Australian Wagyu

The term Wagyu is thrown around in lot of butchers and meat markets. Wagyu translates to Japanese Cow. Ms. Goofy picked up these N.Y. strip steaks at 50. dollars/pound and were advertised as Wagyu steaks from Australia. You do see a lot of beef products coming from Australia these days. They were cooked over a very hot fire for about 4 minutes a side to create a medium rare on the rare side. They were very tender and well marbled with flavorful fat. I enjoyed it but the price, I could not get out of my head. Slapping the term Wagyu on a product does not guarantee greatness. They were very good but I believe a prime steak at a lesser cost would of been just as good.

Tokyo Central

What to do on this dark and stormy day but go explore the newly opened Tokyo Central Specialty Market in Emeryville, California. Let’s just say this was an adventure on foreign to me products. Forty nine ninety nine dollar strawberries from Japan, Waygu beef, extensive fish market, two rows of different brands/flavors of ramen, loads of Japanese snacks  a row devoted to seaweed and a buffet that charged by the pound. It was very interesting

CHARLEY'S

 

I recently returned from a five day trip to Florida for a knife show and to see the sights. You know I had to visit a couple of steak houses and Charley's in Orlando was first on my list. It did not dissapoint.

Charleys is a high end chain restaurant owned by the 'Talk of the Town' restaurant group. There is a dress code and the interior is very steak house classy. The waiter was well versed in the menu. I only mention that because it did take him a long time to recite all the specials and special cooking techniques. I can happily say the "Crumb Sweeper" was present. This was the icing on the cake for this special dinner.

I ordered a 21 dry aged bone-in New York strip steak which set me back 99. dollars. (steak only, everything was a-la-carte). I am not sure why I mentioned the price but it is comparable to San Francisco prices. This steak was cooked on a wood fire to a perfect medium rare. This steak was so yummy that it has to be put on my all time steak memory list. The dry aging lent to a certain funkiness that I crave. This was steak house greatness at its finest. Good times!

“WE ARE CHICKEN FARMERS”

That was the greeting that I received from these three children at the  Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market in Florida. I asked mom if I could snap photo. I would of bought everything they were selling with such a fantastic greeting. I was only passing through.