What's your Favorite Appetizer?

[soccerdad72]

We don't order appetizers a lot, but there is this little Italian restaurant down the road from us that has the best appetizer - fried artichoke hearts with a really good lemon sauce. It's a must every time we're at the restaurant. Sometimes, we just go for a glass of wine, plus that appetizer and their calamari.

 

[MIGrandma]

Oysters - raw in the half shell. I've learned how to shuck them myself. Doesn't really need anything except maybe a slice of lemon, lime, or Tabasco. I like variety too. Pacifics, Kumamoto, Atlantic. When I was in the Seattle area I found one of the few places that was farming Olympia oysters. They were good, but tiny as heck.

I had raw oysters once, on our New Orleans trip. Loved them!! But they did not love me, made me so sick I missed a day and a half of our sightseeing. Later I read where diabetics shouldn't eat them because the bacteria can be deadly or at least make you very sick.

We were just at a place in Frankenmuth, Michigan called Prost, and they specialize in charcuterie boards. They have several fixed boards, or you can choose meats/cheeses and accompaniments to make up your own. We made up our own and it was great, also had their smoked trout dip, it was really good too. We didn't order meals, we were full after the appetizers.

I know a lot of people can't stand Applebee's but they have a wonderful appetizer that we've enjoyed many times, their pretzel sticks with beer cheese. We've had beer cheese at other places and it doesn't compare to theirs. Love it!

I like shrimp cocktail as an appetizer too, and deep fried pickle chips/mushrooms/onion rings.

 

[Praying Colonel]

My favorite restaurant here in town does my 2 favorite appetizers:

--Dates in a blanket: Dates stuffed with goat cheese & roasted garlic, wrapped in bacon, baked and served in a sauce of smoked honey and tomato sofrito.

--Short rib nachos: Braised short ribs, guacamole, pico de gallo, Monterrey jack cheese, black bean puree, pickled jalapenos, sour cream and cheese dip served on a bed of homemade potato chips.

 

[Wendy31]

W/ some meals, I just prefer a salad instead of an appetizer. W/ Mexican, I want chips & salsa, of course.

But my favorite appetizer is probably fried green tomatoes - especially when there's a little spicy heat in the crust, & they're served w/ wilted greens. One of my favorite restaurants serves fried green tomatoes w/ wilted greens, some mozzarella crumbles, & a balsamic dressing.

I also like shrimp cocktail, fried zucchini, coconut fried shrimp, lettuce wraps, & spring rolls... depending on where & what else I'm eating. We have a local Cuban restaurant, & DH & I always get empanadas there.

DH likes calamari.

We have a local restaurant that has jalapeno hushpuppies that are amazing. And there's a seafood restaurant in Florida that serves the best onion rings I've ever had.

 

[osopecoso]

Seafood restaurant near my home has this grilled octopus as an appetizer. Literally melts in your mouth. Waitress informed me it is brought in fresh daily.

 

[bcla]

I had raw oysters once, on our New Orleans trip. Loved them!! But they did not love me, made me so sick I missed a day and a half of our sightseeing. Later I read where diabetics shouldn't eat them because the bacteria can be deadly or at least make you very sick.

The Gulf of Mexico is warm, so the bacteria levels tend to be higher. Most of the oysters I get are from the West Coast from colder water areas like Tomales Bay (California), Puget Sound, or British Columbia. Bacterial levels are actually monitored as required by the state around here. That area in Tomales Bay is surrounded by cattle ranches, and when there's a heavy rain the bacterial levels tend to spike and the can harvest oysters until the bacterial levels go down. However, it is food for the oysters. Doesn't bother me though.

 

[Micca]

Bacon wrapped dates

I wanted to try that but my dates wouldn't do it.

I love calamari, crab rangoon when we get Chinese food, Espinaca dip at a Mexican restaurant.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Ooh and I forgot to mention the lobster nachos at DCA!!! Heaven.

 

[RangerPooh]

We don't do appetizers very often and usually stick to mozzarella sticks. I enjoy bacon wrapped jalapenos.

 

[karmic]

Anything from the raw bar especially oysters and shrimp cocktail with spicy cocktail sauce