McAdoo's Seafood Company in New Braunfels,Texas

Photo from: http://www.mcadoos.com/photos.php 

New Braunfels, Texas is a quaint and unique town.  McAdoos is a seafood restaurant located in the downtown area of New Braunfels.  Its location is right along the corner of Castell Street.  If you are familiar with the well known water park Schlitterbahn then you are only blocks away from McAdoos.  It is also located near Myron's Steakhouse.  What is most unique about McAdoos is the history of the building.  It was built in 1915, and it was the first federally built United States post office in New Braunfels.  McAdoos still holds much of its original equipment, and it has a classy outward and inward appearance thanks to its restoration.  I chose this restaurant because of its sophisticated appearance from the outside, and the full parking lot was a positive indicator that something inside must be appealing.

This is a photo of the original post office from 1915
This photo is from the McAdoo's website: http://www.mcadoos.com/photos.php

My mother and daughter joined me for lunch.  When we walked up to the restaurant I felt as if I was entering a place of importance.  It almost reminded me of a miniature courthouse.  There were four huge, white, columns.  A set of two supported each side of the building.  The building consisted of red and black bricks and enormous glass windows.  We walked up about 10 steps to get to the entrance.  The double door entrance was actually pretty narrow.  I was surprised by this feature.  As I entered the building I felt pleased with its appearance.  It reaffirmed my decision to eat at the restaurant.  The front of the restaurant was the waiting area.  The floors were lined with a pearly tile, and the dining area consisted of hardwood flooring.  There was a bar area on the far left side of the restaurant.  The majority of it was covered by a huge wall.  I could see a few people sitting on the end of the bar.  Most people were dressed casual, and some men had on business suits. The atmosphere was quiet and calm.  There was no music playing, and there were no children.  I was a little hesitant to be seated with a ten-month-old, energy-filled, baby.  The hostess politely sat us.  She handed us our menus and told us that a waiter would be with us shortly.  I looked around and noticed that all the waiters were dressed in black slacks and white, long sleeve shirts.  The male waiters had on black ties. The walls were decorated with actual doors and some of the equipment from the original post office itself.  It was a bit peculiar looking, but it gave the building a twist of old fashioned originality. When our waiter arrived he introduced himself and smiled at my daughter.  He saw that I was giving my daughter a bottle and offered to warm it in the kitchen for us.  I thought it was a nice gesture, but I declined his offer.  He took our order for our drinks, and he said that he would give us time to look over the menu.

This is the Red fish Lafayette.  As you can see, it is also topped with a leafy decoration, and it looks almost too good to  devour!  This image is from: http://www.mcadoos.com/photos.php 

The first thing I noticed about the menu was the wide selection.  After reading through most of it I realized that I was not very familiar with many of the dishes, and I was grateful for the descriptions below the entrees.  The appetizers caught my eyes immediately.  I noticed that there was a "chilled" and a "warm" selection for appetizers.  The restaurant was a bit chilly, and my mom and I decided we should try one of the warm appetizers.  We selected the Seafood Fondoo.  I had never tried Fondoo before, but it sounded fancy.  I selected the Almond Crusted Barramundi for my entree.  I could not resist the creamy white wine butter sauce topping that this entree described.  My mom selected the Cajun Pasta.  I was delighted she had chosen a pasta because pasta is my favorite type of food!  Our waiter said that we had made good choices.  There were a couple entrees that I could not pronounce. Red fish Pontchartrain was one of them.  It seemed unusual, but it was described as a blackened fillet.  Also, there was an entree called Kona Kampachi.  I had never heard of this, but it was also a type of fish served with corn mach choux. I was hesitant to order something unusual.  Our Fondoo arrived shortly after our order.  It consisted of shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes and chives all drenched in a creamy white sauce.  It came in a bowl, and it was surrounded by bread chips to use for dipping.  I took one bite, and it tasted even better than it looked.  It was warm, but not hot.  Its temperature was perfect.  It was slightly spicy.  It tasted like a warm soup sprinkled with shrimp topping.  I was surprised by how well I enjoyed this appetizer.  I almost forgot to save room for my entree.  When my Almond Crusted Barramundi arrived the waiter asked if he could take away the Fondoo.  I asked him if we could have a box to go home because it was so delicious.  He politely agreed and boxed it up for us.  My entree looked like it came straight out of an exquisite magazine.  It was served on a beautiful white dish and topped with leafy decorations.  I did not want to mess up its charming appearance.  It looked like a piece of fish that was elaborately decorated with crusted toppings.  I was a little disappointed in the taste.  It was much fishier than I had expected. I ended up eating most of the topping and not so much of the fish.  My mom allowed me to sample some of her Cajun Pasta.  The rim of her plate was sprinkled with a sage green confetti-like decoration, and her pasta was lightly decorated with tiny shreds of white cheese.  Her pasta definitely had a kick, but it was very delicious.

One of my favorite features about this restaurant is the restroom doors! Yes, I said the restroom doors!  They are labeled by gender, but instead of "Male" and "Female", they are labeled, "Mail" and "Femail."  I think this is very catchy and unique.  Its serves as a great reminder of the history of the building, and I believe it is also a fabulous idea for restaurant goers to remember this specific restaurant.

Overall, I was very pleased with the service, and I was grateful that my daughter was well-mannered at the table.  I would definitely go back just for the fondoo.  Although a bit pricey, I would recommend this restaurant to anyone.   I would recommend sharing an appetizer, (Seafood Fondoo), and splitting an entree.  I definitely filled up on the fondoo, and I felt that it was well worth the price.  McAdoo's Seafood Company is definitely a unique and tasteful restaurant for anyone to try out in cozy downtown New Braunfels, Texas.

To learn more about the magnificent McAdoo's Seafood Company visit: 

http://www.mcadoos.com/

     

       

Paesano's Ristorante - Plano, TX

Paesano's is an Italian restaurant in Plano, Texas, which is just north of Dallas.  The restaurant is located right off of Highway 75 and 15th Street, but it isn't something you notice right away.  It is on the older side of town, and the building doesn't look like much of anything.  I had honestly never even noticed this building before, and would probably never have gone there, but my mom recommended it to me as a good place to try and had raved about how good the food was there, as well as affordable.

So, I went to Paesano's for lunch yesterday with a friend of mine.  When you go inside, it looks a lot nicer than I expected from seeing the outside.   The inside was very nicely decorated and very cozy and inviting.  The booths were lined up against a wall, and they were somewhat private, and they had curtains on the outside that looked like they could close.

The service was very good.   We were greeted and seated promptly, and our server was extremely friendly.  The restaurant closed for lunch at 2:00 and we arrived around 1:40, but she was very accommodating and cheerful despite the fact that we probably caused her shift to last a bit longer. 

The menu consisted of many traditional Italian options, including pasta, pizza, and different entrees with chicken, veal, and seafood.  They also had a variety of wines and desserts.  They also had lunch specials, which is what we both ordered from.

There were several items that looked good, and we had a hard time deciding what to order.  However, our waitress highly recommended the Sicilian Chicken, saying it was "close to the best thing on this planet."  With a recommendation like that, I knew that was what I was going to try.  The Sicilian Chicken was a breaded chicken filet with a basil cream sauce, and it came with spaghetti with marinara sauce, and vegetables.  The basil cream sauce was a light sauce, and the chicken was extremely tender and delicious.  I'm not sure it was quite "the best thing on this planet," but it was very tasty.

My friend ordered the stromboli.  The stromboli was filled with vegetables, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, and sausage.  As she cut into it, she remarked about how crispy the outside was.  She said she would have preferred if it had a little more meat, but that overall it was good, and the vegetables were very fresh.

Our meals also came with bread and garlic and olive oil dipping sauce, and a choice of soup or salad.  I ordered the house salad, which consisted of lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper, and feta cheese, with the house dressing.  My friend selected the minestrone soup, which had large chunks of yellow squash, zucchini, carrots, celery, potatoes, and pepper in a tomato broth. 

Overall, I really enjoyed lunch at Paesano's.  The food was great, and the service was friendly, and I really liked the environment as well.  I would definitely return again. 

Dinning on the river, San Antonio and San Marcos

Saltgrass Steak House, San Marcos Texas.

Saltgrass Steakhouse settled right along the river in the beautiful San Marcos Texas. Right across from Texas States Strahan Coliseum. It is conveniently right off Aquarena Springs Dr. The exit is easy to find when taking IH 35. I did not choose the restaurant originally for the location other thank the fact that I have been to two saltgrass Steak House locations in the past. The first was the Saltgrass on the River Walk, and in San Antonio. Any major city in Texas that you find yourself in there is a Saltgrass there for you.

                                  

The outside of the restaurant has an old mill feel to it with the classic read brick and antique signs hanging on the wall. You also have a glimpse view of the patio that is overlooking the water. If you listen you can hear the roar of the waterfall that is behind the building. Once you walk in it has a very western chuck wagon feel to it, staying consistent with the steak house feel. With wood grain counters and a beautiful view of people swimming in the river makes this the opportune place to have a great meal.

Right when you walk through the door the host or hostess is there to great you with a smile and says, “Welcome to Saltgrass.” First impression is everything and they do a fantastic job. The smeels are divine and you can here the casual talk of people that are already sat down enjoying their meal. Most of the Waiters and waitresses are college students from Texas State so there is always something to talk about. There is a real down home feel to the service that is provided from the employees. The food was delivered at a reasonable time taking in the idea that this is a steak house and each plate is different.

                                 

The menu has so many great choices to choose from, and while you decide you get warm roles and delicious appetizers to choose from. My favorite is the Cheese fries. You can enjoy these while you sift through the many different plate options. As for me I like to have the best of worlds, steak and seafood. I went with the Steak and shrimp and ordered my steak well done. The order was prompt and correct. They also have several Saltgrass exclusives that look really appetizing. My girlfriend got the Brazos Chicken which is a Grilled chicken topped with Texas goat cheese, sundried tomatoes & ancho chipotle sauce, served with garlic mashed potatoes.

We shared our plates and both meals where cooked to our liking, smelled and tasted excellent and after everything is said and done this will be a restaurant that we will be returning to in the future and look forward to what we are going to be trying next.

Enchiladas, steak, and a little bit of Xango.

          Most Mexican restaurants offer little beyond traditional enchiladas and tacos but Garcia's Mexican food restaurant goes beyond the bowl in serving a variety of foods from Norteña style fajitas, picadillo dinners, chicken fried chicken, and even, brace yourself, fried cheesecake otherwise known as Xango.
          Garcia's Mexican restaurant is looking to extend their trademark cemented in other cities, like San Antonio and San Marcos, to Seguin. The thought of consuming fried cheesecake is enough to quiet a stampede which gives an idea as to why the venue has had a packed parking lot at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even brunch after only being open for over a month.
          Behind the King Ranger movie theaters is where Garcia's lies tucked away in an ironic, but very convenient, nook located in the rear of a small neighborhood as well as across the street from H-E-B. Numerous restaurants have opened and went out of business in this same spot that has coined this block of buildings as 'cursed'. However, for now, that seems to be lifted.
          Accommodating to not only a vast palette of Mexican food, Garcia's also offers a large variety of American style foods including chicken fried steak, pork chops, and catfish. Even vegetarians could become fans of their spinach or sour cream enchiladas. Garcia's also offers a number of things I've never heard of including a flauta plate, green chicken enchiladas, and chille relleno. There is also one suprising item on the menu, the homey bean fideo plate. This plate of noodles, tomato sauce, and other herbs is commonly known as a working-class food since it's cheap, easy to make, and delicious. By offering this plate alongside an 8 ounce rib-eye steak, it shows that Garcia's plays no games when it comes to the types of food and lengths it takes to satisfy the masses.
          As soon as the bell rings to welcome you to the restaurant, the waitresses, smile in your direction. While the decorations are minimal and there is no music playing, the small town chatter envelopes you in a family supper-like ambiance. Chips and salsa are a usual minor point to meal, but I want to point out that Garcia's appetizer peps not only your taste buds, but also the way your main course will taste. These are definitely worth sneaking home.
          I order what has caught my eye since my mother, who has become a huge fan of Garcia's, brought home a take-home menu (which she keeps in her purse for food emergencies). I order off of the specialty dinner section, one Garcia's deluxe which gives me a tasty smorgasbord of treasures: One cheese or beef enchilada, one tamale, and one taco within the essential trimmings of rice, beans and a tortilla.
          My grandmother, who I'm treating to lunch, orders a small tortilla soup. Our waitress was very helpful in describing the difference between a large and small bowl of soup by speaking in Spanish to my grandma, which is her first language. She also wasn't shy on our refills and was quite deserving of a tip. Together our food cost less than fifteen dollars.
          When my warm plate was laid in front of me, I quickly dip into the melting cheese covering the beef tamale which upon examination looked dry. Within, the enchiladas lacked an overflowing level of cheese, which is a disappointment since I'm heavily opposed to naked tortillas which have failed to become coated in the always fashionable yellow.
          My grandmother's soupy mixture of stringy bits of tender and tangy chicken along with torn bits of tortilla, Monterrey Jack cheese, and avocado mixes well with the bubbly broth. In one deep taste I am left with a savor that stayed with me the entire day and made me wish I had tried more.
          On my own plate, brisk onions begin to blur with the other tastes of food as I swoop into the tacos to drown out the, at times, overpowering taste. Decorated with the usual lettuce and tomatoes, the sweet juice of the tomato ripens the full effect of the meat. In seconds the crisp crunches give way to silence and crumbs. Usually tacos fail to wow me, but here they were an underdog confection that won me over. Mental notes for my next trip which will include the taco dinner as well as another menu desert that has spiked my interest, flan.
            It's easy to become immersed in the taste of the food while at Garcia's, which is motivation for trying the foods that are both delicious and different. For the moment, it becomes easier to forget about daily troubles and dive into the unfamiliar taste of a hearty onion or the smooth, cool texture of re-fried beans. At Garcia's, food is a refuge waiting to leave you, and your wallet, satisfied.

Blue Plate Kitchen-Dallas, Texas

Blue Plate Kitchen in Dallas, Texas does not grab your attention from the exterior, but the reputation of the owner and the aroma of smoked meat draws you in. Its close location to the Dallas North Tollway makes it a convenient stop, and the proximity to Sprinkles Cupcakes is an added bonus.  

The owner, Ken Rathbun, is a renowned chef who competed against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America—and won. Expectations were high due to the chef's success and his other outstanding restaurant in the Dallas area, Jasper's.

Upon walking into Blue Plate Kitchen, I was impressed by the décor; it was simple but sophisticated. The interior was mostly wood, which provided a homey atmosphere, but touches of metal added trendiness to the restaurant. We arrived shortly after the lunchtime rush, so it was very quiet, and we were seated right away in a booth with plenty of space between us and the other customers. The aroma of smoked meat was still present. Although not as strong, it still got your stomach and taste buds ready for some food.

The wait staff was extremely helpful in providing recommendations and giving more detail about items on the menu. Our waitress was very personable, and we enjoyed talking with her. Our orders were served just as we asked, and her recommendations did not disappoint. It was clear that Blue Plate Kitchen had an experienced wait staff, a fact that added to our enjoyment of the meal.

At just one page, the menu was small. Even so, it was difficult to decide on an entree because so many things caught my eye. I decided on the Cuban sandwich with hand-cut fries, even though the chicken fried steak with maple gravy was extremely tempting. My companion chose the pulled pork sandwich with housemade barbecue ranch chips. The amount of meat in the Cuban sandwich was overwhelming, but the smell of the pork made me dive right in. The crunch of the bread provided a nice contrast to the tender smoked pork and made it hard to stop eating the sandwich. The smoky flavor of the pork and the slightly sweet flavor of the pickle created a nice balance, and I added more pickles to ensure that every bite contained a piece of pickle. The fries were crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside and were sprinkled with just the right amount of sea salt. My friend's pulled pork sandwich was also overwhelming in terms of the amount of food, but just as appetizing. The pulled pork was so tender it nearly melted in your mouth, and the ancho barbeque sauce was addictive; now other barbeque sauces pale in comparison. The unique barbecue ranch potato chips were extra crunchy with a perfect amount of seasoning on each chip. I actually kept reaching for the chips instead of the fries that were on my plate. While my meal was delicious, I would order something different next time, just so I could try everything on the menu.

Blue Plate Kitchen provided Southern comfort food and put its own unique twist on each plate, including the maple gravy and ancho barbeque sauce. In addition, the restaurant itself provided a calming atmosphere through the attentive wait staff and the simple but eye-pleasing décor. I can’t wait to share another meal there with friends and family.

Great Wall of China

When living in Seguin, Texas you are limited on your choices of delicious sit down restaurant style food, I found this out within the first week I moved to the small town of Seguin; impossible to discover such a place absolutely not, will it require bravery to dive into the realm of  unfamiliarity to our taste buds absolutely! This is freaking Texas people, I know Seguin has best kept secret restaurants that people wouldn’t bother to try why you ask because they are hole in the wall, questionable, you call this a good restaurant but on the inside it is steaming with home style, family recipe flavor packed foods that would slam your taste buds so hard you will wonder why you haven’t been eating this food till now and I am willing to find them!

This last food discover was a great success because I once worked at Chinese restaurant in Bartlesville Oklahoma; very small and run down but the food was so authentic and amazingly wonderful only the locals knew about it which made it more special. MY point is since I have quite I have never found anything even close to anything similar until yesterday. I stumbled upon this tiny restaurant while I was making a goodwill trip, it is tucked into the right side of the strip mall where it sits at the end from all the other restaurant I wouldn’t of noticed it if I hadn’t gone into goodwill and yes I almost forgot it is right beside the only casino in town; which I still question so when you work up an appetite from gambling definitely stop by the Great Wall Chinese cuisine.

 It was my boyfriend’s birthday yesterday so we went out to the Great Wall because we both love Chinese food and neither of us had ever been before; walking into the restaurant we were instantly greeted with the smell of spiced meat and fried rice, the walls had framed pictures of water colored Chinese artwork and brightly shaded gold and red lanterns dangling from the ceiling. The restaurant was spacious yet cozy and we could hear the sound of conversation streaming in the air, little tip for later best time to go to any restaurant is when the San Antonio Spurs are in the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunders, you can bet your food will be out in less than twenty minutes it was remarkable empty with the exception of a small family in the back corner.

Our serve greeted us and sat us, we immediately picked up our menus and began scanning the menu  at all the entree choices, looking up and down there was Lo mein, sea food platters and Chinese style vegetables served with your choice of chicken, shrimp or beef needless to say everything sounded good! My boyfriend and I had eaten quite a big lunch earlier that day so we decided to share an entree which we both decided that combination chop suey sounded amazing; our food was brought to us in a speedy fifteen minutes.

Our waitress set down a large plate of chop suey with a bowl of rice and set down an extra plate and silverware, our plates were clean and I felt the entree was a perfect size to share between two people. The vegetables were tossed with chicken, shrimp and beef were covered with a thick sauce that had a mild flavor, every flavor blended perfect and the food was cooked to a T the crunch from the onions and bell peppers made my mouth water with each bite. The rice was soft and fluffy and overall I am telling you this is a spot to go to have a taste of china. If you are in the Seguin area you need to do yourself a favor and stop at the China Wall to treat yourself to good food.

Gulf-Coast dining in Selma, TX

North Atlantic Salmon Steak dinner

          The Forum shopping center in Selma, TX lends itself to hungry local shoppers with traditional American eateries. Many of these are chain restaurants and business competitors, vying for a chance to satisfy hungry local shoppers. As often as I’ve shopped there, they’ve succeeded in doing so. And while tonight was not a shopping night it was a special occasion: my boyfriend’s mother was celebrating her birthday. She has a very simple palate: nothing too salty or crazy sauces, just Plain Jane, with a healthy appetite for seafood cooked or fried correctly. Naturally, the younger money-conscious couple that we are, Red Lobster was not on the top of the list budget-wise, but Sea Island, we had heard was a cheaper alternative. Serving “great seafood since 1965,” Sea Island has been a long-time local favorite. Driving up, I could see why. A nice landscaped area with a coastal palm tree and two large patios sandwich the entryway paying homage to the gulf-coast style of the restaurant. On the far left side was a slide, indicating that this was a family-friendly place to wine and dine, and let loose a bit, as the children were allowed to play while the adults finished their meals. Upon entering, a family of 5 or 6 sat trying to figure out how the restaurant worked. A buffet-like walk in allows for guests to review the menu and order upfront, and self-serve drinks and condiments, before receiving a buzzer to pick up the food. Away from the pick-up window, the place seemed inviting and very much like a sit-down restaurant, but with no designated waiter for each table. My inner cheap-scape was excited about the dollars I’d save in tips, but given the service for a self-serve place, I would have tipped generously. The aroma of the place was fresh and fishy, with charred and smoky notes, like a backyard barbeque on the coast, which was enough to salivate, as we examined the menu for our orders.

Lemon Peppered Cod, spinach, and rice pilaf

The menus were double sided and easy to read. Less pictures, more text allowed for one to understand the size and components of each plate. Atlantic salmon steak and a house dill sauce, was the featured item—my boyfriend ordered this, and the birthday girl opted for the Shrimp Fest Platter that owned up to the name “Sea Island Shrimp House.” There were several combinations of traditional American seafood dishes, from sandwiches to combinations of traditional American meals with fried or broiled seafood in them (like shrimp pasta, or Steak with shrimp). Shrimp skewers and two homemade sides came with just about each order. I opted for one of the signature dishes, the Lemon Pepper fish and shrimp platter, with an order of scallops a la carte. Oysters, onion rings, shrimp cocktail and ceviche make up their appetizer menu; we ordered two servings of ceviche to both prep and refresh our palates throughout the meal. We didn’t wait but 5-7 minutes for the ceviche: a cold mix with steamed fish, avocado chunks, diced onions and tomatoes, drenched in lemon juice. The cold dip was very light, clean and refreshing. Chips are given with the order, to eat the ceviche like a salsa, or heterogeneous guacamole mixture. The chips, I regret were thick and a little heavy on the oils, but that’s just a personal preference—overall it was well received. We added a drop or two of Tabasco hot sauce and extra lemons to intensify the flavors to perfection and one bowl disappeared quickly, before the food was ready some 10-15 minutes later.

Broiled Scallop Skewer

      There were two-three friendly waiters/hosts on staff for convenient refills and bussing in case tables got too crowded. Our orders were missing a couple items: my shrimp skewers and my boyfriend’s scallops, so there was an added wait, but once our meal was complete, we indulged. The shrimp fest platter was loaded with shrimp leaving very little white space on the oblong platter, my lemon pepper cod fish was moist, flakey and light and well-seasoned, to my liking. Not too much lemon, or pepper, but just right. My spinach was buttery, which paired nicely with the fresh squeezed lemon, and my rice pilaf was on the colder side. I didn’t bother to return the rice as I was too busy so delicately enjoying my scallops. They are the treasure of the sea, if you ask me, and here they were broiled with Cajun seasoning—hints of cayenne and spicy pepper, with a creamy, chewy center that made my taste buds dance, as I rarely get these succulent seafood treats. A different skewer of scallops came out slightly better broiled with a melt-in-your-mouth gooiness and tasted juicy and subtly seasoned.  I tried the salmon next, which was a perfect single serving topped beautifully with green herbs and a little white on the side. The steak was very tender and subtle in fishy taste. The homemade dill sauce is what truly brought the dish together, and brightened the flavors in the fish, enhancing the herbs on top.  It was very pleasing, and I dipped my fish and remaining scallops occasionally in dill sauce to spike the flavors of the lemon pepper in my dish. It was the perfect tangy alternative to the almost store-bought flavor of the tartar sauce provided with the meals.

We laughed and talked over the meal with little-to-no interruptions of wait staff, or loud groups. The booths were comfortable and well-spaced enough to where we didn’t interfere with other parties. The décor could use an update, as walls were dressed with mostly two dimensional artwork and photos of large fish caught during fishing trips and a visually flat mural to complete the gulf-coast theme, with several but slightly dimmed lights. We enjoyed it though, and sang along to an eclectic mix of easy-listening tunes, '70’s favorites, and familiar '90's soft rock.

Overall, Sea Island was inviting, affordable, and satisfied our craving for gulf-coast casual dining. I’d rate it a 3/5 and will definitely visit again soon.

Visit their website here: www.shrimphouse.com