Boat Fare

What I really like about eating out is trying new foods or new ways foods are prepared. We did an impromtu boat ride a few nights ago. The weather hasn't been very good this year for boating. We've either been plagued with cold weather or hot humid weather resulting in horrid thunderstorms in the afternoon or early evening. Anywho, the weather co-operated a bit so we decided to go out for dinner via the boat figuring it would make a nice change from the at that time non-functional kitchen.

Bosco Sticks

We normally order an appetizer and drink before a meal when eating out. Cheesesticks are a popular appetizer even though we don't order them often. Well, we have ordered cheesesticks before but not like these cheesesticks! Cheesesticks usually come about 4" long coated with a crispy, crunchy coating. They are pretty much generic both in visual appeal and taste regardless of where you order them.

We asked about cheeesticks and the very pleasant water said "oh you want the bosco sticks!" Ok then so we ordered them based on his recommendation. The cheesesticks were about 8 inches long. Unlike the other cheesesticks we have had they had a thick, soft breaded coating almost like a coney dog. They were served with fresh salsa and sprinkled with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Now, I seriously do not like any food heavily breaded but I have to tell you these were the best cheese sticks I've tasted in a very long time!

Pizza Quesadilla

Pub grub always follows the same lines with pretty much the same kinds of food presented slightly differently. If you are lucky you will find a pub you will go back to for the food over and over. This is one such pub. We arrived by boat then had to walk to the pub but is was a lovely night for walking.

We browsed the menu and my husband decided on a pizza quesadilla. This was actually a safe choice for him given it didn't have beans on it and it was high on the spicey heat level. This quesadilla came filled with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni with a side of salsa. According to my husband it was very much like a pizza with a thin crust. Now this is a bit of a spin on a quesadilla by using Italian flavours in a new way.

Nachos

I ordered the nachos that came with sides of hot peppers, salsa and sour cream. The platter was a large portion well over the amount I could eat. The nachos were topped with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, cheese and black olives. When I saw the black olives I was very pleased. They add a lovely mellowed flavour that melds nicely with the heat of salsa. This is not often found with pub nachos.

My two main complaints with pub nachos is they us some kind of processed melted yellow plastic stuff they call cheese. What the heck is that all about? Processed cheese does not add any flavour whereas a lesser amount of shredded cheddar cheese packs a huge amount of flavour! The second major complaint is they never give you enough salsa even though it might as well be ketchup for all the flavour it has. I guess that is a third complaint with the lack of flavour in the salsa. Seriously, salsa needs not only flavour but a bit of kick. Even mild salsa needs a kick whether it has any heat or not. Generally lime juice and corriander gives the kick for fresh or mild salsa. From there you add the heat. You can pack a lot of flavour into pub grub nachos while saving money something many pubs simply don't get :( As pub grub nachos I do have to say these were a cut above the rest but with a couple of changes they really could be spectacular.