Ole Gin Bakery, Catering, & Bar updates coming soon

On the recommendation of Mr. JC Gates I decided to take my wife to Ole Gin Bakery, Catering, and Bar. Samantha Braun has opened here in Wall recently and has started off in a great way. Samantha's Buffet Menu is vast and she offers some great choices throughout the week. Tuesday and Wednesday is Home Cookin' on the buffet. My most memorable choices here tonight were Roasted Turkey (very juicy), Macaroni and Cheese, Potatoes au Gratin (I love CHEESE), Stuffing, Pot Roast (falling apart), and Mashed Potatoes with either a white pepper gravy or brown gravy. A great salad bar was also included with the buffet. Egg Salad, Chicken Salad, and Artichoke Salad are a few of the choices available. I tried Egg Salad for the very first time here and I really enjoyed it. My wife had a green salad with a Balsamic dressing that she seemed to enjoy very much. Elizabeth also enjoyed some Catfish, Lasagna, fresh fruit, and what I believe were wheat rolls topped with oats (everyone knows I've been on a low carb thing for a bit so I restricted my carbs to potatoes and desserts tonight....I know I didn't succeed at staying under 50 carbs today...I'm so glad I enjoyed the food!) We rounded out our meal with some Blueberry Bread Pudding and Caramel sauce...I'm not usually one for bread pudding but I have to say it was VERY tasty. I'd eat it again. On Thursdays they have Tex-Mex night and offer Tacos, King Ranch Chicken, Mexican Rice, and Enchiladas along with a few other items. Friday is Italian night and the menu offers Spaghetti with Meatballs, Spinach Lasagna, Tuscan Tilapia, Italian Peas, and Chicken Marsala. Saturday Smorgasbord has entrees from throughout the week. Sunday offers brunch around 10 AM and has Scrambled Eggs, Western Scramble, French Toast, Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage, Cream Gravy, Cinnamon Rolls and lots more including Turkey, Fried Catfish, Biscuits and Ham Steak. There's so much available here including sandwiches like the All-American Wedge, classics like the Reuben and a Turkey Club along with some more modern choices like the BLAT. That's Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato. Another one is the French Gobbler with Turkey Breast, Brie, Apples, and Avocado on grilled Sourdough bread with Honey Mustard. Check out the Crab Cake Wrap too served with Cajun remoulade, baby greens, and tomatoes. Atmosphere hasn't changed much from the previous owners and it works for me. It's down home and country. Prices are very reasonable for a night time buffet. $24 dollars total with the tip included. Samantha is very personable. She answered our questions (and listened to me talk...a feat in and of itself LOL!) and we enjoyed speaking with her about her new endeavor. Our waitress was very attentive to our needs and did a great job. Smiles abound here and that's a HUGE plus with me. Don't miss out on the baked goods on your way out. A few of the choices are Lemon Bars, Over the Top Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Key Lime Bars, Cookies, Muffins, and 7 Layer Bars. SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM you won't ever leave hungry. Come see the friendly folks here at the Ole Gin and enjoy some great food! Thanks JC for telling me about this place!

Marinades

Here are a couple of good marinades you can use on steaks and fajitas to bring out some flavor and increase tenderness.

1) Teriyaki and Limes - This is one my Uncle David taught me back in the 80s. Very simple and great on Fajitas. Here's the family pack recipe.

Juice of 4 small limes
2 Cups of Teriyaki Sauce (Kikkoman)
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional for a bit more kick)


Marinate your meat in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours in a large freezer back. Flip every hour. The best amount of time is overnight. Sear meat on both sides and then move to a cooler side of your grill to cook to your desired doneness.

2) Mac's Fajita Marinade

This is one of my favorites and works every time for great fajitas and any steak. This is for a family pack of meat.

1 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Cups Wishbone Italian Dressing
3 Cups Pineapple Orange Juice
3-5 tablespoons of your favorite steak seasoning

Marinate the meat overnight in a freezer bag. Don't forget to flip it every hour or so until you go to bed. Grill your meat over high heat to sear and then move to a cooler part of the grill for finishing.

BONUS: Everyone likes to see Fajitas garnished with bell peppers and onions. Try this for a great presentation.

2 each of Red, Yellow, Orange, and Green Bell Peppers (cut into strips or use cookie cutters to get the desired party time shapes you want)
1 large Red Onion sliced into thin strips (Feel free to use whichever onion you like best.) I like red because of the color it provides.
Olive oil
2-4 pats of salted butter
Tarragon

Cover the bottom of a non stick skillet with olive oil and heat it up. When the oil gets very hot put in your onions and let them saute. About halfway through your desired doneness (I like them carmelized) put in the butter and add the cut peppers. Leave onions on bottom of pan for a while to continue to carmelize. The steam from the onion will steam the peppers a bit. When the onions are just about done stir them up really well with the peppers and then sprinkle some tarragon in. Saute for just a few minutes more and don't let the colors fade a whole lot (Colors will fade if you put them into a pan and cover with foil.) Mix them up with your fajitas and serve right away. For added effect use a cast iron pan thats been heated in the oven and place your sizzling meat, peppers and onions on. Serve with tortillas, Pico De Gallo, Guacamole, and your favorite Mexican sides.