Du-pars Restaurant
2420 E Vineyard Ave
Oxnard, CA
www.du-pars.com
Ok, I was hungry yesterday around 4:00 PM I ate breakfast and after a long day of working and shopping, this girl needed some nourishment! I didn't really have any idea of where to go so I just hopped in my shopping cart (what some call the size of my car!) and went riding. I remembered that Baker's Square was now a Du-pars so I decided to try them out. I am glad I did this. I walked in and saw a familiar face...it was Ron from the old Uncle Herb's restaurant in Oxnard.
Anyway, I was seated and I noticed that they have a Beat the Clock menu between 4PM and 6PM. The menu consisted of fish and chips, tri tip, macaroni and cheese and a chicken dish which is escaping me at this moment! Whatever time you arrive is what you pay. My waittress was Billie and she was a hoot. She reminded me of Alice....without the grit and attitude. They wear those old fashioned white uniform dresses and aprons. Anyway, I decided to go the cheap route and ordered one of the Beat the Clock specials. I ordered the fish and chips which is served with cole slaw and french fries. Since this is Lent season, I suspect a lot of people will order this next Friday. Even I might go up there for that again. I ordered at 4:35 PM so I paid $4.35!!! The Beat the Clock menu requires you to order a drink. I opted for a Coke. The meal comes with either a salad or soup. The soup choices were chicken noodle, split pea and a ham soup. I went for the salad. I need the greens! The salad was a fresh salad with mixed greens not the usual iceberg mix most places serve. There was shredded cheese, beets, tomatoes, red cabbage and croutons in there. Ample size salad and I was satisfied with it. The fish and chips arrived piping hot. I had two pieces of fish, practically half a plate of fries (yes, I ate them all), orange wedge and a fresh roll. For the price, it's a great deal. The fish was hot and the batter was crispy the way I like it! Their tartar sauce is homemade....I might have to go buy some for the fish I make at home!!
I finished my meal and the total was about $7 or so. I opted to get a slice of their freshly made pies...pecan pie...I'm a southern girl..not from southern Cali!!!!! I ate this at home and let me tell you it was enough for two but of course...I didn't share. What kind of woman do you think I am????
I know it's a bit early in the month but I might have to label this as restaurant of the month because of the specials. I will go again and try their meatloaf. This place specializes in food that takes you back to sitting in the kitchen with grandma when she was prepping the meatloaf and getting ready to make pork chops???....!!! Maybe it was only my grandma!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
My HOUSE part II (Oxnard, CA)
Welcome to another edition of my house part II! It's that lovely place in that city by the sea serving up the finest takeout known to man!
As I previously stated, I'm not much of a cook but I've mastered a few items........just a few:
Garlic Green Beans..so simple, your five year old can do this! You must start with the freshest of fresh green beans. Do not use frozen beans as the effect will not be the same. Wash and trim the beans. Get a skillet and put the beans in there and kinda "toast and roast" them in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Add in a little garlic..I like a lot so keep adding it!!! Once the beans are sauteed, add a little water and cover the beans. Within 10-15 minutes, you have a masterpiece..someone will swear you're a master but we know...you're not! These beans are always a highlight when I make them so let them be a highlight to your family!
As I previously stated, I'm not much of a cook but I've mastered a few items........just a few:
Garlic Green Beans..so simple, your five year old can do this! You must start with the freshest of fresh green beans. Do not use frozen beans as the effect will not be the same. Wash and trim the beans. Get a skillet and put the beans in there and kinda "toast and roast" them in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Add in a little garlic..I like a lot so keep adding it!!! Once the beans are sauteed, add a little water and cover the beans. Within 10-15 minutes, you have a masterpiece..someone will swear you're a master but we know...you're not! These beans are always a highlight when I make them so let them be a highlight to your family!
Oxnard: El Portal
I ate here last night. I purchased one of those coupon booklets from a local high school. Kenna always supports the kids cause hey, I was a kid before and I'd be asking everyone to buy this and buy that! Anyway, El Portal is a small Mexican restaurant in an Oxnard shopping center. It's behind the Carl's Junior off Vineyard:
2311 N Oxnard Blvd
Oxnard, CA 93036
(805) 485-5400
I enter the restaurant and look up at this huge board full of Mexican specialities. I go the punk route and pick the Picadillo enchiladas. Well, I ordered water because I need it! No soda for me! Anyway, the food took about ten minutes to prepare. I received a piping hot plate of 3 ground beef enchiladas, rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. These enchiladas were stuffed with seasoned ground beed, diced potatoes and carrots so I guess you could say I got my veggies! They were topped with that infamous red sauce and lots of gooey cheese. Shockingly, the older I get, the less I like cheese so I scraped that off. These enchiladas were flavorful and full of meat. I was not disappointed...I actually cleaned my plate. The rice was seasoned but I was expecting the traditional Spanish style red tomato based rice. I guess the rice there is a family recipe.
The meal wasn't expensive at all. I added an order of chips and my total was $8.52 I noticed that they sell umm..yeah..adult beverages so I decided to have a daiquiri. It was $3.50 which is pretty cheap compared to paying the $6-$8 elsewhere. I guess it's the daiquiri stimulus package??
I finished my meal and watched some tv there. The staff was friendly and they thanked me for coming in when I left. I'll definitely return here again to try their seafood dishes. The place is nice and has a cozy, at home kinda feel to it.
2311 N Oxnard Blvd
Oxnard, CA 93036
(805) 485-5400
I enter the restaurant and look up at this huge board full of Mexican specialities. I go the punk route and pick the Picadillo enchiladas. Well, I ordered water because I need it! No soda for me! Anyway, the food took about ten minutes to prepare. I received a piping hot plate of 3 ground beef enchiladas, rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. These enchiladas were stuffed with seasoned ground beed, diced potatoes and carrots so I guess you could say I got my veggies! They were topped with that infamous red sauce and lots of gooey cheese. Shockingly, the older I get, the less I like cheese so I scraped that off. These enchiladas were flavorful and full of meat. I was not disappointed...I actually cleaned my plate. The rice was seasoned but I was expecting the traditional Spanish style red tomato based rice. I guess the rice there is a family recipe.
The meal wasn't expensive at all. I added an order of chips and my total was $8.52 I noticed that they sell umm..yeah..adult beverages so I decided to have a daiquiri. It was $3.50 which is pretty cheap compared to paying the $6-$8 elsewhere. I guess it's the daiquiri stimulus package??
I finished my meal and watched some tv there. The staff was friendly and they thanked me for coming in when I left. I'll definitely return here again to try their seafood dishes. The place is nice and has a cozy, at home kinda feel to it.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Oxnard, CA (October 2008)...MY HOUSE!!
Yes, my house..it's a quaint little restaurant with intimate seating for six under a modern chandelier and modestly art deco furnished place..garage parking is available for a small fee. The restaurant boasts an open exposition kitchen so you see everything in plain view. Fine dining at it's best yet in a casual and comfortable vibe....shoes optional.. There's outdoor seating for the elite who like to be noticed by the local paparazzi.....The chef has many years of culinary experience..trained by the best......
Ok, enough of my BS!!!!! I'm not much of a cook. Many would say I'm horrible but guess what, that's ok. Today I prepared something that even a child can make. Grilled shrimp..yes, grilled shrimp is about the only thing I can make and cannot mess up.
I have one of those Sunbeam Rocket Grillers...they used to be $100 and now you can get one for about $30. They work very well. Anyway, since I didn't go to any restaurants today, I thought I'd share my recipe...so simple even a caveman can do it!
Use the largest shrimp you can possibly buy..I typically buy the colossal shrimp about 10-12 shrimp per pound. If I am lazy, I use Old Bay seasoning. Sprinkle a little or a lot (if you are a braveheart) of the Old Bay seasoning onto the shrimp. I put my shrimp on skewers approximately 3 to 4 to each skewer. Get the grill hot and ready. Place the shrimp in the griller and within 3 to 4 minutes...you have a wonderful masterpiece. People will think you're some culinary genius when we really know...you're not!!!!!
Sometimes I use the Lawry's marinades like lemon pepper. I've tried their mesquite version and it's quite delicious. I made a horrible mistake of marinating cod and trying to grill it..never do this...I marinated the fish ALL DAY..it was a hot bubbling MESS!!!! I had to throw it away cause I know my husband wasn't going to eat it and neither was I!!!!
Join me next time as we take culinary travels through......the quaint restaurant in the city by the sea...MY HOUSE!
Ok, enough of my BS!!!!! I'm not much of a cook. Many would say I'm horrible but guess what, that's ok. Today I prepared something that even a child can make. Grilled shrimp..yes, grilled shrimp is about the only thing I can make and cannot mess up.
I have one of those Sunbeam Rocket Grillers...they used to be $100 and now you can get one for about $30. They work very well. Anyway, since I didn't go to any restaurants today, I thought I'd share my recipe...so simple even a caveman can do it!
Use the largest shrimp you can possibly buy..I typically buy the colossal shrimp about 10-12 shrimp per pound. If I am lazy, I use Old Bay seasoning. Sprinkle a little or a lot (if you are a braveheart) of the Old Bay seasoning onto the shrimp. I put my shrimp on skewers approximately 3 to 4 to each skewer. Get the grill hot and ready. Place the shrimp in the griller and within 3 to 4 minutes...you have a wonderful masterpiece. People will think you're some culinary genius when we really know...you're not!!!!!
Sometimes I use the Lawry's marinades like lemon pepper. I've tried their mesquite version and it's quite delicious. I made a horrible mistake of marinating cod and trying to grill it..never do this...I marinated the fish ALL DAY..it was a hot bubbling MESS!!!! I had to throw it away cause I know my husband wasn't going to eat it and neither was I!!!!
Join me next time as we take culinary travels through......the quaint restaurant in the city by the sea...MY HOUSE!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Palmdale, CA (October 2008)
I am always always always in Palmdale on business..funny I never blogged about it. Anyway, I was here this week on a brief business trip. I ordered room service so I can only speak about two restaurants:
Famous Dave's
1205 Rancho Vista Boulevard
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-225-9616
www.famousdaves.com
My colleague and I go here for lunch a lot. I had the chicken strips and catfish strips lunch with cole slaw and corn. I love there cole slaw..pretty crunchy and sweet. The catfish is nothing to ring home about but it's ok. I didn't order ribs this week but they are very good here along with their hot links!
Carinos Italian
1173 W. Rancho Vista Blvd.
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-947-9700
www.carinos.com
This was my first time going here. The place is a chain but the food...not a chain! The bread here is quite tasty. It's rosemary infused and served traditional style with the olive oil and pepper mix. I ordered the cedar plank salmon with sauteed green beans and angel hair pasta. I opted to get less tomatoes on my pasta though. The salmon was very tender and flavorful. They bring it out still on the cedar plank which at that point is pretty damn crispy!!!!!!!!!
Famous Dave's
1205 Rancho Vista Boulevard
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-225-9616
www.famousdaves.com
My colleague and I go here for lunch a lot. I had the chicken strips and catfish strips lunch with cole slaw and corn. I love there cole slaw..pretty crunchy and sweet. The catfish is nothing to ring home about but it's ok. I didn't order ribs this week but they are very good here along with their hot links!
Carinos Italian
1173 W. Rancho Vista Blvd.
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-947-9700
www.carinos.com
This was my first time going here. The place is a chain but the food...not a chain! The bread here is quite tasty. It's rosemary infused and served traditional style with the olive oil and pepper mix. I ordered the cedar plank salmon with sauteed green beans and angel hair pasta. I opted to get less tomatoes on my pasta though. The salmon was very tender and flavorful. They bring it out still on the cedar plank which at that point is pretty damn crispy!!!!!!!!!
Jamaica Mon!!! Couples Negril FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! October 2008
The hubs and I went to Negril, Jamaica for vacation. We stayed at the magnificent Couples Negril! This is a food blog so I'll only talk about the food but...this resort is fabulous and we will be going back in 2009 if I am not pregnant !!!!!!!!!!! Our house keeper was rubbing on my stomach so maybe that was some kinda magic potion...I dunno!!!! Just kidding!
On to the delectables:
Couples Negril has four restaurants: Otaheite, Lychee, Heliconia and Cassava Terrace. There is also a Beach Grill that serves fast foods in the daytime and during the wee hours of the night.
Our first night, we ate at the Jamaican buffet at Cassava Terrace. I am really trying to stay away from buffets since I generally lose my mind there but I did ok. The buffet is only three times a week and it's either Jamaican, Carribean or something else. The other nights are a la carte menu. The Jamaican buffet was absolutely great. Loads of succulent peppery shrimp cooked in a skillet the size of my car! My husband raved about their curried goat. He ate two plates. I don't do goat but he said it was pretty good. They also had whole roasted pig. I normally don't like to look into the face of something I am about to eat but I figured, hey he can't see me anyway!!! I had a few slices of the pig and it was delicious and quite savory. I am not into greens too much but there was callaloo (local spinach) and cabbage on the buffet. This was one of the best vegetables dishes ever. I made the mistake of putting some of the Grace hot sauce in there thinking the hot sauce was like my usual Louisiana hot sauce....not so...Grace is probably ten times hotter! BEWARE!!! The carrots and broccoli were tender and great too. It's weird since I am not into veggies that much but it was really easy for me to eat my veggies there. Perhaps a move to Jamaica could produce a healthier me...what say you??? We also ate the breakfast buffet here at Cassava Terrace daily. The breakfast always had hot pancakes and the best damn crispy bacon ever. Of course there're the normal breakfast fare of eggs, sausage, oatmeal, fruits, cereal and other dishes.One of the cooks got word that my husband likes curry goat so one morning, they made it for breakfast for him. Thought that was pretty nice of them to do that. They have morning smoothies as well. I had the passionate couple smoothie one day. Pretty good. I just wish I could have this kind of service at home daily...
On to Heliconia, we ate dinner here on a Friday night. We were told they were going to have lobster that night but they didn't. We went during the 10th anniversary party so all the goodies would be served on Saturday night. Heliconia menu changes often which is a good thing! I ordered the tuna, scallops and shrimp kebabs over blue cheese and cracked pepper rigatoni. I don't care for blue cheese very much but let's just say, I cleaned my plate. Mom would be so proud of me! I received two kebabs loaded with tender seafood and seasoned artichokes (damn vegetables again!!!). The tuna was thick and moist. The scallops and shrimp were very flavorful. I've never had this style of rigatoni but the sauce was savory to my mouth! My husband has the same thing except he didn't have pasta, he had rice and veggies. He also added a braised lamb shank which he said was good. I didn't taste it so I don't know!
Otaheite is the premier restaurant at Couples Negril. You even need to make a reservation to eat there. Well, we had a reservation and guess what, we didn't go. My husband looked at the menu for Otaheite and then the one for Lychee..well, Lychee looked pretty good so we made the decision to go to Lychee. I had to call and cancel our reservation and it was sad because the lady on the phone kept asking me if I was sure...well damn, I wasn't so sure after she kept asking me. Oh well, guess I'll find out next year!!!
Lychee was a fabulous choice. This is an Asian fusion restaurant. Now, I am always leery of fusion anything but kudos to the husband for this choice. We went there on our 6th anniversary and it was a great dinner to remember compared to other anniversary dinners!!!! Our first choice was an appetizer platter for two....chicken drumstick, eggrolls, wontons, beef stick and something else I am forgetting. There was a lady sitting next to me that wanted to have this delivered to her room at midnight...well shoot, deliver it to us as well!!! The second course was soup. I had a beef noodle soup that was steaming hot. We opted out for the salad. It had eggs in it and I don't like eggs. I ordered the evening special which was honey teriyaki glazed salmon......ok, another great decision. The salmon was a great size and it was filled. The glaze was slightly crispy..just how I like it!!! It was served with grated vegetables and rice. The hubby had some lamb dish. It was ok...if you like lamb, there is plenty around this restaurant! For dessert, hubby had tapioca pudding (ok, we travel thousands of miles for tapioca...give me a break!!!!) and I had the fried ice cream. Now I thought this was going to be the traditional Mexican fried ice cream which is the ice cream rolled in cornflakes....NOT SO...this was a breaded clam shaped dessert stuffed with strawberry ice cream. I ate the whole thing!!!!! If you go there, try their lychee inspired drinks. We had Lychee Sunrise, non alcoholic and it's very good!
10th Anniversary Party
There was a huge anniversary party while we were there. There was just too much food to name. I had a lot of crab legs, steamed shrimp, creole seafood, mussels, lobster and lots of other stuff *healthy right??*. The Cassava Terrace restaurant was turned into a massive buffet for at least 500 people. Huge ice sculptures decorated the place. There was an Asian food station, veggie station, cold seafood station, hot seafood station, jerk chicken and pork station, pasta station, bread and salad station, fruit station and I am sure I am leaving out something else. I have pics to prove it. They had a room.....I repeat a ROOM full of desserts. I had what I call flan (can't remember what the locals call it) and other desserts! This was the best damn party I have ever been too...felt like a celebrity. There was a cocktail party prior to the dinner which had tons of sushi, trapeze artists and ballerinas all over the place.
Beach Grill was open everyday from 11AM to 6PM then again from 11PM to 5AM. This was the place to go get beef patties, hamburgers, hotdogs, salads, sandwiches, jerk chicken and other delights whenever you felt like it. I must admit, we were eating like 4 and 5 meals a day but somehow I didn't gain any weight...I actually lost some pounds...could be all the walking I did and all the water I drank plus walking up and down three flights of steps is good cardio for anybody!!
I tried a lot of alcoholic concoctions on this trip from Hummingbirds to Governor House to Dirty Bananas and other drinks.
OFF TOPIC but useful info:
Sunrise Liquors in the Montego Bay airport has the best prices for liquor. I bought some Appleton rum at the Hilo supermarket in downtown Negril...well, it was $3 less at the airport.
Souvenirs...buy them at Times Square Mall at a store next to the smoke shop...cheapest store in the area with really good prices. Shot glasses are $0.75 compared to the $3 everyone else wants. Shirt quality is good too and they have XXL for those like me who need it!! You can get embroided shirts here for a good price.
Jungle Club......a happening place to be if you like to dance all night long. We went there and it was pretty fun. Just don't look at the snakes when you walk in! http://www.junglenegril.com/ Pretty reasonable to get in about $7 for ladies and $9 for men. Afterwards, there are plenty of people out there selling jerk chicken, drinks and other stuff if you'd like.
Runaway Deli at the Montego Bay airport has frozen Jamaican patties if you want to take some home.
On to the delectables:
Couples Negril has four restaurants: Otaheite, Lychee, Heliconia and Cassava Terrace. There is also a Beach Grill that serves fast foods in the daytime and during the wee hours of the night.
Our first night, we ate at the Jamaican buffet at Cassava Terrace. I am really trying to stay away from buffets since I generally lose my mind there but I did ok. The buffet is only three times a week and it's either Jamaican, Carribean or something else. The other nights are a la carte menu. The Jamaican buffet was absolutely great. Loads of succulent peppery shrimp cooked in a skillet the size of my car! My husband raved about their curried goat. He ate two plates. I don't do goat but he said it was pretty good. They also had whole roasted pig. I normally don't like to look into the face of something I am about to eat but I figured, hey he can't see me anyway!!! I had a few slices of the pig and it was delicious and quite savory. I am not into greens too much but there was callaloo (local spinach) and cabbage on the buffet. This was one of the best vegetables dishes ever. I made the mistake of putting some of the Grace hot sauce in there thinking the hot sauce was like my usual Louisiana hot sauce....not so...Grace is probably ten times hotter! BEWARE!!! The carrots and broccoli were tender and great too. It's weird since I am not into veggies that much but it was really easy for me to eat my veggies there. Perhaps a move to Jamaica could produce a healthier me...what say you??? We also ate the breakfast buffet here at Cassava Terrace daily. The breakfast always had hot pancakes and the best damn crispy bacon ever. Of course there're the normal breakfast fare of eggs, sausage, oatmeal, fruits, cereal and other dishes.One of the cooks got word that my husband likes curry goat so one morning, they made it for breakfast for him. Thought that was pretty nice of them to do that. They have morning smoothies as well. I had the passionate couple smoothie one day. Pretty good. I just wish I could have this kind of service at home daily...
On to Heliconia, we ate dinner here on a Friday night. We were told they were going to have lobster that night but they didn't. We went during the 10th anniversary party so all the goodies would be served on Saturday night. Heliconia menu changes often which is a good thing! I ordered the tuna, scallops and shrimp kebabs over blue cheese and cracked pepper rigatoni. I don't care for blue cheese very much but let's just say, I cleaned my plate. Mom would be so proud of me! I received two kebabs loaded with tender seafood and seasoned artichokes (damn vegetables again!!!). The tuna was thick and moist. The scallops and shrimp were very flavorful. I've never had this style of rigatoni but the sauce was savory to my mouth! My husband has the same thing except he didn't have pasta, he had rice and veggies. He also added a braised lamb shank which he said was good. I didn't taste it so I don't know!
Otaheite is the premier restaurant at Couples Negril. You even need to make a reservation to eat there. Well, we had a reservation and guess what, we didn't go. My husband looked at the menu for Otaheite and then the one for Lychee..well, Lychee looked pretty good so we made the decision to go to Lychee. I had to call and cancel our reservation and it was sad because the lady on the phone kept asking me if I was sure...well damn, I wasn't so sure after she kept asking me. Oh well, guess I'll find out next year!!!
Lychee was a fabulous choice. This is an Asian fusion restaurant. Now, I am always leery of fusion anything but kudos to the husband for this choice. We went there on our 6th anniversary and it was a great dinner to remember compared to other anniversary dinners!!!! Our first choice was an appetizer platter for two....chicken drumstick, eggrolls, wontons, beef stick and something else I am forgetting. There was a lady sitting next to me that wanted to have this delivered to her room at midnight...well shoot, deliver it to us as well!!! The second course was soup. I had a beef noodle soup that was steaming hot. We opted out for the salad. It had eggs in it and I don't like eggs. I ordered the evening special which was honey teriyaki glazed salmon......ok, another great decision. The salmon was a great size and it was filled. The glaze was slightly crispy..just how I like it!!! It was served with grated vegetables and rice. The hubby had some lamb dish. It was ok...if you like lamb, there is plenty around this restaurant! For dessert, hubby had tapioca pudding (ok, we travel thousands of miles for tapioca...give me a break!!!!) and I had the fried ice cream. Now I thought this was going to be the traditional Mexican fried ice cream which is the ice cream rolled in cornflakes....NOT SO...this was a breaded clam shaped dessert stuffed with strawberry ice cream. I ate the whole thing!!!!! If you go there, try their lychee inspired drinks. We had Lychee Sunrise, non alcoholic and it's very good!
10th Anniversary Party
There was a huge anniversary party while we were there. There was just too much food to name. I had a lot of crab legs, steamed shrimp, creole seafood, mussels, lobster and lots of other stuff *healthy right??*. The Cassava Terrace restaurant was turned into a massive buffet for at least 500 people. Huge ice sculptures decorated the place. There was an Asian food station, veggie station, cold seafood station, hot seafood station, jerk chicken and pork station, pasta station, bread and salad station, fruit station and I am sure I am leaving out something else. I have pics to prove it. They had a room.....I repeat a ROOM full of desserts. I had what I call flan (can't remember what the locals call it) and other desserts! This was the best damn party I have ever been too...felt like a celebrity. There was a cocktail party prior to the dinner which had tons of sushi, trapeze artists and ballerinas all over the place.
Beach Grill was open everyday from 11AM to 6PM then again from 11PM to 5AM. This was the place to go get beef patties, hamburgers, hotdogs, salads, sandwiches, jerk chicken and other delights whenever you felt like it. I must admit, we were eating like 4 and 5 meals a day but somehow I didn't gain any weight...I actually lost some pounds...could be all the walking I did and all the water I drank plus walking up and down three flights of steps is good cardio for anybody!!
I tried a lot of alcoholic concoctions on this trip from Hummingbirds to Governor House to Dirty Bananas and other drinks.
OFF TOPIC but useful info:
Sunrise Liquors in the Montego Bay airport has the best prices for liquor. I bought some Appleton rum at the Hilo supermarket in downtown Negril...well, it was $3 less at the airport.
Souvenirs...buy them at Times Square Mall at a store next to the smoke shop...cheapest store in the area with really good prices. Shot glasses are $0.75 compared to the $3 everyone else wants. Shirt quality is good too and they have XXL for those like me who need it!! You can get embroided shirts here for a good price.
Jungle Club......a happening place to be if you like to dance all night long. We went there and it was pretty fun. Just don't look at the snakes when you walk in! http://www.junglenegril.com/ Pretty reasonable to get in about $7 for ladies and $9 for men. Afterwards, there are plenty of people out there selling jerk chicken, drinks and other stuff if you'd like.
Runaway Deli at the Montego Bay airport has frozen Jamaican patties if you want to take some home.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Oxnard, CA (September 26th, 2008)
CJ's Barbeque
http://cjsbarbecueonline.com/
480 S. Victoria Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93035
805-815-3024
Let me just say.....this place NEVER lets me down...NEVER! This is a small eatery in town and let me tell you, it is always overflowing with folks...that should tell you that they are obviously doing something right or they are putting liquid crack in the food. I vote that they are doing something right! I typically go to CJ's Barbecue after church..you know, get the soul fed and then the stomach! Amen! I went to CJ's on Friday night and I ordered the usual, my usual is half a pound of fried catfish, green beans and macaroni and cheese. Now, I must remind you that this is a southern joint. Don't come up in there expecting low fat, low carb or whatever. You might as well...go home! Their catfish is probably the best catfish one could have ever tasted. Now my husband makes good catfish but this place, it's crispy, evenly coated and for the real kicker...it's not dried out like some other places. The macaroni and cheese is homemade and baked like I like it. I typically walk in through the back door and I noticed the macaroni shells in a package..certainly not that crap you get at an unnamed chicken restaurant....Kindly Fried Chicken....The green beans are always a hit with me. I don't think they are canned beans just doctored up since canned beans typically have that odd color and slightly mushy, their green beans are seasoned with smoked meat. With the dinner, there's always a nice toasted, buttered roll. The half pound catfish dinner costs $9.99 sometimes I eat it all and others, well I'll take some home. They also sell desserts such as pecan pie (delicious and you would be remissed if you didn't have it), sweet potato pie and other items. They have peach cobbler but I am sorry CJ...it's missing a key ingredient and I am probably biased since I hail from the south...umm....only I know what the key ingredient is!!!! Regardless, if you're ever in Oxnard, do yourself a favor and go to CJ's..they even have SWEET TEA for all you Californias who can't get tea like momma used to make..you know, the tea made in the backyard..sun tea...maybe only my mom did that????
Enjoy
Duh...I failed to mention the BBQ!!! I am not much of a BBQ person but my grandma and mom came to visit me. Well, let's just say they licked the bones clean....enough said!
http://cjsbarbecueonline.com/
480 S. Victoria Avenue
Oxnard, CA 93035
805-815-3024
Let me just say.....this place NEVER lets me down...NEVER! This is a small eatery in town and let me tell you, it is always overflowing with folks...that should tell you that they are obviously doing something right or they are putting liquid crack in the food. I vote that they are doing something right! I typically go to CJ's Barbecue after church..you know, get the soul fed and then the stomach! Amen! I went to CJ's on Friday night and I ordered the usual, my usual is half a pound of fried catfish, green beans and macaroni and cheese. Now, I must remind you that this is a southern joint. Don't come up in there expecting low fat, low carb or whatever. You might as well...go home! Their catfish is probably the best catfish one could have ever tasted. Now my husband makes good catfish but this place, it's crispy, evenly coated and for the real kicker...it's not dried out like some other places. The macaroni and cheese is homemade and baked like I like it. I typically walk in through the back door and I noticed the macaroni shells in a package..certainly not that crap you get at an unnamed chicken restaurant....Kindly Fried Chicken....The green beans are always a hit with me. I don't think they are canned beans just doctored up since canned beans typically have that odd color and slightly mushy, their green beans are seasoned with smoked meat. With the dinner, there's always a nice toasted, buttered roll. The half pound catfish dinner costs $9.99 sometimes I eat it all and others, well I'll take some home. They also sell desserts such as pecan pie (delicious and you would be remissed if you didn't have it), sweet potato pie and other items. They have peach cobbler but I am sorry CJ...it's missing a key ingredient and I am probably biased since I hail from the south...umm....only I know what the key ingredient is!!!! Regardless, if you're ever in Oxnard, do yourself a favor and go to CJ's..they even have SWEET TEA for all you Californias who can't get tea like momma used to make..you know, the tea made in the backyard..sun tea...maybe only my mom did that????
Enjoy
Duh...I failed to mention the BBQ!!! I am not much of a BBQ person but my grandma and mom came to visit me. Well, let's just say they licked the bones clean....enough said!
Oxnard, CA (September 24th, 2008)
Thai Corner
2131 N. Oxnard Blvd
Oxnard, CA
805- 983-8885
I ordered take out from this restaurant on Wednesday. This was my second time coming here. Rarely do I frequent Thai places...I guess because sometimes I forget they exist? I know, shame on me. Thai Corner is simply put....in a corner off the busy Oxnard Blvd in Oxnard. The restaurant used to be an Arby's many moons ago. The location is large and well decorated with traditional fabrics, artwork and pictures. Now on to the food...I wasn't sure what to order and my husband is pretty picky when it comes to certain foods. I wanted an appetizer so I ordered the angel wings. Unfortunately, they were out. The order taker suggested that I try the Royal Shrimp so I did. This was a slightly spiced shrimp cooked in a wonton skin served with a sweet chili sauce. I was surprised at the size of the order...quite impressive for a dish that was $8.95
For my dinner, I order the Garlic and Pepper Chicken.....moist, succulent chicken in a medium brown sauce with crunchy peppers and onions. There were also fresh cucumbers slices in there along with cilantro for an extra kick. For the hubby, I ordered pepper steak..a unique cocktail of pineapples, seasonings and flavorful steak. Let's just say he ate the whole thing ....
I will definitely return to this restaurant again. Now I know where they are..that hidden gem of a corner!
2131 N. Oxnard Blvd
Oxnard, CA
805- 983-8885
I ordered take out from this restaurant on Wednesday. This was my second time coming here. Rarely do I frequent Thai places...I guess because sometimes I forget they exist? I know, shame on me. Thai Corner is simply put....in a corner off the busy Oxnard Blvd in Oxnard. The restaurant used to be an Arby's many moons ago. The location is large and well decorated with traditional fabrics, artwork and pictures. Now on to the food...I wasn't sure what to order and my husband is pretty picky when it comes to certain foods. I wanted an appetizer so I ordered the angel wings. Unfortunately, they were out. The order taker suggested that I try the Royal Shrimp so I did. This was a slightly spiced shrimp cooked in a wonton skin served with a sweet chili sauce. I was surprised at the size of the order...quite impressive for a dish that was $8.95
For my dinner, I order the Garlic and Pepper Chicken.....moist, succulent chicken in a medium brown sauce with crunchy peppers and onions. There were also fresh cucumbers slices in there along with cilantro for an extra kick. For the hubby, I ordered pepper steak..a unique cocktail of pineapples, seasonings and flavorful steak. Let's just say he ate the whole thing ....
I will definitely return to this restaurant again. Now I know where they are..that hidden gem of a corner!
Men Can Cook Contest-Ventura County 9/27/08
The Men Can Cook contest (sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Xi Kappa Omega Chapter of Ventura County!) was GREAT!!!! We had some last minute emergencies with some of our men. Anywho, I told one of my sorors "what will be, will be" and there it is! We always have different kinds of food. There are three categories: Best Entree, Best Side Dish and Best Dessert. Those are selected from a distinguished panel of judges. The judges are not just folks off the street. They are restauranteurs, graduated from culinary schools and whatnot! The judges were Antonio Anderson from Enoteca Toscana Wine Bistro in Camarillo, Martha Garcia from Tomas Cafe in Oxnard and Chef C. Gerard Turbush owner of Jala Fresca in Simi Valley. We also have something called the People's Choice Award where the people get to select their favorite item.
Anyway, the winners:
Best Entree: Beef Burgundy by Charles Simpson (ok, I don't even like beef but this was off the chain for real!)
Best Side Dish: Soul Food Pancit by Charles Jones (oh my God, I am about to run to this man's house just to get more of this..this dish was filled with succulent chicken and shrimp, pancit is a traditional Filipino dish and Mr. Jones hooked it UP....ALL THE WAY UP!!!!)
Best Dessert:Banana Pudding by Joshua Weaver (what can I say, I am a sucker for banana pudding...let me just say I had banana pudding for breakfast today and I am not ashamed of it either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
There were second runner ups as well such as Earrington Gentry who was 2nd runner up for entree with his delicious bbq ribs. Sidereck Ross was 2nd runner for side dish of jambalaya. That jambalaya was smokin' hot...I don't know what he put in it but a sister was SWEATING!!!!!!!!!!! The runner up for dessert was George Sellers who make this homemade buttermilk pie. I admit, I had never heard of this but this pie had a great flaky crust and a smooth filling. I should have had another slice doggone it!
People's Choice Award went to Bernie Canilao for his homemade lumpia....whoosh, I don't want to tell you how many I ate since that is between me and the lumpia!!!
All the men who win in the Best category win a nice trophy and a nice set of pots and pans. The runner ups receive serving dishes. The People's Choice Award received a trophy and an electric cooker.
Be sure to attend the contest next year!
Anyway, the winners:
Best Entree: Beef Burgundy by Charles Simpson (ok, I don't even like beef but this was off the chain for real!)
Best Side Dish: Soul Food Pancit by Charles Jones (oh my God, I am about to run to this man's house just to get more of this..this dish was filled with succulent chicken and shrimp, pancit is a traditional Filipino dish and Mr. Jones hooked it UP....ALL THE WAY UP!!!!)
Best Dessert:Banana Pudding by Joshua Weaver (what can I say, I am a sucker for banana pudding...let me just say I had banana pudding for breakfast today and I am not ashamed of it either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
There were second runner ups as well such as Earrington Gentry who was 2nd runner up for entree with his delicious bbq ribs. Sidereck Ross was 2nd runner for side dish of jambalaya. That jambalaya was smokin' hot...I don't know what he put in it but a sister was SWEATING!!!!!!!!!!! The runner up for dessert was George Sellers who make this homemade buttermilk pie. I admit, I had never heard of this but this pie had a great flaky crust and a smooth filling. I should have had another slice doggone it!
People's Choice Award went to Bernie Canilao for his homemade lumpia....whoosh, I don't want to tell you how many I ate since that is between me and the lumpia!!!
All the men who win in the Best category win a nice trophy and a nice set of pots and pans. The runner ups receive serving dishes. The People's Choice Award received a trophy and an electric cooker.
Be sure to attend the contest next year!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Camarillo, CA (September 22nd, 2008)
Crab House Restaurant
(805) 987-497-9350
350 N Lantana St
Camarillo, CA
http://www.thecrabhouse.net/
I had the pleasure of eating lunch here today with one of my friends. I've been here before but it's been at least a year or two. Anyway, we arrived and there was only one other group dining today. The server was friendly and he brought us fresh bread...the bread looks like a big roll but it's very fresh and it was served warm with garlic butter (or so I think is garlic butter) on the side. I looked at the Lunch Specials and decided to order the seafood linguini. This dish was $9.50 and it was loaded with bay shrimp and baby scallops. The pasta sauce was this creamy garlic sauce that was flavored well..not overpowering like some places. There was probably enough pasta for two but being greedy...I ate the whole thing. Service was prompt and the prices are reasonable. I added a cup of New England Clam Chowder for 1.99 which was a good compliment to my pasta dish. My friend ordered the lobster fettucine...the lobster was fresh and juicy...it was moist and flavorful as well. I will try that the next time!
I will return here again for lunch and perhaps dinner.
(805) 987-497-9350
350 N Lantana St
Camarillo, CA
http://www.thecrabhouse.net/
I had the pleasure of eating lunch here today with one of my friends. I've been here before but it's been at least a year or two. Anyway, we arrived and there was only one other group dining today. The server was friendly and he brought us fresh bread...the bread looks like a big roll but it's very fresh and it was served warm with garlic butter (or so I think is garlic butter) on the side. I looked at the Lunch Specials and decided to order the seafood linguini. This dish was $9.50 and it was loaded with bay shrimp and baby scallops. The pasta sauce was this creamy garlic sauce that was flavored well..not overpowering like some places. There was probably enough pasta for two but being greedy...I ate the whole thing. Service was prompt and the prices are reasonable. I added a cup of New England Clam Chowder for 1.99 which was a good compliment to my pasta dish. My friend ordered the lobster fettucine...the lobster was fresh and juicy...it was moist and flavorful as well. I will try that the next time!
I will return here again for lunch and perhaps dinner.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Ventura, CA (August 2008)
Charlene's Urban Tapas and Wine Bar
546 E Main St
Ventura, CA 93001-2629
Phone: (805) 652-2255
will post the website
This is a new restaurant in Ventura on the happening scene of Main Street. Charlene's is a wine bar..the place is really swanky and cool. I went there last month on a Saturday with some girlfriends. The menu is limited to only tapas but there is enough on there to appease even the picky eaters. I had the jerk shrimp over gouda grits....let me say, I am not a cheese lover and I wasn't sure I'd like gouda in my grits but oh....gouda is the way to go. The grits were smooth, not lumpy and stiff like some people make. The shrimp was fresh and quite flavorful...I would have preferred a couple more shrimp but I have to remember tapas are simply that...just an appetizer not a meal. I ordered their southern sangria...the serving size was quite ample and my mind was satisfied. I will be going back here again. There is live music during the week and on weekends. The place is cozy and well decorated..I met the owners and they kinda seem like you're dealing with your brother and sister...very nice down to earth people. Check them out and order the collard green egg rolls if you dare!
546 E Main St
Ventura, CA 93001-2629
Phone: (805) 652-2255
will post the website
This is a new restaurant in Ventura on the happening scene of Main Street. Charlene's is a wine bar..the place is really swanky and cool. I went there last month on a Saturday with some girlfriends. The menu is limited to only tapas but there is enough on there to appease even the picky eaters. I had the jerk shrimp over gouda grits....let me say, I am not a cheese lover and I wasn't sure I'd like gouda in my grits but oh....gouda is the way to go. The grits were smooth, not lumpy and stiff like some people make. The shrimp was fresh and quite flavorful...I would have preferred a couple more shrimp but I have to remember tapas are simply that...just an appetizer not a meal. I ordered their southern sangria...the serving size was quite ample and my mind was satisfied. I will be going back here again. There is live music during the week and on weekends. The place is cozy and well decorated..I met the owners and they kinda seem like you're dealing with your brother and sister...very nice down to earth people. Check them out and order the collard green egg rolls if you dare!
Camarillo, CA (September 20th, 2008)
Chester's Asia
http://www.chestersasia.com/
2216 Pickwick
Camarillo, CA 93010
805-482-6564
This is another one of those gems of a restaurant. I've been eating here for YEARS since I moved to California. The hubby and I went here tonight for one of their family style dinners. We had wonton soup, appetizers (fried shrimp, paper wrapped chicken, eggroll and bbq ribs), three flavor chow mein, shrimp fried rice, sweet and sour shrimp and kung pao chicken. We ended up taking most of the food home which is good so I am not cooking tomorrow! Total bill was only $41 which is decent. We could have shared with at least two other people..thank God it was only us! You will never be disappointed here...go and try it!
http://www.chestersasia.com/
2216 Pickwick
Camarillo, CA 93010
805-482-6564
This is another one of those gems of a restaurant. I've been eating here for YEARS since I moved to California. The hubby and I went here tonight for one of their family style dinners. We had wonton soup, appetizers (fried shrimp, paper wrapped chicken, eggroll and bbq ribs), three flavor chow mein, shrimp fried rice, sweet and sour shrimp and kung pao chicken. We ended up taking most of the food home which is good so I am not cooking tomorrow! Total bill was only $41 which is decent. We could have shared with at least two other people..thank God it was only us! You will never be disappointed here...go and try it!
Ensenada, Mexico (December 2007)
Mango Mango
Ensenada, Baja California
Av. López Mateos No. 335, Plaza Hussong's
Tel: (646) 178 - 3883 NexTel: 152*131549*3.
eventos@mangomango.com.mx
www.mangomango.com.mx
I went on a cruise last year and did a cooking class at this restaurant with their head chef. The class was great and I learned the secret to making salsa.....MAKE IT YOURSELF..don't buy it! Ha ha, who knew it could be so easy. During our class, the hubs and I were able to order drinks so we ordered mango margaritas..be careful....these can hurt but then again, I wasn't driving so I just kept drinking them and they were very delicious! Hubs had the strawberry and mango mixed and he loved it. I'd like to go back here again just to see what it's like at night. I believe it's a club then!
Ensenada, Baja California
Av. López Mateos No. 335, Plaza Hussong's
Tel: (646) 178 - 3883 NexTel: 152*131549*3.
eventos@mangomango.com.mx
www.mangomango.com.mx
I went on a cruise last year and did a cooking class at this restaurant with their head chef. The class was great and I learned the secret to making salsa.....MAKE IT YOURSELF..don't buy it! Ha ha, who knew it could be so easy. During our class, the hubs and I were able to order drinks so we ordered mango margaritas..be careful....these can hurt but then again, I wasn't driving so I just kept drinking them and they were very delicious! Hubs had the strawberry and mango mixed and he loved it. I'd like to go back here again just to see what it's like at night. I believe it's a club then!
Friday, September 19, 2008
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