And Away We Go!

I've been talking about starting a food blog for at least two or three years.  Why?  Duh.  Because I love food.  I love to eat, to try new things and discover new flavors.  I love to cook too.  I love describing tastes of dishes, I love to recommend places to all of my friends (who also have told me that I should be writing a blog). 

So - Hello!! Here is the first post of my blog.  Will it always be about food?  Will it always be a restaurant rave? Or a restaurant rant? Hell no! 

It will be my random thoughts, which mostly revolve around food, wine, my husband, my furbabies (referred from here on out as my kids) and my family and friends.  And I'll apologize now (well, not really apologize, but more to explain) for the fact that I'm a very wordy, opinionated person - so my blogs may be much longer than you'd care to read.  So? This is my page and I'll be as wordy as I want!  

Lets start with a basic intro:  My name is Emily... Married to Dave... Where upon marriage and changing my name, I got the initials that would have made my life more of a hell in grade school, and no fat girl ever wants to get...EAT! =)   <wonder why I'm doing a food blog? lol>



And Mom to these guys!  



Sophie




Sage



Sam (white) and Lilah



Bored yet?  I'll leave all the dog and cat antics for another post... We'll keep this one strictly food related...I promise! 

 In this first post, I will start with a restaurant rave...Finding this place with Dave and having a fantastic meal is what prompted me to sit down and say to myself "Em, it's time to do this".  Plus, it's the excuse I needed to go back again just to I could taste more and more of the delicious food!  


Friends, I'm talking about Left Coast Kitchen and Cocktails in Merrick, NY.
Upon being seated, we were immediately served a pail of herbed popcorn.  I don't have a picture of that, as Dave and I pounced on it so quickly, there wasn't any left!

We perused the menu and decided to have an appetizer listed under their "Share" section - The Mediterranean Nosh "Hummus, California Capponata, Spinach Pie, Warm Pita, Olive-Feta Salad"

The Hummus was just about the best I've had.. very nutty, smooth, just the right amount of garlic...The Feta was divine, with a bit of spice but not enough to overpower...and the California Capponatta was so full of flavor and texture... While the spinach pie was good, it simply wasn't a thought in the presence of the other wonderful flavors on the dish.

Dave, my carnivore, ordered the Root Beer Glazed Pork Chop..."Double Cut Pork Chip, Berkshire Pork Belly, Harvest Yam and Rice 'Salad', Onion Rings"

You'll get to know that I'm not usually a fan of Pork (or many cuts of meat or things served on bones), so I was a bit reluctant to try this; however the look of utter and pure joy on my husbands face prompted me to take a small bite. 

Ever have pork so moist that when you bit into it, pork juice shoots down the back of your throat?   That's what you'll get with this dish.  I can hardly remember the delicious sweet glaze on the pork, as the pork is such the star here.  Yes, I would order this again, just for me and NOT let Dave take a bite!

But my dish...(I just had to take a moment and sigh) Pan Roasted Sea Scallops "Sweet Corn 'Pudding", Shiitake Mushrooms, English Peas and Truffle Brown Butter"

Yes, my friends, if I had a vat large enough and it was filled with this corn pudding, I would bathe in it.  I would swim around with my mouth open and eat as much as I could possibly hold.  The sweetness of the corn and peas is so balanced by the earthy mushrooms...and the Scallops were perfectly cooked with a nice crust and the most amazing flavor.  I loved this dish so much that I couldn't pass it up the next time I was there.  And when I go back, I'm not sure I could say no!

Best thing was, I had enough left over to have for breakfast the next day, which just conjured up so much good memories of a perfect dish!

<sigh>

So, when I recommended this to a group of friends - they agreed and I went back...  Yes, I did get my scallops again for dinner and we did get the Mediterranean Nosh to share... but we also got two other appetizers to try:

Fried Green Tomatoes "Chopped Romaine, Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, Roasted Tomatoes and Creamy Parmesan Dressing"

This was my first Fried Green Tomatoes experience, and it was a good one!  The salad was crisp and full of flavor...the Fried tomatoes were so nice and crunchy (and of course anything served with that much cheese gets my complete vote of confidence!).  It was a lovely appetizer, but it - in no way - compared to our other selection...

From the Shared section:  Surf n' Turf n' Mac n' Cheese  "Our famous Short Rib, Lobster Meat, Mushrooms, White Cheddar, Truffle Oil and Bread Crumbs"

Yes, this and that corn pudding are on a level playing field for me! Pasta cooked al dente, the cheese sauce, truffle oil (I mean, who doesn't like truffle oil??) was absolute perfection and as odd as Short Rib and Lobster together sound... let me just say "Hello, Lovers".  This dish screamed flavor and even looking at the picture as I write this, I hear it talking to me..."come and get me tonight".   (I have to add...the Short Ribs were so good.. that I completely believe their boast that they're Famous!)

I had a taste of the other two dishes that my friends ordered as their main entrees and they too.... didn't disappoint!

Paparadelle du Jour "Florida Rock Shrimp, Chorizo, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Roasted Garlic Cream"

You would think...or rather, I would have thought that the roasted garlic cream sauce or the spicy chorizo would overpower the sweet rock shrimp, but no! Such a delicate balance of flavor and texture in this dish.

Lastly, Shrimp and Grits "Scampi Style Rock Shrimp with Green Beans over Creamy Lemon Mascarpone Grits"

Those grits were fantastic...just the right amount of lemon flavor to bring out the brightness of the shrimp. The mascarpone gave the grits such a creaminess and added nicely to the tang of the lemon.  Just fantastic!

So, do you think I liked this place?  No.  I LOVED it.  (duh!)  Chef Christian Randell knows what he is doing in the kitchen, that's for sure. 

So - my ratings:

Food: Duh.  A+ 'nuff said.

Price:  moderate.  Apps/shared range from $7 to $15... Entrees from $17-26.  Wine menu is diverse and well priced as well. 

Service: A  (you'll get to know that I'm a stickler for service, so an A is not an easy get from me!) Every time I've been there, our servers have been friendly, attentive, easy going, open to giving suggestions (and actually what they like, not the most expensive item on the menu!).  Even the Bussers are quick to wrap your dishes and clean up.  Well done!

My next visit to LCK will be for my other favorite meal... Brunch!

Until Next Time....

EAT