All's Well at M Wells

This past weekend, I paid a visit to a local diner in my neighborhood, M Wells. M stands for "Magasin," which means "store" in French.

I took the liberty of taking photos of the menu at M Wells because I can't seem to find any online. This is the current menu as of the date of posting (2011-07-31). M Wells's website has no menu online either. So here it is.

First the breakfast menu:

The breakfast drink clipboard:

The dinner menu:

The egg and potato hash (with ratatouille):
Chicken fried steak with hand-cut fries and gravy:
Tortilla española (the "special stuff" of the day was duck hearts, then monkfish. My friend opted for neither.) It comes, topped with two huge slabs of bread.
Egg souffle. Delicious and creamy. The bonito provided great umami contrast to the egg:
The diner itself is set in a long and slightly awkward space. It's a mishmash of communal tables, small booths, and counter seating. There is no definite waiting area so you can find yourself waiting in the middle of a busy throughway.

Might come back for a sandwich or something. I'm not sure if this counts as real Québécois cuisine as I have no grounding in that, but it was certainly interesting. Maybe next time I'll order the "Tripe Shot."

Gambas Al Ajillo (Shrimp with Garlic)

I woke up in the middle of the night to a growling stomach. I was hungry! I wanted to whip up something easy and delicious that would satisfy my hunger, so I thought of a quick and easy tapas dish to prepare. This Spanish classic is especially simple and doesn't require many exotic ingredients. There are a lot of ways to prepare this dish, and I will highlight the way I chose to make it.

Gambas Al Ajillo (Shrimp With Garlic)

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 small chili peppers, minced

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tspn pimenton (spanish paprika)

3 tbspn olive oil

1/2 lemon

cilantro (optional garnish)

salt and pepper

1. Clean the shrimp and pat dry. Let dry for a few minutes.

2. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan large enough to hold the shrimp in one layer.

3. Add garlic and chilis and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

4. Add the shrimp in one layer to the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.

5. Lower the heat to medium low and add pimenton, salt, and pepper to the shrimp.

6. Once the shrimp are finished cooking (you can test doneness by a simple knife test or by seeing if all the shrimp curl and look red), plate.

7. Add cilantro garnish and lemon peels on the side. Serve immediately.