I placed our orders. For appetizers, we chose the Mini asian BBQ Pork Shanks and “cheese Please!”—a taste of 3 local artisanal cheeses accompanied by seasonal pears, candied walnuts, and country toast. We also ordered one bowl of the Soup of the day (chicken Tortilla) and one Signature Pear Salad, which we shared. For entrees, my guest opted for the Wednesday daily Special, a ½ Pound Prime rib with all the Fixin’s, and I ordered the Bistro Jambalaya. Soon after placing our orders, aaron began delivering food to our table at a staggered pace so that we could savor and enjoy each item. If I had known how delicious the Mini asian BBQ Pork Shanks would be, I probably would have passed on ordering 36 MARKETPLACEcontracosta.com march 2016 an entrée, and just ordered more of these! These were the most meaty, savory, and delicious appetizers I have ever eaten! The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, and the shanks were served with a small portion of delicious pickled cucumber salad. The “cheese Please!” appetizer, one of only a few new items on the PSB menu, included three generous cubed samples of Pecorino-romano, Mozzarella, and Sharp White cheddar cheeses. There were also three slices of French bread country toast, a small cup of candied walnuts, three thin slices of pear, and mint garnish. a small cup of assorted olives and pepperoncini paired especially nicely with the sharp cheddar cheese. We thoroughly enjoyed this appetizer throughout the course of our meal. The chicken Tortilla soup arrived piping hot, topped with chive and sour cream garnish. The soup was delicious and only mildly spicy. The Signature Pear Salad boasted a mound of crisp, chopped romaine lettuce, mixed with thin slices of fresh pears, candied walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese. The champagne vinaigrette dressing was light and enhanced the flavors of the salad ingredients. Soups and salads are a la carte for all entrees and will add $7 to $8 to your meal cost, should you choose to order either of these starters. The prime rib entrée was delivered to the table first, a loaded plate with a juicy slab of meat nearly ¾ inch thick, a heaping twice-baked potato and a sautéed vegetable medley of carrots, broccoli, onions and bell peppers. accompaniments served with this entrée were creamy horseradish, au jus, and chimichurri sauce. My jambalaya entrée arrived soon after in a large bowl, heaped with pieces of chicken, prawns, spicy chicken sausage, salmon and catfish over a generous bed of white rice. (Seasonal fish is served with the jambalaya, so ingredients may vary.) everything we ate was delicious! The prime rib was cooked to perfection and had a wonderful flavor. The twice-baked potato was soft on the outside and creamy on the inside, and was topped with cheddar cheese. The sautéed veggies were tender and good, but were the slightest bit oily. My first bite of the jambalaya was a delightfully succulent piece of salmon, and every bite thereafter was equally as good. The tastes of the various ingredients complemented each other and were cooked together in a nice slightly spicy red sauce. It was a hearty meal and I was only able to finish half of it after all of the other wonderful things we had eaten! PrIMe rIB SPecIal MINI aSIaN BBQ POrk SHaNkS kITcHeN STaFF (l - r) MIGuel, GOMez, FraNcIScO, IrMa, carlOS (Head cHeF), e.J. (veNdOr-uS FOOdS), daNIel
Contra Costa Marketplace - March 2016
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