Salisbury Steak and more

This is our version of a traditional TV dinner. For dinner we had Salisbury steak, smashed potatoes with peas and carrots. Dessert was peanut butter pie.

Salisbury Steak

2 pounds ground meat

1 Spanish onion cut in half, chop 1/3 of the onion; julienne the remaining section of onion

4 slices of bread, cubed

2 eggs

salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste

Mix

In a large deep skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Form oval patties about 3/4″ thick. Brown on both sides. Make sure they get a good crust. Remove from heat.

Turn heat up to high and 2 T. olive oil and julienne onions and saute for a few minutes then add 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Then add beef base or gravy master, 3 oz. of white wine and 2 T. butter. Cook until you have a simmer. Make a roux and cook sauce until thickened.

Add meat back and turn the heat down. Make sure to add all juices from plate.

Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn over and serve.

#seasonthis #salisburysteak #easyrecipe #dinner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonefish Grill Coastal Escape

We were invited to The Summertime Coastal Escape at Bonefish Grill. A dedicated night for a special tasting with food and drinks. The restaurant is still open for regular diners. We had never been to a menu tasting before so we didn’t know what to expect. It was a sampling of four new menu items and drinks for $25 each.

The evening started with Bang Bang Shrimp and our beverages. We tried the Coral Reef Punch a lovely blend of rum, malibu coconut rum, passion fruit, vanilla bean syrup, fresh-squeezed orange and pineapple juice and we liked a floater of dark rum on top. The Tropical Tiki Martini was also very good. It as a mix of pineapple and absolut infusion, Captain Morgan, fresh mango, pomegranate and a hint of lime. Both very refreshing.

The courses only come out when you request the next item. Additional menu items may also be purchased.

The food, honestly was a little heavy for us. The sampling included a Shrimp Caprese Dip which was a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses layered with roasted shrimp and blistered tomatoes. This fondue was delicious, but very filing.

The second course was a Bangin’ BFG Cod Slider. A crispy fried fish fillet dressed with Bang sauce and house-made slaw. Good size and had a great crunch.

The third course was a Wagyu Beef Slider and the fourth was Fried Artichoke Fritto – artichoke hearts served with a citrus aioli.

We decided Bonefish is ready good at their seafood dishes. The artichokes should have been served alone without sauce or capers.

Looking forward to our next invitation.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

4 very thin boneless skinless chicken cutlets from your butcher

Flour, salt and pepper

Butter

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cups Marsala Wine

Dredge chicken into flour mixed with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan add 5 pieces of butter. Then add chicken, brown on both sides and remove. Add two tablespoons butter, mushrooms, and garlic then saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and wine and return chicken to the pan.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with fresh side of pasta and steamed broccoli or au gratin potatoes.

#seasonthis #foodie

 

 

 

 

F.M. Don’s

F.M. Don’s

Keeping everything fresh, seasonal and made from scratch is all seen in the food presented by Keith Meyer, executive chef and co-owner of F.M. Don’s in downtown Punta Gorda at the corner of Taylor and Marion.

Chef Meyer is well-known in the area along with his lovely wife Stacey Deffenbaugh Meyer, an anchor for NBC-2 News. The power couple make themselves visible in the restaurant and in the Southwest Florida area, especially with Stacey’s volunteering for countless non-profit events.

With a degree in finance and working in that field, Chef Meyer always yearned to work his magic in the kitchen. He attended the French Culinary Institute in New York City. After graduating he worked side-by-side with chefs trained in French cuisine. With a desire to call a place his own he opened F.M. Don’s.

Enter fresh, simple and local ingredients and that’s what’s on the menu at F.M. Don’s. There are choices from appetizers and small plates to share all the way up to perfectly sized portions for one.

Starters include hummus, pimento cheese, short rib sliders, soups, salads and more. We shared the burrata and asparagus with tomato, artichoke, prosciutto and fresh basil and a blended hummus with beet juice.

We all tried different menu selections for dinner: lemon roasted chicken with ratatouille; Faroe Island salmon served over a bed of creamed corn and topped with mushrooms; grilled swordfish with bacon, roasted brussel sprouts, potato, asparagus, carrot, tomato & herb salad; and for dinner a wedge salad. The salmon was perfectly prepared with a nice crust to the top and melted in my mouth. The swordfish had an excellent char and beautiful presentation. The wedge salad with extra bleu cheese crumbles was crisp, cold and topped with homemade bleu cheese dressing and the chicken was crispy and mouth-watering. We all had to stick our forks into a side of mashed potatoes.

Other items on the dinner menu include: seared scallops, Chef Keith’s famous bison meatloaf; fish & chips; pasta & roast pork, pork chop; beef short ribs; filet and rib-eye.

For dessert, we tried one of everything. Each bite was better than the last. We sampled the best carrot cake, chocolate layer cake, seven-layer lemon coconut cake and peanut butter and chocolate cake. Everything is homemade.

There are also menus for lunch, a matinée menu, bar bites and Sunday brunch.

Add a warm welcome, excellent service, a visit from Chef Keith to the table all in an upscale atmosphere and its one of our favorites.

You can sit outside or inside. Reservations are suggested. Hours are Sunday through Wednesday 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

#seasonthis #SWFLA foodies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Americana in Del Mar, CA

Healthy, fresh and served up fast – all promises made and kept by Ameriana Restaurant located on a quaint street corner in Del Mar. This cute spot has been serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner for since 2000.

Ameriana is the creation of chef and owner Randy Gruber. He earned his culinary degree from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. He likes to create unique specials that combine healthy and trendy ingredients.

For breakfast there are the traditional favorites from two eggs any style going all the way up to a New York Strip with eggs, roasted tomato, spinach and herbed potatoes.   On the healthy side check out the super bowl with two poached eggs, black beans, kale, quinoa, feta cheese, avocado and mixed greens. There is also eggs benedict, oatmeal, waffle, french toast, or build your own omelette. The servings are large and can be shared.

On the lunch menu there are grilled sandwiches, salads, soups made fresh daily, fish and chips, and hamburgers. You can have a hand dipped old-fashioned milk shake made with Haagen Daz ice cream, beers from the tap and bottle, Bloody Mary’s, Mimosa’s and Bellini’s. The wine selection is nice by the glass and by the bottle.

For dinner, you can go burger with choice of beef, turkey, or vegetarian patty, or share a flatbread, crab cake, hummus and pita, pastrami sliders or the ahi poke bowl. The salads looked amazing and there are several to choose from. For the vegetarian twist the chef offers a roasted veggie bowl with quinoa, black kale, goat cheese, toasted pepitas and lemon vinaigrette.

Main courses range in price from $15.99 to $25.99 and include fish and chips, grilled vegetable stack, turkey meatloaf, herb chicken, grilled salmon, steak and lamb and bolognese.

If you are still hungry, the desserts are all homemade.

You can dine inside or outside. Americana opens at 7 a.m. seven days a week and closes at 3 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. Evening hours are they are open until 10 p.m. http://www.americanarestaurant.com

 

Antonio’s Maitland

Antonio’s in Maitland has two options for dining. The more refined atmosphere upstairs with Tuscan painted walls and artwork complete with an outside terrace and a wonderful view of the lake nearby.

Or, the hip vibe with homestyle items surrounded by wine and a happening Italian market, downstairs. Antonio’s Downstairs feels like you have stepped into a New York Italian market. It’s loud, but that’s OK. The servers dodge in-between customers as they browse the wine cellar selections.

Upstairs, Antonio’s is known for Italian food, fresh seafood and Angus beef. Start with an antipasto platter or the roasted eggplant and tomato caprese salad – both delicious. The chef’s favorite is one of the most reasonably priced menu selections – Capellini D’Angelo a blend of angel hair pasta, EVOO, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and European pine nuts. The beef shorts ribs served over cheddar polenta looked amazing and so did the steaks.

The servings upstairs are very large and could be shared. Dessert was offered but we were too full.

We decided to stop in downstairs and check it out. The sommelier was extremely knowledgeable and case discounts are offered.

Downstairs menu features wood fired pizza, fresh pasta’s, rotisserie chicken and lets you eat, drink and shop. The limoncello cake was sliced and ready to take home along with pasta dishes and more. There is also a butcher on staff that cuts steaks and fish so you can take dinner home and prepare it yourself.

There is two private dining rooms for up to 60 people. The restaurant upstairs is also open for private parties on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Hours upstairs: Monday thru Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. for lunch; Monday thru Saturday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. Happy Hour 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Hours downstairs: Monday thru Saturday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

#seasonthis #foodie #travel

 

 

 

 

 

Society

Miami comes to Bell Tower Shops, Fort Myers, Fla. by the way of Society Restaurant and Club. It’s a two-story restaurant. The first floor offers inside and outside patio seating and is open during days and evenings. Rooftop seating and a full bar available in the Treehouse later in the day.

Society’s chef is Todd Erickson who beat Bobby Flay on Food Network’s showdown in January. Chef Erickson’s menu is modern contemporary.

It’s a great spot to catch lunch with friends or meet up for business. On the lighter side is sushi, soups and salads. Under sandwiches you can order a grouper melt, lobster b.l.t. gyro, grain burger, grilled cheese tartine ranging from $12 to $19. There are three main large plates at lunchtime. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Society really comes alive at night. Dinner is served from 5-10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Dinner entrees range in price from $19 for unstructured lasagna to $76 for a bone-in ribeye for two. The menu upstairs is infused with tropical twists like pineapple guacamole, society wings which a choice of korean bbq, garlic teriyaki, hot or mild; cuban cigars which is a wrap of ham, dill pickles and a key lime aioli.

When dinner is over the seating is removed downstairs so customers can enjoy dancing till 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

This is also a hot spot for a non-profit fundraiser, a couples baby shower or just a large family gathering. Kids menu available.

#seasonthis #foodie #travel

 

 

 

Rusty’s Raw Bar & Grill

If you are in the mood for a quick bite and a cold beer then Rusty’s Raw Bar & Grill has your name on it. What started in Naples now has four locations, including the newest in downtown Cape Coral at 4631 SE 10th Place.

The menu is surprisingly extensive with apps, wings bone in and boneless, salads, sammies, wraps, burgers all the way up to specialities including beer battered fish & chips, crab cakes, crunchy grouper, and a larger-than-life fried pork tenderloin sandwich.

The cold peel and eat shrimp were delicious. Of course there are oysters on the half shell served with all the good stuff.

Rusty’s features a list of traditional favorites — beans & rice, chicken burritos, cowabunga chimichanga, chicken fingers, and blackened Mahi tacos.

There is a full cocktail bar with limited beer. There are happy hour beer and drink specials, an outside tiki bar, pool table, corn hole, volleyball. Hours are 11 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. daily.

#seasonthis #foodie #travel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Son Cubano Restaurant

Son Cubano that originated in New York and New Jersey calls one corner in Coral Gables home, 2530 Ponce De Leon Boulevard. You can’t miss it, the sheer white curtains drifing in and out of the open seating and the Cuban jazz music draw you near. This is not your ordinary cuban food. The Chef Dennis Martinez presents everything with a contemporary twist. The food goes well with whatever the mixologist creates behind the bar. This bar is stocked will top shelf liquor, tropical infusions with fresh juice all served up with a feeling of being in Havana.

The decor is sleek and modern white with exposed brick. Seating is also available at the bar, toward the back with a lounge experience. Upstairs is a cigar bar.

Portions are great for sharing. Start with a ceviche of tuna tataki a mixture of fresh tuna, asparagus, watercress and a ginger garlic sauce. There is also a nice selection of salads from caribbean seaweed to caesar, and ensalada de pollo to a steak, roasted tomato, potato, carrot drizzled with cherry vinegar.

Try Rollito Cubano (Cuban Egg Roll) with slow-roasted pork, swiss cheese and a spicy Karachi miso sauce $11; Bonita Ricachon – cuban sweet potato mash topped with short rib, truffle oil and edamame, $13. There is also seafood with faro pasta, bruschetta, pizza with mozzarella and tomato sauce on a thin flatbread or a shredded beef pizza.

For Entradas there is roasted pork, sushi grade salmon, shrimp cuban creole, braised short rib, skirt steak with Wasabi chimichurri, yellowtail, ribeye and Maine Lobster tail. Prices range from $22-$32.

For $4 you can add yucks, platanos, frijoles negros, or mixed veggies.

And, if you have room for dessert you should try the homemade miso flan with ginger rule and rum sugar can foam.

For more information or to make a reservation call 305-902-6220.

 

Caffe Abbracci

In the midst of all the chain restaurants that dot downtown Coral Gables sits the historic family-owned Caffe Abbracci. Celebrating more than 30 years in the Miami Area, this Italian comfort food, great wine and family atmosphere restaurant is the creation from Italy’s own Nino Pernetti.

Pernetti’s story is one of rags to riches. He started working at 14. By the age of 24 he was flourishing in his hospitality career which took him to 15 countries and learning many languages.

If you’re wondering what Abbracci means it is hug in Italian. You are greeted at the door with a hug and kiss-kiss on each cheek and feel the love in the food being served. The wait staff is extremely attentive, even offering suggestions for items off menu.

Favorites include beef carpaccio, pasta fagioli, meaty lentil soup, pasta stuffed with pumpkin, shrimp sautéed with balsamic vinegar, diced fresh tomato with a touch of marina and fresh basil tossed with Capellini, black lobster ravioli, red snapper baked in parchment with fresh herbs and bruschetta tomatoes, chicken marsala, veal, filet, lamb and New York Sirloin served with a Barolo red wine reduction and mushrooms. Everything is homemade and cooked to order. There are daily specials. Lighter menu items include salads with protein, grilled seafood and other Northern Italian specialities.

Desserts are traditional from napoleon, fresh berries with marsala zabajon served in an edible sugar bowl, lava cake, cheesecake, profiteroles, warm apple tart, tiramisu and handmade gelato.

Lunch is also available. Hours are Monday – Friday 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Dinner from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday hours: 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Sunday 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.

There is private dining available for 15 to 70 people — good for private birthday parties, weddings, special events.

There is outside patio/sidewalk dining. Reservations are recommended.

Call 305-441-0700 for more information or check out the restaurant website at http://www.caffeabbracci.com