CHOMP! and Blue Plate together again~

Oh Blue Plate Kitchen, how I've missed you! I can't believe it's been over 10 months since I was at Blue Plate last. This crazy year has just flown by...

My visit to Blue Plate was wayyy overdue. I decided to go there with one of my Quarterly eating groups. The same group that went with me the first time we visited Blue Plate.

I was super excited! Looking at the menu online everyday to try and decide what I wanted to try. :P Finally the day came! We arrived at the restaurant and was warmly greeted by the hostess and Dennis, the manager. We were immediately seated (same table we were at the first time we went. hehe). Our waiter, Tim, was friendly and really informative. Not only did he tell us about the specials, he also included the prices in his presentation. Most places never tell you the price when introducing their specials and sometimes you end up ordering something super expensive that you didn't intend to. I thought it was cool that he did.

Before we made our orders, Tim brings out 3 appetizers, complimentary! :) Thanks Blue Plate!! It was a great 'welcome back'.

Wood Roasted Cheesy Bread (rosemary olive oil, sea salt) $9~ Always delicious, nice crust, super cheesy. This is one of the many things I always recommend to people who are trying Blue Plate for the first time.

Garlic Hummus, Wood Roasted Flatbread (feta cheese, kalamata olives, diced tomatoes) $11~ I really enjoyed their hummus, it had good flavor and great texture. I think they should consider replacing the flatbread with pita bread though. I think the fluffiness of the pita bread will pair with the hummus even better.

Texas Blue Crab Gratin (roasted garlic cream cheese, grilled empire sourdough) $12~ The presentation of this dish was cute...with the gratin in the ramekin and the mini tabasco. I liked the toasted breadcrumbs on the top of the gratin and there were actually chunks of crab in it! I did not really care for the grilled sourdough though. Maybe use baguette instead?

For the entrees I was undecided between the Wood Grilled Scottish Salmon or the Dr Pepper Barbeque Rotisserie Chicken (cheddar leek hash browns) $18~ Tim talked me into getting the chicken and I'm glad I listed to him. I liked it a lot! The flavor of the sauce was delicious, slightly sweet and was perfect with the chicken and hash browns. The cheddar-leek hash browns was awesome. Nice crispy crust on top and also went well with the chicken. I wanted a little more cheddar in it though. You get about half a chicken, the breast was a little dry but the sauce definitely helped. The dark meat was perfectly juicy and tender. I scraped the plate clean! YUM!

My bf ordered the Texas Pecan Crusted Trout (roasted spagetti squash, Jim Beam butter) $18~ The crust on the fish was perfect, golden brown and crispy. The spaghetti squash was interesting and I liked it with the fish. The sauce on the side was really good, I just wanted more of it. The dish needed more sauce. I wonder if we could've asked for a side of the sauce?? Hmm...didn't occur to me to even ask for that...

The other dishes that my friends ordered include:

Butternut Squash Soup $7~ Creamy and silky smooth. YUMMY!

Shrimp, Crab and Lobster "Coleslaw" (cilantro lime dressing) $20~ This was light and refreshing. You can also see big chunks of the crab and lobster in there. It seemed pretty healthy for anyone who is looking for a lighter fare.

Grilled Chicken Breast, Portobello Mushroom (cottage cheese, basil yogurt, avocado) $16~ This dish was pretty straight forward. It's one of their 'heart healthy' selections along with the Crab Coleslaw. I didn't get a taste but my friend said it was good.

Ancho Barbequed Pulled Pork (Cabrales blue cheese roasted corn grits) $16~ I've tried this dish in the past, the pork is tender and the grits were tasty. My friend really liked it but thought it had a little too much sauce. She loved the grits and wanted more of it.

Lastly, the special of the night...Blue Plate Special: 10 oz. (or 12 oz...I can't remember..) Prime Rib (with mashed potatoes and veggies) $28~ I didn't get to try this either, but the prime rib looked delicious. My friend said it was pretty great! :)

They also ordered a side of Brazos Valley Cheddar Mac 'n' Cheese $9~ Again...cute in the little ramekin. :) It had a nice crust on top and was good and cheesy. I liked that they used mini macaroni pasta, it made the dish more "dainty" I thought.

I was super stuffed, but Tim came around with the dessert menu. I was debating whether or not to get any dessert until Tim started telling us about some dessert specials. The 2nd item he started introducing made me really happy. Blue Plate had created a limited time Fried S'mores dessert during the time of the State Fair. Fried S'mores (graham cracker battered chocolate on a stick with flame-seared marshmallow fluff & raspberry puree) $7~ with side of Vanilla ice cream $3~ http://www.thrillist.com/video/163392 I had thought they no longer had it since the state fair was over, but they still offered it off the menu. SWEET! I had to get it! It was SUPER cute. It was made to look like corn dogs. Made with a graham cracker batter with melty gooey chocolate in it. Served over melted marshmallow fluff. We got it with a side of vanilla ice cream. IT WAS AMAZING! The batter wasn't too thick, and the amount of gooey chocolate inside was sooo decadent. The ice cream was a nice pairing. Added some cold to the warm. I would recommend everyone to try this before it's no longer offered!!!

My friends ordered the other special dessert. Chef Jenay's Lemon Bars $7~ Created by this little girl and now featured on their menu. You can find more details here: http://www.kentrathbun.com/newsletter/september2010.php#jenay My friends thought it was cool that she contributed to their menu so they decided to get the dessert. None of us are really lemon people, but we all thought it was pretty good. The bars had good texture and the lemon wasn't too tart. With a scoop of ice cream, it would've been even better!

Once again, I had an amazing time at Blue Plate Kitchen. Thanks to Dennis for always making the visits so great. And also thanks to our waiter, Tim. I always look forward to my next visit there, hopefully the next time will be much sooner than 1o months! haha! :P

Quality of Food:

Service:

Cleanliness:

Value:

Overall Experience:

~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~