In the Weeds
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The Mystery of Steak (and Restaurants)
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I freely admit that I know nothing about the food industry, except that I'm well-fed.. Still, I've sometimes considered that my third (or fourth) career might be a restaurant. I'd probably just work the bar of the restaurant, serving drinks and listening to the patrons. Seems like a great place to take the pulse of a situation. As managers walk around and ask "how was everything", most polite people feel inclined to not answer with constructive criticism. The often-less polite lubricated souls at the bar are more likely to tell a resaurant prioprietor that their steak tastes like an old shoe or their tea jug is turning sour.
(Well, they probably wouldn't be drinking Tea but you catch my drift)
It is surprising to me, though just how often steaks at restaurants are a disappointment. Even from the high dollar steakhouses. Some are decent but most will agree, the real steaks, the good ones -- are being made at home on the grill. In fact, I'd venture to guess that most people feel that way. The steaks that their spouse make are better than anything they could get at the store or even some friend's house.
When I first visited my grandpa in Indiana after having moved off on my own, I remember one day he offered to cook us a steak. My wife had already impressed upon me that my way of making steaks was the uber-best-est of all and I was anxious to impress upon this father-figure from my life with my newfound culinary mastery of the art of steak. So, I was somewhat amazed to watch him throw a frozen-solid steak onto a grill with little preparation, no marinate and very little seasoning at all.
The result was a pretty awesome steak. But, I still thought my way was better. Since those early years in marriage we've had multiple groups of friends over for steak and more than you'd think go to the trouble to bring their own meat, marinated or seasoned in their own way with their own toppings. Some, because they may feel bad about you "buying them a steak" and others because they want the control. Because, in a BYOS (bring your own steak) situation this is what you do. You can't leave such an important thing to chance! Will they season it correctly at Bill's house? What about the fire, will it be wood or charcoal or gas? Toppings? Will they have mushrooms and onions or fried potatoes or what??
:)
…and that's just it. When it comes to a steak, the preparation is such a subjective thing that everyone feels they have it figured out. and everyone does have it figured out.. the steak THEY like.
… Try it.. Mention to a coworker about an amazing steak recipe you have and watch them shut you down, then fire back with their own preparation method. I'm serious! It's a thing..
Some like them marinated, some like them rubbed, sometimes both. On a grill, in a pan, blackened or rare, topped or un-topped, I'm telling you -- everyone is a steak expert.
A Steaxpert? ummm.. anyway..
So, restaurants continue on with their uninspired, boring, middle-of-the-road Goldilocks steaks. Not over seasoned, not under seasoned… just something safe, for the masses.
and that's why you prefer steaks at home.
Some restaurant owners are more about the gimmick than the food. Tilman Fertitta of Landry's comes to mind. You get some very ruby-tuesdays, almost-frozen-food college-grade food with decent service but a neat atmosphere. Mr. Fertitta has been quoted as saying, paraphrased, "it isn't about the food…"
He's right. You put an animatronic dinosaur near the table, it isn't about the food at all. It's about the environment. Will we go back to a Rainforest or T-Rex Cafe on our next trip to Disney? You bet! Do I remember anything from the menu? Only that the steak was like what you would expect from a Waffle House.
But, hey, Tilman's a billionaire so he's got to be onto something, right?
Enter my idea for a restaurant. Here it is, public domain, do what you will with it, just call me on opening night so I can come check it out.
Let me paint a scenario for you. A single guy, second or third date with this lady and they have tons in common. They've hit it off. He's a pretty good cook and he'd like to prove it. But, inviting to the house has all of those awkward coming-on-to-strong overtones, right?
So, you make your reservation at Restaurant and build your steak, online. Pick some meat, pick some marinate or seasoning, pick the cooking method, optional toppings, sides, a nice bottle of wine and save it as a custom menu item for your reservation. Now, as you are at the restaurant and you want to impress upon her that your steak is the most amazing thing since cows were invented - the restaurant's table has a multiple-touch menu that is built into the table (in an elegant way). Your steak is on her list of options. She doesn't have to order it but there it is, just for her.. Proof you know how make a steak, if she so chooses to choose it. Plus, maybe she'll surprise him with her own style of cooking :)
I like the multi touch desktop as a restaurant gimmick b/c it solves a problem for me. I get to order exactly what I want, from a machine. It isn't me, being too picky as I communicate with a server. My drink's empty? I click an icon, while our conversation continues. No need to "flag down the waitress", which always seems awkward.
I could carry this on to many other scenarios but I'll leave you with mine from this evening. I'd been working in the yard, I was tired, really wanted a steak since I'd burned a billion calories putting out rock and mulch. if I could have bought "my steak" somewhere, already cooked… You bet your ass I would have.
Instead, I cooked the one pictured here :)
I'll leave you with some steak and steak-prep "recipes" I like. Feel free to add your own in comments!
When you want a marinated Pretty Dang Good Ribeye
Marinate your favorite cut of meat (for this one, usually ribeye) in a mixture of Dales or Moores Marinade, a Splash of Brandy and equal portion of whatever wine or beer you plan to have with the meal. Because you are diluting the Dales/ Moores it won't be so salty but it will need longer than 30 mins in most cases to marinade. Watch it, pull from them marinade based on color. Darker == More Marinate Flavor.
Pull the steaks and let them rest, poor the marinate in a pot. Add a stick of butter and another portion of beer or wine, as needed to cover 1 or 2 sweet onions and a package of baby bella mushrooms. Bring it to a boil, as the onions start to brown from the marinate mixture (as they get soft) dump the marinate and finish "grilling" the mushrooms and onions in the bottom of the pot minus the marinade.
Dad's Fried Potatoes:
Cut up some red potatoes, skin on, into small cubes, Add 1-2 sweet onions cut similarly and fry with some olive oil and a few pads of butter, adding Mckormic italian Blend Seasoning and Lawry's Garlic Salt.
Grill the steak (I prefer a ceramic grill) to your choice temperature and enjoy :)
(Fair warning: your kitchen will smell like onion, garlic and button for about 24 hours. It is nice at first but gets old a few hours after the meal)
For the steak pictured here, I didn't want or have time for marinading so I went a different route.
Your local butcher sells a crust called Char-Crust. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=char+crust Toss around a Filet or NY Strip until the crust is completely covered. Sometimes it is good to coat the steak in Olive Oil First, then toss it around to completely cover it. Just know the olive oil will make the steak cook faster.
Get a cast iron skillet that will only be used for this.. (b/c of seasoning) and put it, coated in olive oil, in the stove and preheat it all at 500 degrees. When the stove gets to temperature, toss on your crusted steak with a mixture of olive oil, butter, a splash of wine and brandy. Flip it halfway (top if you like that sort of thing) and finish cooking.
In a pinch, it'll do nicely, especially if you were a photographer / programmer / tired-from-yard-work looking for material for a blog post whilst yielding a killer appetite..:)
Power of Photography Show Results
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I ran out this afternoon to pick up my submissions for the Wide Angle Photo Club's Power of Photography Show. It gave me a chance to briefly walk around and take in everyone's submissions.
WOW. I was floored. What a great collection of talent was on display at the Pensacola Museum of Art for this show!!
I even looked through the pile of those photos that were not judged into the show. Absolutely jaw-dropping stuff both hanging on display and in those boxes! It was really both humbling and inspiring to see the great photography we have being produced right here on the Gulf Coast.
First photography contest I've ever entered (minus the Smithsonian).. So, how did I do? Honestly, I didn't even expect to get past the judging into the show. I was surprised to find that of the 9 prints I submitted, 4 were judged into the show!
Then, I saw this third place ribbon...
I thought, "oh cool, someone else out at the pier doing shadow cast work" then it hit me. "Wait, that was actually mine." I checked the tag twice in disbelief. :)
I'll say this, after seeing the other photos in this category, this third place was a very kind nod from the judges. There was some seriously awesome images that had I been in a judging position, would definitely have rated higher over this shot, any day of the week!!
All of the Wide Angle Photo Club people were gracious and friendly, just like my home photo club over at the Eastern Shore Camera Club. I'll have to endeavor to get over to Pensacola one of these days to check out their meetings too!
Sit at the Base of a Tree
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Do you ever just sit at the base of a tree and read? If I could get a time machine, one of the things I'd like to do is find a tree with character and photograph it, along with the bookworms beneath it, over a century's time. From long dresses or bowler hats with hardbacks, to short-shorts reading on kindles and iPads, it would be interesting to see the transition!
Relics at the Edge of the World
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I like the analogy of time, as illustrated by the shorelines, the rising and falling tides and winds - and how they inevitably decay whatever we build there. There's an awesome predictability to it. Just as the salt-air, waves and tides wear away at beachside structure, the waves of time do the same to us!
Heat
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Why is the Rum Gone?
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I wonder how many people wake up in Gulf Shores sometime early morning or late night and see the boardwalk area like this :)
The Creepy Dude at the Pier
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A couple weeks ago I was at the Gulf State Pier, by myself. I had one of these really awesome awkward moments. I had walked around the pier and taken a bunch of shots with my littlier camera (The Sony NEX-7). Photographers were out. A few of the professional types but mostly moms, dads, uncles with cameras shooting family and friends.
That's how I judged it, anyway.
As I was leaving, this lady was setting up her camera on a tripod and her husband and kids were obediently in line against a sea-oat fence. They were clearly related because of similarity in age and the more obvious fact that they all matched, clothing wise. A DIY family portrait session in progress. She was awkwardly fidgeting with the tripod and camera. Since I happened to walk by, I offerered, "Hey if you'd like to jump in there, I can take a shot for you with you all in the shot."
She sized me up. Bald - fat guy with a crappy looking camera. Boat shoes that have been repaired at the Shoe Hospotal too many times, walking alone on the beach with a camera. "Uhh, well, uhh.. I just gotta, you know.. get this setup and.. uhh... well, and ug..."
Yeah, she thought I was a creeper. That's how I suspect she judged it, anyway.
I lingered for a moment, probably too long before it hit me, then threw the customary, "Well, you guys have a great night!" at her husband with a wave to her and went on about my business.
It reminds me of a lesson I learned in High School. It's really easy to walk around with a pissed off look on your face so that people leave you alone. It is work, on the otherhand, to commit random acts of kindness with strangers.
I'll work harder at it next time :)
He's Watching Me
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..but the disconcerting portion is I don't have control of what he sees.
Will he see me when I treated a stranger with kindness? or,
Will he see me when I hang up the phone from the telemarketer, annoyed and frustrayed? or,
Will he see me when I pray? or,
Will he see me when I speak unkindly about my coworkers, a boss, "those assholes in Washington"? or,
Will he see me when I play with him? or,
Will he see me when I spend all night working? or,
Will he see me when I donate to charity? or,
Will he see me when I grab that second, third glass of wine to take the edge off? or,
Will he see me when I drive cautiously to the store? or,
Will he see me when I flip that redneck off for turning in front of me?
You just never know what they'll see but they are watching you.
Consider your character in the eyes of the innocent instead of contributing to the loss of that innocence.
-Rick Peavy
The Blue Domes of Destiny
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These are the Radomes on the bow of Disney's Dream. It was extraordinarily windy out here at times, even with the cleverly-placed wind shields on the bow. I will freely admit that I'm no expert with regard to radar.
However, in training for a Ham Radio license years-and-years-ago, I did learn a thing or too about electromagnetic radiation in general. Enough, that I wouldn't choose to sit on the chairs beneath these radar domes.
Yet, probably every time I came to the bow of the boat, it was empty save for a person or two (sometimes a couple) lounging in the chairs beneath them.
Reminds me of:
In Men in Black 3, Josh Brolin in the 1960's talks on a futuristic wireless phone. Will Smith's advice to him is: "Don't put that thing to your head man!!"
... I believe the same applies here on the radar arrays of a cruise ship. Yet, folks seemed to have no problems lounging beneath them (in the chairs molded into their bases). Not me, I'll get my brain radiated the old fashioned way, microwaving popcorn and talking on a cellphone.
The Golden Hallway
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On board the Disney Dream, these hallways snaked between the shops and the Walt Disney Theater. The lighting and reflections were really quite cool to see.
Happy Independence Day!
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I've never actually tried to shoot fireworks before (even at Disney), so I decided to set up the tripod this evening and give it a whirl at our cookout.
I hope your Independenace Day Festivities were safe and fun!
Happy Birthday Miles
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Four years ago, we were prepping for some beach-side fun and fourth of July festivities when my son, Miles, decided it was time to be born a little better than a week early.
Hapy Birthday to my little buddy Miles!
Welcome to Bimini Bobs
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The trouble with eating seafood on the Gulf Coast, is you always end up making a trade-off.
You can pick. Amazing Seafood. Outstanding Atmosphere/Location. Great Service. Reasonable Cost.
These are all available from Gulf Coast restaurants but you can usually only pick one, not all of them.
We knowingly headed to such a trade-off, yesterday as we went to The Hangout in Gulf Shores after a disappointing portrait session. (More on that session, in a later post) We received our pager, a 30 minute wait-time estimate and settled in for some overpriced, mediocre food in a playful atmosphere and great location. That's what we've come to expect from The Hangout and what we were prepared for. An hour later, we received an updated seating estimate of another 30-40 minutes. Annoyed, (and a little confused by the massive crowds on a Monday) we departed The Hangout and set out for something else.
What we found, redeemed the evening for us.
Located near the marina office & outfitter store on the West Side of The Wharf in Orange Beach, on the Intracoastal Canal, sits Bimini Bobs. I'll summarize and say: It is awesome. Go There.
When I kept Stargazer at The Wharf, this location was "Shuckers Restaurant". I spent many hours at Shuckers for lunch on days when I would work from my sailboat. Shuckers was really decent overall, though they had the ironic distinction of having terrible oysters, which -- given their name -- would have been unforgivable had the other food not been pretty decent.
Shuckers was a "very good atmoshphere", "decent food", "okay service", "good price" sort of place on the trade off-scale. They moved.
What we found at Bimini Bobs was a cozy, relaxed atmosphere, whose quietness was a welcome respite from the obnoixous touristy-ness you find down on the Gulf-front. The table/ dining areas are broken up with these really comfortable table / chair sets that really makes the layout of the restaurant feel less restaurant-y and more "just chillin' with my buddies at the docks"-y.
"A Excellent Atmosphere", "Awesome Food", "Epic Service", "Great Price" sort of place now occupies the dockside restaurant area of The Wharf. Bimini Bob's. Seriously, go there.
The service was fantastic. There may have been more employees than customer seats, actually, though I didn't count. We gave them plenty of opportunity to be annoyed with us, showing up only 30 minutes before close and my kids' usual liesure dining pace. (Color some... eat a bite... color some more.. eat a bite.) Hell, they are my kids and *I* get annoyed with how they eat. My phone vibrating every three seconds with some professional emergency here and there didn't help either.
But the good service just kept coming. Genuine smiles, attentive service. We weren't rushed, our food was timed appropriately and the drinks stayed full.
The food was great. The appetizer combo tray of hummice, smoked crab dip & shrimp salad had complimentary flavors and plenty of good pita chips to eat with it. Fish was light and flakey, not overcooked, with a desirable crust. My wife's shrimp, the kid's burgers -- all great.
And the price was less-than-expected. For a trip to The Hangout, 2 adults, 2 kids, we where looking at $90 if I didn't order a beer with the meal, before gratuity. Same party at Bimini Bobs, an appetizer, entrees and two beers we came in right at half-that.
The new layout of the restaurant adds or improves by having fewer tables and more "chill" areas like those pictured here. Not sure if the Marina Company or Restaurant is to thank for this but either way -- it is awesome and works to create a very nice environment right on the Canal, overlooking the fuel docks and Marina.
Look, I don't get paid / this isn't sponsored but when I see somebody do something well, I like to see them get credit. And the folks at Bimini Bobs did a great job of serving us a great meal in a very coastal-chill atmosphere after a frankly otherwise crappy day. :) Did I mention, you should go check it out?
