Our gang headed south to Bradenton this weekend to check out Cedar Reef Fish Camp. First impressions count, right? And so when I hear a reference to "Fish Camp" I imagine being on the water somewhere, not in a shopping plaza. However, once you walk through the doors you are surrounded by that casual dive by the bay atmosphere and I liked it!
We were seated at a long table with half of us sitting in chairs and the others against a lovely high backed banquette. My only complaint for the evening was that our very nice waitress served the whole meal by passing plates down to us instead of coming around behind our chairs to set the plates down. It may seem like a small thing but when you're in the middle of a bite with your fork in mid air and you have to stop and lean back because there's a plate being passed under your nose to the person next to you - well, that's just bad form. That may have been forgiven for those seated at the banquette side, but there was plenty of walking around room behind my side of the table to serve and bus properly.
Cheryl & Ken started with a crab dip surrounded by tri-color chips and they found it good but not great as it seemed to have too much of a cheese flavor. And my hubby started with the charmingly named "Bubba's Wedgie" which he rather enjoyed opting for Ranch vs. Blue Cheese dressing.
Five out of eight of us went for the Blackened Redfish served over rice and black beans. Here's something neat.....while trying to figure out if any of us had ever had Redfish, I stumbled upon a handy "Fish Dictionary" in the back of the menu that explained all the different types of fish.
FUN FISH FACT: Redfish are one of many game fish to catch along the Tampa, Clearwater, and West Coast areas of Florida. Reds can be found along the whole Gulf Coast and also up the Atlantic Coast, as far north as North Carolina.
Ken ordered Shrimp & Grits with the heat turned up "New Orleans Style" adding Andouille sausage, smoked bacon, and caramelized onions. Hubby went for the Garlic Mussels and upped the ante by having it served over linguini. Of course it came with garlic bread to sop up the luscious garlicky goodness. Smiles all around the table.
All of this was washed down with some Happy Hour priced beer and wine (yes, we're senior citizens) and we left satisfied and happy with our meals. Back to the Fox Hole for Peach Kuchen, Hollie's Nana's recipe using peaches freshly picked that morning at the U-Pick Farm out at Fort Lonesome. Nana's recipe is generously shared below courtesy of Hollie:
Peach Kuchen
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar (separate out 2 T.)
½ cup butter
6 - 8 peaches (fresh is best!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 egg yolks
1 c. heavy (or sour) cream
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 T sugar in mixing bowl. Cut in butter until texture resembles coarse cornmeal. Pat over bottom and half way up sides of 8 x 8 baking dish. Skin peaches by cutting a small X in the base, then place in boiling water for 30 seconds, followed by ice water for 10 seconds - the skins should slip off easily. Slice (or drain canned peaches or thaw frozen peaches) and arrange over pastry. Sprinkle with remaining sugar & cinnamon. Bake 15 minutes, then pour mixture of slightly beaten egg yolks and cream over top. Bake 30 minutes more. Best served warm or at room temperature. Serves 9.
We'll definitely be back to Cedar Reef some time to sample the rest of their menu.
http://www.cedarreef.com
7240 55th Avenue East, Bradenton, FL 34203
I couldn't believe the line of people waiting to get in, people of all ages, couples, large families - this place was jumping and no wonder...the food was delicious. Cheryl and I indulged in yummy Margarita's that were just the right amount of tart. They were the perfect accompaniment to the toasty warm tortilla chips and salsa. I loved how they gave each of us our own footed salsa bowl cause I didn't want to share, and besides not sharing meant we could double dip if we pleased. (It's the little things no?)
I had the Chicken Fajitas and they were very good. My only complaint was they were served in three parts - a sizzling platter, a dish piled high with rice, beans, shredded lettuce, guacamole etc...and then my flour tortillas were rolled up in tin foil. I should have had a third plate on which to assemble my fajitas rather than eat out of the foil and drip onto my lap. Mind you that didn't stop me from eating every bite, but I fairly had to be hosed down afterwards.
Hubby had a salad topped with fried shrimp and served in a large taco shell. Cheryl had Fish Tacos, and Ken had Chuleta de Puerco (Pork Chop). He practiced the pronunciation a few times before the waitress came so I'll give him a B+ for trying to sound Latino. Most dishes are served with a side of yellow or white rice and your choice of black or red beans.
Let's talk about beans. I grew up in a Puerto Rican household where beans were cooked several times a week but I refused to eat them. It wasn't until I was forty that my Italian husband convinced me to try them and boy did I love them. I could kick myself for all those years I drove my poor mom crazy with my picky eating habits. And while there are subtle differences in cuisine from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Mexico, the black beans are pretty much the same. By now I consider myself somewhat of an expert and in fact hubby declares often that no one cooks black beans better than me. Here's my simple recipe - buy a can of GOYA black beans (and yes, it must be GOYA!) and follow the directions faithfully - but make sure you (A) cook your Sofrito (peppers/onions/garlic) down long enough to develop the flavors and until its very translucent and (B) during the cooking process run the back of your spoon around the pan capturing about a half dozen or so beans and squishing them against the side of the pot - this helps thicken the liquid. Voila (or Ole) perfect beans.
Nutritional Fact: A 1/2-cup serving of cooked black beans, which is 86 grams, contains 113 calories. With 1.3 calories per gram, black beans are a low-energy-dense food, which means calorie content is low compared to weight. This makes them a more filling food because you can eat a large portion without going overboard on calories
micasamexicanrestaurant.com
10283 Big Bend Rd, Riverview, FL 33578 · ~4.8 mi
(813) 677-6559
