More Goodness from Capitol Pub and What About the 4th?

I had a couple of recomend-able dishes this weekend at Capitol Pub. 

Calamari Fries – strips of calamari steak, battered and fried.  Served with a creamy tomato based sauce.  Very tasty!  The breading is kind of thick and crunchy and the calamari is cooked perfectly.  Not chewy or tough.  Perfectly tender.  It’s a good snack for two to share before a burger or sandwich.  Or even just over a couple of drinks.

Reuben Sandwich – their housemade corned beef with the standard sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing.  This was a killer sandwich.  Just the right ratio of meat to kraut on a marbled rye bread.  I’ll be having this again. 

From the looks of their website they’re having a little 4th of July thing.  Hub and I have been talking about where to watch the fireworks.  And since we don’t know anyone with a roof facing Fair Park, the question still remains open.  Meridian, you think? 

Great Summer Ale

I know this is probably a girl drink.  But, I just love Orange Blossom Cream Ale.  It’s light and refreshing.  A perfect summer drink.  Not overly sweet or cloying.  Not, to my taste anyway.  I have a hard time resisting a fruity summer ale.

Peeled Skate Wings

We’re talking fish, not bird.  I bought some at Central Market on Lovers this Sunday.  Simply delicious.  I have only been served skate once at York St.  So, I tried a simple pan searing with a butter sauce of chopped tomatoes and scallion.  Did I forget to take a picture of the finished product?  Yes, I did!  But, check out Snooty Foodie’s site for a picture of what skate looks like as a prepared dish.  It’s there with the York St article.  And, in case you didn’t know, it’s in the ray family of fish.  Ray, as in manta ray.  Now that’s different.   Here’s what it looked like before I cooked it.  Funky, huh?

Thinking About Ribs for the 4th?

We were thinking about them last Thursday.  Thinking about them smothered in dry rub.

Dry Rub Recipe
I got this recipe from a friend of mine.  Who knows where he got it?

1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oregano
4 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon ground white pepper
3 Tablespoons celery salt
3 Tablespoons garlic powder

Feel free to adjust those ingredients to taste…

Put it on the Big Green Egg at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Then move the ribs indoors, sealed tightly in a foil pouch on a baking sheet.  This kind of steams the ribs the last part of the cooking while retaining the smokey grill flavor.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 325 degrees. 

Now you can grill your corn or prepare whatever else you’re having.  Here’s what you get.  Highly flavorful pork ribs with meat almost falling off the bone.  We don’t bother with any sauce because their so moist and tasty to begin with.  Watch out for the steam when you open the pouch.  And be sure to make too much.  They make great leftovers.

Brunch at Alo and The Grape

Hub and I have been on a quest for the perfect brunch.  It really is amazing how many brunch places there are in this city.  Bill Addison and his team at the Dallas Morning News are about to do a piece on favorite brunch spots around town.  He’s previewed the list on the Eats blog and I thought we should try The Grape.  Afterall, it’s on our side of town. 

First and foremost, the Oxtail over Banana Pepper Hash was probably the best brunch dish I’ve ever tasted.  I had the Texas Benedict.  Tomatillo and cheddar cheese sauces served over jalapeno cheese biscuits with the traditional poached eggs and ham.  It was very good.  Although, after tasting Hub’s oxtail dish I was almost willing to sit there until I got hungry again and order the oxtail.  The meat was melt in your mouth tender and the wine demiglaze really rounded out the richness of the dish.  I want it bad.  The prosecco mimosas were a good deal at $4.00.  For those of you who have not been to The Grape.  It’s a small place.  I would prefer a few less tables since the center area of the room seems almost like communal dining.  But, it is quaint and a little rustic.  Reminds me of a few places we ate in Italy.  Small dining room but outstanding food.  Their patio looks nice.  It is just past sitting outdoors weather for me.  We made a pact to come back for dinner sometime.  We paid about $60, including tip, for a couple of mimosas each and brunch, no dessert.  Upside – best brunch dish I’ve had recently.  Downside – $60 is still a lot for breakfast. 

Weekend before last we went to Alo, the newest La Duni clan endeavor.  You would never guess how well designed the decor is for their dining room from the outside of the building.  I thought I heard that this was supposed to be their “affordable” spot.  I didn’t really notice it being anything like cheap.  We shared a modestly sized pitcher of sangria for $25.  More ice than wine.  It was very tasty, though, and not too sweet.  Their queso verde was excellent and a nice little opener for the meal at 3.00 for a small dish.  I had a ham sandwich with crispy chips of chorizo inside a marvelous roll accompanied by a small salad.  The flavor was great and it really hit the spot.  Hubbard had the Gorditas Dona Coco.  He loved it.  I failed to taste it.  So, I can’t really describe the dish.  Hub ordered the warm milk chocolate cake.  Again, those people are some kind of bakers.  Beautiful presentation and beyond excellent.  Upside – great looking place, brunch on Saturday and Sunday starting at 10:30, excellent food.  Downside – no real drink special and the price of $67 total with tip.  That’s not much of a down.  Although it does keep it from being the “perfect” brunch place.

We continue our search.  And what a labor of love it has been!  I’m sure we’ll go back to both of these restaurants again and again.

RW at Fearings

Yes, they are participating Aug 11-15.  They are currently booking between the times of 5:30 and 6:30 on those nights and you need to specify that you’re booking for Restaurant Week.  I don’t know if they have all tables available during that time or just a specific room.  I just know that I wanted to try it!  Being that they are only taking early evening reservations it may fill up fast.  Last year when I called Stephen Pyles on the day the list came out they were already completely booked.  So, we’re lined up for a table for four.  Our friends that accompanied us to Bijoux last year will be coming along.  I can’t wait!

Now…  should I wait for the list to come out July 14 (thank you very much Donna!)?  Or do I keep calling around now?

Snooty Foodie

I really like this site!

Restaurant Week News

Just in case anyone was wondering if The Mansion was going to be on the list for Restaurant Week this year, they’re not.  I asked them today.  Too bad.  They always used to participate before the remodel.  I haven’t ever been, though I’m ashamed to admit it.

Also, they have a little preview thing this year for Restaurant Week.  This is from the North Texas Food Bank site…

Restaurant Week Preview
August 8-10, 2008

This year you can kick off KRLD Restaurant Week a little early with Restaurant Week “Preview.” Friday, August 8 – Sunday, August 10 select restaurants will serve their 3-course prix fixe dinner with a snazzy, fun summer drink made with 10 Cane Rum! The prix fixe “Preview” dinner, which is $40, includes 3 courses and the 10 Cane Rum drink, as well as the optional Central Market 4th course. Some of the proceeds still benefit the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home, but for preview only, they also benefit the GDRA Chef’s of Restaurant Week Scholarship!

 Have you made any plans for Restaurant Week yet?  Don’t get locked out of a reservation.  I always start thinking well in advance about my top choices.  The last time I tried to get into the Mansion for RW, it was already completely booked by the time the list came out.  My top recommendations right now…  Bijoux, Abacus & York Street.  Abacus has had a redo since I was there last.  So, I may go Abacus.  They usually participate for two weeks (at least).  Not sure yet…  I like to go to three restaurants during that event and to at least one that I’ve never visited before. 

What about you?  Any recommendations?

Pizza on the Grill

Hub and I love our pizza.  We received a pizza pan set when we got married that I’m still using.  Here’s the dough recipe…

1 package yeast
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Disolve the yeast in the water.  Mix with the other ingredients.  Knead for 5 minutes.

Simple enough, huh?  I’ve found that some people have problems with pizza dough.  A friend of mine says hers seized up so much she couldn’t even roll it or pull it out.  I believe the secret is not to try too hard.  You aren’t fighting the dough into submission.  You’re mixing the ingredients and warming up with your hands. 

Let the dough rise in a lightly greased bowl covered with a towel for an hour.

Here’s my sauce…

I’d say that’s about 3/4 of a cup of olive oil, 5 or 6 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 10 peppercorns, a few shakes of crushed red pepper and a couple of sprigs of rosemary.  You bring this up to a sizzle and then take it off the heat.  You want to take that raw punch out of the garlic, but not cook it until it’s bitter or anything.  My favorite tool for this job is my mini-mandoline.  If you don’t have one of these, get one.  I’ve seen them at Sur La Table and Central Market.  They’re great for turning a garlic clove into tiny little slices.  Very yummy on a pizza.

Then I cook about a pound of Jimmy’s Italian sausage.  We usually get the spicy type.  Do I need a whole pound of sausage for the pizza?  No.  But, we tend to nibble on a good bit of it while we’re cooking.  So, I just go for the whole pound. 

Then, I carmelize some onions.  And slice up about a pound of fresh mozzarella.  Chop up a few tiny tomatoes for color more than anything because you can barely taste them.  They really look nice, though. 

So, now we’re about ready.  I roll out the dough and then to get it on to the pizza pan, I sprinkle on a little flour and fold it in half.  Then I sprinkle a bit more flour and fold it into a quarter of it’s original size.  This folded dough is much easier to handle than a full round pizza dough.  I spray the pan with a little olive oil and lay down the dough.  Our pan has little holes all through it.  That helps to crisp up the final product while it’s cooking. 

I slather the olive oil and garlic, minus the peppercorns and rosemary, onto the dough.  I usually do not use all the olive oil.  It’s not supposed to be in huge puddles or anything.  Add the mozzarella, sausage, onions and tomatoes.  Then hand it off to Hub.

Hub cooks our pizza on The Big Green Egg.   He’s able to regulate the temperature on the grill.  So, we cook it on a pizza stone at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  It comes out perfect every time.  And here it is.  

Before we serve it, we add chopped fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  It’s sooo good.  And also fun to do as a party.  We bought a bunch of different topping ingredients.  Each couple made their own dough and topped their pizza.  Then we took them out to Hubbard to cook.  Of course, sharing the results was mandatory and a really tasty way to spend the evening.

Something Else Good – Slapped Together Sangria!

So, I was craving some Sangria at home. We were at Jimmy’s Italian food store.  I grabbed a big bottle of Merlot, a couple of Italian sodas and counted on having an orange liqueur at home.  I poured the two sodas, the whole bottle of wine and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Gran Gala into a jug with a spout.  Forget the fruit.  There’s no company coming and it’ll just clog up the spout.  Very good and not too sweet either.  A little too chug-able.  So watch out!