Ew! Snails!

But if you call them escargot. . .

Alright, I'll admit, snails have never been on my list of things to try. But I first did at a rather nice restaurant four or five years ago. It was a 7 course fixed menu, one of the courses. . . escargot. Thankfully, the little critters were plucked from their shells and served in a rather nice sauce. I cannot remember what kind, but remember it was really nice.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. I am treated to a bounty of culinary treats as one of my newest clients is a soon to be opened restaurant called asparagus. One of the appetizers I was served was their version of escargot (shown above). Three words. . . A-MA-ZING! I dove right in and served one up on a garlic toast piece and savored the delicacy. The sauce was amazing, sweet and spicy.

Tammy Pham is the chef at Siam Marina with two locations in Calumet City, IL. This dish is baked snails in a special Thai spicy sauce and served with homemade garlic bread. So humbly named for such a truly delectable treat.

Asparagus should be a real treat too. I saw it Tuesday evening and it is a beautiful, warm setting in Merrilville, IN. If ever in the area, you must stop by and make sure you try the escargot (they say it will be on the menu at the new restaurant).