COME FOR THE RIBS - STAY FOR THE FISH.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic Tickling your fancy with Rib Ticklers' baby backs is probably the main reason to visit the new Adobe Cantina can·ti·na n. Southwestern U.S. A bar that serves liquor. [Spanish, canteen, from Italian, wine cellar.] in Agoura. Rib Ticklers is an award-winning barbecued ribs recipe that came out of the Northwest and is for the first time available locally at a major restaurant outlet. A tiny barbecue eatery in Saticoy previously had been the only place to find these ribs and sauces, voted the Best in the West at the huge annual rib cook-off in Sparks, Nev., on Labor Day Labor Day, holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September to honor the laborer. It was inaugurated by the Knights of Labor in 1882 and made a national holiday by the U.S. Congress in 1894. 1996. The baby backs ($10.95 or $16.95) are superb, fall-off-the-bone, meaty, smoky versions with a rich, dark sauce that should have barbecue fans flocking here by the droves once the word gets out. Rib Ticklers was inspired by the late Willy Harris' North Carolina-style Smoky Hill Barbecue in Tacoma, Wash. It was brought to this area by Dennis Ofsthun, who owns the Rib Ticklers name, marinade, sauces et al. Such outstanding barbecue deserves its new Adobe Cantina home. This is a true rustic cafe and patio, with high stools around small circular tables or at counters as its interior seating, and regular outdoor tables and chairs on its larger exterior patio. You get your silverware wrapped in a paper napkin a napkin made of paper, intended to be disposed of after use. See also: Napkin , but thankfully the food comes on real china, not plastic or cardboard plates. And, for the most part, what is served up is pretty good stuff, good enough in fact to already make this a hit even though the very successful Wood Ranch is right up the road. With a strong seafood influence added to its meaty barbecue lure, the Adobe gives customers a wider range than many barbecue spots do. One of the best is the crawfish crawfish: see crayfish. bisque bisque 1 n. 1. a. A rich, creamy soup made from meat, fish, or shellfish. b. A thick cream soup made of puréed vegetables. 2. Ice cream mixed with crushed macaroons or nuts. ($9.95), an ugly-looking but really enjoyable platter of a spicy hot, dark, thick, stewlike, shelled crawfish mixture ladled over white rice and served with a choice of tortillas or toasted, crunchy house bread. And the Cantina's charbroiled mahi mahi tacos ($6.95 with rice and beans Rice and beans, "arroz y habas" or "arroz con habichuelas" "arroz con frijoles" or similar in Spanish, "arroz e feijão" or "feijão com arroz", in Brazilian Portuguese, "du riz a pois/haricots" in French, and "diri ak pwa ) may be a bit more expensive than most, but you won't find more skillfully executed cooking of fish anywhere. The pieces of mahi mahi are melt-in-the-mouth wonders and generously portioned into a fat, satisfying soft taco made with properly prepared soft tortillas. The tacos are a natural advertisement for the dinner entree of mahi mahi ($12.95), one of seven regularly listed fresh fish plates. Others are Pacific snapper snapper, name for members of the Lutianidae, a family of spiny-finned food and game fishes found chiefly in tropical coastal waters. Snappers are carnivorous, active, and voracious, with large mouths and sharp teeth. Most species travel in dense schools. , swordfish swordfish, large food and game fish, Xiphias gladius, of the warmer Atlantic and Pacific waters, related to the sailfish. It is named for its sharp, broad, elongated upper jaw, which it uses to flail and pierce its prey of smaller fish, rising beneath a school , ahi tuna, salmon, halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. and seabass. One day recently, the Cantina's lunch special was rock shrimp tacos. Two guys sitting nearby at the counter were elated they selected them. And as the server recited his spiel spiel Informal n. A lengthy or extravagant speech or argument usually intended to persuade. intr. & tr.v. spieled, spiel·ing, spiels To talk or say (something) at length or extravagantly. , they interrupted and gave unsolicited testimonials to this effect. Though the tri-tip is very tasty and has been excellent two out of four times, one order seemed fattier than necessary and another had several dry slices. But pork roast ($8.95), pulled in the traditional manner and indescribably tender, though cautioned against by a staffer one time and consequently passed up, proved to be absolutely delectable at a later visit. In the appetizer category, ceviche ce·vi·che or se·vi·che n. Raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice with olive oil and spices and served as an appetizer. [American Spanish, from Spanish cebiche, fish stew, from ($4.95) here matches the impressive taste and texture quality of the house dipping salsa, but the pieces of fish are cut way too small. Baby calamari ($5.25) however is a crunchy wonder. As for whether to order the sauce here in the mild, spicy or turbo options, don't worry that the turbo version will scorch your tongue. It's spicy all right, but not extra fiery. Just hot enough to tickle the ribs and your fancy, too. THE FACTS The restaurant: Adobe Cantina. Where: 29100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills. When: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Behind the scenes: Bruce Spencer, formerly with Pelican restaurant chain, is the owner. Recommended items: Fried calamari Fried calamari is a popular seafood dish served in many Mediterranean countries' restaurants such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey. It is a relatively simple dish, which consists of batter coated, deep fried squid, often fried for under two minutes to prevent it from becoming too , Southwestern crawfish bisque, mahi-mahi tacos, pork roast, sliced tri-tip, baby back ribs, barbecued beans, agave wine margaritas, microbrews (Pike pale ale, Red Hook Starbucks stout, Great White Man Eater red ale). How much: Starters from $4 to $8, pastas and entrees from $8 to $17, desserts $3.50 each. Beer and wine. All major credit cards except Discover. Wine list: Minimum wine selection of five varietals (chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and white zinfandel) from Monterey Vineyards plus white and red ordinaires with same label. Also pinot noir and zinfandel from Mountain View, Gamay ga·may n. Any of several related red grapes used for making red wines, especially Beaujolais. [French, after Gamay, a village of east-central France.] from J. Lohr and M. Tribaut sparkling wine, all by glass ($3 to $4) or bottle ($10 to $13.50). Additional wine list by request. Also good selection of microbrews by the pint ($3.25 and $3.50 each). Reservations: Not taken. Information: (818) 991-3474. Our rating: Three Stars for food; Three Stars for service; Two and One Half Stars for wine; Three and One Half Stars for beer. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Barbecue pit boss Dennis Ofsthun, left, owner Bruce Spencer, co-owner John Spencer and manager Marc Gonzalez aim to please lovers of both meat and fish at the Adobe Cantina in Agoura Hills. David R. Crane/Daily News |
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