Dessert
“ an extremely smooth, auburn colored Bavarian lager with a mildly sweet malt finish.” Our Pinot Noir got 91 points from Josh Raynolds of Vinous and is described by the winery as“ Bright red in the glass, with spice-accented aromas of dark berries and cola, a hint of floral vanilla and a black pepper note. Broad and full in the mouth with a blackberry-raspberry and cherry-cola attitude. Long finish with a touch of smoky mocha and velvet tannin.”
Salads and a“ killer good” Lobster Bisque arrived soon. The salad was a medley of olives, white and black beans, cucumber, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce and mixed greens topped with blue cheese and a choice of dressings. Steve liked that the extras were around the edge, so he could focus on the lettuce and greens. J. Chris and Jennifer agreed that the bisque was“ to die for.”
The main entrees arrived soon thereafter. Steve had the Grilled Pork Chops( pork with a sweet apple glaze). Two large chops came on a bed of mashed potatoes. Jennifer and I ordered from the specials menu. She had the Chicken Putenesca( chicken breast, olives, sun dried tomatoes, capers, marinara) served with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. I got the Petrale Sole( pan seared sole with a parmesan crust and lemon caper sauce) served with fingerling potatoes, seasonal vegetables). J. Chris had the Filet Mignon( 8oz. aged Angus, center cut, demi-glace) from the regular menu.
The four meals arrived together, warm and beautifully presented. There was silence at the table for a while as we dug into our entrées. Steve really liked his two large chops and the aromatic sauce. I think he was the only one who cleaned his plate. Jennifer’ s Putenesca had a very flavorful sauce and a large
piece of chicken. J. Chris ordered her filet medium rare and that it was … cooked to perfection. My Petrale Sole was a huge piece of fish. It was well prepared, flavorful and certainly plentiful.
Portions were large, and we took home three to-go boxes that night. As we were having a very loquacious evening we extended it with dessert. We settled on Vanilla Crème Brulee and Westside Bread Pudding( warm caramel sauce, salted caramel gelato). We capped it off with a coffee and a little delicious port.
It was a wonderful night with some great food intertwined with shared stories and adventures. Much to our surprise we were the last diners in the house! A shout out to the staff at Westside. The food was great, they served us well and the atmosphere was pleasant, as always.
Grilled Pork Chops
Dessert
Vanilla Créme Brulee
Chicken Putenesca
Westside Bread Pudding
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN APRIL / MAY 2018 gmhtoday. com
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