Katy's Grill and Bar - a review

Katy's, or as the new management would like you to know them as, the KGB has been under new management since late July. From the scruffy front, my wife never wanted to eat there before, not much has changed on that end.
However, I had a hankering for some wings, or something fried, and a pile of Free Fried Pickles coupons and grabbed two co-workers and set out for lunch.

We started off with a basket of Fried Pickles, and Onion Rings, and I will break them down one by one.

Fried Pickles. Most of the reason why I was going. I had some great ones in Los Angeles and wanted more.
They looked good and the first couple were great. The Ranch bottle they brought (yes, like Ketchup, oh they brought that too), gave a delicious homemade tasting Ranch. The batter was light, but I believe the pickles were a little thick, either that or too many were in the basket. Just too much acidity as we got towards the bottom. I would give them a B-.

The Onion Rings. These didn't look that great. Some of the breading was thin or falling off, so I didn't take a photo. But wow, they impressed. They were some of the best onion rings I have encountered and when I go back will order these over the fried pickles. We eat with our eyes first, but taste doesn't lie. Also good in the Ranch sauce, these get a B+

At this point, one of the new managers/owners had found us on his way out and asked us what we were having. He noticed us looking at their menu left over from the old way Katy's did things.
He explained that while they kept what Katy's did, they are also adding to it and removing the items that Katy's didn't do so well. And with that he handed me the special menu that was tucked away at the far end of the table.
This I was not expecting. Shrimp & Griits, Grilled Portabella and BBQ out of the old Katy's? No sir, this is not your old Katy's. I was coming to get my deep fried Seafood on. So I ended up getting the KGB French Dip and a Fried (popcorn) Shrimp and Fries Lunch Special ($4 from the old menu). I ended up with too much food, and it was all really delicious. Rich got the Portabella and that was well cooked and flavored with the RRP and Goat Cheese he said, Wes chowed down on his Fried Shrimp Sandwich which also looked good. I will definitely go back to see how their specials menu and current menu evolve into something more permanent and something with the KGB style we will come to love.

If you haven't been by with the new management, go give them a try, I know they have fixed the frier oil problem, and deep fry different foods in different oil now so that the wings don't taste like shrimp. Let me know what your favorite is off of their specials menu.

-The Food Monster

Buzz Seafood and Grill - World Famous Garlic Cheese Bread

Recently, The Food Monster was married and spent a lovely time in St. Lucia for a week. Just north of Rodney Bay. To follow is a series of foods and reviews of some of the delicious food that sampled that week. Enjoy.

Buzz Seafood and Grill part 2 - Avocado and Lobster salad
Lobster was in season while we were in St. Lucia and our first night out brought us to Buzz Seafood and Grill. This appetizer of Avocado, Lobster, some sort of very light sauce (probably a citrus based sauce with a hint of cream) was outstanding and one of the best appetizers for the whole trip. Their avocados are enormous and even more tasty than their small North American counterparts. If you can order this in season on St. Lucia, give yourself a treat!

Buzz Seafood and Grill - World Famous Garlic Cheese Bread

Recently, The Food Monster was married and spent a lovely time in St. Lucia for a week. Just north of Rodney Bay. To follow is a series of foods and reviews of some of the delicious food that sampled that week. Enjoy.

Buzz Seafood and Grill part 1
Their menu claimed that their Garlic Cheese Bread was world famous. So, we decided to have one of the most Americanized Italian foods at a Seafood restaurant in the Carribean. Wow, it really was good. Lots of gooey cheese (probably 2-3 different kinds), lovely garlic flavor. I'm sure it was dripping with butter underneath and a nice light crunch to the outer part of the baguette. Along with the Avocado and Lobster salad, it was a great way to start off the meal.

The Food Monster is now Composting

This weekend I finally acquired a Compost Bin. There are lots of Green benefits to be gained here, less waste in the landfill, cheaper soil for plants, keeping the nutrients in the soil, less bagged leaves etc, but now I will have nutrient rich soil with which to grow my herbs. It comes full circle for this blog when I eat those herbs and vegetables. I am after all The Food Monster.

Composting is easy, and if you find yourself eating bananas, eggs, and other foods that will leave scraps, maybe you should give it a try.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from The Food Monster. Food I lobbied for this year.

Chinese take out.

When that got rejected, Bojangles seasoned deep fried turkey.

When that got rejected, more stuffing. I'll be getting my eat on at the in-laws. So excited for all of the good food!

Guest Post: Party with Ease

This Guest Post comes from Sara from the One Cup Connection, which comes with a great coupon at the end. Enjoy!

-The Food Monster

I don’t know if you are like me, but the most difficult part of hosting a party comes when
dessert is being served. Some guests need to drink decaffeinated coffee, others want the
real strong stuff, and yet others are requesting hot tea. It always seems like a struggle to get
everyone’s wants out on time before all of the desserts have been devoured. I can never quite
figure out how much coffee to add to those huge pots, and then I am running around trying to
find a way to plug in the smaller pot for the decaf.

I saw the solution at a recent graduation party that I attended. The hostess had a Keurig one
cup coffee machine set outside, complete with a variety of K-cups. A large bottle of water was
set at the end of the table and when the chamber went low, it was simply refilled with ease.
What a great conversation piece it became as well. People seemed excited to try a different
flavor of coffee, while others were happy to have their favorite choices available.

Making coffee for large amounts of people can be a difficult job. Is it strong enough? Is it too
strong? It is hard to please everyone, but the single serve machines take the thinking out of it.
People love to have choices and that hostess gave her guests the ability to choose. The plus
side for her was an easy clean up. No left over coffee grinds to scoop out, or pots to scour!!

Do you use a Keurig brewer? Tell me about it! If you purchase K-cups in bulk, check out One
Cup Connection. Buy 3 Boxes of K-Cups, Get 1 FREE with coupon code KCUP4. Offer expires 7/
31/11. Don’t forget to check out the Coffee Break Blog!

Our Crepes & More - Opening for Sunday Brunch

Yes Wilmington, you heard that correctly, Our Crepes & More, the best French joint in Wilmington, will be opening for brunch (8am-3pm) starting June 5th, 2011.