Appetizers
Dining Out with Friends at
Written By Larry J. Mickartz
Spicy Shrimp
Mac and Cheese Pizza with Bacon
Mediterranean Lamb Chops with Lemon
Entrees
T
his month we walked to The
Milias Restaurant (TMR) in
downtown Gilroy, which is only
three blocks from our home, to
meet up with our Morgan Hill friends,
John and Michelle McKay. It was one of
those hot October nights, perfect for a
leisurely dinner in a nice air conditioned
restaurant.
J.Chris and I started the evening
with beat-the-heat drinks: a refreshing
Vodka and cranberry for J.Chris and a
tall gin and tonic for me. The Milias has
a well-stocked, full bar and the owners,
Ann Zybarra and Adam Sanchez are
well-versed in spirits, unique foods and
stories about the local history. The Milias
has a long history that goes back to 1895
and when it was the Milias Chop House.
In 1922 the restaurant opened at its cur-
rent location inside the Milias Hotel. The
current restaurant was opened in 2012.
John and Michelle soon arrived and
started their evening with wine from the
Milias cellar: a French Fleurs de Prairie
Rosé for Michelle and a Sonnet (SLH)
Pinot Noir for John. We had a great
time discussing personal backgrounds,
downtowns and food preferences. We
agreed that we all had a fondness for
small plates and therefore had a hard
time selecting from the great selection
of appetizers. We fi nally settled on
the Spicy Shrimp (With Blue Cheese
Crumbles and Chopped Celery), Mac
and Cheese Pizza (With Bacon), and the
Mediterranean Lamb Chops. Michelle
loved the Mac and Cheese pizza and
described it as the “Ultimate Comfort
Food.” The portion size was generous
so even after we each had a piece, she
was able to take about half home! John
declared the creamy and spicy fl avor
combination of the spicy shrimp his
favorite. The lamb chops, with a shot of
juice from a roasted lemon, produced a
“burst of fl avor.” After a taste of all our
selections, Michelle declared “my mouth
is happy!”
On most evenings, those small
plates could have completed our dining
experience, but we were on a quest to
test all things Milias so we launched into
the entrees. For those readers who have
Wild Halibut Cheeks
Airline Breast of Pheasant
Grilled Salmon with
Crab Sauce
94
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
NOVEMBER/D ECEMBER 2017
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