Far Dog is the brainchild of restaurateur, Al Biernat's son, Jessie, and it's clear that he learned customer service at this father's knee. It was the first night of dinner service and it was packed. Troy Aikman and posse had taken up a full 50% of the tables. I don't mean this in a negative way, Troy was as kind and gracious as they come (more on that later), but just to illustrate how crowded it was. We inquired about a table and were told it might be a while. We hedged about waiting (as it was almost 9 PM, we had a 12 yr old with us who wasn't used to eating this late, and we were hungry) so we decided to walk down the block to see what else was open. The Biernat's suggested we circle back by if nothing else was to our liking and they'd have a table for us. We spent 15-20 minutes walking down the street to other cafes and decided to return. Despite several couples waiting for tables we were ushered right in to a table that said "reserved." We were five in all so the table couldn't have been for any of the couplets standing outside or in the bar. It was just the beginning of sold service that made us feel we were as valued and important as Mr. Aikman.
Portion size was very good - perfect for splitting (which I did with Riversong hostess, Sharon) or for taking home for tomorrow's lunch. We tried the Tomato-Mozzarella salad. It was your standard Caprese; very simple and delicious. For our entree we ordered the pan seared Hawaiian Lemon Snapper over sweet corn and heirloom tomato risotto. It was served with a frisee and fuji apple salad on top, and was sublime. Just the right amount of lemon was added to cut the richness of the white sauce that was drizzled over the top of the fish and risotto. And the risotto was incredible! I would've asked for the recipe if it hadn't been so crazy-busy that night. We capped it off with a piece of Coconut Cream Pie for the table. I'm a pie girl - don't mind saying, and this one didn't disappoint!
As we were paying our check, Troy rose to speak to someone in back, and we stopped him to let him know that there was a young girl from Dallas outside who would love to meet him. 12 yr old Mary Beltran, and her mom (one of my best buds, Ann) had stepped outside to get a little air. He asked her name and then made a bee-line outside to meet her and take pictures. He treated her like she was a big deal, as if she was the only person around, and with a great deal more respect than most young people get. You can tell he is a dad, and I'm sure he is a good one. I will never forget the look on her face, and the kindness he showed her.
So now I'm back in Naples and back to work. There's a lot of laundry and cleaning to catch up on, but I have a strong urge to create. I head to Michael's for a wood-burning tool and something small to test it on. I found a few lightweight picture frames for $1 each - perfect price - and some stencils on sale. I painted out each of the frames in ASCP Old White, thinned out with the tiniest amount of water. On one I stenciled a doily-look pattern in ASCP Duck Egg, and on the other I painted a Bee skep in honor of my recent Queen Bee vacation. I used the wood-burning tool to add depth and deepen the colors. Using the tool is NOT as easy as I thought it would be. I thought I could use it to engrave and outline areas, but it doesn't move that smoothly. I found it easier to burn little holes to outline elements, giving it a tramp art type of look. It's different than expected, but I actually like it. I finished both frames with clear and dark ASCP waxes, and buffed to make them smooth.
Happy Home - Happy Life! Lisa
Pictured below: Troy and Mary, Ann with Jessie and Al Biernat, my picture frames
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