The Stock Exchange-Carlsbad

Rating 5.95---Average cost-$15 to $45---222 West Fox---Carlsbad

Reservations: 575-302-0754

11/13/09 Revisited

Three entrees ordered to table:

#1 Rigatoni served in a Roasted Tomato Sauce with Fresh Mozzarella and Grilled Mushrooms $13. This is a variation on the Steak Rigatoni served some weeks back. The taste of the tomato sauce alone is worth trying... .....so refreshing to have the extra effort put into roasting, then finely crushing fresh tomato. First and subsequent bites prove that the second champion of this dish is the fresh mozzarella lightly placed in the dish with the consistency of a garnish, but having a wonder taste and aftertaste, leaving the diner wanting more.

#2 Herb Grilled Chicken Breast over Chipolte Cranberry Sauce $13.50. Zink is a master on the indoor grill, taking this plate seriously. First seasoning lightly with salt, and then grilling until that char we all love is consistent on this yard bird cut. The Chipolte Cranberry Sauce is new to this diner, and gives everything expected including that smokey crunch of the char mixed with the almost too subtle smokey taste of the adobo. One should really enjoy this naturally sweetened cranberry variation. No worry, capsaicin level is hardly noticeable in this dish.

#3 Sauteed Chilean Sea Bass served with a Jalapeno Hollandaise Sauce $21. Having had every fish entree the Stock Exchange has offered, this, is by far the most outstanding. This fish is commercially found in cold temperate waters, including Antarctic Islands. Know as Chilean Sea Bass in the US, it's know as Merluza Negra or Patagonia Toothfish in Chile and Argentina. Because of its availability and price I have dined on this fish every way possible while living in Argentina. It is a relatively inexpensive fish in South America, but in Japan, it can be pricey. Chef Zink brings this diner quite a surprise with this chunky white meated fish. Fork tender and done to perfection... ... and only fresh ingredients in the hollandaise. This should be a sell out this weekend. This one is really off the hook!

Don't miss the Pecan Pie for Two, and you might add a side dish of Stock Exchanges vanilla bean ice cream. Wonderful Friday the 13th dining. One is discouraged to leave the table and know he or she has to walk back into the world. Zink puts into your mind, the thought of being elswhere, with the brilliantly choregraphed foods... ... subtle and vivid. Amazing everytime.

10/18/09 Three entrees were ordered to table:

#1 Wild Mushroom Ravoli with a Sherry and Forest Mushroom Sauce $14. Wonderful undertones in the reduced sherry sauce. The hand made pasta was cooked to perfection. The sherry sauce makes this dish! The table bread consists of a wheat jalapeno roll and it did not compliment the pasta.

#2 The 12 Ounce House Steak-Cooked Medium with the Savory Rice $14.50. The house steak is always a safe bet. Chef Zink hand cuts the silver sac from this tip steak, making an inexpensive cut that will satisfy the palate. The savory rice was just that and a new item to the menu.

#3 The 16 Ounce Angus Reserve Rib Eye-Choice Cut-Cooked Medium Rare with Sauteed Mushrooms and Garlic $24. Hand cut and perfectly trimmed. This steak is the one to get when you want to treat yourself at the end of a long work week, and is more consistent than the slightly expensive Prime cut which sometimes has been too marbled. I might suggest one of the pleasant assortment sauces to compliment this steak. Don't get me wrong, Zink's steaks can stand alone, but you won't want to miss one of these added pleasures.

The Deserts are always well thought out. I have enjoyed all of them and will again, however the table ordered 'Sister's Favorite', a layered cake over a folded cream frost... ....beautiful to the eye, but not nearly as indulging as any other desert on the menu. One comment at the table was, "It wasn't as good as I wanted it to be". Weekly menu changes allow the patron to experience all the good cuisine the Chef offers.

Reservations are suggested by calling 575-302-0754