to work on the most menial task of all; the cutting and the dicing and the picking apart of the rest of my fresh produce. I knew that everything would go unused unless I got them ready for cooking ahead of time. For nearly an hour or so I diced and chopped onions, broccoli, celery, carrots, and Brussels sprouts and stuffed them neatly into Tupperware for later use. I also picked apart a couple of pomegranates to ensure easy and healthy snacking.

When everything was said and done, I ended up wasting less food than I do any other time I go grocery shopping, and many of my meals were healthy and well-balanced due to my forward thinking. The chicken and onions were great for making quick quesadillas on the stove or for throwing into eggs. The other veggies were easily sautéed on the stove within minutes with no knife work necessary. Salads were hurriedly mixed as I ran late for various events and pomegranate seeds kept my hand out of the cookie jar for days. Certainly one of my best ideas to date.

The Holidays Were Good…..

Per usual, I’m a little behind on my blogging. Thanksgiving in February? Sure, why not. I’d hate to let that meal go undocumented.

 

Before the holidays, I had tons of leftover groceries at my home and knew that if I didn’t take them with me to my parents they’d go bad. About a week prior, my friend Katie gave me one of these bad boys (see above) that she’d gotten from her produce co-op. She didn’t know what it was and knew that I would have a good time trying to figure it out. After much gawking and pontificating, and some research, I concluded that it was a head of romanesco broccoli. Romanesco, also known as broccoflower, is really similar to both broccoli and cauliflower in texture and flavor. As my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner I chopped up the romanesco, a bulb of fennel I’d purchased on a whim a couple of weeks ago, and some leftover onion. I tossed it all with a little olive oil and some chicken stock and sprinkled some chili powder and crushed red pepper over it. I set the oven to 375 degrees and roasted my medley for about 40-45 minutes until the fennel softened, stirring occasionally.

I enjoyed my dish immensely but I think my family would have preferred that I hadn’t been so heavy handed with the chili powder. Oops. Even I had to drink more water to cool the fire that built slowly in my mouth bite after bite. Mmm/Ow…. Luckily, there were tons of other delicious dishes to mask the burn and fill us up right nicely.

 

 

 

 

Above is my favorite Thanksgiving dish, baked mashed potatoes with green onion and tons of pepper. So delicious, especially as a glue to hold the turkey and stuffing and green beans and cranberry sauce all together in each bite. My stepmom is a great cook and did an amazing job this year as she does every year. This year she wanted to give us a great feast with healthier aspects. Her green beans and baked sweet potato fries and only one (!) pan of those insane mashed potatoes certainly did that.

 

 

 

We had a couple of soups as mini meals throughout the days after thanksgiving. I made a butternut squash and apple bisque and my stepmom Kema made oyster stew with half a dozen plump oysters per bowl and a rich and creamy broth with a spoonful of mashed potatoes at the bottom. It was a Happy Thanksgiving!

Pescado’s

 

A couple of nights ago, I finally made time to attend an event to benefit an amazing family who happen to be going through a very rough time. Amanda Wray waits tables with me at Joe’s Inn and in my six years of working there we have had a hilarious time making fun of each other and joking around in order to keep ourselves sane at work. In the time I’ve known her she’s been married to a great guy, Dustin, and has had two little boys; Lazer and Zory. As a child, her husband Dustin battled cancer and while the battle has abated at different times, it is not over yet. He was recently diagnosed with cancer again after the doctors found five tumors spread throughout his body. While things are serious, we are all rooting for him and their family and I know that Amanda is working hard to keep her family's spirit’s up.

There have already been a number of great restaurants that have offered to hold “Wray Nights” where they donate a percentage of their profits to the family and where friends can come and show their support. I, unfortunately, have been unable to attend any of the fundraisers, with the exception of the one held at Joe’s Inn where I made some sad looking cupcakes for a bake sale out front. When I saw that the next fundraiser was being held at Pescado’s, a restaurant whose reputation precedes it (in a good way), I knew that this would be the perfect time for me to show my support and hog out all at the same time.

Apparently there are two Pescado’s locations. One is far far away (from me) and one is slightly closer in Oregon Hill on the corner of China and Pine streets. This location just opened during the summer, responding to the popularity of their other location in Midlothian…wherever that is. After perusing their menu online in order to prepare myself for the meal, I was even more undecided about what to order. I had a couple of options in mind, but I knew that it would all be contingent on what the rest of my table orders. I can’t very well order the same thing as everyone else. Where’s the variety in that?

After greeting all of my co-workers, friends, and other well wishers, anddd after having at least two glasses of wine, we all got seated and awaited a great feast. Apparently it was Happy Hour and wine was cheap, so we went a little nuts slurping down our drinks. After much discussion and deliberation, I was pleased to see that my evil plan had worked; everyone at the table was getting something different and everyone wanted appetizers and salads. We were in it for the long haul with this meal. I was willing to spend any amount of money. Not only was I hungry, but I knew that it was going toward a good cause. That’s enough to make any person drop some serious dimes.

As appetizers we got grilled calamari and conch fritters. The grilled calamari was my favorite, hands down. In my old age, I’ve learned to really appreciate un-fried calamari. I love the chewy, tough texture and the way it slides down my throat. I also love that it isn’t completely full of fat. Pescado’s calamari was no exception. The calamari was cooked perfectly and tossed with white beans, peppers, and diced chorizo. The best thing about the calamari was the occasional tentacle cluster that I was able to unearth from the large portion we were served.

 

The conch fritters were also delicious, but similar to most other conch fritters I’ve had. I know this because my best friend Daniel is obsessed with conch fritters and whenever we go anywhere that offers them, that’s what we’re getting. As long as a fritter is delectably fried and served with some sort of mayo-based sauce, I’m good.

Another appetizer worth mentioning is the Voodoo shrimp. I didn’t get it and neither did my table, but my friend Elizabeth at another table did and was generous enough to offer me a bite.

 

As the menu describes it, Voodoo shrimp is “wild-caught shrimp, allspice, rum, chorizo, torta round, banana, soft-fried egg, habanero.” It also advises on the menu, “very spicy.” That concerned me not one single bit. The spicier something is, the more I like it. I was confused though since the sauce seemed to be a sweet one and of course the sunny-side up egg and breading are neutral flavored. It turned out to be just as spicy as they’d warned, which surprised me and excited me. This was probably the most interesting flavor combo I had at Pescado’s. The shrimp was perfect and one of my favorite things in the world is chopping up a softly cooked egg over anything. The sweetness of the banana and the rum sauce were almost enough to overcome the habanero. They certainly gave the habanero a run for it’s money. When I return to Pescado’s I will definitely be ordering both the calamari and the voodoo shrimp. Yumm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

As if the appetizers didn’t wet our whistles enough, we ordered a couple of salads for the table. We ordered the “Los Cabos,” a dinner-sized salad made with beautiful local field greens, goat cheese, pine nuts, red onions, avocado, mango, and mango dressing. It was fresh and flavorful. The dressing was a little sweet, but with a dash of salt, it was perfect. A healthy entree for anyone who doesn’t want to indulge themselves too hard. They also offer shrimp or chicken for their salads.

 

For dinner, everyone got something different. I won’t get into it all here, because some of it wasn’t what I wanted and some of it I didn’t even try. The first dish I tried, even before my own, was my friend Mari’s Enchilada Acapulco. It didn’t sound like my kind of thing when I read about it on the menu, mostly because I don’t care for enchiladas but this turned out to be a whole different enchilada. It is compromised of a  Cabo crab cake, wild-caught shrimp, caramelized onion, flour tortilla, saffron potato cakes, grilled zucchini, and a lobster/lime cream sauce. Absolutely delicious. I was thoroughly happy with this and so was she. While I only had a bite, she ate the entire thing. For someone who I know is as picky as she is, I know this was a winner. So succulent and flavorful.

 

I was able to convince my friend Cynthia to go halfsies with me on a couple of meals. Even though I was desperate to try their fish tacos, I knew I needed to branch out more, especially since I just had fish tacos at Tarrant’s. She, luckily, was totally into the idea of going half and half and wanted just the other meal I wanted, scallops. I LOVE scallops. Whenever I see scallops on a menu, I want them. They will be mine. These scallops in particular were seared, served with green beans, a sweet potato puree and a pomegranate salsa. Another thing I always love, no matter what day or time is pomegranate. It symbolizes winter’s coming for me and I have great appreciation for the work it takes to break one of those babies open and free the seeds from their tiny chambers.

The scallops were freaking amazing, in case you had to ask. Just looking at that picture it’s clear that the scallops were fat beautiful beasts ripe for the picking. They were seasoned beautifully and just spicy enough to offset the sweet and savory taste of the sweet potato puree which was buttery and smooth. Double yum.

We also got fish tacos, which a. I was too full for and b. we let sit too long and got soggy. It was sad and I cried, but I was somehow able to move on. We also got dessert. They offered an avocado tart and guava cheesecake, both of which we got. They were so sweet and creative but I was unable to appreciate them due to my crazy full-ness and my preoccupation with drinking wine solely as dessert.

Oh yeah, give to the Wrays, if you can because they’re awesome and I love them. http://www.giveforward.com/supportthewrays

Mis·cel·la·ny

Tonight I made it my mission to eat as healthily as I possibly could without having to go to the store or pay for anything. I feel like I’ve been eating terribly the past few days and I really felt the need tonight for some fruits and veggies. A couple of days ago I bought some organic Brussels sprouts from one of my favorite local grocers. I also bought a couple of sweet potatoes. I decided to sauté my Brussels sprouts the way I always do, with olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, soy sauce, and honey. Sometimes I’ll use Worcestershire or maple syrup as alternatives. I peeled and chopped a sweet potato and sautéed it in the pan for a little while until it softened and then I added the Brussels. I let everything cook down and then, after rifling through my fridge, I found some matchstick carrots and tossed those in as the sweet potato softened.

 

My dish turned out to be epically flavorful. I tinkered around with spices madly, tossing a little salt here, pepper there, and whatever else I saw that tickled my fancy. Any combination of vegetables will work, and this is one of the easiest, quickest, and tastiest ways I know to cook miscellaneous  produce around the house.

Maple Pepper

 

 

Some friends of mine were raving about this the other day and it piqued my interest. I guess they came across it at a small shop in Maine where specialty local spices and jams are sold. You know the shop. New England is famous for them. Similar to general stores, they are independently owned shops that look like cabins and sell fancy bars of soap, rock candy, apple mango rhubarb chutney, and carved wooden wall hangings. I have spent multiple hours and multiple dollars at these shops while vacationing with my family in New Hampshire. A few years ago I couldn’t help but buy three or four jams, some pickled veggies, and gourmet salsas to pass off to my friends as “gifts.” Most of them were not terribly surprised to find that immediately upon giving them the gift, I told them to open it up and give me a bite. That is the name of this blog, after all.

The combination of maple and pepper never really crossed my mind I’m embarrassed to say, but now that I’ve learned of it, I can’t move on until I’ve had some.

According to their website, Maple Pepper is a “combination of pure maple sugar and fresh ground pepper.” You can use it on fish or chicken or  even on popcorn or fresh fruit, as the website suggests. My friends swore by sprinkling it on baked sweet potatoes. I bet it would be good on salads too. They also offer garlic and habanero versions. They run about six bucks apiece and I think I’m going to go ahead and order them all. The curiosity is just too much to handle. I’ll let you know how it fares.

Tarrant’s Cafe

One of my very favorite Richmond restaurants, Tarrant’s, also happens to be a favorite of a couple of my lady friends. When we have opportunity to get together, we bounce dinner ideas off of each other for a while but somehow usually end up heading down to Tarrant’s.

Tarrant’s is located on the corner of Broad St. and Foushee towards downtown where First Fridays occurs and where a variety of other well known Richmond restaurants are located, such as Comfort, Popkin Tavern, and 27. I’ve never been to two of the three places I just mentioned, mostly because if I’m in that direction, Tarrant’s is calling my name, coaxing me with the smell of pizza wafting through their vents into the street. Tarrant’s used to be a drugstore, and the outside of it has stained glass windows that say “soda Alcohol tobacco” in a classic pharmacy fashion. It has a good-sized, smooth bar and the lighting is the perfect. It’s bright enough that you can read your menu without squinting and dark enough to where you still look attractive to your date. It’s pretty large with two separate dining areas. I’ve never had to wait for a table, even on super busy nights. While the restaurant is extensive, it still has a comfortable, homey vibe and you never feel like everyone is on top of you while you eat. A great place for dining intimately.

My first time at Tarrant’s, probably about two and a half years ago, a friend recommended that I try their Tilapia Reuben. My first thought on hearing her suggestion was: well, I don’t really care too much for tilapia, nor do I care for thousand island dressing or sauerkraut so this doesn’t seem like an option for me. When I looked at the menu and saw that the tilapia is pan-fried and the sauerkraut has been replaced by coleslaw, I decided to be bold. Very rarely do I take a chance like that and get rewarded. Ninety percent of the time I regret trying new things. Luckily, this particular questionable decision turned out to be a beautiful thing. The tilapia is lightly breaded and fried to the perfect golden brown. So crispy, the fish flakes off and melts in your mouth. The cold crunch of the coleslaw and the sparingly applied tangy thousand island dressing combine perfectly with the mildness of the fish. The grilled bread the sandwich comes on is a marble rye, which I love, not simply for the taste, but also the role a loaf of marble rye played in the famous Seinfeld episode where Jerry steals a marble rye from an old woman in the street.   

In the many times I’ve been to Tarrant’s in the past couple of years I’ve dabbled in other meals, also dabbling in my friend’s and date’s meals as well. In that time, they’ve never served me bad food. I’ve had my favorites, but never has a bad thing crossed my lips. As much as I’d love to eat fried fish or pizza at every meal, I have found some healthier alternatives. Tarrant’s has amazing salad options, including a rich and flavorful Caesar and a simple house salad with such prizes as chickpeas, dried cranberries, and sliced banana peppers. They also offer the option of adding herbed or blackened chicken or salmon, fried calamari, ahi tuna, mini crabcakes, beef tenderloin, or fried oysters to any of the salads offered. There are few things more delicious than crabcakes chopped up in a Caesar salad. Once I added both crabcakes and calamari, pulled a little of each off the salad, and had an appetizer platter to offer the rest of the table. All entrees and salads are served with hot dinner rolls dripping in olive oil and roasted garlic. Luckily each person only starts off with one, so that fewer appetites are ruined by the time the meal arrives.

After learning about what a Niçoise salad is a few weeks prior, a recent visit to Tarrant's introduced me to my current favorite dish. The Niçoise salad has never been one that has appealed to me on menus. I’m not typically a fan of tinned tuna fish. I would always much prefer a nicely seared and blackened tuna steak to anything that comes from a can. Traditionally Niçoise salad is made with canned tuna, strongly flavored oily olives, and marinated green beans. This Niçoise at Tarrant’s was made with the tuna steak of my dreams. You order it the temperature you’d like (or medium rare) and it emerges rosy and shining, placed atop a masterpiece of neatly arranged salad components. So much of Tarrant’s food is not only appealing to the tongue but to the eye as well. Their Niçoise includes roasted red peppers, grilled and seasoned vegetables, olives, hard boiled egg, a tangy mustard-based potato salad, sliced hot peppers, and fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion. I get balsamic dressing with mine, which is the best option for the mishmash of flavors coming at you with each carefully stacked bite. 

If you aren’t in the mood for salad, Tarrant’s offers multiple other delicious options including pizza and creative seafood and meat entrees. Gander at their menu here.

From a recent visit: An appetizer sampler including toasted dinner bread heaped with three different appetizers; hummus, crab and spinach dip, and caprese salad. Definitely enough for three ladies to get their appetites in gear.

Under ‘sandwiches,’ you can find fish tacos (whoops). Such a comprehensive platter. Made with grilled mahi-mahi and served with all the fillings you desire; black beans, guacamole, corn relish, pepper jack cheese, and fresh veggies. I’m a sucker for a fish taco just about anywhere and this is no exception.