The McCarthy-Davis Blog
So after three days of freezing weather, I can’t wait for it to warm up a bit. Hopefully it does soon…however, seeing as how I will be in Maui next week, I can’t really complain. How cold is it where you are?
Posted in Users.
Today Megan and I went to a yard-sale on Canton Road. On the way there, we had been talking about getting Sushi or some other fish-type meal. Now, Megan typically does not eat sea food, but she has been really giving it a go lately (last week she did a whole pound of snow crab). As we got near this Thursday evening yard sale, we passed the Marietta Fish Market. It was packed…! We decided to try it.
We started off with Oysters Rockefeller. I have never had such finely cooked oysters. They were not slimy (and yes, I do enjoy them on the half-shell), and they were HUGE!
Megan got the clam chowder and I got seafood bisque. The flavors were perfect and brought back memories of eating at a nice seafood restaurant on the West Coast on a chilly day.
For the main course, I went with their “healthy meal.”
Lightly floured grouper, shrimp, scallops, spinach, linguine noodles, mushrooms and artichoke hearts. The scallops were cooked to perfection: neither hard nor soft, and delectably succulent. The sauce had a hint of lemon and cream, and the portions of seafood were balanced so that no individual flavor overwhelmed the rest of the sdish.
Megan had a GIANT meal.
Between the snow crab legs, the stuffed crab shell, the stuffed clam, and two four-ounce stuffed lobster tails, she had her work cut out for her.
Now you must be thinking…these people must be ginormously fat! We aren’t. I do need to lose a few pounds, but we ate just enough as to be full, and we have plenty of leftovers for the upcoming weekend (which will take us on a 90-mile long yard sale).
Lastly, we got a piece of Baklava Cheesecake to go…we will let you know how it is when we finally get a chance to eat it!
Here is the website to the restaurant:
http://www.mariettafishmarket.net/
This same company happens to own the Marietta Diner which was apparently featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.”
http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/index.html
Posted in Food & Restaurants.
The night after Megan and I became engaged, we decided to go out to eat at a nice restaurant for a special dinner. My son was with us, and I am always trying to get him to eat new foods (it will teach him to learn to try different foods when he is older). I have eaten at Roy’s in San Francisco, and, when I heard there was one in Tampa, we decided to go.
What we ate (Menu):
The entire meal was delicious. Megan’s fish was perfectly buttered while my blackened Tuna was tastefully seasoned on the outside and rare in the middle. Gabriel snacked on everything (including some kimchi that he spit out when I told him it was shrimp [I had contacts in and it looked like it from where I sat]). The edamame was more difficult to get him to try, but once he did, he loved it. First he tried the pea, then I explained that the pod had salt that added to the flavor…He then licked the crusted green shell and decided he wanted to strip the peas out with his teeth, as is the way you eat them…SUCCESS!
I was very proud of him, but Megan was the winner that night. She is not a big seafood fan and she still went with the Hawaiian Pink Snapper (Opakapaka) and tried everything else to include beef and other meats she normally doesn’t touch.
All in all, the meal was great. The service was just as nice, and the decor created an atmosphere worthy of a special night out on the town.
Well done Roy’s!
Still questing for the perfect dish,
Scott
Posted in Food & Restaurants.
It has been a while since my last post and I wanted to let you know what was going on in my life. By you, I mean the rare readers of this hidden blog on the net…
The weekend of April 18th Megan and I went down to Tampa, Florida to visit with my son and my Sister and her family. I wanted to propose to Megan on the beach while searching for shells (she loves to fossil hunt and collect beach “treasures,” so what better way to do it than that. We had some home-made strainers that we would fill with sand and then swish back and forth in the water (just a little water) to see what remained. Now, I was terrified to lose the ring, so I had a death grip on it.
In my pocket I had a shark tooth that Megan had purchased online (she had tons of them), and the ring. While she was looking down, I took them both out and had them in my hand. She knew there was something in there, but as she continued to stare downwards at the shells we were finding, I separated the ring from the tooth.
First, I planted the tooth and she thought it was cute that I pulled the same trick on her as I had on my son and my nephew. She gave me a kiss and we laughed for a minute. However, she didn’t look down! Holding the ring (still had a death grip on it) at the bottom of the sifter (it couldn’t fall through the fine chicken wire), I asked her if she saw anything else…
She froze for all of one millisecond and then put out her hand. I took it and said, “I have to say something first…” I gave her a little speech I had been practicing and then I asked her to marry me…she said YES!
Here are the photos from that day. Please keep in mind that we are both pasty white and that I am more chunky than I usually am (shin splints have kept me from running like I normally do).
We got the ring from Windsor jewelers in Augusta and the folks there were amazing (no they aren’t advertising here, but they deserve a little shout-out as they really worked to help us choose the perfect ring).
Posted in Love & Romance.
I have a fondness for hole-in-the-wall restaurants serving authentic Mexican food at ridiculously low prices. Health code schmealth code. Located at 5114 Wrightsboro Rd in Grovetown (conveniently next door to a laundromat), Taqueri Mi Rinconcito offers some delicious lunch specials for hard-to-beat $4.75. Chips and salsa are complimentary, of course!
Goznito, you may want to go for the Speedy Gonzalez special, but just know it’s going cost you about $3.95. You’re a high roller.
Posted in Food & Restaurants, Users.
If you’re like me, you’ve been asking yourself: “Self, where can I find a selection of expensive steaks, fine wines or beers, and wear a nice pair of slacks?”
Try The Public House, at 399 Highland Avenue. The name–like the restaurant–is a throwback. On the Emerald Isle years ago people would gather at “public houses” for food, pints, and good times. This is likely where the term “pub” originated.
Last night I had the 16 oz New York Strip. It was excellent: charred just enough on the outside to keep the juices inside, cooked medium well with a touch of hot red in the center. No need for steak sauce or additional seasoning… such would be akin to slapping God in the face. This steak was cut and cooked to perfection. On my first visit, I had the 10 oz sirloin, and it was equally delicious. If I can find one or two people willing to join me, on a future visit I plan to try the Porterhouse-For-Two. It weighs in at 40 oz and will set me back a cool $74.95. As you would expect, The Public House menu features only certified angus beef.
If you prefer chicken or seafood, you will find plenty of options on the menu. Unfortunately I have not been able to sample this aspect of The Public House yet. They advertise Live Maine Lobster as a specialty. Expect to pay extra if you prefer to eat a dead lobster, which I personally find less challenging.
Posted in Food & Restaurants, Users.
Golf. How do you cram 50,000 additional people into Augusta for one whole week? You don’t. Luckily I live directly behind the Nationals and I don’t have to make my way out to Washington Road. The events during this week are always fun, but the actual tournament brings some strange characters in to town. I have nothing against golfers or their fans, but the air hangs heavy with people thinking they are elite because they have “badges.”
I say, you can keep your badges, just let me at the cool events and all of the concerts. Now you might think I am sounding a bit jealous…Truthfully, I am not. If you are lucky enough to have a ticket in, that’s great, but seriously, why can’t this town be this lively all year round? Don’t you think it would draw more people and promote healthy growth? Without expanding the streets and locations to hang-out, we all end up cramming ourselves into our normal hangouts, but now we have to deal with visitors who might not be familiar with how things are done in the South.
Ok, off my rant. Enjoy the tournament. Have fun at your tent-hangouts. Stop parking on our lawns, and have a safe trip home. Oh, and by the way, how did you like the cold spell we had? Kudos to you for standing outside on the street and waiting for tickets all day long. I do hope you at least got one, because frost bite for nothing would totally suck.
Cheers,
Scott
Posted in Uncategorized.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
So tonight I am going to make BBQ chicken pizza, yum. Why am I telling you this? Because the dish is great, and you might be interested in trying it for yourself.
I start by using Jay’s Signature Pizza Crust (modified).
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jays-Signature-Pizza-Crust/Detail.aspx
I substitute 1/4 cup of white sugar for the brown sugar.
While the yeast, water and sugar are sitting during the first ten-minute wait, I preheat the oven to about 375, and cut up three chicken breasts into tiny pieces.
I then place the bits into a caserole dish lined with tin foil an pour Chicken ‘N’ Ribs BBQ sauce (Sauce Link) over the top. After placing that into the oven, I return to making the dough. After it has had about an hour to rise, I follow the directions and punch down the inflated ball of soon to be sweet goodness.
I spread the now-prepared dough over a pizza stone and take a fork to lightly shred the chicken bits. After they are nice and small, I spoon the sauce and meat over the dough and add a little additional sauce (from the bottle) to taste. Lastly, I use colby-jack (or whatever you prefer) to cover the pre-cooked ingredients. After baking for 20 minutes, you will be left with a kick-@$$ pizza suitable for any event.
-Scott
Posted in Food & Restaurants.
I can’t say that I am a huge poultry fan. Megan doesn’t eat red meat, so we often comprise on dinner by selecting a dish that is capable of being made with different meats. Tomorrow we are planning on having Turkey Meatballs. Here is what is in the dish (although I might get a pack of ground veal or lamb if the grocery store has it and it is affordable):
pack of frozen spinach
garlic
italian style breadcrumbs
ground sage
onion
carton of chicken stock
bag of shredded mixed provelone cheese (preferably the one with smoked provelone in it)
one nutmeg seed
Bag egg noodles
I don’t quite know what it is about this simple dish that I love so much. Perhaps it’s the mindset that turkey is better for you than beef, and it makes me feel good about eating them.
The other fun part about making meals like this is that we get to work together in the kitchen. The smell of chopped and/or roasted garlic always seems to fill the house in such a way as to mentally prepare me for the deliciousness that will ensue.
Also, with two in the kitchen, we can clean as we go. By the time dinner is over, we have only our plates and hot pans/glassware to take care of. With a full belly, it sets the mood for relaxation and good conversations.
I will let you know how it goes when we cook it up tomorrow night.
Cheers!
Scott
Posted in Food & Restaurants.
Vacation – Cozumel:
30 January 2009
Here kitty kitty kitty...want to eat a baby?
Xcaret, the safari / archeological theme park. What a treat this was. We all went to this amazing place where we saw many animals that you typically do not get to see in the States. Jaguars, Pumas, Monkeys, Tigerillos (Tiger Cats), and myriad Parrots were some of the bigger attractions that they had. Additionally, Iguanas lined the pathways everywhere you walked. It was truly a treat to see them bathing in the sun.
Some of the aquatic life that we got to see included dolphins, manatees, and giant sea turtles. We enjoyed the thought of being in the water so much that we decided to take a lazy floating voyage through an underground cave system at the park. Yes, we had on our bathing suits. The river takes about and hour to complete, but it was so relaxing that we wish we could have had some more time there.
After finishing the swim, Megan treated me to an absolutely amazing buffet at the park. We had many different types of authenticate Hispanic food. While we did run the risk of Montezuma’s Revenge, every savory bite was worth it. The lemonade that accompanied our lunch was delectable as well, and as we write this, we are craving more.
After a great day at the park, we headed back to our ferry that would return us to our cruise ship. However, on the bus ride to the tender, a torrential downpour came out of no where, and we decided to walk, dance, and sing in the rain. Despite the cold, it was a memory we will never forget.
This was the last official day of the cruise. We were at sea on the 31st, but we spent the majority of time relaxing and recuperating. This was the best vacation we had ever had.
This little guy wouldn't stay still long enough for a good photo.
Posted in Vacation.