Camacho Watcho

Just a hole-in-the-wall type of place serving up some delicious seafood favorites, The Sea Shack is a must-visit when visiting Hilton Head. Get there early, as the crowd gathers quickly and you’ll be left waiting in line while some other hungry diner digs into their po’boy.

Pictured below: crab cake best crab cake I’ve ever eaten and calamari tossed in a zesty roasted red pepper sauce appetizers, fried oyster po’boy mouthwatering good with just some lemon juice and Tabasco

This Fall we headed to Grecco’s on the St. Croix for dinner. Grecco’s is located in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin (across the river from Taylors Falls), so it is a bit of a drive. But as we have always enjoyed a bit of an adventure for a good meal, going an hour out of our way wasn’t an issue.

Grecco’s is located right on the main strip in St. Croix Falls. You enter a large building that feels quite commercialized (a hair salon is in the front of the building), however after winding back to the restaurant, you find yourself in a cozy little spot with a roaring fireplace.

The regular menu changes frequently and is very inspired. I also love that they have tasting menus every night, your choice of four courses for $35 ($50 with wine), six courses for $50 ($70 with wine) or nine courses for $85 ($115 with wine). The best part is that the menus are chef’s choice, so you don’t get to know what you’re eating until it arrives at the table.

We decided on four courses with the wine pairing, pictured as follows. *There are two desserts pictured, as they served each of us a different one to try and share – I love that!

I finally made it to Smashburger, the Golden Valley location, a little bit ago. It seemed that everyone and their brother has been there… so I thought I was due to try it out.

I have to say, I really liked Smashburger. I went with the Classic Smashburger – American cheese and veggie fixings, topped with smash sauce. The burger was well-cooked…that said, don’t expect a gourmet burger experience. The burgers here are smashed and the edges or cooked to crispy (similar style to Steak ‘n Shake…Minnesotans might not be as familiar), but the toppings are fresh – tomatoes and lettuce are crisp and the pickles have a nice crunch. The bun is also great – soft potato bun – just how I like them.

We tried two sides – the smashfries (tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic) and the haystack onions (crispy fried, thinly-sliced onions). The fries were good, crisp and well-seasoned, but the onions were my favorite. Sliced so thin and lightly fried – they practically melt in your mouth.

For $4.99 for a 1/3 pound burger and $1.99 to add on the haystack onions, Smashburger was a great deal for lunch. Plenty of food and plenty of flavor.

On our way home from Sauk Center last weekend, we decided to stop for breakfast at Charlie’s Cafe, located right off I-94 in Freeport. We had never heard of it, although it is apparently well-known for its Garrison Keillor affiliation. (Later we read that years ago Keillor spent a lot of time in Freeport and at the cafe which led him to base his Lake Wobegon on Freeport and, some say, to model the Chatterbox Cafe after Charlie’s Cafe.)

Regardless, friends had told us that it’s an iconic Minnesota spot and that we should check it out. Enough said for a Sunday morning – we were there.

Driving up, I loved the huge sign outside that marked the spot “Charlie’s Cafe”. Given that there really isn’t much else around, and certainly no other competing signs, the sign screams at visitors with its bright yellow and red lettering. Walking inside I was instantly in love. From the booths to the display cases and the knick-knacks to the wallpaper, it was a true step back in time.

We took a seat in a small middle booth and immediately ordered coffee and one of their famous caramel rolls. The caramel roll arrived and we dug in – it was gooey, rich and tooth-achingly sweet. Seconds later, it was gone.

Our breakfasts arrived a short while later, the usual for me and a breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg and cheese for Kyle. A little disappointing, as overall it was pretty average fare on both accounts.

Perhaps not for their full breakfast menu, but when in the area again, Charlie’s Cafe’s throw back charm and caramel rolls might be just the thing to draw me back in for a stop.

While I like to have a good time, I have to admit that bachelorette parties get a little much for me nowadays. So when I got the invite for a friend’s bachelorette party at Spill the Wine for a five-course dinner with wine pairings, I was ecstatic! Food, wine, friends…perfect!

The group of fifteen of us gathered there a few Saturdays ago, seated on the wine bar side as the restaurant was full with a wedding reception. *What a great idea for a wedding reception location!* Individual menus printed with both the courses and the wines sat waiting for us, which of course I loved!

The first course was a salad with radishes and a mango vinaigrette paired with a Radcliffe sauvignon blanc. The salad was good, perhaps a little too much vinaigrette on mine, but it paired well with the light sauvignon blanc. *You may notice the hefty wine pours from the previous picture…I wasn’t complaining!

The next course was a beautiful piece of salmon (a generous portion in my opinion) with warm peaches and balsamic vinegar. I loved the salmon, but wasn’t crazy about the Valley of the Moon chardonnay it was paired with – it had absolutely no flavor.

The third course was my favorite. Perhaps this was because it was comfort food and I had had two glasses of wine by this time, but I loved the wild mushroom croquette with cream sauce. The table was buzzing about how good this dish was, which I equated to a scoop of hot dish with a lightly crisp exterior. Yum! And the wine – Luzon monastrell/syrah was a very nice pairing.

Unfortunately the next course, grilled beef tenderloin kabobs with red onion and peppers, was a flop. Overcooked, dry and absolutely no seasoning sums up this course. The Root 1 cabernet sauvignon was good, but not good enough to save the dish.

Last, but definitely not least, we were served dessert. Vanilla bean ice cream with a triple berry coulis (the menu only listed raspberry so the additional berries were a yummy bonus)! Paired with a sweet dessert wine, I was in heaven. There is something so simple and tasty about ice cream and berries.

I’ve always really liked Spill the Wine. They have a nice wine menu and good wine specials – $15 bottles of wine during happy hour and 1/2 priced bottles on Mondays. The food is good – the salads are consistently great.

And our wine dinner?

Overall it was good. It had its highs and it had its lows. However, for the bargain price of $35 for five-courses plus wine, I thought it was a great deal and a fantastic idea for a bachelorette party.

With a last minute cancellation to cooking club this past week due to the host couple’s sick child, the rest of the group decided to still get together but to go out to dinner for a change. We chose Blackbird Cafe in South Minneapolis for the occasion.

I had previously visited Blackbird to photograph a beautiful bowl of noodles for this Heavy Table article, by fellow writer Susan Pagani. The day I went to photograph I had just eaten lunch, so when the noodles were offered to me I regretfully declined, but vowed to myself that I would be back.

A cross between a European cafe and a hunter’s lodge (only because of the mounted antlers on the wall..a bit of a mystery to me), Blackbird presents itself as an eclectic little spot that appeals to all. The menu is diverse with Asian, Latin and American flavors featured in the dishes. With all the tempting options, it makes it nearly impossible to decide on just one thing to order.

We decided to order some appetizers to start. My favorites were the BBQ ribs, coated in a rich and tangy sauce, and the empanada, a buttery pastry filled with green olives and pulled pork and served with smokey chipotle sauce.

Entrees were a wide array of choices, reflecting the diverse menu. Of course, I went for the Spicy Peanut Noodles with Tofu (featured in the Heavy Table article). This flavorful and well-balanced dish is similar to Thai pad thai, but with a saucier presentation (literally, it is presented with the sauce coating the noodles, rather than being sauteed together). If you do try this, don’t be fooled by the heat. The first few bites were Minnesota spice, but as the eating continued, the heat continued to build. And, of course, I love that Blackbird adds a fried egg on top – the yolk is a creamy, rich addition to the spicy sauce.

Also ordered was the salmon with creme fraiche and dill (a dish we replicated at home the next night), seafood tacos and the special of the day – halibut and blue crab ceviche served on masa cakes.

Our dining experience ended with fortune cookies. Everyone opened theirs and read their lovely fortunes. And then I opened mine. It was a bit like being a Chino Latino, where they give you nasty fortunes. Mine was a backhanded complemented that read, “You deserve respect and will eventually get it.” Ouch!

After Blackbird, we went back to Jill and Brian’s house for dessert. They had already made their assigned cooking club dessert and we certainly didn’t want it to go to waste. So we all enjoyed bowls of vanilla ice cream topped with homemade caramel and toasted coconut. Absolutely delicious.

Toasted-Coconut Caramel Ice Cream Sundaes

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sweetened cream of coconut
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 pints purchased French vanilla ice cream

Place sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy deep medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Boil until mixture turns dark amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately add cream and sweetened cream of coconut (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk over low heat until caramel sauce is blended and smooth and any caramel bits dissolve. do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm slightly over medium heat, stirring often, before using.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut evenly on small baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, about 12 minutes. Cool. DO AHEAD: Toasted coconut can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Scoop ice cream into bowls. Spoon some of warm caramel sauce over. Sprinkle toasted coconut over and serve immediately.

I can’t believe so much time has passed since my last post. Work has been busy (yay!) and I also did a little traveling back home and to Chicago. I’m still getting caught up on some deadlines, so I won’t do a full post today. Instead, I’ll share a few of my favorite photos from a “recent” trip to Florida. (*Recent was in April – personal photos just don’t get turned around as quickly these days.)

This was a birthday getaway for me and my friend Kate – the Big 30 – so we headed to Key West and Miami with our husbands to celebrate. Photos are from both places – the food photos are from a yummy little lunch spot located in a strip mall in Miami – Jimmy’z Kitchen. More photos are in my Flickr photo stream (linked to the right).

The new year brought to the Peoria area (near my hometown) a fresh, new vision for dining out – a restaurant named June. A modern restaurant with minimalist decorations and a bustling open kitchen, June was the dining destination during my last visit home. The menu is enticing, full of seasonal, local ingredients – it was near impossible to order. Thankfully there were six of us, so we got to try many options including starters and desserts.

Appetizers: Scallop, Lamb Meatballs, Beet Salad and Farm Egg on Brioche

Without going into too much detail, the food was well-prepared, although some dishes and ingredients were more memorable than others. I vividly remember my appetizer – a farm fresh egg served with housemade guanciale (cured pork) and coffee smoked mushrooms on brioche. My love for bacon and eggs reached new levels with this dish! And I did enjoy my entree – pork loin with a maple glaze and creamed brussel sprouts – but this was an example of the pork being quite forgettable while the brussel sprouts made me swoon! The pictures from the rest of the night were below. If you’re in the Peoria area – check out June – I know I’ll be back when I’m in town.

Entrees: Lamb Shank and Ocean Trout

Entrees: Pork Loin, Barramundi and New York Strip Steak

Desserts: Meyer Lemon Sorbet, Panna cotta and Sugar Doughnut, Molten Chocolate Cake and Orange Cake (I think…I don’t remember)