Dining Out : continued
chili ponzu sauce exquisitely wrapped the entire offering with bountiful flavors . Because caring is sharing , we all had a sample of this delightful dish . We gave it a unanimous thumbs up !
Deb loves a good pan-seared scallop and a good risotto . She set her sights on the Willard Hicks Risotto with Scallops ( three giant pan roasted scallops served over WH seasonal risotto ). Of course , it was magnificent . The scallops were crisply seared outside and delightfully tender inside . The risotto was smooth and luxuriously silky . This was a perfect dish we all enjoyed sharing !
I saw a ribeye on the menu and that was that . My Ginger Ponzu Bone-In Ribeye ( 18oz Certified Angus Beef bone-in ribeye , topped with a ginger ponzu demi-glace , shitake mushrooms , crispy onion strings and toasted sesame seeds ) was excellent . Ordered medium rare , it was beautifully seared on the outside and oh so tender through and through . Willard Hicks serves hand cut , certified Angus beef prepared on a wood-burning grill .
Besides the 18 oz . Ribeye and the 8 oz . Filet Mignon , they also serve up a 14oz . New York Steak , and a 14 oz . grilled pork chop . Each comes with a choice of several sides . For my Ribeye , we each chose a side and ended up with the Pancetta Macaroni and Cheese ( Manchego cheese , pancetta , cream ), the Brussels ( sautéed with brown sugar and truffle oil ), and the Sizzling Shrooms ( lightly pan seared mushrooms sauteed with shallots , garlic , and thyme ). The sides were great , made even better by our sharing and comparing notes along the way .
Taking this meal to the next level , Nestor suggested we look at the dessert menu . Our options were many , and they all sounded decadent . We decided as a group — with Nestor ’ s help — to go with the Oreo Cheesecake ( Crumbled Oreo cookies , fresh strawberry , whipped cream ). And the Passionfruit Chocolate Mousse ( Passionfruit puree , espresso chocolate sauce , white chocolate curls ). The desserts were incredible , both visually pleasing and deliciously satisfying . They were the perfect end to a perfect meal .
As we enjoyed our amazing meal together , we laughed a bunch and learned more about how Brian grew up on a shrimp boat — learning well what he didn ’ t want to do for a living . Joining the Army at age 18 , he became a combat medic . After basic training in Missouri and specialized training in Texas , he stepped off a transport plane at Fort Ord in Monterey CA in shorts and a t-shirt . He was expecting to arrive at his permanent duty station in “ Sunny California ” as his recruiter had promised . Instead , he was met with the typical Central Coast fog and cold . It was then he realized that his recruiter had got one over on him . That was August of 1987 . By the summer of 1988 he met Victoria , and the rest is Verdin history .
Besides spending time at home , Brian and Victoria enjoy loading up family and friends into their RV “ the Frenchie Connection ” and hitting the road to attend 49er games . Brian — the poor soul — is not a Niner fan . He is all about the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers . Victoria , however , has more sense and good
30 WINTER 2024 gmhTODAY Magazine : Go . Make history ... gmhtoday . com