So if you can’t already tell, I’m starting a new series on the blog called Restaurant Reviews! Whenever it comes down to it, it’s always quite difficult for my family and friends to find a place to eat that serves good, quality food and when we do find a place, we tend to keep going there because it’s hard to find a new place we all love. So that’s where these reviews will come through!

The goal is to act as your plug to all the great restaurants all over town and maybe typing the word restaurant over and over will finally teach me how to spell it without spell check. Plus I just love taking pictures of food and I’m sure you’ll like looking at them too.

And I’m not claiming to be a professional taste tester or a chef greater than Gusteau, I’m just a simple Linguini who enjoys good food and all of it’s aesthetics (aka don’t come for me).

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For Mother’s Day, the fam and I went to this cute lil restaurant named Avocado Grill. Avocado Grill specializes in “Small Plates” or tapas for you to share with others or order a few for yourself, but they also have “Large Plates” or your normal sized entrees for when you want something bigger to fill you up. Plus with their fresh and local ingredients, they’re perfect for vegetarians.

From salads to seafood to veggies to ceviche to craft tacos and especially avocados, they have a wide variety of small plates to try with many different flavors and colors. And if you’re looking for something larger because you just want those flavors to last a little longer on your plate, they have burgers, sandwiches, and seafood to satisfy your hunger.

But what did we try?

ROASTED MUSHROOM EMPANADA

Don’t let these large photos fool you, this empanada was only the size of my finger, but despite it’s size, it packed a whole lotta flavor! With a perfectly fried, crunchy exterior and a delicious roasted mushroom interior, this little empanada is a part of their small plates portion of the menu. Plus, it was served with a gentle buttery, nutty flavor coming from the Fontina Cheese and a flavorful Truffled Aioli while being topped with a few little greens for decoration.

I may not be a huge fan of mushrooms, but even I loved this roasted mushroom empanada and I definitely recommend it for sure!

 

GRILLED FISH TACOS AL PASTOR

These two grilled fish tacos were again a part of the small plates portion of the menu, but they too packed a punch from the Habanero Marinade. Though slightly grilled, the half soft half crunchy taco shells matched perfectly with the spicy grilled fish.

Topped with Confit Pineapple, Avocado, and Key Lime Aioli, this fresh mixture of flavors went perfectly together to create one perfect pair of tacos. Plus who doesn’t love some parsley leaves on top for extra decor and color.

 

MUSHROOM GNOCCHI*

Now not going to lie to you here, I don’t really remember the exact name of what this meal was because it came off of the specials menu for that day, but it was hands down my favorite meal of the night. This small plate of savory gnocchi was SO GOOD that my family was quite sad to see it go when it was finished. The gnocchi were served with corn, peas and mushrooms on top of some sweet potato grits and topped with chives.

Again, I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms (not really a fan at all tbh), but I absolutely adored this small plate and I’m sure you will enjoy this creamy and savory dish too.

 

GRILLED AVOCADO WEDGES

I absolutely love avocados so this small plate was PERFECT. The smooth avocado with that little bit of char from the grill was delicious and the wedges were served on a bed of lettuce and local arugula.

To keep things nice and fresh, the wedges were topped with a Spiced Mango and Watermelon Salad that included a variety of fresh fruits that worked scrumptiously together with the grilled avocado. Free shavocado indeed.

 

PAN SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS*

Along with the gnocchi, these scallops also came off the specials menu and they came in very close second when it came to ranking my favorite dishes. The scallops were perfectly cooked and arrived on top of a White Sweet Potato Puree. I’d never had White Sweet Potato before, but I immediately fell in love.

On top of the scallops is where it got interesting. The scallops were also served with a Pineapple and Jicama Salsa as well as a Chili Lime Vinaigrette. Another topping that this large plate style dish came with was Lotus Root Chips and as wild as they sound, they tasted wonderful. With their holey appearance, not only did they look awesome, but they tasted awesome too. The whole thing was topped with a bit of sprouts for flair.

This mixture of flavors was savory and just absolutely delicious. With the creaminess of the white sweet potato and the crunchiness of the lotus root chips, this killer combo was a perfect large dish to keep you full and happy for the rest of your evening.

 

SWEET POTATO & COCONUT CRUSTED MAHI

This large plate was quite the adventure that I was very glad to have gone on.

First up, the fish. The mahi mahi was cooked perfectly with that perfect toastiness from the coconut that sort of reminded me of a Samoa Girl Scout cookie, but in a good way. The coconut flavor was paired nicely with sweet potato and a delectable ginger dressing on top with a lemon on the side.

The fish itself was laid upon a bed of fresh, local arugula mixed in with green beans, cucumber, and a tropical fruit salad. All of this was tossed with a ginger dressing to blend with the fish. While I’m not the biggest fan of arugula, my mom adores it so she ate some of mine and loved the fact that it was locally sourced.

 

CRAB CAKE SLIDER

I don’t have a picture of this lil slider, but it came on a small sweet bun with guacamole on one side and tartar sauce on the other. From what I’ve experienced, crab cakes are usually filled with other things and you don’t really get as much crab, but with this little slider, you get straight crab which is absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend this small plate.

 

GRILLED PRIME BURGER

I also don’t have a picture of this large plate, but as my little brother is quite the average teenage boy, these small plates don’t cut it and he needed a little more sustenance.

This burger was served on a Brioche Bun with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Avocado, and Brie so it’s safe to say that finishing this burger was no small feat. This burger was also served with a side of fries and while my whole family was upset that he didn’t upgrade to truffle parm fries which looked AMAZING on other’s tables, the plain fries were pretty darn good too.

 

Overall, Avocado Grill was an amazing way to spend Mother’s Day dinner. The ocean was less than a five minute walk away and the restaurant fit all of the aesthetics. Plus it was cool enough outside to where we could sit outdoors and enjoy the breeze with a candle and some cute string lights. From a mixture of small plates to a couple of large plates, the dishes were all splendid and full of flavor and color. The combinations, which may have sounded a bit strange at first, were delicious and perfectly paired together and it’s always a good thing when you try something new and love it which I definitely did. We hope to be returning soon! 🙂

Kasual kook xx