San Pedro Cafe

On our way home from Minneapolis, we stopped off at one of our favorite little spots, the San Pedro Cafe in Hudson, WI. This is one place we keep coming back to. From flawless brunch on their patio with friends, to late-night dinners, this is one spot where we've never had a disappointing meal.

One of the best things about San Pedro is their wood fired oven, from which they produce some of the best breads, meats, and pizzas that you've ever tasted. Everything is made to order, and if you sneak a seat at the counter in the back, you can watch the chefs make their magic.

On this particular night, we chose a cozy booth toward the back of the restaurant, where we could relax and enjoy the view.

First, we ordered ourselves two of the best mojitos around.

And we sipped them in between bites of the duck nachos (Wood fire smoked duck with pico di gallo, monterey jack cheese, and tropical fruit salsa).

Then, we enjoyed two steaming bowls of roasted corn and conch chowder. Chock full of celery, corn, carrots, and plenty of tender pices of conch, the chowder really hit the spot. The corn had been roasted in the wood-fired oven, so the sweet creamy chowder had just a hint of smoky flavor. As if that weren't enough, the soup was garnished with some of the best wood-fire roasted tomatoes we'd ever tasted. Sweet, but pleasantly acidic, they were the perfect foil for the rich creamy soup.

To top things off, we sampled part of a wood-fired pizza. This was the Jamaican -- thin crust pizza with pomodoro tomato sauce topped with sliced jerked chicken breast, caramelized jerked onions, and goat cheese.

©BURP! Where Food Happens

Peef & Lo's Favorite Corned Beef

It's hard to believe that we're celebrating our 10th St. Patrick's Day together this year. But, as you can imagine, that means we've had plenty of time to try our hand at quite a number of corned beef recipes. This one is now our tried and true favorite.

We love the slightly sweet braising liquid, and we heartily approve of what the dill, peppercorns, and clove add to the flavor of the beef. The flavor is not overpowering, but the savory smell is enough to drive you crazy during the last hour or two of cooking.

This brisket is delicious right out of the pot, but we often continue the braise for a bit in the oven, just to crisp things up a bit (try 45-60 minutes at 300ºF, with a bit of additional beer in the bottom of the pan).

Today, we'll be serving the brisket as part of our St. Patrick's Day feast:

Peef & Lo's Corned beef
Cabbage & Leek gratin
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Baby carrots
Guinness soda bread

And for dessert:
Irish whiskey cake
Baileys Irish cream custard (from Kopp's)



©BURP! Where Food Happens