Bonefish Grill – Take the Challenge Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to commentor #1: Greg!

The mood was set; candle lights flickered against the deep wood tones of the restaurant and the illuminated art along the walls.  The music was low, but not too low, and the atmosphere was casual and relaxed.  It was date night for three at our neighborhood Bonefish Grill and we were pulling out all the stops.

By stops, of course, I do mean crayons, fresh baked bread, and delicious beverages that help keep baby occupied while we dine.  Oh, and some of the best food I have had in a long time.  We’re talking melt-in-your-mouth calamari with a slightly spicy Asian-style dipping sauce (delicious!) and entrees that cover a range of chicken, beef and various types of fresh fish for everyone.  Add that all together and you have one of the best date nights ever.

Seattle is internationally known for their great seafood and the Bonefish Grill is only one of the many seafood restaurants near our home.  It had been awhile since we visited the Bonefish Grill and when I heard about their Bonefish Challenge I was incredibly excited to revisit the restaurant.  In fact, I had researched the seasonal offerings at our local restaurant and had pre-picked my dinner choice.  Three days ahead of time.

Every single thing we tried was rave-worthy, and even though the visit was just days ago, we are already planning our return.  I tried the entrée, Lily’s Chicken, and loved the pairing of the goat cheese and spinach with the chicken, and of course wished I had a tub of the garlic mashed potatoes so I could eat them every night.  Hubby had the Longfin Tilapia entrée and loved it so much I only got one taste, which really was too good to share.  What’s really great is you can actually chose your side and vegetable so you can order fish and potatoes without having to make a special request.  But, what would bring us back weekly was the appetizer calamari plate, which hubby gave the ultimate compliment of comparing it with our favorite dish at P.F. Chang’s.

There are still numerous other entrees I would love to try, which is great because we have plans to take our families for an upcoming birthday dinner.  With a menu full of exotic and familiar tastes and treasures, your whole family can finally dine without the whine.

Even when we insisted on a long dinner with appetizers and extras and baby started her meltdown, the staff was well equipped to handle the task of distracting the baby, bringing out a paper cup that surprisingly held her attention for longer than you would imagine – crayons in, crayons out.  When the cup lost its appeal, we had a multi-page kid’s coloring book and menu that we read while we waited.

The staff was extra helpful throughout the whole experience, from when we first walked in the door and the hostess guided us to a table that could accommodate our Phil and Ted’s screw on highchair and then with the extra bread that they brought out for  our littlest diner after she devoured the first loaf.  Drink refills were handled quickly and without even having to request them, and food was quick and hot.

When we couldn’t finish our meals (darn appetizer and bread), they even went the extra step of fully labeling the leftovers for us.  Seriously, I thought service like this went out of style in the 50s.  Even though it might have at most restaurants, it certainly hasn’t at Bonefish.  If you’re looking for us on date night, you will find us at the table by the stainless steel art enjoying our fresh bread and appetizer.

Take the Bonefish Grill challenge yourself – how does it compare to other restaurants in your area?

As an added bonus, here is a delicious recipe for Kate’s Grouper!

“Kate’s Grouper”
Presented by Tim Curci at Bonefish Grill
Serves 4 to 6 people

Grouper Breading Ingredients
• 1 qt. Bread Crumbs
• ½ c. Fresh Chopped Parsley
• 1 c. Powdered Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ c. Fresh Chopped Garlic
• 1 tbs. Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper
• 4 – 8oz. Fresh Grouper Filets
• 8 oz Unsalted Butter (about 2 sticks)

Lemon Butter Sauce Ingredients
• 1 tbs. Fresh, Chopped Garlic
• 1 tbs. Fresh, Chopped Shallots
• 2 tbs. White Wine (preferably Chablis)
• 3 tbs. Fresh Lemon Juice
• ½ lb. Cold Unsalted Butter
• 1 pinch Salt

Cooking/Topping Ingredients
• 1 bag Oak Wood Chips
• 12 Artichoke Hearts
• 1 tsp. Fresh Basil (cut into strips)

GROUPER BREADING PROCEDURE
Mix bread crumbs, parsley, powdered parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper very well and place in freezer until ready to use.

Slowly melt butter in a small skillet. Let melted butter cool to room temperature. Brush butter heavily and entirely over each grouper filet.

Remove breading from freezer and pour 1 cup into a wide pan. Gently roll grouper in breading covering entire fish. Repeat as necessary.

Place breaded grouper in a flat pan lined with wax paper and place in refrigerator for one hour.

LEMON BUTTER SAUCE PROCEDURE
Place all lemon butter sauce ingredients into a sauce pan on low heat. Reduce ingredients by half. (Except butter? Is butter added in the next step? What liquid is being reduced?)

Slowly add butter (in ¼ inch squares) and continually swirl with a wire whip on low heat. Temperature should be maintained at 110 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.

Add salt and strain sauce in a small pan to remove all particulates. Sauce should be creamy and smooth.

COOKING PROCEDURE
Add oak wood chips to grill. Heat grill to medium heat. It is important that grill is not overheated.

Oil grill and gently place grouper. Cook until grouper reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit (about 6 minutes on each side).

While cooking the grouper, place artichoke hearts on grill to heat.

WIN IT!

Thanks to Bonefish Grill, we have a $50 gift card to give away to one lucky winner! To enter:

• Just stop by Bonefish Grill before midnight, Oct 13th and check out their awesome recipes.
• Then come back and mention in comments which one is your favorite. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified via email shortly thereafter.
• The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to An Island Life’s feed.
• Follow An Island Life on Twitter.
• Place our button in your sidebar.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Bonefish Grill.
• Become a Bonefish Grill Facebook fan.

This giveaway is open to anyone who has access to a Bonefish Grill! Good luck!

This post was written as part of a program for Bonefish Grill who supplied the gift card to review their restaurant and for giveaway. By entering this giveaway, you are acknowledging that you have read, understood, and agree to my disclosure policy.

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