Food Quality

I want to start to stress the level of quality we use in our menu everyday. It affects everything that people say about the food, even if they don’t realize it. I want you to know why we differ from everyone else.

1. Chiles. They come from a place in San Antonio named Pendrey’s that hand dries and smokes all of their own stuff. They are a family owned operation and have been in operation since 1870. DeWitt Pendrey invented the spice blend you buy in stores today called “Chile Powder”.

2. Calamari. Most restaurants use calamari that is either pre-cut, or frozen, then cut. It requires less labor and it saves them money. We buy fresh whole calamari, clean it ourselves and cut it. When you eat calamari somewhere else, odds are its tough, or greasy, or both. By using fresh squid, and frying it at a very high temperature, ours keeps it juicy, tender, and crispy at the same time.

3. Potatoes. We buy a premium potato that comes from Idaho. They cost us twice as much as a cheaper brand, but their flavor is unmatched. We also get them from a supplier that “ages” them in a warm room for us. This causes the potato to ripen, yes, they actually ripen. When potatoes turn brown instead of golden, the sugars are not balanced inside the potato properly. Our ripening process balances the potatoes. That is the reason our chips and fries are so awesome. And we make ours fresh, no freezing.

4. Escargots. I know some of you think snails are gross, but you should try ours, they rock. We use Burgundy Snails. They are very tender and full of flavor; they are also a large snail. Most snails get tougher the larger they grow. The ones we use stay tender and juicy. They cost about 30% more than snails of lesser size and quality. I don’t like the French much, but they know their snails, they have the best.

5. Beef Tenderloin. Our tenderloin is from Australia. It is grass fed and free range. This is important for 2 reasons: First, cows as a species have always eaten grasses. American beef by and large is raised and fed corn. In order for cows to digest this, the corn has to be ground, turned into flakes, and the cows have to be given a special enzyme to aid digestion. They are given corn because it is cheaper, not because it what’s best for the cow. So, ours is raised on a natural diet and has a more pure, beef flavor. As you can tell from our customers, they seem to really like it.

Second, cows are supposed to graze. The vast majority of American beef is raised in feedlots. These are pens in which the cows are cramped together, do not move, and are susceptible to a host of diseases. They have to be given lots of antibiotics so they do not die prematurely. Our cows in Australia are raised on an open style range, the move in herds and rotate their way around the fields eating grasses. As a result, they are not given the antibiotics, growth hormones, and enzymes to aid digestion. In short, they are more naturally raised cows that are better for us and them.

6. Norwegian Salmon. 93% of the salmon sold in the U.S. is farm raised. The way these aqua farms raise their salmon is similar to how its done with cows. They are held in shallow crowded tanks that are not filtered properly. Because of this, they spend most of their days not swimming very much and breathing water filled with the waste of all of the other fishies. They are even given dye in their food to turn their color pink.

Our salmon is farmed, but in the wild. The company uses massive nets made from Kevlar to keep other predators out. Their water and breathing supply are filtered by the Ocean. They are fed a diet of the fish from the same waters they are being held in. It is the best, cleanest, and environmentally sound way to get salmon at a reasonable price. This type of aqua farming is called Sustainable. However, it still costs us 25% more compared to the larger farm raised.