Wine Dinner Menu

Below is my menu for the upcoming wine dinner I am hosting on Friday July 23rd at 6:30 p.m. I have partnered with Palm Bay wines, and it is set up to be another fabulous dinner.

Lunetta Prosecco – Reception
Fresh Oysters on the Half Shell
Seared Rare Ahi Tuna – with Soy Dipping Sauce served on Fried Wontons
Chilled Crab Gazpacho Shooters

2009 MontGras Sauvignon Blanc –
Mixed Field Greens with Roasted Asian Pears, Grilled Shrimp and Fresh Tangerine Dressing

2008 MontGras Quatro –
Grilled Swordfish “Au Poivre” with traditional Brandy Cream and Caramelized Onions

2008 Santa Rita Carmenere –
Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Raspberry Demi Glace

2007 Santa Rita Cabernet Sauvignon –
Dark Chocolate & Grand Marnier Mousse with Fresh Berries

Back on Track

With the fourth of July behind us, summer is in full swing! I know it has been a while since I have sent out any updates, but I can assure you that they will continue coming. This is a great time of year for the fresh seafood industry, especially for local products. Right now, the rockfish are running strong, along with soft shell crabs, bluefish, and wild Alaskan salmon. I have been able to get most of these items on a daily basis. Some other great local products that we have been able to bring in are oysters. I have teamed up with the boys in the Rappahannock River, and they are sending out some AMAZING oysters. Right now, they have been sending me many of their different options, to include, Stingray Bays, Barcats, Witch Ducks and Rappahannock’s. If you have not had a chance to try these beauties, come in and try them. All 4 of these oysters are coming from extremely similar water conditions; however they each take on their own identity and have their own unique characteristics. I would recommend trying one of each right next to each other just to do a comparison.
Upcoming Wine Dinner:
It has been some time since the last wine dinner (which was a huge success if you missed it) so of course you know I am going to be hosting another one. This one will be held on Friday July 23rd and I will be partnering with Palm Bay Wines. I hope to have the menu finalized later this week and will send that out as soon as I get it done. Rest assured, it will be another great evening filled with fabulous wines and fantastic food. This will be a four course dinner with a reception for only $65 per person. As always, feel free to email me for reservations as I am certain this one will fill up fast just like all others in the past.
I look forward to seeing everyone soon and I sincerely hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

A different twist!

If you have not been to Oceanaire recently, you must come by and check some changes we have made! Since we are wholly owned by Landry’s, there have been a lot of positive changes. We still have the same superior quality seafood and extremely attentive service, but you will notice a few things that add a bit more life to the restaurant. The music has changed. A little more upbeat and not so much big band. I have added many dishes to the menu that will remain on the menu at all times, and they are amazing. Stuffed baked shrimp with creamy linguini pasta, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with dirty rice and a seafood mixed grill for a little sample of a whole lot, just to name a few! I will still be offering many seasonal and regional dishes at my discretion, but I must admit some of the new staple items are fabulous.
Things to keep in mind this time of year………………..
Soft shell crabs are running full blast, and are looking great. Wild Alaskan salmon is also in full swing. I should start getting some Copper River species within the next couple weeks. These are a truly prized possession if they come available. Trust me you do not want to miss out on these once they arrive. Local rockfish and bluefish are also amongst the wonderful summer offerings.
Restaurant week is quickly approaching. Keep an eye out for dates and menus on http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com. This is surely a time to take advantage of many restaurants for a great value. Last year was $35.09 for a three course dinner, and I have not heard anything different as to an increase.
I look forward to seeing you soon. Keep checking out my blog for more updates.

What is going on at Oceanaire?

Just wanted to take a minute and fill everyone in on the happenings at Oceanaire. First off, nothing is going to change as far as the excellent service and phenomenal, Ultra Fresh food that we have. We have had some changes in management; however it has turned into a “reunion tour”. For those of you that know her, Donna Seal is back as our General Manager! Donna has been with Oceanaire for almost ten years, with stints in Minneapolis, DC, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, San Diego, and now back to Baltimore. Andrew Cecil is back as our Assistant General Manager. Andrew has also been with the company for quite a few years, with stints in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Houston and now back to Baltimore. As before, they along with me will be here for every one of your special needs or requests. Please utilize us the same as you have utilized others in the past.
Soft shell crabs are back! Right now, I have Whales in from Florida, and they are amazing! I can cook them anyway you would like, and they should be running strong for quite a while. Also, don’t forget, I have Local Rockfish & Wild Alaskan Halibut, along with the 1st of the season Wild Columbia River King Salmon.
Wine Dinner – Due to the overwhelming response to the wine dinner coming up this Thursday, we have had to cut off the reservations. Not to worry, we will be hosting another one in June……TBD…….I would suggest getting your reservations in early for that one as it will probably sell out as well.
I look forward to seeing all of you soon, and please come in and meet (or welcome back) Donna and Andrew! They bring a great deal of energy and personality to the restaurant, and will be here for your every need. And as you all know, you can always call of shoot me an email, and I will take care of anything for you as well!

See you soon!

Soft Shell Crabs

Soft Shell Crabs:

The soft shell crabs have started, and they are currently on my menu! Right now they are coming out of Florida, but as time progresses, we will watch them run right up the coast, all the way to Maryland. Some quick Q & A about soft shells:
What are soft shell crabs and what causes them to lose their shell? Softies are simply a crab that has out grown its shell. As the crab grows, they will actually get too large for their shells, so they have to rid of the small (molt) or re-grow a larger shell. Once the molting process starts, they are best eaten within a few days before the new shell begins to form. Once the shell begins to form, they can still be eaten; however they will have much crunchier texture to them. These are called Papers, or Tin backs. The season for softies, is usually from the beginning of May through July or August. The timing of this is affected by many different variables, such as the lunar cycle, water temperature and weather.

Below are some step by step instructions on how to properly clean a soft shell so it is ready to eat. It is always best to start with a live crab, to ensure freshness. You want to first remove the face off of the crab, as this portion is not very inviting.

Next you want to lift up the crab and remove the gills of the crab. Make sure to get both sides cleaned out. These have a very undesirable flavor to them, and need to be removed before cooking.

Remove the tail, by cutting them with scissors. All of these steps can be completed with a normal pair of kitchen shears.

Now they are ready to be cooked. Soft shells are extremely versatile, as they are great prepared pan-seared, fried, or even grilled. On my menu tonight, I am serving them dredged in season flour and pan seared accompanied by a charred pineapple and chipotle relish.

Stop by and taste some of these amazing crustaceans soon! I will be serving them consistently as long as they are available.

Oyster Recovery Partnership

Shell buckets ready for pick up

Yesterday was the official kick off of the Maryland Oyster Recovery Shell Recycling Alliance. I hosted many media entities as well as partner restaurants who are already participating in this great program. This is an extremely easy process as a restaurant. Simply put, instead of throwing your oyster shells away, put a bucket next to the trash can and put the shells in there. Yes, it is really that easy, then once a week, a volunteer from the partnership will come and pick up all the shells.
I feel this is such an important part of cleaning up the bay. I heard a staggering statistic yesterday……….all of the water in the bay used to be filtered by oysters within a couple days, but now, it takes over a year and there is no way that they can keep up. If you think about that for a minute, you can see how important it is for anyone, like me, to get involved.
If you are wondering how you can get involved, check out the oyster recovery website @ http://www.oysterrecovery.org/

Please help us “give back” to the bay!
Check out the media links below to see the progress we made yesterday!

http://wjz.com/local/oysters.watermen.protest.2.1588994.html

http://wjz.com/video/?id=68924@wjz.dayport.com

http://www.wbal.com/tvvideo/

http://www.abc2news.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=22134@wmar.web.entriq.net&navCatId=14

http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story/Shell-Recycling-Starts-In-Bid-To-Help-Bay-Oysters/gC-IHJL6o0yB7vCjTT6Cxw.cspx

Stags’ Leap Wine Dinner

Check out the menu below and see what is happening for our next wine dinner. Not to pat myself on the back, but we tasted the food with the wine earlier today, and this is going to be one of the best wine dinners I have ever hosted! As far as the wine, food and the combinations, I feel like I hit it right on the head for this one. 4 courses with wine, + Reception with Bubbly + Dessert for only $75, how much better could it get?

Stags’ Leap Wine Dinner – April 22nd Reception @ 6:30p.m. – Dinner Starting @ 7:00 p.m.

Reception – Sparkling
Black truffle Risotto Croquettes
Assorted Cheeses with berries and crackers
Lobster Medallions En Croute with Tobiko Caviar

Stag’s Leap Chardonnay
Steamed Alaskan King Crab Tails with Fresh Papaya and Mango Salsa & Fried Plantain Chip

Stags’ Leap Merlot
Tuna 3 ways
Bigeye Tuna Nigiri – Yellowfin Tuna Sushi Roll – Grilled with Rosemary Demi Glace

Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon
Neuske’s Bacon Wrapped Cape Hatteras Swordfish with Stewed Tomato & Burgundy Compote

Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah
Espresso Rubbed Ribeye Steak with Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes with Marinated Grilled Asparagus

Double Espresso Sorbet

Stags’ Leap Wine Dinner

Stags’ Leap Wine Dinner
On April 22nd, I will be hosting a four course plus reception dinner here at the Oceanaire. Each course will be paired with a phenomenal Stag’s Leap wine. We will start with the 2007 Chardonnay. This full bodied dry chardonnay boasts flavors of fresh citrus fruits as well as floral accents. We will then be moving on to the 2006 merlot. This soft tannin full bodied merlot has hints of cherries as well as cassis with a little smoky overtone. The third wine is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is a very big wine containing flavors of caramel and mocha amongst others. The cabernet has a large amount of tannins and hangs around with you for a great finish. Finally we will be serving (my personal favorite out of the 4) the 2006 Petite Syrah. Again, another huge wine! There are so many flavors going on in this wine to include Blackberries and other dark fruits along with hints of anise. This wine has a very smooth berry finish. I will be doing a tasting with the tentative menu, and will post the results of that tasting soon. The cost on the dinner will be $75 per person, not inclusive of tax or gratuity. I look forward to seeing a great crowd as usual.

How to cook swordfish

Time To Dine
I was on WMAR this morning, and you can watch it by clicking on the “time to dine” link above. I made pan-seared swordfish with a prosciutto, wild mushroom, colossal crab meat and marsala wine pan sauce. Extremely easy to try at home. Try out the recipe and let me know how it works out for you!

Wild Alaskan King Crab TAILS????

There is a new delicacy that has landed in Baltimore. What a better place to land than the Oceanaire! What am I talking about? You saw the title, and it is correct, Wild Alaskan King Crab Tails. Not as prized or sought after as a lobster tail, but mainly because no one has seen them before. The king crab does have a tail; it is usually tucked under the caribous, so nobody gets a chance to see it. Not to mention, the rarity of seeing a whole king crab in Baltimore anyways. Which by the way, when it is open season, I usually get them in alive! The tail pieces come out to be about 2 ounces worth of meat once shelled, which is quite a bit of work, but the reward is well worth it. I have found that pan searing these seems to be the best approach. However, they were not bad being fried, steamed or even served scaloppini style. There are going to be a million possibilities with this product, and the ideas are endless. They have a soft, somewhat gelatinous texture to them, but are very sweet and delicate. If you have never tried them before, do not miss out on this opportunity. I will have them at the restaurant, while supplies last, which according to my sources in Dutch Harbor, AK should not be a problem.