Hell Night

Last night we went to East Coast Grill with another couple to enjoy Hell Night, where most of the menu is spicy food. Of course I forgot my camera, but even without pics I had to mention it, because Hell Night is not to be missed. They do it a few times a year and you have to get reservations in advance - it fills up fast.

Fortunately, our friends are food sharers, so we got to sample lots of stuff. What I remember:

Calamari - tender fried rings of goodness. Much less chewy than almost any calamari I've had ever, and with a nice medium-hot spicyness.
Ceviche - shrimp and fish (snapper? I forgot) with mango and avacado. Delicious and tangy, but only a tiny, tiny bit spicy.
Bluefin - melt in your mouth amazing. Some of the best fish I have ever had. Medium spice.
Sweet mashed potatoes - probably my favorite side dish. Creamy, sweet, with a lovely slow-building heat. Medium-hot.
Greens - tons of tasty vinegar
Fried sweet potatoes and plantains - no one does these better than East Coast. Crunchy, chewy carmalized outside/melty, tender smoothness inside. Not spicy.
Jalapeno cornbread - a little drier than I like my cornbread, but still way more than edible with a bit of butter. Medium spicy.
Salmon - delicious and hotter than the bluefin, but not as mind-blowingly tender. Still amazing, as is almost everything. Came with a hot chutney that was also great.
Ginger coleslaw - super crazy gingery. Unusual, refreshing, terrific.
Rocky Road Ice Cream with habanero - I'm not a huge rocky road fan, so this wasn't my favorite. I do like spicy ice cream, though, so I ate my share. If you're looking for ice cream with heat, I'd recommend going to Toscanini's and getting their super fabulous Aztec Chocolate (with cinnamon, pecans, and spiciness) or almost-as-good Spicy Cinnimon Pecan (similar, but in a vanilla base. You know how I feel about vanilla-based ice cream, so the fact that I'm even recommending it should speak volumes as to it's yumminess). Unfortunately, they only have them a few weeks a year, but Toscanini's is a place you should be checking regularly anyway.