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Now playing on Prime, this TV series is proving to be fun evening viewing. Each episode is a story told from start to finish, the actors are new to us and filming this series in Mallorca is magnificent. Three quick seasons. Give the series a few first episodes and I think you too will find this a refreshing change from much of current entertainment offerings.
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BEEF STEW (soup)
A last minute lunch date with family from Dallas found us at TAG'S RESTAURANT in Mt. Vernon, TX. Her and I had eaten our lunch at home an hour earlier, but went for the opportunity to visit with family rather than a lunch event. Neither of us were hungry.
I am very much a soup fan and have written here many times on soups and stews made at home. So, the restaurant's offering of a beef soup (stew) was a good choice for personal interest and a small portion lunch choice.
The waitress called it "beef soup." Then later called it "beef stew." I also heard it referred to as "spicy beef stew" that day.
Brother-in-law ordered chicken fried steak and from the soup above and his lunch, I have a wanting to share here in this post.
The bride and I have officially been here in Texas for 4 years now. Quite a few good eateries have been visited from Dallas to Shreveport, LA. All wonderful in their own way.
The small town square in Mt. Vernon, TX is a quick 4 block circle turn of some of the best restaurant choices we have encountered. For us, a 15 minute drive. Others come from much further away for steak, pizza, salads and a cold beer. All of the restaurants offer comfortable seating, personable wait staff/bartenders and meals in which we have yet to find any fault. Mt. Vernon is just a quick drive off of Interstate 30 that runs east/west through middle Texas. I digress.
In my opinion, any restaurant-prepared and served meal should be visually interesting from the get go. The soup above surprised me. Not what I am used to at home or from an eatery. I always expect soup to look like soup. Parts and pieces soaking in a broth. So, the above bowl of soup/stew peaked my interest visually. There is more than meets the eye in the making and plating of that bowl of soup/stew. The chef has a little secret and I think it probably simple. The beef broth was clear and the soup items cooked separate? I do not know. Full of flavor.
I had to decide how to dig in. Fork or spoon.
During that discussion with myself, brother-in-law's chicken fried steak arrived and that meal trumped this bowl of soup which was already a winner for me. Long story short, the best chicken fried steak yet in our brief 4 years here. Brother-in- law, very picky chicken fried steak enthusiast, also agreed it to be the best serving and portion he has ever had and he has lived in in Texas his whole life. I won't even go into the mashed potatoes smothered in gravy. Why the best ever? None of breading fell off of any cut or bite. And flavor. And portion size.
The beef soup had a spicy kick. Just the right of amount of heat flavor. And not to beat a dead horse here, the photo above was more for me to take home to try to figure out ingredients, how it was made and plated. I am still in that process, but I cannot wait to get my hands dirty to see if I can even come close to repeating this at home. Stay turned.
Other great Mt. Vernon restaurant choices? Steve-O's Pizza and Pub, The Chop House for steaks and The Bull Pen Grill & Cantina. I visit one of these restaurants weekly. If I did not enclose a link here, it was because I could not easily find a specific URL for that restaurant. I dislike using 3rd party sites.
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JIBBER JABBER
This summer heat in east Texas has been "easy." It is hot yet still keeps us inside during mid-days, not killer hot and triple digits days after weeks after months. Temperatures to finish out this month of summer will be mid 90's with even a chance of thunderstorms.
I have all but thrown in the towel on worldly events worrying. When, not if.
Extra food, water, meds and work healthy. Good friends, neighbors and like-minded folk. Stay away from crowds, believe your eyes and gut. Keep your knees bent. Have plans, add skill sets; keep on keeping on.
I appreciate your visit this week.
Our weather in the southeastern section has been much cooler than last Summer. We've had some hot days, but only a few where our unofficial thermometer climbed into the triple digits.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've noticed is how the last month of dry weather was affected by the rain we had in May, and June. The trees started changing earlier, which according to the old timers, means an early Winter. I don't know, but early fronts keep the tropical storms away, which is a blessing.
I've never been to the Mt. Vernon area, but your post about the food makes me consider it a good location for a road trip.