SLAPFISH GOES BRICK & MORTAR IN HUNTINGTON BEACH | MENU PREVIEW

Yes, I admit it - I am a Gourmet Food Truck-aholic. I am in awe of these guys & gals who manage to serve high-end restaurant-quality food out of a teeny-tiny kitchen-on-wheels outta' the side of a truck.  I have a hard enough time making toast in the morning and not burning it - so, these chefs' abilities never cease to amaze me.  

I am also a seafood-aholic.  So, naturally, one of my all-time favorite Gourmet Food Trucks is the SlapFish Truck.  (Some of you may recall a previous blog post I dedicated to them back in November: http://annewatsonphotoblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/farm-to-food-truck-challenge-ii-meet_14.html.)  Needless to say, when rumors started flying several months ago that these guys might be 'Going Brick & Mortar' (aka, opening up their own non-mobile restaurant) in OC, I was thrilled.  This week, the dream is a reality - SlapFish is opening their first location, a fast, casual, sustainable seafood restaurant, in Huntington Beach this Friday, April 20th. Yahoo!

Left: SlapFish Chef / Owner, Andrew Gruel; Right: Serving-up Mouth-Watering Creamy Clam Chowder

On Monday night, I had the special opportunity to attend a 'VIP Menu Tasting' at the new location - all I can say is, "WOW."  This is some seriously amazing cuisine.  I attended the event with my English husband, author Tim Watson, who grew up on the coast of England... he is a SERIOUS seafood connoisseur. If it's been swimming &/or attached to a rock in saltwater, my husband will be able to tell you what it is & whether it tastes good or not.  So, when even his mind was blown by how delicious everything coming out of the SlapFish kitchen was, I took that as an excellent sign.

Delicious, fresh local Carlsbad Oysters with SlapFish's amazing, uber-hot Red Habanero Hot Sauce - My husband, Tim Watson, went nuts for these & said they were some of the best oysters he's ever tasted in his life.

And, even if you're not a seafood fanatic, there are still plenty of items to keep you comin' back for more -- They have two non-seafood dishes on the menu: A Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese Sandwich AND a Double-Smoked Bacon and Brie Melt with Mango Mustard. (Mmmm... bacon.)  And, their desserts are fantastic -- provided by the always-amazing Brooke of Simply Sweet Cakery, her cakes & cookies are to-die-for.

Delicious desserts at SlapFish provided by Brooke of Simply Sweet Cakery.

So, below you can feast your eyes on a small sneak-peek through photos of the SlapFish restaurant menu - prepare to salivate. And, then prepare to attend the SlapFish Grand Opening when they open their doors to the public this Friday, April 20th (19696 Beach Blvd. in the Newland Center).

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Tower of Wasabi Tuna with Marinated Cabbage & Cucumber

Fresh, seasonal salads at SlapFish: Currently featuring a SoCo Farmers' Market Salad

Left: Michael Harris' 'Gambas a la Plancha'; Right: Lobster Lettuce Cups

Wild Pacific Albacore Tuna Melt with spinach, cucumber, tomato & creamy chipotle

Fresh, grilled-to-perfection Sea Bream

Chef/Owner Andrew Gruel at work in the Kitchen with his team

SlapFish Shrimp Cakes = Perfection.

Fish 'n' Chips, SlapFish Style

TAWNY & KNIGHTLEY McKENZIE | MOTHER + DAUGHTER

I was thrilled last weekend to bump into some great friends of mine, Tawny & Ian, at The OC Mart MIX in Costa Mesa and get to meet their adorable 4 1/2-month-old baby girl, Knightley (how can you not love that name, btw?!) for the first time.  I mean, I love babies and think all babies are beautiful - but, THIS baby. Knightley. Wow - so, so, SO cute. She has a better head of hair than any grown-up I know, and absolutely gorgeous blue eyes that'll knock your socks off.

Naturally, I couldn't help myself and snapped a few impromptu photos of Mom + Daughter.  And I thought I'd do this blog post to give you a tiny sample of highlights from our lil' spur-of-the-moment shoot for your baby-oogling pleasure!...

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CATCHING RAINDROPS | THE BEAUTY OF NASTURTIUMS

Every time it rains here in Southern California, I eagerly await the storm's passing so I can venture out into our garden and explore. Rain is such a rarity in this arid desert climate, its presence inevitably changes things - the smell, the look, the feel of everything - if you pay close attention, the entire garden goes through a metamorphosis after a downpour.

One of my favorite post-rain discoveries is how rain affects the delicate Nasturtium flowers that my husband Tim planted in our garden.  From a handful of seeds, they now grow like weeds - spreading over the ground, climbing over fenceposts - their yellow, red & orange blooms peeking out between their large, lilypad-like green leaves. And the rain transforms these little beauties.

Originally from Peru, Nasturtiums made their way to Europe when they were brought by Spanish conquistadors to Spain in the early sixteenth century and quickly spread around the continent. Monet's famous garden at Giverny was laden with nasturtiums as they fit the impressionist's style of shimmering, blurred colors as they spilled over pathways like enthusiastic brush strokes.

These clever little edible plants were designed by nature to catch the raindrops - one at a time - in their conical leaves. And when the post-rainshower light reflects on these droplets, something magical happens. It's like something out of a fairytale - too beautiful not to try & capture with my lens - and share with you...

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