Friday Date Night: Awesome, Simply Awesome

I asked my bride out on a dinner date last night at a new eatery in South Tampa, Copperfish Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar at 1502 South Howard Avenue. Fortunately for me, she accepted and we enjoyed a simply awesome dining experience at Copperfish.

Copperfish is in a building that we have visited a number of times over the years when it housed Bordeaux, a Ceviche, and others that I don't remember. The last tenant was the Samba Room that we meant to visit, but never did. Could that be why they closed? Hmmm!

Anyway, this new incarnation can boast a complete and spectacular re-do. The Copperfish has a much more open and airy feel, not so bricked up as before. Walking in through the rough hewn wooden door, the senses are assailed with the pleasant aroma emanating from the wood fired grill. 

At 5:30 or so, the outside bar area and the dining room were pretty much devoid of patrons. By the time we finished our meal, the place was packed. Hopefully, this level of business continues and grows so that Copperfish hangs around for a long while because this place is...what's the word? Oh yeah, awesome!

We had made reservations so when we were greeted at the hostess station we were immediately guided to our table by one of three charming ladies who really seemed happy to see us. Steve was our server for the evening and he provided us with superior service. 

Looking over the menu presented us with a conundrum. Copperfish bills itself as a seafood grill and oyster bar. Well, I got the oyster bar part and knew that I'd be having some of those. In addition to a myriad of interesting seafood choices, Copperfish offers some really tempting hand cut steaks and chops. One steak in particular really stimulated my trusty parotid glands (spit glands if you must know), the 20 ounce bone-in rib eye. I tend to drool at the mention.

I have made it a practice not to order seafood at a steak house, and not to order steak at a seafood restaurant. I came close to violating that principle last night, though. That rib eye still has my name on it and on my next visit it shall be mine.

The Belle and I started our evening with a couple of glasses of wine, a Ste. Michelle Chardonnay for her and a Dry Creek Chenin Blanc to accompany my oysters.

Starting at the 1 o'clock position and slurping clockwise to about 8 o'clock were the Pemaquids, a brilliant oyster from the deepest holes of the Damariscotta River in Maine. Pemaquids very firm, deliciously lemony and light, with a rock-hard brown-and-white shell.

The other half dozen were Kumamoto. These oysters originated in Japan and grow in suspended floats feeding with large amounts of fresh natural plankton from cold Pacific waters. They are plump and succulent. Harvest is by hand at low tide which probably explains their hefty price tag - six for $22.

The oysters were fairly well shucked, but a little more care should have been taken to ensure the liquor was not drained off of some. A really nice touch was the addition of caper berries adorning the dish. I really like caper berries. I never touched the sauces. Really good oysters don't need them and for what they cost I want to taste oysters, not sauces. But, that's just me.

After the oysters we were ready to move on to the main event that was enhanced with a bottle of Conundrum (are you sensing a trend?) White Meritage. Both my glamorous dinner date and I chose a seafood entree.

For her, the absolute best grouper since a visit some months ago to the Middle Grounds Grill on Treasure Island, the Black Grouper. This dish can be prepared either simply grilled with fresh herbs and lemon or with one of the special chef preparations. My bride chose the special preparation with the grouper resting on a potato cake and sprinkled with corn and green beans.

Last night at Copperfish I had the best lobster I could ever image consuming, The Pissed Off Lobster...sorry, my mistake. That should be Angry Lobster.

That lobster transcended just good and moved all the way to awesome. This whole lobster was cooked to perfection, not under done or over done. It was dusted with herbs and garlic and spices that upped the flavor without burning the tongue. This was sheer perfection.

We ordered a couple of side dishes to share, neither of which we really needed, nor could we finish: a savory Sesame Lime Slaw and a sublime basket of Sea Salt and Vinegar Potato Planks.

Neither my bride nor myself felt like we could manage eating a dessert. But then...but then we realized we didn't have to eat a dessert, we could drink it! So, Steve, two Death By Bartenders, please, with Van Gogh Espresso and Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur. If you are going to be done in by a bartender, what a way to go!

What with the oysters, unnecessary sides, and wines this was not an inexpensive evening - including a deserved 20% gratuity, $282.19. But everything was so good - especially that lobster with an attitude.

Reviewer's Update: My bride and I returned to Copperfish last night (Friday 5/17/2013). As I mentioned earlier, Copperfish has a bone-in rib eye on their menu that had my name on it. Well, last night it was mine...mine...mine...mine! It and my bride's filet were simply flawless. Perfection on a plate, if you will. Tender, juicy, and loaded with flavor.

Copperfish is a true double threat - great steak and seafood.

On both visits we dined anonymously and paid full price for all that we consumed. I thought about doing a separate review of our dinner last night. I didn't want to challenge the existing records for the most reviews of a single restaurant by a local blogger, so I decided just to add to this review.

We Peasants Dine Well And Cheaply

L'amore della mia vita and I have been "doing" Italian quite a bit lately. Between dining out and cooking at home, we have been exploring a few of the many facets of Italian gastronomy. I must state without reservation that the facets of Italian cookery are many. A lot depends on what part of the country in which you are dining.

Around Tampa your choices for Italian food range from spaghetti and meatballs to more exotic dishes that I am not sure the Italians would ever had thought of or even considered. That's not to say the food isn't good, but we Americans tend to taste foods differently than those from other lands. We also tend to believe the more expensive the meal, the better it tastes. "Because it's hard for people to gauge quality by flavor, they tend to gauge it by price." (Mary Roach, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal, page 29)

As the Chef de Cuisine of the Ballast Point kitchen, I have been experimenting of late with recipes that are more authentic than a person can usually find in the Bay area. A great source has been David Rocco on the Cooking Channel. Rocco has featured some of his favorite Tuscan recipes and recipes that are considered staples in many Fiorintini (people from Florence) homes. Some of these recipes go back hundreds of years.

Just recently David prepared a La Ribolitta. Ribollita is a famous Tuscan soup, a hearty potage made with bread and vegetables. The name literally means "reboiled". Like most Tuscan cuisine, the soup has peasant origins. It was originally made by reboiling the leftover soup from the previous day. Some sources date it back to the Middle Ages, when the servants gathered up food-soaked bread from feudal lords' banquets and added it to their own dinners.

This was a simple recipe that sounded intriguing and practical since I already had most of the required ingredients. I say "most" because there were several items that I didn't have and have never seen in local grocery stores. The local Publix, to my knowledge, has never carried black cabbage (a type of kale), and I have not seen barlotti beans. So, to do this recipe, I had to make a few substitutions to match what I had on hand or was readily available. David's unadulterated version may be viewed by clicking HERE.

Here then is my SOG City version of La Ribolitta:

Ingredients and quantities are in bold type.

I poured one cup of a good quality olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. EVOO is not necessary and would be somewhat of an over-kill. When the oil started shimmering I added a cup of chopped onion, a large chopped garlic clove, a large chopped carrot from the garden, and a large stalk of chopped celery. The veggies can be coarsely chopped and you will cook them until they become soft.


From the backyard garden I harvested one small head of cabbage and one small head of cauliflower. David said I could use whatever I had on hand and since I didn't have a black cabbage I used the cauliflower. I thinly sliced the cabbage and cut the cauliflower into quarter sized florets.

I also peeled and coarsely chopped a potato (I think it came from Idaho). I tossed all of the veg into the pot and gently stirred.


Next to hit the pot was a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (Publix brand), followed by a 14.5 ounce can of cannellini beans (I prefer Goya). Again, a gentle stir, then I poured in 4 cups of a savory rotisserie chicken stock. You could make this a completely vegetarian dish by using vegetable broth. Persoanally, I like the extra depth of flavor from the chicken stock.


Crank up the heat, and while the pot is coming to a boil take that half loaf of Tuscan garlic bread that has been sitting around getting stale and cut it into 6 thick (3/4 inch) slices. You could use Italian bread, Cuban bread, or a French baguette. Whatever you have would probably do just fine. Toss the bread into the pot and stir well.

You will continue cooking over medium heat for another 45 minutes. Stir once in awhile, and if the pot is getting too dry, add some more stock. The consistency, said David, should be similar to a porridge. Toward the end of the cooking time season the pot with salt and pepper to suit your taste.

Ladle into serving bowls and dine like a Tuscan peasant. David also said you could drizzle a little more olive oil in each dish, but I thought that would be too much. A little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top wouldn't hurt though.

That La Ribolitta was spectacular, and it's even better today.

I am not getting comped by Publix, Cooking Channel, or the makers of the products listed. I have simply had good results when using these products or services.

Hallucinate This If You Will

I think I spent way too much time in the Dali Museum the other day and not enough time at Cafe Alma. Maybe even the other way around. Strange images keep creeping into my brain not unlike a hightokeulus being caressed by the feet and legs of an insectivorous anuran amphibian in the mind of an imaginary man pondering in a garden outside the Halls of Congress.

Digital image - JLR May 7, 2013

The base photo was taken in Washington D.C., the home of hallucinational politicians.

Bacchanalian Tapas Party In St. Pete

Our goal was to culturally enrich ourselves by wandering about the Dali Museum yesterday soaking up and absorbing the painter's surrealist images that were on display. The museum is truly impressive, both inside and out. After a couple of hours soaking up culture, I felt a strong urge to soak up a beer in the ground floor lobby. Thankfully, beer and wine are served.

Warped Time On A Park Bench - digital image, JLR May 5, 2013

After a medicinal adult beverage, this little party of culture seekers, our daughter and son-in-law, my bride, and I decided that food was our next priority. In downtown St. Petersburg it is really hard deciding on a food venue. Unlike the gastronomic wasteland that is downtown Tampa, St. Pete is copiously blessed with dining choices. One of the best is Cafe Alma Tapas Wine Bar and Grille, 260 1st Avenue South.

The four of us wandered in around five thirty and were promptly seated and presented with menus. Mary, our charming server for the evening, took our drink orders and soon returned with three glasses of two-for-one house Malbec and for me a Racer 5, an American IPA style beer brewed by Bear Republic Brewing Co. in Healdsburg, CA.

While sipping our adult beverages, we discussed whether to choose tapas or something from the grill or maybe a house specialty. There were so many excellent choices, but the tapas menu finally won us over. Each of us ordered three tapas which gave us 12 plates to share. 

Properly identifying and accurately describing all 12 dishes may prove to be a challenge, but I "vow to endeavor to persevere" (Lone Watie, The Outlaw Josey Wales) in the task. Here we go, and in no particular order:

Norwegian salmon with capers, eggs, pickled onions, lemon aioli - very tasty.

 

Beef Carpaccio with capers, eggs, onions, and lemon aioli - good, just not great.

 

Papas Alma flash fried new potatoes tossed with chili aoili - not my favorite, but enjoyed by others.

 

Avocado Caprese, red and yellow tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Hass avocado, basil oil, balsamic glaze.

This was my personal favorite, Garlic Simmered Clams - little necks, garlic butter, lemon and white wine.
The broth was fantastic and the bread for sopping was a nice touch.

Meat Balls, savory ground sirloin and chorizo sausage simmered in red sauce.

Another dish with a great sopping sauce, Portuguese Spicy Jumbo Shrimp
sautéed with bell peppers and Portuguese pepper sauce.

This was so very tasty, Crispy Shrimp Alma -
crispy shrimp tossed with Thai aioli over Asian slaw. One of my favorites!

Chorizo and Chic Pea Empanadas, dry aged chorizo baked in puff pastry.
This had a slightly gummy bottom. We probably let it sit on the plate too long.

The undisputed winner of the night?

A smokey Gouda Mac 'n' Cheese. This got the most votes as best dish of the night.

There are two dishes missing from this review, the Boneless Curried Chicken Thighs due to a blurry photo, and the other, I have no clue. I didn't eat it - I swear!

The ladies also ordered dessert, a chocolate torte that they seemed to enjoy. They are women - why wouldn't they enjoy chocolate? I was too stuffed at that point to take a picture. You will have to use your imagination.

All of that mouth-watering food, plus beer and wine, and a gratuity came to $173.86 for the four of us. 

A Restaurant In Hiding

Hidden in the nethermost regions of International Plaza sits the Renaissance Tampa Hotel and just off the hotel lobby is the Pelagia Trattoria "featuring modern Italian cuisine." After reading a host of Pelagia reviews that simply oozed gustatory delight over this venue's bill of fare I decided I had to see for myself. Was this just hype or gastronomic nirvana?

The Belle of Ballast Point and I wandered in to the Pelagia Trattoria this past Saturday evening around 5:45 and found ourselves in a beautifully decorated dining room. We were greeted at the host's station and promptly guided to our table. Since we were the only customers at that time, we had the option of sitting anywhere we wanted.

Allie was our very efficient and professional server for the evening. She provided great service without being overbearing or hurried. Along with the menus, we were presented with a small bread basket with a couple of slices of olive loaf and a side of olive tapenade. Both were excellent.

We began our dining adventure with a couple of glasses of Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling while we looked over the food and wine menus.

I knew I wanted an appetizer, but which one? The grilled octopus sounded good, and I do love octopus. A few weeks ago I watched an episode of David Rocco's Cooking Channel show, Amalfi Getaway. One of the dishes David swooned over was a plate of white anchovies that truly looked delizioso.

And lo, Pelagio features as one of the Signature Bites, White Anchovies with Radish Carpaccio and Orange Zest. I must have that!

Oh my, how nice, how very nice...three small toasts, six little minnows, a blob of aioli, three slices of radish (Carpaccio? Surely, you jest!), and some celery leaves, all for a mere $8.00. This wasn't what David had, nor what was apparently served at a special "tasting night" this past March. I could only think, "I probably should have had the octopus."

Here is a comparison photo of the white anchovy plate served by the restaurant for a promotional event:

Photographer unknown, but photo found on several web sites without credit.

I find this to be offensive! My bride called it false advertising, and she is right. Paying customers deserve the same quality as that found in advertisements.

In fairness to Pelagio, they are not the only ones who engage in this practice.

My bride fared little better with her Heirloom Tomato Burrata Salad, with one quartered tomato, that she described as good, not spectacular, and not worth $13.

From the House Made Pasta side of the menu, my dining partner ordered the Potato Gnocchi with Braised Short Rib and House Made Ricotta. Of this dish she said the meat was tender, flavorful and there was plenty of it.

My choice for a main course was the Grilled Lamb T-Bone with Minted Quinoa Tabouli. Quinoa (KEEN-wah), a species of goosefoot, is a grain-like crop that originated in parts of South America 3000 to 4000 years ago.

This was my first experience with Quinoa and I was looking forward to giving it a try. To paraphrase the late Ambrose Bierce, "Once is more than enough." I think I would have preferred a more traditional Middle East tabouli to accompany my over-cooked lamb T-bones. I had requested medium rare, not medium to medium well. Oh, well!

I am not a dessert person, so while my gorgeous dining partner enjoyed her Godiva Chocolate Pyramid with Pistachio Gelato and Almond Tuile, I chose to just observe while polishing off the last of our bottle of Mark West Pinot Noir.

I had a bite of that pyramid and that chocolate was not just decadent, it was sinfully good.

The Oracle prides itself on not trading glowing reviews in exchange for free grub and hooch. We dine anonymously and pay for all that we consume. Usually! On this night I made a small exception. To do otherwise would have been rude.

While I had declined dessert, our delightful server decided to reward me for not being an obnoxious customer (I suppose) by presenting me with this complimentary White Chocolate Cheesecake. Allie cautioned that I didn't have to eat it all, and that was good because I couldn't. I was already stuffed, but that cheesecake was heavenly.

Our total bill for the evening was $142.31 and we added an additional 20% for superior service.

Even with pizza and pasta on the menu, with the name Pelagia Trattoria, I would have expected a dining venue leaning a little more toward Italian and less Middle Eastern. That is just a personal opinion. For a hotel restaurant, Pelagia Trattoria may not be a bad choice if you are in the area.

To conclude: Inconsistent and certainly not gastronomic nirvana.

Friday Night In The Ballast Point Kitchen

Earlier this week I had promised my bride, the Belle of Ballast Point, something special for dinner Friday evening. For her, something special can be something as simple as meatloaf. Well alright then, meatloaf it is, but that loaf of meat needed some company and some accoutremonts.

Rather than a trip to the neighborhood Publix, where shopping is an adventure, I headed out to the backyard to harvest some grub and greens from the garden.

To enhance the meatloaf experience I decided on a cauliflower side dish with a before dinner mint julep. I was fortunate to find a head of cauliflower, some mint, parsley, basil, and scallions out back and a bottle of Kentucky bourbon on the kitchen counter. We are in bidness now, thought I.

After a medicinal julep or two on the verandah (a pre-derby day treat), I wobbled my way into the kitchen to rattle those pots and pans, and get my mise en place into place.

What I wound up with was the most savory and delightful cauliflower dish I have ever enjoyed - the Bang Bang Cauliflower, slightly piquant with a bit of crunch from the panko crust.

The star of the show, after the juleps that is, was the meatloaf - juicy and loaded with bacony goodness in a sea of tasty bits.

If any of this looks good to you, I have added the recipes below.

Bang Bang Cauliflower

1/2           cup  panko
                salt and pepper -- to taste
  1            tablespoon  garlic powder
  2            tablespoons  cornstarch
  4            each  eggs -- lightly beaten
  1            head  cauliflower
1/4           cup  peanut oil
1/2           cup  green onion -- thinly sliced for garnish
 For the sauce:
1/4           cup  mayonnaise
  1            tablespoon  Vietnamese chili garlic sauce -- or to taste
  2            tablespoons  ketchup
  1            tablespoon  rice vinegar
  2            tablespoons  sugar

Slice the cauliflower florets about the diameter of a quarter.

Mix salt, pepper, corn starch and garlic powder into your panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish.

Dip florets one by one into eggs, and then coat with panko mixture.

After coating the florets, place them in a deep fryer heated to 350 degrees F and cook until brown and floating. 

Remove from fryer and set on top of paper towels to remove excess oil. Top with more salt.

In a small bowl, mix sauce ingredients. Coat fried florets with sauce, top with sprinkles of green onion and serve right away.

Start to Finish Time: "0:40"
   
NOTES : If you don't have a deep fryer, warm oil in a large frying pan and place all florets in hot oil. Turn with tongs making sure all sides are browned.

You may substitute sriracha for the Viet chili garlic sauce, if you must.

This recipe was adapted from something I found on the Intertube.

Next...

 Fancy Meatloaf

  1             cup  onion -- finely diced
  2             cloves  garlic -- minced
 1/4           cup  celery -- finely diced
  1             tablespoon  olive oil
 1/2           cup  flat leaf parsley -- chopped
  1             tablespoon  fresh basil -- chopped
  1             pound  ground chuck
  1             pound  ground lamb
  2             eggs
 1/2           cup  Burgundy
  1             cup  bread crumbs -- dried
  1             tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce
  3             tablespoons  catsup
  1             teaspoon  salt
 1/4           teaspoon  black pepper
  4             slices  bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until soft. Let cool.

Mix cooled veggies with remaining ingredients except the bacon.

Incorporate into a loaf shape and place in the middle of a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Place bacon slices evenly on top of the loaf.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 45 minutes or until loaf reaches 160 degrees.

Remove from oven when done and let rest for ten minutes before slicing.

Start to Finish Time: "1:30"
                                  

Froggin' With Jack

One of my all time favorite foods is frog. I love those tasty legs fried or sauteed; French style, Southern style, and especially the Thai style I had the other night at Rouen Thai. I have a dandy recipe for deep fried frog legs cooked at home whenever I can find those tasty treats at the grocery.

Many, many years ago I tried gigging for frogs. If memory serves, I didn't have much luck stabbing those little hoppers with a spear at the end of a long pole.

But wait!

I just discovered a better way of acquiring frog thanks to my bride, the Belle of Ballast Point and her morning email. She is just so good to me!

I'll be heading out to the pond right after a quick stop at the local ABC Liquor emporium.

Actually, if the heavy downpours we are experiencing here in Tampa today don't let up soon, I can just wait at the door for the pond to come to me. And, if it doesn't; well, I'll have my buddy Jack to console me.