As I was thinking about the direction for this post, my mind wandered to my father. I've already written about my mother's incredible cooking skills, but daddy had mad skills, too. I don't recall him ever cooking a full meal unless it was something like a pot of chili, but there were times when he would get a hankering for something to eat and he'd go to the store and get what he needed to make that one thing. I have to say my father is probably the one responsible for my willingness to try different or unusual foods. How many of you can say you have eaten pickled pigs feet? Well I have and I recall liking them very much! I'm not sure if I could bring myself to eat them now but maybe, if that pungent vinegary smell brought thoughts of my childhood years, I could.
I never acquired a taste for sitting down with a can of sardines, a bottle of hot sauce and a sleeve of soda crackers (probably a throwback to his navy days). But when Daddy brought home a bucket of oysters, I stuck around for the feast. He would dredge them in cornmeal and fry them to a perfect golden brown. They would come out of that old iron skillet so crispy, seasoned just right and steaming hot. We would start eating them immediately, as each batch came off the stove. We had our saucer of ketchup to dunk them in and that cooled them enough to be able to plop them in your mouth! You'd have thought we were eating popcorn and drinking a coke! There were just never quite enough and I remember times he had to go back to the store so he could have some for himself! Daddy was always an unselfish man.
These days I eat oysters cautiously because I'm concerned about what's in the water. But from time to time I just have to have them. So when I heard about the 5 Points Public House and Oyster Bar I wanted to go check it out but I didn't get a chance until Restaurant Week. When friends dropped by and wanted to go to lunch it was the perfect opportunity to drag them to a new place I wanted to try. I was pleased to see that the restaurant had a different but no less fun vibe of the previous restaurant in that location, 26. The place was busy but we were seated right away. The menu was varied and I spied several items I wanted to try, like the Daily Mac and Cheese with orecchiette, smoked Gouda and cheddar cheese.
The special menu for Restaurant Week was beer cheese soup and an oyster po-boy with house-made chips. This was my choice and I added a salad because they looked so pretty! The salad was a good move, as it was fresh and crisp and green and perfectly dressed with a vinaigrette. I resisted, and won, when the server tried to remove the plate with salad still remaining! Although beer cheese soup is not something I would normally think of ordering, I now have a new addition to the list of soups I would order out. It's was deliciously creamy, not overly cheesy and had small chunks of bacon (but not too many) which we all know makes everything better.
My friend got soup also although she ordered salad instead. I'm glad for her that the soup was yummy. The server must have been overwhelmed or forgetful because she never did bring the salad back. I meddled but it was just an uncomfortable moment, so I backed off!
The oysters on the po-boy were cooked perfectly crispy and golden brown in a nice cornmeal batter. I loved the sriracha aioli on the sandwich, which was not quite a remoulade. It was better with just a little more punch to it. The crunchiness of the house-made chips and the flavor of the yummy sauce that comes with them, make them hard to stop eating.
I've been back since then and was equally pleased with my meal. But I won't go into the dishes now, although the stout and molasses braised short rib is worth writing about. Service was better the next time and I say go. Let me know if you do...
