Culinary Adventure: The Oceanaire Seafood Room

Like most things in life, you have to be in the right frame of mind to try a new food.  If you are in a bad mood, you probably aren't going to give a new taste or texture a fair shot.  But if you are in a good mood you might try anything.  Sometimes it just hits you, while walking into a restaurant - I don't feel like ordering my usual steak and potatoes; I want to see what all the fuss is over oysters.  Take advantage of that feeling whenever it occurs.  It is when you will make your greatest food discoveries.  This was the means by which I discovered my love for little neck clams and mussels.  That and who can turn down fresh shellfish steamed by a friend on an open campfire while vacationing on the coast of New England?  Not I.  Mood is especially important for those with a selective palate.  If you are in the wrong frame of food mind, it becomes way too easy to say, I don't like fish, and move right along to the safer, land dwelling animal section of the menu.  I cannot tell you how often I have outright refused to try something new, just because I didn't feel like it.  Do not let your mood limit your palate's potential.  How many opportunities did I have to try mushrooms or zucchini before I finally gave in. And what did I find out?  I love these things.  All the time and energy spent digging around these wonderful food items could have been spent enjoying them instead.  In a bad mood?  Try something totally off the wall (for you), such as Escargots Burguignon.  Even if you don't end liking them, at least you tried something new and you can enjoy the shocked reactions of the other people at your table as you order and eat snails. Because, after all, you are a picky eater, no one would EVER expect you to order and consume escargot.  And after that you will have to be in a better mood and ready to do battle with your next food challenge, whatever that may be.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room is located in the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.  Sitting in the shadows of PetCo park it is slightly off the main path of 5th Avenue.  In fact, if you were  not looking for it, you might miss it.  Its art deco style sign lets you know that you are not about to enter a typical seafood restaurant with nets and anchors plastered on the walls; there are however fish.  Mahi Mahi, Sail fish and a Mako shark greet you as you enter the restaurant and ascend the stairs to the main dining area.  Reservations are definitely recommended, as the place was packed even on the Wednesday evening when we went.  As with many fine dining restaurants, service is paramount and this place was no exception.  We were immediately greeted and taken to a secluded table or as secluded as a table can get in a packed restaurant.  A waiter appeared almost immediately offering water and a loaf of sourdough bread.  Putting aside the fact that I was starving and that I have a love for all things carbs, I could have eaten an entire loaf of this bread.  Which would have ruined me for the delicious meal we were about to have and not to mention, been very impolite to my dinner partner for the evening.  And so, we broke bread and ordered our drinks and appetizers.

I should, perhaps, mention now, that I had experienced one of those moments mentioned above, this very evening.  I wanted to try something new.  Perhaps spurred on by my new food related hobby or maybe it was the festiveness of the evening, we were, after all, celebrating a birthday.  Whatever the case, I knew I wanted something different.

Oceanaire Martini

Our drinks arrived shortly after we placed our order - for me the 14 Hands Reisling and for my date, the Oceanaire Martini.  My wine was sweet and slighty fruity.  The Oceanaire Martini was a combination of vodka and blue curacao and was served with a curled lemon rind.  What was delicious to my fellow eater was a bit bitter to me - the drink was good, just not to my taste.  We decided to split the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and order 5 oysters.  Being from the east coast I like to think that I have consumed my fair share of above average crab cakes.  The Jumbo Crab Cake at the Oceanaire will erase all memory of any former crab cake eating.  The only proper way to describe the crab is succulent.  If ever there was a dish to savor, this is it.  They went light on the breading so the real crab flavor and texture stands out.  And somewhere in the mix, a dash of spice was added, not overpowering by any means, but every once and a while you catch a hint of it and it leaves you mouth feeling pleasantly warm.  Needless to say, the meal was off to an excellent start.

Oysters

The oysters actually arrived alongside the crab cake, but after that first taste, neither one of us could pull away until the last delicious crab cake morsel had been gobbled up.  Having cleared that plate in under a minute (and believe me we tried to take our time, but sometimes the food is just that good), we moved onto the oysters.  I am still a newbie at the whole oyster game and therefore I stuck to the smaller, more manageable sized ones.  I feel that there are two steps to learning how to eat and enjoy oysters.  The first step is to conquer the texture.  Yes, it is slimy, yes it is cold, and yes it is chewy.  Getting past step one is a mind over matter situation.  You really have to want to do it.  Oysters are a highly popular acquired taste and totally worth it if you can get past step one.  Put them on a cracker and add some hot sauce - for many this helps the process along.  Once you have successfully  completed step one you are already half way through step two which is to get over the taste.  If the texture doesn't make you squeamish chances are the taste probably will.  While it is not knock you on your butt overpowering, it is unique and even describing it in the best of all possible scenarios will leave most with the feeling of, you ate that voluntarily?  Our oysters arrived arranged on a bed of ice with cocktail sauce in the center, and two tiny little forks on either side.  Some people do their oysters plain, others like to smoother them in the cocktail sauce.  I come out somewhere in the middle, dipping mine in the sauce before popping it into my mouth.  These oysters tasted like the ocean, in the best possible way.  Slightly briny, they were so fresh tasting, it was like being transported to some beautiful oceanic cove that has been untouched by man.  A good oyster is an experience and these were definitely an experience.  After my second one I was completely satisfied.  For me, I would rather enjoy quality rather then quantity and these oysters definitely fit that bill.

Crispy Nori Wrapped Hawaiian Tumbo Tuna

After a short break, that allowed us to ruminate over the great food we had just devoured, the main dish arrived - Crispy Nori Wrapped Hawaiian Tumbo Tuna.  I told you I was in the mood for something new.  This was the first time I have ever ordered a tuna steak.  Sure, I have had tuna sushi rolls, but never a tuna steak, cooked to order.  In fact when the waiter asked how I wanted it cooked I had no idea how to respond.  Not wanting to look like a novice, deferred to the chef's expertise.  In actuality you can have a tuna steak prepared in the same way you would have a beef steak cooked: rare, medium rare, etc. but in the case of tuna, medium raw is recommended.  In the photo you can see how just the very outside edges are cooked while the interior remains raw.  Why I waited so long to try this wonderful fish I have no idea.  This particular tuna steak was served on a bed of Forbidden Black Bean Rice, Coconut Cream Sauce and Passion Fruit Reduction with Banana Salad.  Drooling yet?  If not, you should be.  The tuna was cooked to perfection.  It had a buttery taste and a velvety texture, the outer crust adding just the right amount of crunch.  It is served at room temperature which accentuates its smoothness.  The black bean rice combined nicely with the coconut cream sauce giving just the right amount of sweetness to play against the light tuna taste.  The entire dish was nothing short of fabulous.  As a side dish we ordered Zucchini and Squash served A La Provencal which, it turns out, means grilled and heavily seasoned.  The spice they used was a particularly strong one that was not completely to my liking.  I would have preferred something more herby.  From beginning to end the entire meal was amazing.  My only regret is that we did not get to experience their dessert menu; shouldn't have had that last slice of bread. 

When you go out to a meal at a fancy restaurant you have certain expectations - attentive waitstaff, expertly made cocktails, dishes that live up to their menu descriptions.  The Oceanaire Seafood Room was all of these things and more.  It some how manages to pull off being a fine dining establishment without making you feel uncomfortable that you did not arrive in a limo with an entourage.  I thoroughly enjoyed my evening at the Oceanaire and would definitely return, if only to check out their enormous u-shaped oyster bar and have one more of those delicious crab cakes.  Yum!

Proud member of the clean plate club

It ain't easy being green, unless you're an Avocado

av·o·ca·do [av-uh-kah-doh, ah-vuh-] noun, plural -dos.
Also called alligator pear.  A large, usually pear-shaped fruit having green to blackish skin, a single large seed, and soft, light-green pulp, borne by the tropical American tree Persea Americana  and its variety P. adrymifolia,  often eaten raw, especially in salads.

Hawaiian Avocados

Despite its seemingly innocuous nature, I have found the avocado to be quite polarizing.  People, it seems, tend to either love them or hate them.  As is the case with many misunderstood foods, texture appears to be the deal breaker for most.  Slimy,  squishy, paste-like are terms I have heard applied to this poor, oft-maligned fruit.  Add to that its color (green...ewww) and tendency to turn brown if exposed to air (if you have never seen an avocado after it has been sitting out a while just picture something roughly the color of sludge), and you have a food that most people will only experience when smashed up and mixed with at least 6 other ingredients in the form of guacamole.

I, for one, love the avocado, but this was not always the case.  My passion for this exotic seeming fruit began one evening at a sushi restaurant.  A good friend of mine had convinced me that it was high time I break my sushi fast and step into the warm glow of the neighborhood sushi bar.  That and she was probably also tired of eating at TGI Fridays with me...so, off we went to Beni Cafe, a small sushi restaurant situated on a moderately busy corner near our apartment complex.  It was a new place, shiny, brightly colored with modern furniture that was cooler to look at then sit in.  She suggested an avocado cucumber roll and a california roll - beginner sushi 101.  I left that meal with 3 thoughts:

1. I survived eating sushi - YAH!
2. Cucumber - Boo! (texture rears its ugly head)
3. Avocados are the best thing since hot chocolate spiked with Baileys

It was from those humble beginnings that my love affair with the avocado began.  In fact, for those of you who knew me back when, the avocado took the place of chicken tenders on my list of go-to food items - shocking, I know.

Avocados are more traditionally used as part of a guacamole recipe or as a salad

topping but that only scraps the surface of their unlimited potential. Looking for a quick pre-dinner appetizer? Mash up an avocado, add some chili powder and a dash of lemon juice, chill and serve with nachos. Sick of the regular old lettuce and tomato on your burger? Add sliced or mashed avocado, blue cheese, BBQ sauce and enjoy. Want a new favorite sandwich? Toast 2 slices of bread, melt some swiss cheese over sliced turkey, add sliced avocado and prepare for food bliss. Avocado can take the place of your salad dressing, mustard or mayo. One last suggestion - next time you order a grilled cheese, get it with avocado instead of a tomato; pair that with tomato soup and prepare for food nirvana.

Now that you are all probably jonesing for some avocado goodness you are probably wondering, how do I choose a good avocado? The first thing you need to know is that there are 2 different types of avocado - Florida and California (Hass). Florida avocados have a bright green skin and more of a watery taste while Hass avocados have a darker green skin and a creamier texture. This type of avocado is almost always found in sushi restaurants. I typically stick to the Hass avocado as I prefer their taste, but try both, you might be a Florida avocado person at heart. Nutritionally speaking, avocados are an excellent source of good fat, vitamins and fiber. Avocados also make other foods healthier. Eating an avocado with your salad will help you body to absorb the salad's nutrients more effectively. A ripe avocado will have a little bit of give but won't be squishy.  Like most things in life, you do not want your avocado to be hard.  If you do have the misfortune of purchasing a rock hard avocado, fear not.  Simply put your diamond hard avocado in a brown paper bag with a banana or apple and leave overnight.  By morning your avocado will have ripened to perfection.  How is this possible you may ask?  Well, while I am no Pomologist (yes, that is a real thing) I have been told that the potassium in the banana speeds up the avocado's ripening process. 

The avocado is a much more versatile food than people give it credit for.  During a recent conversation with the new sushi chef in my office building I learned that you can make chocolate pudding with an avocado and melted milk or dark chocolate bar.  This undoubtedly will appeal to those veganites out there who have been searching for a way to curb their pudding cravings without sacrificing their food values. Now I know what you are thinking - chocolate and avocado blended together to make pudding sounds more like a punishment then a treat. But having recently tried a tofu and chocolate pudding recipe that was wonderful, I am here to tell you that sometimes weird combinations work. Ever the thorough blogger I decided to take this recipe out for a spin.

Below is a recipe I found online posted by a fellow avocado devotee:

Chovocado Pudding
vegan, gluten-free

1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

http://www.forgivingmartha.com/2011/06/avocado-chocolate-pudding.html

Sounds pretty good right?  Starting to rethink your objections to the combination of avocado and chocolate huh?  But I know there are some of you out there thinking - sure when you pile on cocoa powder, agave nectar, almond milk and vanilla extract, pretty much anything will taste delicious.  For all you skeptics out there I am going to try the stripped down version of this recipe first - chocolate and avocado only!  Daring, I know.

Pudding #1 - Avocado and Melted Chocolate
For this pudding I mashed up half an avocado and melted 3 sections of a Ghirardelli baking bar. These 2 items were put into the food processor and spun around a bit until they were thoroughly mixed and looked pudding like. I then put pudding #1 in the refrigerator for approximately 5 hours.

Pudding #2 - Used the above recipe but halved
For pudding #2 I used the other half of the avocado I used for pudding #1 (this way you cannot claim that perhaps one avocado was better then the other - see I think of everything!). 3 additional bars of the Ghirardelli chocolate were melted (in place of the cocoa powder) and combined in the food processor with the avocado, agave nectar, almond milk, and vanilla extract. These items were also mixed until they achieved puddingocity. Pudding #2 was refrigerated for the same amount of time as pudding one (give or take 5 minutes)

The Results:

I tasted both puddings before refrigeration and it seemed like there would be a clear winner but to be fair I wanted to try each after refrigeration as well. Prior to refrigeration you could definitely taste both ingredients of pudding #1. While not horrible, definitely not something I would want to snack on. Because of the additional ingredients, the avocado taste in pudding #2 was well masked, though there was still a hint of it. There was also a textural difference between the two. Because almond milk was added to pudding #2, it was much smoother and creamier then pudding #1.

After being refrigerated both puddings looked just about the same. The big difference being that pudding #1 was slightly lumpier with tiny bits of avocado showing through every once and a while. The avocado flavor of pudding #1 definitely dissipated after refrigeration, allowing the richness of the chocolate to come forward. The mini avocado lumps also became less obvious, due to the pudding's now mousse like texture. All in all a vast improvement from its pre-refrigerated state.

Pudding #2 also took on a mousse like texture after being refrigerated, however this pudding was much smoother and creamier then its counterpart. Pudding #2 had a rich, chocolaty taste that was complimented by all the additional ingredients, the vanilla extract standing out amongst them. As rich and flavorful as it was, its mousse like consistency kept it feeling light, not overpowering the way some chocolate desserts can feel.

While pudding #1 was passable, pudding #2 was the clear winner. I would definitely use this recipe again over any store bought pudding products. Sorry Bill Cosby, Jello Pudding is out, and Avocado Pudding is in!

Avocados are a fun, nutritious, and unique fruit that can enhance just about any meal.  Is it any surprise that shortly after I developed my avocado fixation my husband and I relocated to San Diego, CA the avocado capital of the US? Till next time, snack on!

Culinary Adventure: Jyoti Bihanga

The world of vegetarian cooking is a fairly new concept to me.  Up until a few years ago tofu was just this squishy, white cube of supposed food that would no sooner come near any plate of mine then onions would.  Soy chorizo?  Never heard of it.  Seitan buffalo wings?  What the heck are those?  These foods that are now in regular rotation in my house were completely foreign to me.  But I now love them.  While not a full fledged vegetarian, I am interested in how classic meals are interpreted in a vegetarian style.  So it was with a combination of excitement and fear that I entered Jyoti Bihanga.  The excitement part you probably get, new restaurant experience, eating with friends - totally normal.  But the fear part?  Lets just say that vegetables and I have had a tumultuous relationship that we are only now working on repairing. Even now, several years into my picky eater recovery there are still a multitude of veggies that will not cross my lips.  Bearing in mind that most vegetarian and vegan dishes consist of vegetables mashed up together with some grain product to create something vaguely meat like and you can see where my fear originates.  You just don't know what is in there!  But, having previewed the menu to assure myself that there were at least a few dishes to my liking, I was confident in my abilities to get through the meal without looking like a total vegetarian novice.  (By the way, menu previewing is the main weapon of the picky eater, true foodies go in unarmed.  Check the reviews, leave the menu.  Words to live by.)  And now, let the food adventure begin.

Jyoti Bihanga is a vegetarian restaurant located in the San Diego neighborhood of Normal Heights.  The restaurant has a corner location with only 10-15 tables and it fills up quickly most nights of the week.  The menu consists of vegetarian and vegan versions of your favorite comfort foods.  There are the "chicken" nuggets, neatloaf (they offer both a vegetarian and vegan version without the eggs or cheese) served with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, and a BBQ Mock Duck Sandwich.  Not surprisingly Jyoti Bihanga also runs a yoga studio down the street.  The vibe is very relaxed, one would say almost zen like.

"Chicken" Nuggets

I started off my meal with the "chicken" nuggets which were served with a homemade BBQ sauce.  Being the chicken connoisseur that I am, you can trust me when I tell you that these were the best "chicken" or chicken nuggets that I have ever tasted.  The texture was so close to being the real thing that I am pretty sure if I put them in front of a strict carnivore they would not be able to tell the difference.  The homemade BBQ sauce was out of this world.  This dish could easily put McDonald's out of the nugget business.

Hummos with Grilled Tortillas

I also tried the homemade vegan hummos  which was served with cucumbers and grilled multi-grain tortillas.  The hummos, clearly made almost immediately before being served was delicious and the tortillas were a perfect compliment.  A nice, light way to start out the meal.

For my main meal I ordered the Vegetarian Reuben.  It was comprised of marinated tempeh, swiss cheese, grilled sauerkraut, red onion, and russian dressing.  Tempeh is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a very firm vegetarian burger patty.  The sandwich was served with a side of mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy.  In the interest of full disclosure I did remove what some may refer to as the key ingredients.  My version had the marinated tempeh with swiss cheese and I added a side of avocado.  I, of course, kept the mashed potatoes and the russian dressing went on the side.  The bread used for this sandwich was a homemade multi-grain that was the most flavorful bread I have had in recent memory.  Despite it being a multi-grain it did not have seedy, dry taste that many associate with this type of carb.  The tempeh was good and paired nicely with the swiss cheese.  I won't go so far as to say that it could be a replacement for corned beef, but if you are a vegetarian and in the mood for a reuben this isn't a bad solution but only if you add back on the other ingredients.  Without them it is just a regular tempeh and swiss sandwich on really good bread.  Sad because I would have really enjoyed finding a good corned beef substitute that could stand on its own.  The mashed potatoes  were an odd pairing with a sandwich but were good none the less.  I'm not sure if my dish was out waiting a bit but by the time it arrived at the table the gravy had congealed a bit but once swirled around was good as new. 

I also sampled the neatloaf.  This was an interesting dish.  The neatloaf was created by combining brown rice, grains, eggs, ricotta cheese, tofu and spices all blended together and baked and topped with a homemade tomato based sauce.  Meatloaf is typically considered to be a heavy meal and this neatloaf is no exception.  While I did not eat a full serving, the bites I did have were very grainy and the neatloaf itself had a very cake-like appearance.  A light snack this dish is not.  Mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy were served on the side.  Two people at my table ordered this entree and neither was able to finish it and the servings were not that large.  Pack your appetite if you are planning to order this one.

A nice cup of Rooibos Madagascar Vanilla Red tea completed my meal.  This tea was light and refreshing with just the right amount of vanilla flavor.  It could be sipped over time without the flavor becoming sickening like some sweet flavored teas.

Overall the meal was quite enjoyable, my favorite part being the "chicken" nuggets; definitely going back for some more of those.  The ambiance is warm, friendly, and relaxing.  You could just as easily come in for a tea and dessert as a full meal and the staff will make you feel welcome regardless of what you order.  Be warned, despite it being a vegetarian restaurant, it will fill you like mom's homecooked comfort food so bring your appetite and your Thanksgiving pants.