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DINING SHOULD BE MORE THAN A
MEAL, IT SHOULD BE AN EXPERIENCE
TOO.
AT'S WHAT YOU WILL FIND AT
OCTAGON, A RESTAURANT JUST
OUTSIDE OFMYSTIC.
HERE TO TELL US ABOUT OCTAGON'S
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AND THREE
KINGS DINNER ARE MAGGIE
KEYSES -- DID I SAY THAT RIGHT?
MM HMM.
FOOD ADD BEVERAGE MANAGER
ALONG WITH CHEF PAUL.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANKS FOR HAVING US.
MAGGIE, TELL US ABOUT THE
RESTAURANT.
OCTAGON IS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF
MYSTIC ON 625 NORTH ROAD.
WE JUST UNDERWENT A VERY NICE
RENOVATION, SO IT'S A BRAND-NEW
SPACE WITH A GREAT MENU,
SOMETHING FO EVERYBODY.
WE ALSO FEATURE A HAPPY HOUR
MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM 4:30
TO 6:30, AND WE DO LIVE MUSIC
EVERY THURSDAY.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY A GREAT
ENVIRONMENT, GREAT PEOPLE, GREAT
FOOD.
VERY GOOD.
YOU HAVE SOME UPCOMING DINNERS
TO GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT?
YES, YES.
WE ARE CELEBRATING THE 12 DAYS
OF CHRISTMAS.
SO EACH DAY OF THE 12 DAYS OF
CHRISTMAS, WHICH STARTS ON
CHRISTMAS DAY, WE ARE FEATURING
A SPECIAL BASED ON TAT DAY.
I LOVE THAT IDEA!
SO THERE WILL BE FOOD
SPECIALS, WINE SPECIALS.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO END IT
WITH THREE KINGS DAY, WHICH IS
THE CELEBRATION OF WHEN THE
THREE KINGS ARRIVED, AND IT'S
HUGE IN THE LATIN COMMUNITIES, A
HUGE FESTIVAL, LARGER THAN
CHRISTMAS, ACTUALLY.
SO TODAY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
PART OF THAT MENU, WHICH IS A
BE EMPANADA.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
BE COOKING TODAY.
LET'S GET STARTED.
GREAT.
WHAT DO WE NEED?
WE NEED A HOT PAN.
OKAY.
SO WHAT THIS IS, IT'S NOT
JUST BEEF EMPEN ADDA --
EMPANADA, IT'S A PRIME SIRLOIN,
BECAUSE THAT'S HOW WE ROLL
THERE.
IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
THIS IS VERY, THERE'S A MILLION
DIFFERENT WAYS TOMAKE IT.
I LIVED IN THE ISLANDS FOR TEN
YEARS, SO I'M VERY ACCUSTOMED TO
EVERY GRANDMA HAS HER OWN
SPECIAL RECIPE.
THIS IS MINE.
WHERE DID YOU LIVE?
I LIVED IN PUERTO RICO.
NICE.
A LITT SNOIFL.
A LITTLE OLIVE OIL, AND WE
ADD THE GROUND SIRLOIN TO IT.
HOW DID YOU PREPARE THAT?
WE JUST HAVE PRIME SIRLOIN
THAT WE FEATURE IN THE
RESTAURANT.
FOR ONE OF OUR BURGERS ASO.
BUT THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE
PROCESS.
JUST BROWNING THE MEAT.
SURE, BROWNING IT UP.
WE'RE GOING TO ADD --
OH!
YEAH, QEEN OLIVES.
RAISINS.
I WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THAT
INGREDIENT, BUT IT MUST ADD A
LITTLE SWEETNESS?
IT DOES.
IT OUNDS A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT
ONCE YOU TRY IT.
I'LL TRUST YOU.
THIS IS TOMATO PASTE, ADOBO
SEASONIN
AND THIS IS THE LOVE.
BASICALLY IT'S A COMBINATION OF
DIFFERENT HERBS AND SPICES AND
PEPPERS, ONINS, CAPERS.
AND AGAIN, JUST LIKE I WAS
EXPLAINING BEFORE, EVERYONE HAS
THEIR OWN VERSION.
SO THAT'S WHERE ALL THE FLAVOR
IS ACTUALLY GOING TO COME IN.
IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR ENHANCE
HERE.
I DON'T MIND.
HAT DO YOU IMMEDIATE?
ALL THE OLIVES?
LET'S DO HALF.
HALF OF THEM, ALL RIGHT.
LET'S PUT UP SOME PICTURES ON
THE SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE THE
RESTAURANT.YOU SAID YOU HAD RENOVATIONS.
YES, THESE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF
THE NEW RENOVATIONS.
LOVELY.
A BIG DINING ROOM, BUT YOU
RECOMMEND A RESERVATION?
WE RECOMMEND RESERVATIONS
DEFINITELY TO INSURE WE KNOW
YOU'RE COMING AND YOU GET A SEE.
WE DO GET VERY BUSY ON THE
WEEKENDS ESPECIALLY, SO
RESERVATIONS ARE ALWAYS
RECOMMEED.
IS THAT CHEF PAUL RIGHT
THERE?
IT IS.
LOOK OUGHT!
THAT'S ME, YEAH.
THAT IS HIS HANDSOME NEW
PHOTOGRAPH WE TOOK OF HIM.
OH, BOY.
AITTLE STEAK, WINE, AND ALL
THAT RERESENTS OCTOBER A ZON
WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?
INSIDE THE RESTAURANT WE HAVE
AN OCTAGON-SHAPED GRILL.
IT'S A NICE MARBLE-TOP GRILL.
YEAH, WE DO AWFUL OUR COOKING
OUT THERE, EVERYTHING THAT'S
GRILLED
YEAH, SO THERE'S A CHEF OUT
THERE LIVE, COOKING YOUR STEAK
RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU IN THE
DINING ROOM.
YOU CAN HEAR THE SOUNDS, SMELL
THE SMELLS.
IT'S REALLY JUST -- IT MAKES THE
WHOLE EXPERIENCE THAT MUCH
BETTER.
VERY GOOD.
SO ASK CAN YOU SMELL THAT?
YEAH, IT SMELLS AWESOME.
WHAT IS THIS CALLED?
THIS IS FRITO.
IT'S JUST A COMBINATION, I HAVE
CAPERS, GARLIC, PEPPERS,
TOMATOES, CILANTRO.
AND A FEW OTHER --
SECRET INGREDIENTS?
SECRET INGREDIENTS, YEAH.
I CAN'T GIVE IT ALL AWAY, BUT
THAT'S THE LOVE OF IT.
THAT'S WHER IT GETS ALL THE
FLAVOR.
OKAY.
AND IT'S JUST PRETTY MUCH --
THIS IS IT, WE'RE DONE.
OKAY.
OF THIS.
THE FILLING HERE.
FOR THE FILLING PART.
NOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO NEXT, IS
FILL THE EMPANADA, THE FLOUR --
DO YOU WANT TO GRAB THOSE?
SURE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS BLOGNA AT
FIRST.
NO, THESE YOU CAN BUY,
THEY'RE IN THE FREEZER SECTION.
GOYA MAKES THEM, IT'S A LOT
EASIER.
I'M SURE THEY TASTE GREAT.
WE HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT.
OKAY WHAT WE DO, THIS IS --
THE COOLED-DOWN MIXTE.
THE COOLED-DOWN VERSION OF
WHAT WE JUST DID.
DO YOU HAVE TO COOL IT OFFFIRST?
YEAH, OTHERWISE IT WILL BE
TOO HOT.
I BUT A TABLESPOON IN THERE, A
LITTLE CHEESE.
GOTTA HAVE CHEESE ON
EVERYTHING.
EXACTLY.
FOLD IT OVER?
ALL DO YOU IS FOLD IT OVER
AND CRIMP IT.
OH!
EASY ENOUGH.
LOOKS GREAT.
MAGGIE, ARE YOU TAKING
RESERVATIONS FOR NEW YEAR'S?
WE ABSOLUTELY ARE.
NEW YEAR'S IS VERY BIG EVENT
THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
WE HAVE LIVE ACOUSTIC MUS
UNTIL 10 P.M., AND FROM 10 P.M.
TO 2 A.M., WE HAVE A DJ, OUTSIDE
IN THE OBBY AREA, GOING ON ALLNIGHT LONG.
SO IT WILL BE A GREAT EVENT, A
GREAT TIME.
CHEF HAS A WONDERFUL MENUTHAT
WE'LL BE OFFERING.
YOU CAN GO ON THE WEBSITE,
OCTAGON STEAK HOUSE.COM TO, GET
INFORMATION ON THE MENU, AND
WHAT WE'LL BE DOING THAT DAY.
BUT DEFINITELY RESERVATIONS.
VERY GOOD.
THESE ARE JST GOING TO COOK AND
WE'LL TRY THESE AT THE END OF
THE SHOW.
YES, THEY FRY FOR A COUPLE
MINUTES EACH SIDE, THT'S IT.
COMING UP NEXT WE HAVE MORE
"CONNECTICUT STYLE."
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.