Tuna Steaks

Love them! I have found my most favorite way to have tuna salad. Find a nice tuna steak at your local seafood shop or grocer......I prefer one that has a peppery coating on the sides of the steak....and then throw that baby on the grill! When cooked to perfection, a cooled tuna steak makes homemade tuna salad something spectacular. There really is no better way to enjoy tuna.

I have been purchasing the tuna (usually Albacore) in the foil packets instead of the awful cans. Did you know that the canned tuna actually can contain several different types of tuna? Predominately, Skipjack accounts for most of the canned light tuna and contains less Mercury than yellow fin and albacore. Yep....limit the amount of albacore. It may look great and seem healthier than the gray stuff in a can but its not. Anyway....I am sure that my tuna steak isn't any more safe.

So the next time you want to make some tuna salad, start with a Tuna steak on the grill instead of reaching for the can opener. It is very tasty and you will not be disappointed!

Restaurant Review

While I normally leave such things to the experts, such as Wine Me, Dine Me in Cincinnati, I couldn't help taking a shot at it this morning after our massive meat feast last evening at Boi Na Braza.

Boi Na Braza is a Brazilian Steakhouse where "Gauchos" continuously serve you five different types of meats - chicken, pork, beef, lamb and sausage prepared 10 different ways. ($47.50 per person) It is brought to you on a sword-like device and sliced right on to your plate. Remarkably, with all of the walking around with the meat in hand, I was never served a piece of meat that was anything but hot.

The Gauchos continue to come to your table as long as you have the red and green "meat place card" displayed as green. Turn the place card to red and the Gauchos will leave you alone.

I manage to try four of the meats prepared in several different ways. However, in the whole circus of parading meat, I was disappointed that I did not receive any of the pork entrees. Somehow this was not brought around for our entire meal. I found all of the cuts of meat to be juicy and well-seasoned. I also managed to receive several cuts that were medium-well despite the fact that much of the beef and lamb were cooked to their desired state of medium rare to medium.

I guess by now you are asking......"Were their any vegetables in this meat extravaganza?" Ahhh yes......Boi Na Braza has a large salad bar which contains a very nice selection of cheeses, salad vegetables, prosciutto, smoked salmon as well as hot side items like mashed potatoes, seasoned rice, etc. I must say that it was a little smaller that I had imagined based on previous reviews I had read but the quality of the food was very good! Any vegetarian could have had a very nice meal at the salad bar alone. ($29.99)

I must also mention that Boi Na Braza also has a very fine wine list and assortment of speciality drinks. My friends and I had just started with our wine when we spotted this interesting woman preparing fruit-infused cocktails from a little cart. The drinks were called a Caipirinha. ($14.99)

The Caipirinha's were a fruit-muddled concoction made with sugar, fruit, Brazilian rum and another Brazilian liquor. There was a lime (mojito style) version and the tropical version served with oranges, pineapple and strawberries. We tried both - multiple times. Tasty is an understatement for these cocktails.

In regard to disappointments, I was disappointed in the Brazilian Cheese Bread that is brought to your table. After hearing so much about it in reviews, I expected something cheesy and buttery. I guess what I was hoping for was something that rivaled those fabulous cheddar biscuits you get at Red Lobster. No comparison and they ended up being small dinner rolls infused with cheese but you never really saw it. It was not the taste explosion I was preparing for after the reading reviews.

Overall, it was a great meal. I found the service to be fabulous and attentive but not overly bothersome. Be prepared to throw down at least $150 for two people. This is definitely not your everyday restaurant and nor should it be. It is a great place for a special occasion and you will not be disappointed.