Antonio’s Pizzeria and Catalina Cabaret

May 14, 2011

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California – During a previous trip to Catalina I was surprised to learn that Antonio’s serves breakfast. Today would be one of the very few days I’d be on the island early enough to have a real breakfast, as opposed to brunch. As soon as I got off the boat I made a beeline straight for this restaurant. As luck would have it, they hadn’t yet opened for the day. One of the workers was just putting out the signs. So I walked around for a few minutes and returned.

Antonio’s Pizzeria and Catalina Cabaret sits on the water’s edge about midway between the boat landing and the casino. Their website says they’ve been on the island for 18 years. Antonio’s is part of a restaurant partnership with Hotel Catalina comprised of five other restaurants on the island, including El Galleon, whose review will be posted soon here on Kanale Eats.

Since they had just opened for the day, it was very quiet when I walked in. My host led me around the corner to a booth overlooking the bay. There was only one other patron inside. The place was chock full of seafaring signs, both neon and wooden. The floor is wood plank. The booths and tables are wooden. It has a very New England feel to it. There is also a nicely-stocked bar, fittingly called the Buffalo Breath Bar. Outside is a nice-sized patio.

As I perused the menu, the Hawaiian French Toast Breakfast ($11.95) caught my attention. When I saw that it included Portuguese sausage, I was sold. It also comes with two eggs cooked your way. I ordered milk ($3.00) and orange juice ($3.50) to go with it. They came in plastic cups with the logos of Antonio’s and the other partner restaurants on them. The OJ tasted like it was fresh squeezed. As I waited, I was entertained by the pelicans and other birds doing what they do when there are no humans around to shoo them away.

It did not take long for my meal to arrive. (On a side note, it looked like my host was pulling triple duty as host, server and cook; I didn’t see any other staff in the room). Everything was served on one very crowded plate. I dug into the Portuguese sausage first. Mmmm. Just like in Hawaii. Firm texture. Fried the way I like them. Not as greasy as some Portuguese sausage can be. The eggs were fluffy. Not much else to say about them.

At this point, I ran into an obstacle; how to butter the French toast without sweeping off all those Macadamia nuts. I ended up just putting chunks of butter in strategic places and letting it melt around the nuts. The Hawaiian French toast was delicious. It was made with Portuguese Hawaiian Sweet Bread. Score more points there. In my opinion, Hawaiian Sweet Bread makes the best French toast, hands down. Antonio’s tops it with just enough chopped Macadamia nuts to add crunch and flavor. What really elevated the French toast, though, was the coconut syrup that came with it. Talk about a perfect blend of flavors! It had more of a syrup flavor than coconut, but the coconut did shine through. I was so impressed by it that I’ve started making coconut syrup at home when I make Macadamia nut pancakes.

Last time I was here, our group of four had a nice lunch. Their dinner menu leans heavily toward Italian fare. It was a nice change of pace to see what Antonio’s does for breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised with this meal.

If you dine solo, I’d recommend going during off hours (good luck with that during the summer months). It can get crowded and loud at times, especially during the summer months, but you’ll have a great time with a group. This place is popular for a good reason. The food and the atmosphere will bring you back.

Antonio’s Pizzeria and Catalina Cabaret – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended.

 

Armstrong’s Seafood

May 14, 2011

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California – It was lunchtime in Avalon and today there was only one place on my mind: Armstrong’s.

Armstrong’s Seafood was opened 28 years ago by Russ Armstrong and it is truly a family business. I have dined at Armstrong’s several times. When you find something good you stick with it. Their trump card is fresh seafood, in some cases caught locally.

As soon as you walk in, you’ll notice the mesquite-fired grill. Most of the time it will have an anxious customer’s meal cooking on it. The aroma from the grill is enough to let you know that you are in for a delicious meal. Be forewarned that before you even reach the door, there will likely be a line waiting to get in. This restaurant is very popular among locals and tourists alike.

This may sound odd but Armstrong’s serves some of the best broccoli I have ever had. I can’t identify what they used to spice it. Maybe they steam it over the mesquite grill but I’ve only ever seen meat cooking on it. Moving on…

Once inside you’ll find trophy fish mounted on the wall along with photos of anglers (including some movie stars from the golden age of film) and their catch. The wooden tables have rope-wrapped posts. There is a mix of wood paneling and brick along the walls. Dining areas include the patio, inside with views of the harbor, and a larger main area.

I chose to be seated inside with a view of the harbor because it was heavily overcast outdoors and drizzled off and on. My server came to take my order. With the mesquite grill in mind, I ordered the swordfish. To go with the fish, I decided to have a glass of white wine and a glass of iced tea.

It took a while for my meal to arrive even though there were not that many people dining at this time. Since I was seated across from the window, I couldn’t really see much of what was going on outside. I looked at all of the photos on the wall but got bored waiting after that.

At last, my meal arrived. The iced tea ($2.50) was served in a plastic cup with a lemon wedge. It tasted like your basic iced tea. Nothing really special about it.

To change things up wine-wise, I decided on a sauvignon blanc ($7.50/glass). I’m still learning my way around white wines. I have not tried very many sauvignon blancs. This one was not quite as light as I was expecting. It paired just ok with the swordfish.

The swordfish lunch ($20.95) comes with steamed vegetables and rice pilaf. The vegetables were broccoli and cauliflower, more broccoli than cauliflower. A lemon wedge and tartar sauce joined in to accent the fish. I went for the broccoli first, hoping to again taste that wonderful flavor. It was steamed properly and tasted pretty good. But today it didn’t taste the same as I remembered it. It lacked the spice. The rice pilaf tasted like your typical restaurant-style rice pilaf. It was cooked just about right. Aside from that, nothing to write home about.

Now for the star of the show. The swordfish was grilled perfectly with nice sear marks. Inside it was moist, firm, and flaky. And that mesquite flavor came through very nicely. Even after drizzling on some lemon and dabbing on some tartar sauce, the taste of the swordfish itself was still present. Yes! This is exactly why I come back to Armstrong’s so often. (To the swordboat captains and crew out there: Thank you!)

When my check came, I noticed I was charged for an entire bottle of wine when I only had one glass. Unbelievably, it took a bit of effort to get it straightened out. Sadly, the service today – not just with the check – cast a pall over my whole dining experience as I was really looking forward to this meal.

If you’re in the mood for seafood, Armstrong’s makes the perfect place to dine with friends. If you are looking for romance, Armstrong’s makes the perfect place to dine with your significant other, too.

With that said, it pains me that things appear to be changing here at Armstrong’s. I would have given them the 5-fork rating they earned in each of my previous visits but the service seems to have gone downhill. Therefore, the lower rating. Had this been my first time here I would have rated Armstrong’s even lower based on the service today. I will come back and I hope that things will have improved.

Armstrong’s Seafood – 4 forks. Recommended. Fresh, perfectly cooked seafood. What else can you ask for?

Update: June 16, 2013. Armstrong’s has shut its doors. When we visited today, another restaurant was in the process of being built. According to The Avalon Bay News, “the Santa Catalina Island Company decided it would be better to have a chain restaurant at that location.” Owner Russ Armstrong told The Log, “[W]ith this new regime (Santa Catalina Island Resort Services (SCIRS)), they are trying to get rid of folks who have been here for a long time, and bring in new people.” So after 29 years serving Avalon, exit family-owned Armstrong’s, enter the Bluewater Grill chain. The Catalina Chamber of Commerce reports that the neighboring Busy Bee restaurant will also be renovated to make room for the new restaurant.

I, for one, will miss Armstrong’s. They were one of the places that made Catalina such a unique and special place for me. I really hate to see it replaced by a chain restaurant. If I wanted to dine at a chain restaurant, I would’ve stayed on the mainland.

 

Steve’s Steakhouse

May 14, 2011

Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California – I was looking for a different restaurant to try for dinner next time I came to Catalina. I remembered a few from my previous visits but searched the Internet anyway just to see if I was missing anything. In addition to the familiar places, what came up was a highly rated steakhouse. Noting the name and location, I now had my dinner spot.

Steve’s Steakhouse has a prime location on Crescent Avenue. It is run by Steve Bray. His family has been on the island since the late 1800’s. Both he and chef Frank Blair worked for several years at Armstrong’s (see review). In 2001, Bray left to open his own place, bringing Chef Blair with him.

Steve’s is located upstairs in the same building as the Hotel Vista Del Mar. Dinner is a very popular time. The line forms outside at least a half an hour or more before dinner hours, which begin at 4:30pm during the summer. If you want a window table, you had better be one of the first few people in line or be prepared to wait a long time. If it is crowded and you are dining solo, they will not put you at a window table. You’ll be seated across the aisle from the window but you will still have a view.

Be careful when you walk up those stairs to the restaurant. They are probably steeper and narrower than what you are used to. And have patience negotiating the area around the hostess’ station.

Now that we’re inside, take a moment to notice the view of the harbor, which is nicely framed by arched windows. Then, as you are seated, notice the black tablecloths lending an element of elegance to the room. By this time, you should be relaxing and anticipating a fine meal.

My server came to take my order. There was no question I’d be having a steak today. To round out the meal I also ordered a salad and a glass of red wine.

On the menu was a section called Surf and Turf, from which I decided on the Steak and King Crab. The steak is a top sirloin, but you can upgrade it to a Ribeye, New York, or Filet Mignon. I chose the Ribeye. Upgrades are priced accordingly and the King Crab is at market price. ‘Accordingly’ and market price today was $58.95.

Surf and Turf (and all the other dinners) comes with sourdough bread, and a choice of baked potato or rice pilaf, and mixed vegetables, sliced tomatoes, or asparagus. I went with rice pilaf and mixed vegetables. Today the veggies were corn on the cob, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli.

The spinach salad ($7.95) was served on a square white plate. It was generously adorned with lots of chopped red onions. Lots of strong chopped red onions. Generous, too, were the real bacon bits and crumbed hard-boiled eggs that came along for the ride. A slice of beefsteak tomato cut in half adorned the upper corners of the plate. Large, fresh spinach leaves provided the base. Combined with the honey-mustard dressing, I was very pleased with this salad, particularly because of the ingredients I just described. It was good enough to make a meal of all by itself. Honey-mustard dressing on a spinach salad was something different for me and I liked the way it contrasted with the other flavors.

A few minutes before I finished the salad, the main course arrived. Everything was crowded onto one large white triangular plate; the rice, veggies, steak, crab, stainless steel container of melted clarified butter, and a lemon wedge all becoming close friends. This was all plated with an orchid flower at the apex of the triangle. Nice touch! There were also orchids in a vase on the table.

My wine today was an Aquinas Pinot Noir ($9.00). I probably need to get the movie Sideways out of my head when ordering a pinot noir. This one paired pretty well with the steak, though, but didn’t have any other real noteworthy characteristics.

The vegetables were fresh. I liked that they were properly cooked so that they retained some of their crunch. I dispatched most of these first. The rice pilaf was nice and fluffy. It was good but nothing else really special about it.

The King Crab legs, as you can see in the photo, were of average size and hanging over the edge of the plate. But what made me smile was seeing that they were already split lengthwise. Easy access to the succulent meat inside. You King Crab lovers out there know what a pain (literally) dealing with those spines can be. All I had to do was drizzle a little lemon juice on them, then lift, dunk, and eat. The meat was very good, but they could have been cooked maybe a minute or two less. Nothing to mark them down for, just an observation. Having the melted butter with crab legs is always nice.

My steak was cooked medium rare. It came with a wooden flag stating that it was. It was broiled judging by the grill marks and as a result, the exterior was just a wee bit charred in some places. Other than that, it was a good-tasting, tender steak with a nice, beefy flavor. No extra fat. And it was, indeed, medium rare.

Though it looked like a substantial meal, when I finished it, I wasn’t full. Yes, Steve’s does have dessert, but I did not get any this time. I didn’t want to overdo it since I still had a two-hour drive ahead once I got back to the mainland. When I do make it back here, I’ll try to save room for their signature Key Lime pie.

If you are looking for a great steakhouse while on the island, look no further. Whether it is a romantic lunch/dinner, business lunch/dinner, lunch/dinner out with friends, everyone will enjoy their dining experience here. Again, be warned, dinnertime during the summer is an extremely popular time. Plan accordingly.

Steve’s Steakhouse – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A private room with its own private entrance and restroom is available to rent for your special occasion.