A special at the Milton Inn
Owner/chef Brian Boston of the Milton Inn in Sparks wrote to say that he's extending a special that was popular earlier this year, a 6-ounce filet mignon and 6-ounce lobster tail dinner for $35.
The catch is that you have to mention you're going for it when you make your reservation.
Everybody has specials these days; but what interested me was this sentence in his e-mail, for those of you who are looking for holiday party sites or places to meet friends:
Decorations are up, the fireplaces are burning and the restaurant is at its most charming this time of year. We are booking for Christmas eve and New Years Eve and all of our menus are on our web site...
But judging from the photo, which is from the Milton Inn Web site, I'd say forget the filet mignon and lobster tail and go for the oyster stew. Doesn't that look like exactly what we need on a day like this?
Comments
They both sound great for anyday!!!
Posted by: NotableM | December 5, 2009 3:42 PM
Oyster Stew:
Dig out your copy of James Michener's "Chesapeake" and dip in at about the 3/4 point where he explores Bay watermen.
Withing that book are the BEST oyster stew recipe you will ever find for both the heartier "He Stew" and the lighter "She Stew".
I'm traveling and without access to my books or I'd cite a page)
Posted by: MrRational | December 5, 2009 3:46 PM
google is a wonderful thing:
From James A. Michener's "Chesapeake", Copyrighted in
1978 by Random House, Inc.,
Chapter 22, "The Waterman":
(An excerpted conversation between the cook, Big Jimbo and the crew aboard the Skipjack, Jessie T. as she prepared for her maiden trip to dredge for "arsters" in Maryland's Choptank River).
A She-stew is the traditional one: Eight oysters perperson boiled slightly in their own liquor, then in milk
thickened with flour, flavored with celery, salt and pepper.
A great opening course, but not a meal for a working man.
A He-Stew is quite different, as Big Jimbo prepared his version. First he took a mess a bacon and fried it crisp. As it sizzled he chopped eight large onions and two hefty stalks of celery. Deftly he whisked the bacon out, tossing the
vegetables into the hot oil to saute. Soon he withdrew them, placing them with the bacon. Then he tossed the forty eight
oysters into the pan, browning them just enough to implant the flavor, then he quickly poured in the liquor from the oysters and allowed them to cook until their gills wrinkled.
Next Big Jimbo did two things that made his stew unforgettable. Taking a small pinch of tapioca powder, he tossed it
into the oysters and liquor and in a few minutes the finely ground tapioca powder had expanded it into a large translucent,
gelatinous mass. When he was satisfied he poured the oysters into the milk, which he had already brought to a simmer, tossed in the vegetables, then crumbled the bacon between his fingers,
throwing it on top.
The sturdy dish was almost ready.
Finally, Big Jimbo dusted the top of the stew with Saffron, giving it a golden
richness, which he augmented with a hollowly of butter at the last moment. When the crew dug in, they found one of the richest, tastiest "Arster" stews a marine cook had ever devised.
Posted by: MrRational | December 5, 2009 3:51 PM
We table-sampled that oyster stew at a dinner at TMI not long ago. It is so good it'll bring tears to your eyes. A lot of their food does. And the ambiance and service are unparalleled. If you don't get out to dinner much these days, this is the place to do it when you do; worth the trip and the cost. [Disclaimer and full disclosure: I don't know Brian except by his outstanding cooking.]
76th sultry (that captcha is for Dahlink, Dottie, and Lissa)
Posted by: Cleatus | December 5, 2009 4:20 PM
A "marine cook" had saffron around? Heck, I don't have saffron in stock.
That stew does look wonderful, though.
Cleatus, I'm only sultry in August, and I don't mean in a good way, either.
Posted by: Lissa | December 5, 2009 7:16 PM
Lissa, you're relatively new to B'more... yes?
The tale tells of skipjacks landing where Harborplace is now with bushels of fresh seafood (and fruits and veggies in summer) at the same time that McCormick was operating right there as well. Saffron and tapioca powder (and 100's of other exotic spices would be relatively commonplace.
You owe it to yourself to read the whole book and get more "flavor".
Posted by: MrRational | December 5, 2009 7:24 PM
When I was living in the midwest, I read Anne Tyler's books and immediately wanted to move to Baltimore. James Michener's "Chesapeake" furthered my resolve. And here I am!
Posted by: Carol in Hampden | December 5, 2009 7:47 PM
Yeah, I'm not from around here, MrRational. Never much cared for Mitchner, either. I grew up with Vernor's, pickerel and Sander's hot fudge.
Didn't know McCormick's did exotic, either.
Posted by: Lissa | December 5, 2009 9:19 PM
I love oysters, but am not sold on stew. But then, the only "stew" I've ever tried is basically hot milk with oysters floating in it. Both of the above recipess look wonderful and might be worth a try.
Cleatus, what's TMI? And thanks for "sultry," but I have several bouts of "sultry" a day, and frankly, it ain't all it's cracked up to be.
Posted by: Dottie | December 5, 2009 11:02 PM
Dottie, TMI is The Milton Inn. Yes, the "The" shouldn't have been capitalized.
Lissa, McCormick doesn't do exotic.
Posted by: Hal Laurent | December 5, 2009 11:32 PM
Thanks for clearing that up Hal.
I was fairly certian ole Cleatus wasn't dinning @ Three Mile Island.
Posted by: Bud J | December 6, 2009 5:07 AM
Oooh, Cleatus--my, my! No one has called me sultry (to my face, anyway) for some time.
I have heard, Dottie, that hot flashes were much appreciated in England before the advent of central heating. My, that was a good one!
Posted by: Dahlink | December 6, 2009 7:38 AM