Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Not James.....



Well, sometimes you live and learn. I found out last Monday that things can change.  Big surprise.  I had an appointment with the skin doc over in Leonardtown.  Since the appointment was at 1045 we arranged to meet a friend for lunch at a time governed by the medical stuff.  So we got to the office on time, and I have such a long history of skin maladies that I know the staff at the place pretty well, and was able to “catch up” with them while waiting. 

Finally, I was ushered back to the exam room, and after pleasantries with the young lady, she left with the deadly: “he’ll be right in”.  Every time you hear that, settle in for a long wait.   It really didn’t take too long, and surprisingly I don’t have any nips being taken for further review.  So all in all, it was a pretty good visit.  We called our friend and said it was time to launch.  We had decided to meet at the Front Porch for convenience, so we headed over.   As we got closer to the place, it became evident that they either had no customers, or were closed.  Drove in and confirmed the latter was the case.  It apparently was “cleaning day” as the prep tables were in the parking lot getting powerwashed.  Oops! 

Plan “B”? our friend suggested Jessie’s Kitchen..  Well, okay it’s close.  I had not been too hot on the place after an initial visit soon after they opened.  Anyway, we pulled up in the little strip that used to be Winegardner’s used cars, but now is home to Jessie’s place plus the Urban Barbecue eatery.





We arrived first, and went inside.  I never can completely trust my memory (what day is this again?) but my recollection was that it was one of those places where you went in, looked at a menu, went to the counter and ordered and eventually you got some food.  Well, as I said in the lead in, “things change”.  Inside the door there is now a hostess stand, and the first server to notice you greets you, gives you some menus and seats you at a table.   For a storefront it isn’t a bad place, but you know you’re in a store front.  There is a small bar on one end, along with a cooler for the beer and wines, 

and some decorations on the wall.  

It uses (or inherited) the “industrial “ decorating scheme, with exposed roof trusses and one of those huge black tubes for the HVAC.  Truthfully, I am not a fan of that and although it might fit some venues, I would rather not eat in a warehouse. What I recalled as a double sided one page menu is now the familiar tri fold arrangement


They feature “Asian fusion” cuisine, which is not unexpected since I think Jessie originally started at Tea-riffic in San Souci.  It’s a pretty nice selection of small plates, salads, soups and noodle dishes, entrees, and desserts.   I can’t find their menu on line, but you get the idea.  There was also an insert of “luncheon specials” tucked in the menu. 

What did catch my eye was the list of “Spirits” (partially visible in the above image).  It contained a quite extensive list of top shelf stuff.  List includes several bottles of single malts, quality bourbons (like Knob creek), Gray Goose and Tito’s (handmade)

Vodkas, and if your eyes can handle it, this poor picture of the back bar reveals some of them..





Although the list of spirits was quite impressive, a closer look revealed no gins.  I thought that odd, and so upon leaving I asked our server and he said yes, our only gin is that bottle of Bombay Sapphire, and pointed to the familiar blue bottle perched high on top of the shelves (barely visible on the right side of the cabinet).  Besides the spirits they also have a nice list of beers, many from “local” breweries, and so called “craft” beers. 

Not willing to make them scale the shelving (even though I deserved a Martini), we all ordered a ($9) glass of “Tom Gore Chardonnay” (Geyserville, CA; 98% Chard, 2% Sauvignon Blanc), which turned out to be okay.  Although I liked most of the other features of Jessie’s, they serve the wine in a “stemless” glass, which I don’t like (since I don’t own the restaurant).   Besides looking like a tumbler, there is no stem to pick it up with, lending the heat of your hand to the wine.  And, while I’m on a little diversion here I also don’t like my water served in a mason jar.

Anyway we gave our server a couple of “not quite ready yet” excuses to continue our conversation and sipping the Tom Gore.  But finally got around to considering food.   Now that I am on a “limited Sodium” regimen, I have to be a bit careful what I order, and always add “no added salt, please”.  One strategy is to try to figure out what is cooked “a la minute”, basically cooked to order.  No pots of soup, sauces, baked dishes, all of which (understandably) probably contain significant salt.    So despite some really attractive choices which I really miss), I got the “Chicken Wrap”, figuring hunks of chicken in a tortilla would be a safe bet.  I ordered that, MFO got some Teriyaki Chicken skewers and our friend got one of their noodle bowls (upper right in the menu shot, along with that unfortunate wine vessel).  Plus we got a starter of “Garlic Fries” for the table.  They arrived fairly smartly, and were VERY GOOD.  I had three or four as a guilty indulgence



The place was getting busy (President’s day?) and the rest of our food took quite a bit to appear.  I was surprised at what my “wrap” turned out to be.

Certainly not what I expected.  I took “wrap” to heart, and forked some onto one of the Romaine leaves, kind of rolled it up and ate it from my hands, much as one would hold a cigar.  Nice crunch from the lettuce, and the “stuff” was quite tasty.  The other two dishes were nicely presented and also enjoyed by their owners.



We eschewed dessert, boxing the Satay and a few fries (which MFO tempted me with last night for cocktails).

 *****
In summary, when I first looked at the place last January, I thought it could be a chain since if you googled “Jessie’s Kitchen” you get a bunch scattered around the east, and given the walk to the counter and order number three at the time, I kind of dismissed the place.  Well, I was quite wrong.  While not “just right” worthy, it is certainly worth a visit.  They have all the elements of a nice restaurant: good beverage options, good interesting food, non-intrusive service, and fairly nice décor.  It is unfortunate it is stuffed into a one room, yes, I’m a store front, venue.  If they had a more conventional space it could be much nicer.   That’s not to say don’t go there, DO!.  She’s “local” and goodness knows Leonardtown can use more decent dining options, with a Tex Mex poised to move in.   Sigh…

 *****
Nutritional Supplement for Optional Reading:  
Since internal fluid buildup was a major cause of worsening my condition before Hopkins, I have to weigh myself every morning and record same.  Seems like that is the major indicator of fluid buildup (evidenced by a gradual continuous weight gain over a number of days) so I have to do that.   Well, the next morning my weight jumped a pound and a half.  Looking back, the color of my chicken stuff, kind of screams “Soy Sauce” which is LOADED with salt.  Didn’t occur to me at the time.  Thankfully this morning it had declined pretty much the pound I gained.   It was a lesson learned for me!  Sorry, didn’t mean to branch off..

*****

Bonus Cooking TIP!
Oh, before I leave, and to get back on a foodie track, I offer a cooking tip:

if you add a teaspoon of coconut oil when sautéing your Kale you will find that it makes it much easier to slide it out it of the pan into the trash”.

DFD

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