gmhTODAY 19 gmhToday April May 2018 | Page 92

Dining Out with Friends at: Wine Written By Larry J. Mickartz Appetizers Shrimp & Grits Tempura Green Beans O n a cold Monday night, Jennifer and Steve Tate from Morgan Hill joined us at Westside Grill in Gilroy. We had a delight- ful evening and mostly managed to stay away from politics! Steve did confi rm that he is not running for re-election as Mayor of Morgan Hill. After serving twelve years as mayor preceded by eight on the city council, he said it is time to open the door to someone else! During the meal we traded a lot of stories and adventures and truly had a great evening…plenty of good food and drink along with some better camaraderie. We started the evening with a pre- dinner libation of Gin Martini with two olives for Jennifer, an 805 beer for Steve, a vodka, cranberry and soda for J.Chris, and a Tanqueray and tonic for me. Before long we ordered a few appetizers. Of course, we had to order the Tempura Green Beans with Saffron Aioli, a Westside classic, Westside Wings (Large Drummettes and Wings) with the sauces on the side, and the surprise of the evening, Shrimp & Grits (large shrimp in a cajun sauce.) Jennifer had tried the Beans before but somehow had missed the Saffron Aioli. “If you have to eat veggies, deep fried is the way to go and the dip is great.” The Wings were tasty, especially with the choice of three sauces on the side. The Ranch Sauce was mild, the Sweet Chili was spicy and the favored one of the evening, and the Hot Sauce was, as expected, really spicy! The hit of the evening was the Shrimp & Grits. The grits were creamy, the sauce was very “New Orleans” and the shrimp were large and perfectly prepared. The combination was just right. Jennifer declared that while she would not have ordered this on her own, “I could make a meal of it.” For a while the conversation flowed around our various travel adventures. We all have had some great finds, some mishaps, some hearty laughs and a few exotic twists. For our meal we ordered a bottle of Sarah’s Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir while Steve had a Gordon Biersch Marzen, Soup & Salad Entrees Petale Sole Westside Wings 92 GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN APRIL/MAY 2018 gmhtoday.com