My previous post consisted of our stay at the Zero George Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. When staying in this beautiful spot, you get a light breakfast in the a.m. and Happy Hour from 5 to 6. You may take advantage of their verandas and enjoy your wine and appetizers.
This restaurant’s Chef is Vinson Petrillo. A very well known chef who is very passionate about food and brings that to his team. He is a two time winner of Food Network’s Chopped and Chopped Champion, among other accolades.
You would think that his food would be prepared in a state of the art kitchen. Oh, no. I was so surprised as we came to check into the hotel and right there they were prepping for the evening. A tiny kitchen, no less, and his busy bees working on beautiful foods adding those finishing touches that show off his gorgeous offerings. The kitchen is in the property’s 1804 kitchen carriage house. Edible art is all I could think of.
Our last evening was having dinner at Zero George. Impeccable service, wines, drinks, and a great ambiance. Have in mind that coming to this food experience is to taste more than to have a full blown meal. Lots of small plates, almost like tapas style, except more sophisticated.
The first delicate dishes came all at once. From left to right on the next photo you will see the Beausoleil Oysters. These oysters are from New Brunswick Oyster Appelations. The name means beautiful sun. They are farmed by the tray suspension method on Miramichi Bay.
The next dish was the Royal Red Prawn. These are deep water species of prawns caught off the eastern coast of Australia.
Foitnut….now this was interesting. Only 2 of those peanuts is the Foinut and they are the ones with the gold on top. Aren’t they unreal? You think they are peanuts but they are filled with passion fruit and a crunchy fennel base.
The Beef Tartare, I do not know how to actually describe it but you had to eat it immediately and an explosion in your mouth told you that this was going to be memorable.
The Potted Plant and heirloom radishes with puffed red Quinoa and house made butter made a great conversation piece but to tell you the truth it was not my favorite.
This next dish I did like a lot. AAA Holland Asparagus, soft fried egg, white anchovy and horseradish. You could have added Bianchetto Truffles or Caviar but we did not.
Our other dishes were equally as good, but I have to laugh because I do not have the descriptions. Colorado Lamb Saddle is one. Trust me you get so involved into the food that you forget to take photos.
Ending our dinner with 2 desserts. One was 70% Chocolate with Mint and Passion Fruit and the other one was Chef’s Petrillo’s version of the ever so popular Tres Leches with a honeycomb and coconut.
And who is a true “Foodie”? You cannot wrinkle your nose at eating sweetbreads, or scrapple. A true “Foodie” understands what goes into a recipe, try different restaurants, try new dishes and ingredients. You read food magazines….GUILTY!! You enjoy discovering new food fads but also have a presence of what traditional cooking is all about.
Zero George was definitely an experience. They have a cooking school as well and can accommodate private events.
TGIF!! On Instagram find Zero George Restaurant as zerorestaurant.
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Traveling to Charleston in the Spring after a cold winter was soooo nice. The weather, the restaurants, and our accommodations all worked in unison. When that happens your vacation is great.
We chose the Zero George located on 0 George Street because of its reputation. Conde Nast names it as one of the top 5 Foodie Hotels in the world. Besides choosing it for our stay we also had the opportunity to enjoy a dinner in-house at their restaurant which was a foodie experience. More on that later.
There are 4 buildings in the property. Originally only 2 dating to 1804. The above photo shows where our suite was. This is one of those building with wide plank beautiful floors. It was like an apartment.
The property is beautifully maintained. Cozy and quaint you can find plenty of places to enjoy a drink during happy hour in the gardens or in their verandas.
Complimentary wine and cheese in the early evening.
You can walk from the Zero George to the center of town. But if you get tired or if you want to go to restaurants in the evening then calling the Bike Taxi or the Charleston Pedicab is the best way to go. The Zero George has valet parking available too. Plus, at night you practically get a tour of the city while these guys take you from one destination to another. At the time of our stay it was $12 for the ride. Charleston does not have a lot of Uber and I never saw a taxi. This is a very popular way to travel within town.
Charleston is so pretty. Walk, take a tour, enjoy their food and their music.
It is formed into large blocks, and aged in brine. Its flavor is tangy and salty. It ranges from mild to sharp. I am talking about Feta Cheese.
A friend sent me a recipe that she had not made but a friend had and fell in love with it. It is a baked Feta pasta. I made it last night. Never knew that Feta could melt this way.
I made the recipe just like it was supposed to be made. It is probably going to be my summer go to recipe. Very easy.
Check this out: BAKE FETA PASTA
8 ounce block of feta cheese. Buy the block and not the crumbled feta
1 1/2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine. It is optional but I used it.
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. That gives it a little bit of heat so you may use 1/4 tsp if that is a concern.
8 ounces uncooked pasta of your choice. The recipe showed a short pasta which I think will be better for this recipe. I bought a pasta from a company I had never used. It turned out great. Can’t turn the photo around so sorry for that but you can see it, right?
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or minced. I was at Fresh Market in Rehoboth Beach and got already roasted garlic which I proceeded to chop.
1 large handful fresh baby spinach. Take stems out.
1 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh basil
shaved or grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Make the Feta sauce by placing the block of feta in the center of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or other baking pan. I had a round baking pan. Arrange the tomatoes around the feta, then drizzle everything evenly with the olive oil and white wine. Give the ingredients a brief toss so that they are evenly coated in oil. Sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes evenly over the feta, and season just the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. You want to see the tomatoes burst and are nice and juicy.
Cook the pasta about 10 minutes before the Feta and tomatoes are done. Use a nice large stockpot and salt the water generously. You want the pasta to be shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside for later, then drain the pasta.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and immediately add the garlic and basil and stir the mixture together until the feta has melted into a creamy sauce. And, it will.
Add in the cooked pasta and spinach and gently toss until the pasta is evenly coated and the spinach has begun to wilt. If by any chance the sauce seems too dry, add in some of the reserved starchy water. Not much until it reaches the desired consistency. Mine was fine but I was ready to add the water and even some white wine if needed.
You can taste and season but I don’t think you need to add anything else.
Serve it warm and if you want you can garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
This recipe is a keeper. Enjoy it and make it your own.
Have a great week-end.
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Erma Bombeck’s quotes were so on point. I love this one. “I am not a glutton-I am an explorer of food.”
I feel that is what I am. Everywhere I go I want to try the local delicacies. At a restaurant, it’s the most ordered dish. Will I like it? You never know. Taste is an individual thing. But trying different foods and later making the decision to see if you like it or not, is the thing to do. It may open doors to a fantastic new food adventure that you never knew. And, starting children at an early age is important.
I have my favorite restaurants here. I will travel to eat good food. There is one restaurant in Fenwick Island, DE that has the best chicken. I get a craving for it. I am not kidding. It is the best. The restaurant is Our Harvest located at 1106 Coastal Hwy. Telephone is 302-581-0377.
The only day it closes is Monday. I am visiting my restaurants because it will be harder once all the summer visitors descend on all these beaches.
This is what we had last night. First we had a great table. We could see the open kitchen and the beautiful food being prepared.
Look at those peppers. Don’t really know what the one on the right was but on top of their serving table it made for a good entry photo and our table was right there.
This Prosciutto Flatbread was going somewhere but not before a photo moment was taken. There are different ways to eat at Our Harvest. If you are coming with a large group they have feasts that can be ordered for the table to share. There are small plates and regular size entrees. And for the Vegan, there are plenty of choices, as well.
A Grilled Baby Caesar Salad was ordered and it was topped with a Boqueron which is a white anchovy. They are from Spain and totally perfect addition to a Caesar. The baby romaine was from Baywater Farms, charred sourdough bread and a Caesar aioli finished the salad.
Also for the tables we ordered the Baywater Blistered Shishitos, with sambal butter and sesame salt. Sambal is a chili sauce made from a variety of chili peppers. Shishitos peppers are slender and wrinkly. They have a bright green color. You can’t just eat one. Give me a full bowl. They are mild but once in a while you get one with a little bit of heat. Charring them is the best.
An order of short ribs topped with Chimichurri sauce. This was considered a small plate. I liked them, I ate them, but I did find them a little dry even though they fell off the bone. I needed more moisture or more Chimichurri.
You may say why order chicken when you can have something else to eat. You don’t understand, this is the best roasted chicken. Whole Amish Air Chilled Chicken is part of their feast. We usually order it and take home whatever we do not eat. It is a whole chicken. It is brined in Arnold Palmer tea and wood fired with lemon and rosemary. I tried it at home and marinated chicken parts for 2 days and then grilled it and it really gives the meat a distinct flavor.
So good I cannot wait to eat the leftovers tonight.
Please make reservations early. Restaurants are getting so busy and cannot imagine how busy they will be a month from now.
Food brings us together. It starts conversations and make new friendships. Enjoy you time with friends and family.
AboutMyBeaches has a Facebook Page. If you want to leave a message, please do so.
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Southern Delaware and its restaurants!! You find them up and down the coast line. I always say “Good Food, Will Travel”. The Flying Fish is located at 300 Coastal Hwy. in Fenwick Island, Delaware. From Rehoboth Beach, where I live, it is only about 20 minutes. Depending on the time of the day and the season it could be more.
Right before you get to the intersection of Rt. 54 and Coastal Highway the cluster of red buildings is called Village of Fenwick Shoppes. You have arrived then!!
Reservations are a must for dinner. The restaurant is small. Tel. 302-581-0217. Have in mind that it is worth going.
I am trying to catch up with the restaurants before Memorial Weekend arrives. It is the official opening of the summer season. This year promises to be a very busy one.
I was dying for some Sashimi. It is my favorite. For some, having raw fish is not their thing but The Flying Fish has plenty for everyone.
I started with a Seafood Ceviche of squid, octopus, crab, scallop, fish and shrimp. It was served on a bed of greens. After eating the ceviche I asked our server if I could have some of that ginger dressing and it was perfect!! That ceviche was marinated in just enough of sesame line ceviche oil to give it a very light and tasty flavor. My friend, Sharon, decided to get the Gyoza Dumplings with a homemade dipping sauce. The Gyoza is a thinner dumpling wrapper and more finely chopped stuffing. Delicious, by the way.
I got the Sashimi Sampler which usually has the chef’s choice but since I love sashimi scallops I asked if that could be included and they obliged. Everything tasted so fresh. Loved it.
If you see on my plate there is wasabi. Well, in reality what it is usually served at sushi restaurants is horseradish that has had coloring added to it. It is strong, almost too strong and it really takes away from your rolls and fish. Fresh Wasabi is amazing. It has a slight sweetness to it. It is an expensive delicacy and most restaurants add a couple of dollars to your dish. Please try it and you will taste the difference. Where have you been all this time? Haha
Sharon’s roll was a the Mexican. It is a roll that has been around for a long time. Topped with crab meat.
As you can see, she also ordered fresh wasabi.
It was a nice dinner. Time to catch with a friend. And off we went to drive around Bethany Beach and tour Rehoboth Beach’s neighborhoods at night.
Have a great weekend. Remember that AboutMyBeaches has its own Facebook Page. Let me know how the Flying Fish was. Thanks.
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The easy entertaining time of the year is about to arrive. Barbecuing, outdoor dinners, backyard entertaining. Something easy is what calls for summer.
I love the name of this recipe. Peacock Vegetables. It is a recipe from 2002 and I have made it a lot. It is so simple. Vegetables and the rest you have in your pantry already.
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
2 purple onions, cut into eighths
2 small yellow squash, cut in 1/2″ strips
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/2″ strips
1 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, cut in 1/2″ strips
4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley ( I like Italian)
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano or 3 tbsp. fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Place onion, squash, bell peppers and garlic in a bowl and toss well.
Combine remaining ingredients in a lidded jar and shake well. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.
Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
The photo above is before going into the oven.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
I served these veggies with my Cornish Game Hens, whose post was right here on March 28th.
Goes well with everything. Great tasting too.
Have a great day. AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook. Leave a comment there.
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It may be the time of the day or the day of the week. Today, Monday, it is Meatless Monday. One day per week to get away from red meat and give our bodies a rest for healthier benefits.
The recipes may be Begged, Borrowed, or Stolen. You find recipes in books and you make them your own. I always add a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
This recipe caught my attention because I love scallops any which way. I thought the Tangerine Gastrique was interesting. A Gastrique is a reduction of sugar and vinegar infused with any flavor. In this case, tangerine juice.
The recipe was posted by Emeril Lagasse but to tell you the truth it needed more additions to a plain salad. Color like roasted peppers and roasted artichokes for once.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar (you certainly can reduce this amount)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice (could not find any so a orange/ mango juice was used)
A pound of scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil (a little more if needed)
salt and pepper
1 cup of arugula (I used a bit more)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
2 tangerines, peeled and separated
roasted pepper cut in strips
roasted artichokes or canned ones will do
2 or 3 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Let’s make the gastrique. In a medium sauce pan, combine, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and the juice. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce until the liquid gets syrup like, about 10 to 15 minutes.
For the scallops, please dry them on paper towels. You always should do that before cooking scallops.
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Season each scallop front and back with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add the scallops. Sear them on one side until golden brown, a couple of minutes it is only what it will take.
Toss the arugula in a salad bowl with extra virgin olive oil, along with the roasted pepper strips and the artichokes.
You can put the salad mixture in a large platter, add the tangerines to make a pretty presentation. Add the cooked scallops and drip the Gastrique all over. Sprinkle the shaved cheese.
A little bit of sweetness combined with scallops turns out to be a very nice salad.
Enjoy!!
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We had a craving for soft shell crabs. It is that time of the year when crabs have recently molted their old skeleton and are still soft, sweet, delicious; a true delicacy for all of us that like crabs. Soft shells are my favorite. After cleaning them, you eat them whole. In a sandwich, sauteed, lightly fried…Yummy.
I have had them before at Heirloom and they have been getting them this past week.
Love going out to the restaurants in our beaches on a Wednesday. It is not as crowded and I like to relax while enjoying the amazing cuisine our restaurants are offering. Sitting at the bar is our favorite seat in the house.
Heirloom is located at 212 Savannah Rd. It is in Historic Lewes in a beautifully renovated Victorian house that kept its charm.
The bread at the table very simple. Just a little something with delicious butter including one with herbs.
What to order as an appetizer was a challenge. You could almost make a dinner out of a few of them. I was between octopus, the Burrata or the pate.
The pate won. It was called a Shiitake Mushroom & Pistachio Pate. Sherry and soy gelee, porcini and horseradish aioli, spring herb and pickled carrot salad with sherry vinegar. It is a vegetarian pate. The combination of flavors was amazing and it was a light beginning to be followed by the crabs.
The crabs did make a presentation. They were sitting a top of a shrimp head bisque and blue corn grits. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. My first soft shells of the season and they certainly were delicious. I did not want my entree to end so I proceeded to take little pieces apart and enjoy them slowly. The salad was light and I loved the watermelon radishes.
If you like to end your meal with a sinful dessert, they do have them. But, we were very satisfied.
Hope you have a great week. Tulips are out, the trees are flowering and our beaches are considered HOT!!
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