FISH TACOS AT CAPTAIN RATTY'S

We recently went back to Captain Ratty's so that I could try their fish tacos.  I've been spoiled, after having tasted some of the absolute best at Noisy Oyster in Charleston, SC, and The O'Bistro Cafe in Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA.  It's been a tortuous wait since then, hoping that local restaurants would catch on (no pun intended) to this craze.  With an abundance of fresh fish in Eastern Carolina, it would seem like a no brainer.

Captain Ratty's makes their fish tacos with their "fresh catch" of the day.  It happened to be salmon the day we were there.  We all know there is no salmon in our local waters, and I particularly like to avoid Atlantic salmon since it is always farm raised and loaded with antibiotics, hormones and other yuk stuff.  But I wanted to try the fish tacos, so that's what I ordered.

What can I say?  These were not the best fish tacos I've had, but they were okay.  The salmon was grilled, not fried, which is my preference, but the seasonings were one dimensional.

Guy's not fond of salmon, regardless of the source, so he ordered the shrimp wrap thinking it would be a shrimp taco.  (The fish taco I had at Noisy Oyster was wrapped and it was unbelievably good.)  But Guy was served a cold sandwich wrap, not what he expected.  He didn't finish it, but I didn't think it looked that bad.

Captain Ratty's has good prices, great service and their food is okay, so it's a good choice for a quick and decent meal.  But I'll eat my fish tacos at home.

TAVERNA MYTHOS GREEK RESTAURANT & BAR, MOREHEAD CITY

We had been wanting to try the fairly new Greek restaurant in Morehead City, Taverna Mythos, but they're only open for dinner.  Guy's birthday was last week and he decided it was worth a 40-minute ride to check it out.  The restaurant opens at 5PM, so we made reservations for 5:15.  The rush-hour traffic was heavy in spots, but we still got there in under an hour.  Mythos is directly across the street from the waterfront and has some decent views from two of its dining areas.

Inside, the restaurant is dark but cozy.  One dining room is completely enclosed with no views; the other faces  the parking lot but has views of the water.  The bar has the best views, but only two tables.

We decided to sit in the bar area.

Service is friendly and attentive, and the menu is limited and easy to read.  Greek specialties (spanokopita, hummus, tzatziki, dolmadakia, melitzanosalata, bougiourdi) are available as appetizers.  You can also order a "sharing" platter with calamari, dolmadakia, hummus, tzatziki, cheese and spinach pie.  Gyros made with lamb and beef, chicken or shrimp are available, as is souvlaki.  All are served as sandwiches on toasted pita.  There's also an assortment of pastas, including Greek pastitsio and mousaka, and specialty pizzas.  If you have children, 12 and under, you can order from the children's menu.  What's not available:  choices for smaller eaters, such as hubby and me.

We were served warm crusty bread and rosemary olive oil as we waited for our entrees.

The bread was good, but the oil was disappointingly bland.  Some salt improved the flavor somewhat.
The birthday boy ordered "Greek Grill," a 14-oz. ribeye steak topped with shrimp sauteed in butter and wine, with spinach and feta cheese.  All grill entrees are served with lemon potatoes and veggies.

This was a gastronomic feast -- the steak was done to perfection, served with a nice sauce.  The lemon potatoes were cooked perfectly, as was the spinach, and everything was seasoned nicely.  The only problem was the steak was too large!  More  than half of it, plus half the shrimp and most of the potatoes came home for another meal.

I ordered the lamb chops, charbroiled and topped with olive oil and lemon sauce.  Three lamb chops arrived and each was cooked perfectly.  I ate all three chops, Guy's zucchini, my spinach and some of the potatoes.  The zucchini was especially good. 

Prices at Mythos are fair for the quality of the food.  Guy's entree was $26, mine was $23.  Wine is $6/glass. The chef/owner is 100% Greek and definitely knows how to cook.  Chef Pia's in little Washington is still my favorite Greek restaurant, but I would gladly return to Mythos any time.

PORK TONKATSU

The South has the corner on pork, and New Bern is in the heart of pig country.  But the new pork that's being marketed is leaner and meaner.  This means you must take care when preparing it, or you will have tough meat.  Brining the meat overnight in a salt-sugar-water solution all but guarantees moist, flavorful meat.

Don't be put off by the title of this recipe.  Pork Tonkatsu is just breaded, fried pork chops using those flaky, crispy Japanese panko crumbs that you can buy just about anywhere nowadays.  Harris Teeter even sells whole wheat panko, if you're inclined that way.

Once the brining is done, this is actually a quick entree to put together, and one that I'm sure you'll enjoy as we did.

Pork Tonkatsu  
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
Rating:  8 out of 10


INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup coarse kosher salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 cups water
2 (4-oz.) boneless center cut loin pork chops, pounded to 1/8" thickness
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 to 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
lemon wedges, if desired

Stir kosher salt, sugar and water in a bowl or pot till salt and sugar are completely dissolved.  Add chops.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, turning chops occasionally.

Remove chops from brine; pat dry. Whisk egg and mustard in medium bowl.  Combine panko, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper on a large plate.  Dip chops in egg mixture, then in panko, pressing to adhere.  Heat up to 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick (or cast iron) skillet over medium heat and cook pork until golden brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, adding up to an additional 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil after turning.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

TWO CRAB PARTIES AND LOIS SEAGRAVES’ LOW-COUNTRY STEW

We went to two crab parties in August.  At the first, we were given T-shirts made by a neighbor.  My hub, Guy is the photo on the left.  At the second party,  we came away with an heirloom recipe for Low-Country Stew.  Read about it....

PLANKED WHOLE FLOUNDER

Fresh flounder is mild and light-tasting, and in Eastern North Carolina, it's plentiful.  B&J's Seafood on Route 70 in James City is my go-to fish monger when hubby isn't catching.  They'll scale, clean and dress the flounder so it's ready to cook.  Harris Teeter sometimes has dressed whole flounder, too.  Planks can be purchased at Lowe's and at Harris Teeter.  Look for special sales.  For instance, at Harris Teeter, the planks go on special for $4.99 for a pack of two planks.  Sound pricey?  It's not too bad when you consider that you can use the planks several times.  After grilling, scrub the plank the way you would a pot, with dish detergent and water.  Dry and reuse until you can't.  Each of my planks last through about 4 uses.  The trick to this is to soak them longer than the recommended 1 hour.  Hubby starts soaking our plank in the morning for an evening use.

Don't be afraid to try this method of cooking fish.  It's very forgiving.  Even if you cook it a little too long, the fish will still be moist and tender.

Planked Whole Flounder
Click for PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS:
1 grilling plank
1 whole dressed flounder with head and tail, about 1-1/2 lbs.
1-1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 medium sweet onion, peeled, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh parsley

Soak plank in a clean sink with warm water for at least 5 hours.  Weigh down with a gallon jug of water or a brick wrapped in tinfoil.

Heat gas grill to 400-425F.  Turn one burner off and maintain grill temperature at 400 - 425F.  Remove plank from water, drain.  Rinse fish under cold running water; pat dry with clean paper towels.  Approximating where fish will be on the plank, place onion and lemon slices and sprigs of parsley.  Sprinkle fish inside and out with salt and pepper.

Stuff fish cavity with onion and lemon slices and sprigs of parsley.  Place fish on plank over lemon and onion slices.  Tuck any stray lemon and onions slices under fish.  Use remaining onion and lemon slices for top of fish.

Place planked fish on turned-off burner; cover grill; cook about 40-45 minutes,or till fish skin is dry and papery and fish is cooked through.  You can check that the fish is cooked through by inserted a fork through the skin into the flesh.  The plank should not catch fire when used on a turned-off burner.  In the rare event that the plank should catch fire, just wet edges with a Tbsp. or two of water.  Transfer plank using grill mitts and tongs.  Let rest 5-10 minutes.

To serve:  Peel back skin; remove.

With fork, gently push fish away from the center of the bone towards the outside, exposing the bone.

Lift the bone and remove, exposing the bottom section of the fish.

A 1-1/2 lb. whole fish will serve 2-3 people.  Leftovers are delicious the next day, cold or heated.

Christoph's on the Water

I've voted Christoph's as the best breakfast place in New Bern, based on my criteria (level of service, ambiance, prices, and quality of food).  Four of us decided to try it for dinner.

The updating of their dining room is now complete, and the end result is lovely.  There is a sophisticated, yet homey feel in the quiet space, enhanced by a row of windows that looks out over the pool and dock area.

The china closet and sideboard add to the homey feel of the dining space.

Surprisingly, for a Thursday evening, the place was almost empty.  Christoph's is one of New Bern's best-kept secrets.  I asked the staff if they were aware that their phone number is not easily accessible.  They have no listing in the yellow pages under the restaurant heading.  Oddly, they were all unaware.

After we placed our orders, we were served salads with warm rolls and butter.  The rolls and butter were wonderful.

The salad was just a tad disappointing, with several wilted pieces of lettuce.  I found enough fresh, crispy lettuce to eat, though, as it was a good-sized salad.

Guy and I both ordered the daily special:  A tenderloin of beef with a lump crab cake, braised asparagus and Bearnaise sauce, for $22 each, including salad and rolls and butter.

The filet was cooked perfectly, the sauce was divine and the crab cake had wonderful flavor, though it did have more filler than I like.  The rich sauce permeated the meal, in a good way, without detracting from the meat, seafood or veggie.  I would definitely order this again.

Rita ordered the Parmesan & Herb Dusted Salmon with Portobello & Bliss Potato Hash, Wilted Greens and Charred Tomato Crema for $19.  Salad was not included, but rolls and butter were.  She ate every drop and said she enjoyed it.

Tom ordered the Braised Pork Shank with Sweet Potto Mash, Sugar Snap Peas and Cherry Balsamic Glaze for $20.  Salad was not included, but rolls and butter were.  He also ate every drop and said it was delicious.

Christoph's has an easy-to-read one-page dinner menu of Steaks, Seafood and House Specialties.  Honestly, I wanted one of everything.  Next time I may try the Sonoran Shrimp & Pepper Jack Grits,and Guy said he'll try the Four Peppercorn Rib Eye Steak.  But I also want to try the Lobster Ravioli, the Pan Seared Grouper, the Chicken Farfalle and the Smothered Pork Chops.  Heck, I want to try every single menu item.  I like the fact that Christoph's has three heart-healthy menu items to pick from.  We're definitely going back.  Prices are in line, food is good, service is great and we love the water views.  And the best part?  They're open 7 days a week.

Christoph's on the Water, located in the Hilton Hotel, 100 Middle Street, 252-638-0305. 
Open 7 days a week.

THE WILD CUPCAKE -- NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Since my 1993 entry into New Bern, this Yankee has been watching a sleepy Southern town slowly -- ever so slowly -- rub its eyes and begin its timid entry into 21st century gastronomy.  Upscale grocers emerged and were followed by farm-to-table restaurants.  Grass-fed beef and lamb and free range poultry became available at our local Farmer's Market.  And now, the latest newcomer is The Wild Cupcake.

Nicole, the owner of The Wild Cupcake, sells via the Farmer's Market and her website, and her cupcakes are anything but dull.  Flavors like S'Mores, Blueberries and Cream, Rose Cakes, Fillin' Nutty, Aloha Coconut, PB&J and Cha Cha Cherry are just a small sampling of the many creative concoctions that leave her kitchen on a regular basis.  While most bakeries are just glorified versions of the Wal-Mart Bakery Department, The Wild Cupcake is truly different and unique.

Judging from the line of fans keeping Nicole busy nowadays, I am guessing that The Wild Cupcake will be a New Bern favorite for years to come.

You can visit The Wild Cupcake at the New Bern Farmer's Market, Saturdays, 8AM - 2 PM, or at The Wild Cupcake website.

October, 2012 update:   Nicole has won Food Network's Cupcake Wars with rave reviews from the judges.  Way to go, Nicole!  New Bern is proud of you.