Fattboyz has Seafood Fest.

Culinary student, Leon Sampson, showed us what he can do with seafood this past Thursday and Friday nights at Fattboyz Grillin. Let me tell you first that I finally got to speak with Leon; he is soft spoken, but his face lights up when talking about food. He goes back to school soon to continue his training in the culinary arts this fall; and he and I both agree that he's meant for bigger ideals. Whether he is working at a 4 or 5 star restaurant in one of the big cities such as Salt Lake City; or in one of the posh resorts just outside of Moab; haute cuisine is more his style.


There were two appetizers offered; first was a shrimp cocktail encompassing tempura style shrimp with Cajun seasoning around the rim of a glass containing gazpacho. Gazpacho is a chilled soup of Spanish origin containing vegetables that have been ground up finely. As soon as the plate was set down you could immediately smell the cool cleaness of the soup itself. While I am personally not a big fan of this type of soup, it went well spooned onto crispy tortilla chips, or as an accompanying sauce for the shrimp which was perfectly fried, fat and luscious.


Next came Spicy Crab Cakes with a lime chipotle sauce; the crab cakes were a mixture of lump and flaked crab; finely diced vegetables including spicy chile peppers. Fried on the grill top to give a crispy crust; each bite was a smooth pleasure of crab with just a touch of heat. However, the lime chipotle sauce increased the heat within the mouth; so eventually you lost that crab flavor. Sometimes a little just goes way too far; I voiced my opinion to Leon and he understood fully my concern.




The main course was a Grilled Salmon with Fattboyz famous garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. Alright, I'll admit it now, I didn't have the asparagus, anyway..... The salmon was perfectly cooked; the creamy flesh flaked smoothly and while the taste from the grilling was the only seasoning it needed; I would have loved more of those lovely grilled tomatoes Leon used as a garnish. So wonderfully good with the flavor of the salmon. The mashed potatoes? Well I could go on and on about them as I am a mashed potatoes fanatic; and I should have gotten a large order to go.

When Fattboyz Grillin has their specialty nights, and you don't attend; complete fool is the label you should be wearing on your lapel.

Mary Cokenour