Gatlin's BBQ

After our visit to the Houston Space Center, we had time to squeeze in one more BBQ joint before we had to head to George Bush International.  We made our way North over to Gatlin's BBQ which was somewhat along the way to the airport (for food, everything is along the way...  LOL...).  Loved that we didn't actually run into any traffic this time!  In actuality, we weren't really that hungry because we had a "snack" at the space center.  Therefore, we only got a taste of what they offered.

The best way to do this was to go for their 3-Meat Combo with pork ribs, sausage and brisket.  I gotta say that my Texas trip ended off strong.  The brisket was fairly lean, but still exhibited a succulence.  It was mildly smoky with a nice flavorful bark.  The ribs were meaty and pretty lean as well.  Yet once again, they weren't dry at all.  Loved the smoky bark on the outside.  With a snap, the sausage was meaty and juicy.  This was a fair amount of meat for the price.  As for the sides, we got Beans and Mac n' Cheese.  As expected, the beans were sweet with a bit of smoke.  Cheesy and creamy, the mac was pretty solid with firm noodles.

Lastly, we added a Pulled Pork Sandwich to get a 4th meat into the mix.  Although the pork didn't look particularly moist, it wasn't dry at all.  Seems to be a theme here...  It was also nicely smoked that was balanced and not overwhelming.  When doused with some of their BBQ sauce, its was tangy and smoky with a mild kick.  As mentioned, this was a fitting end to our Texas food adventures, but it only whetted out appetite for more.  I want to go back.  Maybe I can get some people to join me...  LOL...

The Good:
- Surprisingly moist despite being lean
- Balanced smokiness
- Good value

The Bad:
- I liked it lean, but I can see how some want it fattier

Carnival Freedom Posh Dining Room Night #5

Our last port for our 7-day Carnival Cruise aboard the Freedom was on the island of Roatan, Honduras.  Again, we weren't that well versed with the place and resorted to google for information.  Turns out that the mainland is fairly impoverished, so venturing out on your own is not advised.  As for the Roatan, the same rule doesn't necessarily apply.  However, we were a bit lazy and decided to make it a beach day instead.  Only a 10-minute walk from the ship, Mahogany Bay was a great place to just lounge around and enjoy the nice weather.  Upon our return, it was our 5th dinner of the cruise in the Posh main dining room.

On every menu, there was a featured item that was labelled "food you always wanted to try, but haven't yet dared".  Seems like I had been ordering that every night (but I've had it all before!).  This time around, it was Escagots Bourguignonne.  These were textbook being tender with a bite, while not chewy.  They were bathed in a good dose of butter and garlic.  Loved soaking up the sinful sauce with bread.  My son had the Fried Shrimp with roasted red pepper remoulade.  When they described them as shrimp, it was spot on as they were tiny.  But that made it almost like popcorn shrimp.  They were crispy with a cold-water crunch.  The dip wasn't really all that spicy, it was creamy with a tang.

I also tried the Roasted Pumpkin Soup which was thick and creamy.  Normally, I'm not a huge fan of anything pumpkin due to the intense aroma.  This soup was balanced with just a touch of pumpkin essence.  It ate more like a roasted acorn squash soup which was nicely accented by all-spice and nutmeg.  The croutons on top soaked up all of the soup and were not longer crunchy, but that didn't matter much.  Lastly, Viv had the Chicken Pastelitos filled with chicken, peppers and onions.  The puffed pastry on the outside was buttery and flaky while the filling was moist and tender.  We thought it tasted mostly of peppers as there was plenty of them.

For my main, I had the Penne Maricos with shrimp, calamari, scallops, mussels and salmon in a lobster cream sauce.  I only had a bit because my son took it from me (as his dish wasn't very good).  I did get to sample it and the lobster cream was mildly seasoned being aromatic and sweet.  The seafood was pretty on point except for 2 of the scallops as they were a bit rubbery.  The pasta was just past al dente.  My son originally ordered the Braised Short Rib with potato and pea gratin and green beans.  However, it was pretty tough and dry.  Not sure if this was a one-off with the piece he got, but it wasn't very good.  The red wine sauce was tasty though being meaty with depth.

I ended up eating the extra dish we had ordered being the Pescado Asado Cubierto con Tostones.  It was essentially a lightly fried basa fillet covered in a mixture of plantain and breadcrumbs.   This was on point with flaky and moist fish that was well-seasoned and aromatic from the coating.  On top we found a mixture of black beans and corn which added texture and a bit of sweetness and earthiness to the dish.  My daughter decided on the Beef Lasagna with a thick layer of melted mozzarella on top and a tomato basil sauce.  This ate and looked more like a meatloaf than a lasagna, so it was texturally rather odd.  However, the meat was tender and lean while the sauce was tangy and bright.

Viv probably had the best dish of the night being the Chicken Milanese with charred lemon and green beans.  It consisted of a breaded and fried piece of chicken which was pretty good.  The meat was tender and moist while the breading was firmly crunchy.   Flavours were pretty subtle where the charred lemon was necessary to bring brightness to the dish.

Onto dessert, we had the Chocolate Panna Cotta with warm chocolate sauce.  This was a no sugar added dessert, but it ate quite well.  The panna cotta itself was a little stiff, but still silky and chocolaty. I'm not sure if it actually needed more chocolate sauce (which was good) as it didn't vary up the flavours much.  It would done well with a berry sauce with a contrasting tang.  We also got the Buttered Popcorn Pot de Creme.  This was interesting with the nutty popcorn aroma complimented by salted caramel.  Yes, this was fancy caramel corn atop a semi-sweet and silky custard.  As you can see, this was a decent meal with a few misses.  We were still enjoying our eats so far, no one can be perfect.

Carnival Freedom Posh Dining Room Night #4

When I had originally booked this cruise, I didn’t have much intel on Belize. I knew it was South of Mexico, but that was about it. After some Wikipedia, I found out that it used to be British Honduras and hence, their official language is English. I moved onto finding out what we could do with a day there and it was established the best thing to do was to book a tour out to the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha. It was a rather bumpy hour ride out to the ruins, but when we got there, it was well worth it. After another bumpy hour ride (with a van overheating added to the adventure), we made it back to the vessel just in time. That didn’t leave us much time to get to our 4th dinner at Posh.

For my appie, I went for the Braised Ox Tongue which was served on a crostini.  This was prepared properly where the ox tongue was super tender and succulent while still retaining some meatiness.  The braising liquid was flavorful where there was a balanced amount of saltiness and sweetness.  I liked this so much, I asked for another plate!   My son decided on the Cannelloni stuffed with cheese and spinach.  On the menu, the part about the spinach was left out, so once he dug into it, the horrors of greenery was shown on his face.  We ended up eating it and it was alright.  The pasta was a bit soft, but the filling was perfect where the spinach was not overdone.  On top, there was a considerable amount of melted cheese to go with the tangy tomato sauce.

He ended up trading appies with Viv and happily ate it.  Why?  Well, it was an order of Fry Jacks with beans and dipping sauces.  Think fry bread and you get the idea of this dish.  Nothing complex, but done right nonetheless.  It was crispy and warm while the inside was soft and airy.  The tangy dip was a nice compliment as it cut the heaviness of the fry bread.  Since he avoided the spinach, we made him order the Cream of Broccoli as well.  C'mon, cream of anything tastes good right?  In this case yes as he ate it without incident.  It was creamy and lightly seasoned, while not heavy.  As for the broccoli taste, it was kept to a minimum where he didn't even notice it much.  

For his main, he went for his latest obsession, BBQ Ribs with cheesy corn bread and baked beans.  Okay, we all know that these ribs were not the authentic central-Texas BBQ variety.  So let's get that out of the way first.  However, they were tender and fell-off-the-bone.  There was a lack of smokey charring BBQ flavor, but the liberal slather of tangy sweet BBQ sauce ensured there was enough impact.  For myself, I had the Southern Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli.  This was actually pretty good with a firmly crunchy exterior.  It wasn't greasy and it was also seasoned enough.  The chicken itself was fairly tender and moist, even the white meat.  However, I would've liked to see them brine it so there would be more penetrating taste.

My daughter decided on the Roasted Beef Tenderloin with polenta.  Since it consisted of only one small piece, she went on to finishing it all.  I gave it a try and there was no mistaking why.  The meat was super soft and tender where it required very little effort to chew.  It was rested properly as the meat juices were still there.  There was a mild rub on the outside, hence the flavors were natural.  The jus did add some saltiness though.  Personally, I would've liked to see it more medium-rare as it wasn't appealing to look at.  Viv gave the Chili Rellano a try and it was stuffed with chicken.  The filling itself was quite good being moist and lightly spiced.  On the other hand, the pepper was a tad underdone, so it was a touch crunchy rather than being tender.

I added the Sausage and Pepper Linguine for good measure and it was probably one of the better dishes.  The linguine was perfect al dente and was coated in a zesty and tangy tomato sauce.  There was just enough of it for impact without drowning the pasta.  There was ample amount of sauce which was a touch peppery with some fennel.  I wasn't exactly hungry due to my main dish of fried chicken, but I ended up finishing the plate.

For dessert, the kid had the Smores Parfait which was layered with chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallow fluff.  Naturally, it was pretty sweet with all of the ingredients involved, however, it tasted like smores and that is all that mattered.  For myself, I had the Blin and Blanc which was like a bread pudding made with cake.  Hence it was pretty rich and filling.  I found the sauce poured on top to be very sweet which in my mind wasn't needed as the dessert was already sweet enough.  For this meal, it was mostly good with a few things that could've been better.  Yet up to this point, the food had been pretty consistent.

Carnival Freedom Posh Dining Room Night #1

Heading into the first night, we were scheduled for the early seating at Posh Restaurant.  This is one of 2 main dining rooms aboard the Freedom with Chic being the other main dining room (but for "Your Way Dining").  Unlike any other cruise ship we have been on, we were assigned booth seating which was rather private for the 4 of us and comfortable at the same time.  We were greeted warmly by our waiter, Iradwin and his 2 assistants, Gede and Gefri.  We found them efficient, attentive and responsive to our requests.

For our appetizers, I started with the Maryland Corn Chowder with potatoes, peppers, oregano and cream.  This was served smoking hot and chock full of sweet corn niblets and tender potato nuggets.  I found this to be more similar to a thicker cream of corn (Asian-style) rather than a chowder.  This was not a bad thing though as the soup was lighter and didn't take away our appetite.  Viv went for the Fried Calamari which was served with 2 dips - zesty tomato and lemon aioli.  Although this didn't look like much (weak plating), the squid rings were tender with a chew while coated in a light breading which was crispy.  I enjoyed the lemon aioli as it was tangy and light while the zesty tomato came exactly as advertised with a kick.

My daughter had the Cured Salmon with candied tomato, dill cream, grapes and lemon dressing.  Since it was sugar cured, the salmon was firmer and chewier.  Again, this was not a negative, rather we had to point that out to her as she was expecting smoked salmon texture.  It was mildly sweet with an equal amount of saltiness.  We thought the dill cream added another layer of flavor while the tomato offered up the necessary tang as well as more sweetness.  My son had the classic Shrimp Cocktail with traditional cocktail sauce.  This was pretty straightforward with buttery shrimp that had a cold water snap.   I found the cocktail sauce to have enough horseradish for impact.

Viv ordered the Fried Shrimp accompanied by a tangy sweet and sour sauce and a scallion garlic & shrimp fried rice.  At first, I was skeptical of the dish as we had something similar on Holland America and it was not very good.  This dish, on the other hand, was better since they served the sauce on the side.  As a result, the crispy rice coated shrimp were crunchy and light while not soaked in sauce.  The best part was actually the fried rice as it was nutty and well-seasoned with chewy grains.  For my daughter, she had the Grilled Mahi Mahi with coconut, fresh pineapple and red pepper sauce.  Unfortunately, the fish was a bit overdone, so it turned out to be dry.  Despite this, the sauce was a nice compliment as it was tropical with aromatics and bright flavors.

My son wasn't sick of brisket and decided on the Barbecued Beef Brisket with baked beans and double baked yams.  Although we've had our fair share of authentic smoked central Texas brisket during the week, this one was actually respectable.  It was super tender and moist while lightly smoky.  Sure, it wouldn't beat some of the competition-level BBQ in Texas, but it was delicious nonetheless.  The ball of yams and peppers on the side were good except the peppers didn't seem to go.  For myself, I had one of the standard (offered every meal) dishes on the menu being the Flat-Iron Steak with Bearnaise, baked potato, broccoli and a side of creamed spinach.  I'll admit that I was surprised to see that my steak was cooked a perfect medium-rare.  It was tender, juicy and nicely seasoned.  The creamed spinach was also good where it wasn't cooked to a pulp.

For dessert, we shared their famous Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake for the table.  This large serving was enough for 6 people, let alone 2 adults and 2 kids.  There was a crispy crust on the top and sides while the middle was soft, moist and indeed melting.  Exhibiting plenty of chocolate flavor, the cake wasn't incredibly sweet.  Served on the side was a bevy of vanilla ice cream to eat with the cake.  We also added the Tiramisu for good measure and it was also pretty good.  It sported soft, well-soaked lady fingers and creamy marscapone.  The dessert ate rather sweet and needed just a touch more espresso. For our first ever sit-down meal on a Carnival cruise ship, this was much better than we expected.  Sure, the fish could've been better, but that is not unique to Carnival as it is a hard dish to nail when preparing so many of them.  Good start to the cruise!

Czech Stop & Bakery

Originally, I had planned to arrive in Austin from Dallas a little bit early so we could grab more BBQ.  However, we were so full from all of our eating, no one was in the mood for a sit down meal.  Therefore, we made the convenient stop in West, Texas for some gas and some Kolaches.  Huh?  What?  Yes, situated in a gas station, the Czech Stop & Bakery has been serving up these traditional pastries since 1983. For those who never have tried Kolaches, they are pastries made of sweet yeast dough usually filled in the middle with fruit.

As such, went ahead and got the Cherry and Cherry Cream Cheese.  Unlike kolaches I've had before (and that isn't many), these featured much more filling than dough.  Hence, there was plenty of sweet fruitiness and moisture.  The dough itself was pillowy soft and lightly sweet, but wasn't soggy (even around the fruit glaze).  I found the filling to be just sweet enough.  My son didn't want fruit and had the Nutella.  He enjoyed it since there was enough filling to add a nutty sweetness.  For me, that was too much nutella for the amount of pastry.  But what do I know?

For me, I enjoyed the sweet kolaches, but I'm more of a savoury person.  Therefore, we also got some savoury pastries including the Ham, Jalapeno and Cheese.  As evidenced in the picture, there was no shortage of filling which meant it was hearty and flavorful.  There was spice and tang from the jalapenos while the ham and cheese added saltiness.  I wasn't as impressed with the Sausage and Cheese as it didn't seem as fulfilling as the ham & cheese.  There was less cheese and the sausage wasn't big enough to ensure that it was in every bite.  Despite this, the fruit kolaches were every bit as good as people have remarked on the internet.  If you are passing by, I suggest you make a stop.

The Good:
- Pillowy soft pastry
- Lots of filling
- Inexpensive

The Bad:
- The sweet ones are better than the savoury ones