Surf and Turf

Do you have days when you know exactly what food you are in the mood for and if that doesn’t happen, your day will be ruined? Other times, you find yourself giving a thousand-mile stare to the fridge and pantry not exactly sure what to make but when you see it you’ll know it! I had one of those weekends where I was sure I wanted fish and I thought I wanted steak. So, I did the only responsible thing at the time. Go for a drive to San Diego and go searching.

In Carlsbad / San Diego I found the perfect place(s) to go to take care of all my needs. I have not been to Tip Top Meats in a long time, so it felt great to return. I was excited to find out that they built a seafood market and eatery right next door. What a great way to take care of my surf and turf desires!

I knew I had to have some great fish; Top Choice Fish was my first stop!

Now I had the problem of what fish to choose. Everything was so fresh. Chilean Sea Bass was my choice. Too good to pass up. Today was going to be a “splurge” day. I could feel it! You know; one of those days your head says you should be home paying bills, but your heart is saying since you got in the car and made the trip from Temecula to Carlsbad, “let’s just do this!”

When I walked through the front door of the market, I should not have turned around…against the wall, I see live lobsters that were just staring at me! Nancy has been talking about lobster, but I know she would not like to be in the kitchen when I had to put them on the sacrificial altar of my cutting board. I decided to have them par-cook the lobsters for me; put them on ice and I would finish them off on the grill. Let it be said, let it be done! Time to go next door!

Again, so much to pick from! New York, Rib Eyes, Tomahawks, Porterhouse. I finally decided on a large New York. It was time to take my bounty and go home to cook!

I set up my GS 270 Smokers grill; I was off and running. The wood smell is always amazing!

What a great day! The next time you find yourself with a thousand-mile stare at your fridge, get in your car and explore!

And as always, thanks for Spending Time In My Kitchen!