Fun Playing With Food at Harbor Docks, Destin FL

Though occasionally inconsistent, Harbor Docks remains our "go to" Destin restaurant for fish. Ok, the breakfast wasn't stellar, but I feel obligated to tell the truth about it - then recommend you go to Harbor Docks for lunch and dinner (especially lunch, which offers a nice value and some delightful Southeast Asian flavors). Yes, tourists go there, but it remains at its heart a locals place, located in the same space on the harbor for the last 40 years.

We dined at the Harbor Docks bar our first night in Destin. There was a boat fest on the harbor and the restaurant was jammed, but I was not going to be denied a plate of Harbor Docks after 7 years absent from Destin! Just one bite into that exquisitely fresh and well prepared fish, the tears welled up. Tears of joy.

First, though, the ubiquitous Harbor Docks salad. The only time I'll actually eat canned mandarin oranges. And like them!

BLACKENED CATCH OF THE DAY (grouper), corn chow chow, smoked gouda stone-ground grits, vegetable of the day (green beans)

Bob's Sesame Crusted Snapper was equally delicious, but too blurry to post.

As I wrote seven years ago in this post, "Our “go to” breakfast for ten years [was] the Silver Sands Breakfast at Harbor Docks." The Silver Sands’s proprietor, Mr. Ferrell Shipp, passed away in July 2011 and the Silver Sands Breakfast ended three months later. Harbor Docks initiated their own breakfast shortly after, but no one could make biscuits like Mr. Shipp and the one breakfast we sampled in 2012 was still in the development stage. Harbor Docks currently offers breakfast Friday-Sunday. I wanted so much to love it, but my advice is to enjoy lunch and dinner at Harbor Docks, but leave breakfast to the pros.

Bob's: French Toast with Conecuh Sausage

Bob's' French Toast was good but nothing to write home about. In it's defense, though, this plate was our first introduction to Conecuh Sausage. This family business began in 1947 in Evergreen, Alabama, and produces very tasty hickory smoked sausages with simple ingredient lists and interesting seasonings. We found them in local grocery stores also, but wouldn't have known to look for them but for this breakfast plate.

Mine:  Half Order of Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Mine: Cheese Grits

The biscuits are no longer made in house, and this one wasn't very good. The gravy was ok, but no longer available without the sausage. The true sin against breakfast, however, was in the grits. Bullion cubes, to be precise. The addition of bullion cubes did not add flavor in a good way; instead it created an overly salty, artificial-flavor, funhouse-mirror effect on the palate. So, while we enjoyed several other meals at Harbor Docks, we did not return for breakfast.

Lunch was a completely different, delicious, savory story.

Bob's: Fried Grouper Fingers, Cheese Grits, Coleslaw, Hushpuppies

Fish Curry (I think it was snapper), Rice

Spring Rolls, Dipping Sauce

Bob's plate hit all the expected tasty notes, and the grits were obviously made by someone not on the breakfast crew, who knows how to make them. But mine hit the motherload - a skillful, just-spicy enough Thai style curry caressing perfectly sauteed local Snapper, plated with Jasmine Rice and accompanied by two crispy right-out-of-the-fryer, made in house, spring rolls with dipping sauce.

There would be two additional dinners at Harbor Docks. Neither hit the heights of the first dinner or lunch, but they were mostly solid, and delivered with Harbor Docks's excellent service and hospitality (hello to Ms. Sunshine, who is still serving there even after these many years!).

Bob's: Fried Grouper fingers, Fries

Mine: Grilled Tuna, Rice, Veg, Buerre Blanc.

Though Bob's fried plate was excellent, my tuna was just a little older than it wanted to be, and it couldn't compare to the exquisite tuna I cooked from Blalock's. There was something funky about the Buerre Blanc also. These things happen, the plate was enjoyable, just not stellar.

Bob's: Fried Triggerfish

Mine: Blackened Snapper, Grits, Chow Chow, Green Beans

Again, Bob's fried plate hit the spot, but mine, which was the same order from our first dinner in December, somehow lacked profundity. It may have mattered that there was a big beer tasting dinner going on in the next dining room. In any event, we love playing with food at Harbor Docks, and we will be back there upon our return to Destin!

Harbor Docks
538 Harbor Blvd.
Destin, FL 32541
(850) 837-2506
info@harbordocks.com

HOURS
Monday - Wednesday 11am - 10pm

Thursday 11am - 11pm

Friday - Saturday 7am - 11pm

Sunday 7am - 10pm

Fun Playing With Chinese Food at Aristo Bistro

We recently enjoyed a Chinese meal so good, it's driven me back to blogging! In the Cleveland area, get thee to Aristo Bistro in Westlake if you enjoy authentic Chinese food! Their one page web site describes the menu as, "Eurasian American & Authentic Chinese Aristocrat Cuisine." I call it delicious.

Our foursome met for lunch, but we ordered off of both the "regular" and "Chinese" menus. Images of those menus can be seen beginning here.

We wanted to try the Seafood King & Fish Maw Soup, but they were out of fish maw that day. So, we settled for the Seafood King Soup - rich with scallops, calamari and shrimp that actually passed the tripolyphosphate sniff test, a velvety broth accented with corn, and egg drops, with just the right kick of white pepper. 

The soup comes in this one large size only, which was more than enough for four people and a bargain at $13.95.

We ordered our meal Chinese style, meaning communal plates to be served as they are finished by the kitchen without regard to course. First up, an exquisite version of Clams with Black Bean Sauce.

Tender, sweet Manila Clams were tossed with onion and hot chilies, then bathed in the most sophisticated black bean sauce I've ever tasted. With nary a bean to be seen, the flavor and umami blast of the fermented pods were infused into a delicate, spicy sauce. This dish cried out for white rice to soak up the gravy, and the cry was answered a few moments after the plate hit the table. It was good to the last drop.

The clams were followed by a half order of sauteed Snow Pea Tips. 

The preparation of the Pea Tips was perfect. Thoroughly cooked, yet still with bite, and just the right amount of a subtle garlic sauce to round it off.

One of our party was hankering for curry, so we chose this Curry and added pork (from the choice of multiple meats or veggie options, including duck) from the "World of Noodle/Pasta" portion of the menu. The curry was pungent but not too spicy. The noodles were served on the side. 

Finally, a whole, deep fried flounder, with the "Chef's Special Sauce" on the side.

I neglected to photograph the sauce, but it was a fairly thin textured soy-based sauce that softened and soaked into the fried bits very nicely. We devoured this!

We enjoyed a pot of Po Lei tea with our meal. It is a fermented tea, produced in China's Yunnan province. I found it a little funky for my palate, but I'm glad I tried it. Other tea options are Oolong, Chrysanthemum, and Jasmine. They have a lovely bar area and say they are waiting on a liquor permit.

Finally, a photo of the "Chinese" Menu page. It is separate from the "regular" 6 page menu (which also contains a number of "authentic" dishes, including the soup we enjoyed, as well as the "Lunch Specials" page). 

Unfortunately, their website offers nothing more than the contact information. There is, however, a Facebook page with photos and a little more content. https://www.facebook.com/aristoyummy/ 

My only caveat is that they do not always open at the stated opening times. The first time we met our friends there at noon on a Saturday (which should have been the opening time per the Facebook page), it was dark and locked, and we left after about 20 minutes. Reached by phone later that day, they apologized and said they sometimes are delayed in opening by shopping for fresh product. Even the day we dined there, they opened about 45 minutes after the posted starting time of 11am. So, it may be wise to call before you go.

Our lunch composed of dinner foods ran $80 and fed the four of us with some leftovers. A bargain, given the high quality of everything, but especially the fish and seafood.

Aristo Bistro is a true "mom and pop" type operation, in a small, yet elegant and clean space with plenty of parking (though no close Handicapped designated spots). Our group thoroughly enjoyed every dish we sampled and we are eagerly looking forward to more. I'm a sucker for fresh flounder (it was a staple dinner throughout my East Coast childhood). Shirley, our delightful host and server, suggested that next time, we try their special flounder presentation, where the fillets are removed and deep fried separately, then tossed with vegetables and sauce and plated over the fried skeleton. Yes, please!! There is also kebab, and Hong Kong style Black Pepper Sauce, another favorite of mine, on the menu. But if authentic Chinese isn't your thing, there are plenty of the more familiar Americanized Chinese dishes also on the menu, as well as Schnitzel (chicken, veal, or pork), burgers (including a Ramen Burger), and a Lobster Roll. Vegetarians and Vegans are also accommodated. 

I can't wait to renew my West Side passport and visit Aristo Bistro to play with more of their Cantonese-Inspired Cuisine!

Aristo Bistro
25124 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145
(440) 455-9900
Open 7 days; check their Facebook page for hours (and call first if you are going early).

More Fun Playing With Vacation Food

Because food always is more fun when you partake while on vacation, even if you are still at home!

Breakfast at Garretts Mill Diner, Stow Ohio:

Short Stack of Pancakes with Strawberries

Chef-Owner Brian Krasney does a Steve Schimoler with his air-whip can - house-made Maple Whipped Cream! Bob cleaned his plate.

 House made biscuits with house made sausage gravy and home fries, poached eggs.

Brian says more additions to the traditional menu are in the works! My dish was a special in June, but is now on the regular menu and it is well crafted. The eggs were poached perfectly, and the sausage gravy popped with peppery, porky goodness.

Dinner of Grove Hill Happy Hour Small Plates:

Pulled Pork Sliders with Coleslaw & Coffee BBQ Sauce

BEEF & CHEDDAR CROQUETTES: horseradish crème fraiche

SPICY GREEN BEANS: pancetta, calabrian chile, parmesan, extra virgin olive oil & basil.

This new addition to the menu was spicy, but oh so good! Bacon, cheese and fresh green beans? Hell yeah! Grove Hill Happy Hour runs Monday-Thursday 4:30-6:30 and Friday & Saturday 9:00 pm - close.

Breakfast on the way to Louisville at Flury's Cafe, Akron:

Eggs Florentine: w/spinach & Hollandaise on a muffin w/homefries

We found out via GPS that Flury's recently moved to 2202 Front Street Cuyahoga Falls, so you may need to walk a little from the public parking areas. But you will be well rewarded. Somehow, the new location seems even smaller than the original. Come early to get a table!

Lovely fresh spinach and house-made Hollandaise kicked my breakfast up. The home fries, though, seemed like they came from a food service bag. However, Kim says she made them from scratch and I believe her! We will definitely return to Flury's. 

Bob's:

Pancakes

Chorizo

Dinner upon our return to Cleveland - Nobu Tei, Solon Ohio; so glad they finally have their website up and their full service liquor permit!

Tuna Tartar: Chopped Tuna, Avocado and Spicy Tuna

I want to love the fish at Nobu Tei, but it just isn't fresh enough. I actually liked this pretty dish very much, but wanted the raw fish to be just a bit more pristine.

Red Curry Beef

The intense Thai flavors in the curries make up for the deficiencies in the fish, well sort of. The Thai food is really, really good here. 

Pineapple Fried Rice With Duck

As much as I enjoyed my ducky rice, I kept wanting to drench it in Bob's Red Curry sauce. And, I sort of did. 

My last day off would be spent doing laundry. But first, breakfast - Jim's Open Kitchen, Solon:

Bob's: Waffle with Strawberries

Mine: Cheese Omelet with home fries, English Muffin

Finally, after the laundry was done, a last leisurely meal out together at Crumb and Spigot, Chagrin Falls Ohio:

Cauliflower Hummus

Darned if it didn't have the mouthfeel of hummus! Most enjoyable.

Pizza with Sausage, Escarole, Hot Pepper, Provolone

This was the first pizza we've had at Crumb and Spigot that didn't completely work. The pieces of escarole were just a big too big, tough and sloppy. But you can't beat sausage and provolone on a pizza and the sausage is of excellent quality. We enjoyed this pizza despite its flaws.  

Gotta love that crust, though!

And so, another Fun Playing With Food vacation came to an end. 

Fun Playing With Asian Food at Nobu Tei, Solon Ohio

Our newest Solon favorite for playing with food is Nobu Tei, a lovely Asian eatery sandwiched between franchises Zoup and DiBella's Subs at 30050 Aurora Rd Solon OH 44139, not far from the Harper Road exit of US 422. They are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The menu ambitiously transports you from Sushi, Japanese Noodles and Tempura, to Hibachi, to Thai selections. For this report, we visited twice with friends, and took out one order. Our first visit and part of the take out focused on the Japanese cuisine (we'll skip the Hibachi, though), for the second visit and part of the take out, we "Thai'd one on" so to speak. Actually, while we couldn't actually "tie one on" during our April 2015 visits because the liquor permit was pending, the website of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control indicates they got their permits in late May - full bar, seven days a week. The bar area looks like a fun place to socialize. We settled for tea on our two visits. 

For our first adventure, each couple ordered the Sushi Combo For Two (Chef's Choice). According to the menu, the sushi plate should have been preceded by Miso Soup, but it never appeared, and our server didn't seem to think it was included (and we didn't feel like arguing). Also missing was the traditional warm towel to cleanse the face and hands before handling Japanese food.

Overall, this wasn't a bad plate of sushi, though the hamachi (second pair from the right, front) definitely smelled and tasted fishy. And the tamago (egg sushi) third row right, lacked profundity as well; it was stiff and watery and might have been a frozen product. The only other criticism is that this is presented as a dish to feed two diners. When I asked the server why there was only one piece each of tamago, octopus, and crab stick, she explained that it was a 15 piece order (which is stated in the menu, yes). Oh.

On the positive side, the Kimono Roll (4th row), which contained both real crab and kani, had a great combination of crunch and savory and, most important, it tasted fresh and good. The other items ranged from very good to a slightly chewy octopus (hard to share!), but other than the old-tasting hamachi, I'd try sushi there again. Our dining companions ordered two rolls in addition to their Sushi for Two: Eel Cucumber and Spicy Tuna. I enjoyed the piece of Spicy Tuna roll I tasted. Our companions liked the Eel Cucumber enough to order another on our next visit, the following week.

The next week, Bob and I started with Crispy Calamari, Thai Style. $6.75 bought us four large rings of squid and a squirt of spicy dipping sauce. And we liked it, so long as we didn't focus on the cost per ring. Fried to a crispy crunch, with a nice coating that stayed on as the ring was eaten, this was a pleasant dish. I would have liked some tentacles, or at least enough pieces to really share.

This next choice turned out a little strange - the menu says, "Avocado Salad. Sliced avocado, lettuce served with special sauce." As I adore all things avocado:

It was exactly as the menu described it: leaves of Iceberg Lettuce topped with slices of avocado and drizzled with a tingly-tasty sauce. Any avocado lover would like this, but it just seemed like an odd, sparse salad. Yes, I took the leftovers home and yes, I ate them.

Our Thai entrees were all preceded by a standard iceberg lettuce salad topped with a peanutty dressing and served right from the cooler:

So far, most of the food had been rather mundane. Not wanting to be negative, but want to tell the complete story.

But here is where Nobu Tei turned into a blissful experience; they won us over with the next four Thai dishes:

Yellow Curry with Chicken

Drunken Noodles

Swimming Crispy Duck in Red Curry

Massaman Curry w/Tofu

The three curries were each served with a bowl of rice. 

Each of these dishes jumped off the plate and danced on our palates with sophisticated spicing and respectable heat. The complexity of the sauces did not overwhelm the proteins; both tofu dishes were expertly prepared and featured crisped tofu the likes of which I haven't tasted in an NEO Ohio Thai restaurant anytime lately. The Drunken Noodles married fresh rice noodles with egg, onion, scallions, bell pepper, basil and choice of protein (tofu here), topped with a spicy, savory Thai Brown Sauce that made me wish I'd ordered the dish for myself. My Massaman Curry, however, also delighted the palate with complex flavors and assertive but not overwhelming spices. 

But the most exquisite of the dishes was the duck - fried to a perfectly crispy finish, swimming in a delightful red curry sauce with vegetables and cilantro.

The take-out started out similarly to how our last Nobu Tei meal had ended - with their other fried duck entree special: Spice Duck. 

Notwithstanding the rigors of packing and carrying, this duck was crisp and savory, with a slightly different spice profile from the Swimming Duck. The accompanying sauce was not a curry, but redolent of soy, fish sauce and a touch of sweet.

For take out, the sauce came on the side, together with the  peas, bell pepper, red onion, carrot, and basil leaves to accompany the dish. Here is how it looked together on the plate:

My entree came from the Japanese side of the menu: Yakisoba stir fried noodles with red onion, carrot and asparagus and more of that nicely fried tofu (my choice of protein). Though it paled a little next to the wonderfully complex and savory duck dish, it was most enjoyable.

We also shared an order of Chicken & Vegetable Tempura: 

Chicken strips, onion, broccoli, carrot, and mushroom were served with a mild dipping sauce (we actually liked the sauce for the duck with it better). Some of the foam container had melted, a tribute to the initial heat from freshly fried tempura. 

Overall, despite a few growing pains, Nobu Tei is a fun addition to Solon and the East Side Suburbs. While the sushi needed a little work, it was mostly very good and the complexity, depth and freshness of the Thai sauces and curries will win you over also. During our second visit, a group engaged one of the Hibachi tables nearby; it certainly sounded like they were having a good time. And despite the AWOL miso soup on our first visit, service is generally energetic and pleasant. So, based on our first three experiences, I look forward to playing with more food at Nobu Tei. 

Nobu Tei

(440) 318-1714

30050 Aurora Rd Solon OH 44139

No website, unofficial Facebook page here.