Under Close Inspection by Linda Batey

Osteria Del Teatro is a MUST

2016-04-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

You find perfection when you find Osteria del Teatro at the corner of Washington and 3^rd in South Beach. Miami has a gazillion restaurants, but Osteria is THE BEST.

Last night was not my first time dining here and it sure won’t be my last. The large menu pulls you in, the service and food in what lingers in your mind. Osteria del Teatro knows northern Italian food like no other restaurant that I have ever been to. Over the years I have tried many of their dishes and they are all sublime. Seasonings are subtle which keeps the pasta dishes light, yet the appetizer I had (layered Maine lobster, mango, arugula and avocado) had a bright bold dressing. Delicious and often a special of the day.

I ordered (can’t remember the Italian name) pappardelle pasta sautéed with crabmeat in a light vodka sauce, and my hubby had the Sea Bass. We ate as umms came with every bite. You know, that involuntary noise that slips from your throat as good food passes it. Absolute perfection.

The maître de, Gilbert, was very welcoming and gave us a nice window table. I am an avid people watcher and this restaurant is the perfect spot to see the most unique collection of people walking the streets of South Beach. He chatted with us as a waiter brought our menus and water. Our server, Carlos, who has been there for over 25 years was attentive and friendly. Gilbert recommended a wine for Jim and stopped by the table several times. As people would come in, Gilbert remembered the names of many of them, and I half expected to see someone famous come in (Billy Joel is a frequent guest, as is the mayor), but it wasn’t to be.

I can't give Osteria anything but a five-star rating. If you are in South Beach you should definitely should give this gem a try. Off season you might not need a reservation if you dine early, but you should get one just in case. There is valet parking right in the front.

Website: www.osteriadelteatro.miami/

Sole' Cafe in Jupiter

2016-03-19T11:24:00.001-04:00

We had been on the beach all day and by the time we got home, we were starving.Jim had picked up a menu from the Sole' Cafe a few days ago and it looked like it was time to use it. We both wanted pizza,but there were so many yummy listings on the menu it was difficult to choose just one.

Their menu choices include the usual pepperoni, sausage or plain cheese, but also grilled veggie pizza, spinach and artichoke, greek, and portobello pizzas. Then it gets real interesting with a BBQ Chicken pizza, Potato Chicken pie, Shrimp Pesto pizza, Sole' pizza (grilled eggplant, mozzarella, fresh spinach, diced tomatoes, red onion, sliced mushrooms, gorgonzola and their own balsamic dressing) and the one we chose was their Tostada Pizza, which was a good meld of tastes and texture. The crust was topped with black bean spread, cheddar and mozzarella, then a mixture of shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, red onions, black olives topped with ranch dressing. This was a take-out order and I was wondering if the items that should be cold (lettuce and tomatoes).

When I went to pick it up, I was instantly greeted by a friendly woman who guessed correctly I was there for pizza takeout. The atmosphere was great, the food smells were incredible and the air conditioning felt wonderful on such a hot day. My pizza came out with a small bag on top, which I assumed correctly was the lettuce mixture.

There was nothing dainty about the way we dove into that pizza. It was absolutely delicious and the hot/cold contrasts made this pizza a real winner.

They also homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and roll-ups, and serve beer, wine, soda, juice and water. There is seating inside as well as outside.

Sole' Cafe is located at Bluff Square Shoppes, 4300 S. US Highway 1 in Jupiter, Florida. Their phone number is 561-626-0575.

Cabo Flats is a Winner!

2016-03-10T10:59:00.001-05:00

I am just loving spending the winter in Jupiter Florida. I honestly cannot come up with a bad thing about this lovely city. We've eaten at a number of restaurants here and I have to say Cabo Flats rocks!

For one thing, it's very easy to find as it is right on Route 1 and has plenty of parking. We went for lunch and were very pleasantly surprised with the decor, the service and especially the food. There is a very cool looking circle of sofas on a covered veranda with a great fire feature in the center. That would be a great spot to mingle with friends and discover a few of their long list of Tequilas available.

I ordered the sizzling beef fajitas and my husband ordered a beef burrito which was good but needed a bit more beef. My fajitas were outstanding and I was sad that I couldn't eat it all. If I had been able to eat it all, I probably would have burned my tongue on the sizzling platter.

It was slightly pricey, but it was well worth it. We are here for three more weeks and chances are, I'm going to have to go try something else to see it the whole menu is good. Go find out for yourself and I believe you'll find out Cabo Flats is indeed a winner.

The Nor'Easter Restaurant

2015-07-31T12:10:00.000-04:00

The Nor'Easter Restaurant in Dover-Foxcroft is a great lunch spot. The decor is nothing fancy, but it is neat and tidy, the service is great, and so is the food.

My daughter, now 15 weeks pregnant and finally not tossing her cookies all the time, has just been dying to eat real food. With her last three pregnancies I used to take her out for lunch once in awhile and she swears it's the reason she has three healthy girls. We aren't taking any chances on this one, so at least once a month we'll go out.

I had one of their specials, Coconut Shrimp, which was served with cole slaw and french fries. Everything came out of the kitchen hot and delicious. They served an orange aoli with the shrimp which was very tasty. My daughter had a fried haddock sandwich, which she declared to be one of the best she had ever eaten. I know her to be a fried haddock lover, so she knows her stuff. Her sandwich came served with potato chips which she couldn't eat because she had just had a tooth pulled the day before.

They have a good menu; something for everyone. They do have a full bar, and are open for breakfast lunch and dinner and are located right across from the post office at 44 North Street.

You'll see many locals here and if you happen to start up a conversation, you'll have a new friend.

Choo-Choo! All Aboard!

2015-07-28T17:08:00.002-04:00

A new restaurant, All Aboard, opened in Dexter last year and I've been there a few times; enough that I feel like I can accurately and honestly give an opinion of it.

The tried hard on the decor; there are train tracks right behind the place, but they were pulled up years ago and a recreational trail was put in. The ATV-ers, bikers, and dog walkers love that trail that runs for miles and miles between all the surrounding towns.

The interior is train themed, and they have done a good job of collecting old photos of trains, and the decor has miscellaneous train stuff all around. I'm happy to say it didn't do what some places do and have an annoying miniature train running on a track by the ceiling in every damn room.

The menu is good, offering several choices of Maine seafood, pasta dishes, dishes for the kiddos and offer steaks, chicken and pork. I chose the Almondine Shrimp which was perfection. The linguini was al dente and the sauce was a rich brown butter sauce, My husband kept swiping my pasta thinking I couldn't eat that much, but I fooled him. I had to stop myself from licking the plate.

Hubby had the Chef Salad with grillled Shrimp which he would have liked more if the salad hadn't been overdressed.

The dessert board looked wonderful but I've been trying to lose weight for so long that I no longer am tempted, although I do love Red Velvet Cake and it was on the board.

The have a full bar, and many more beer varieties than wine.Service was very good. It Saturday night at 6:00pm and it was not at all busy.

Would I go there again? You bet! They have a back deck where you can eat and I would choose a sunny day and sit outside. I could probably be talked into an ice-cold Corona while looking over their menu. I even take my good buddy Cooper. He has better table manners than I do!

Graves Seafood in Greenville, Maine

2015-07-15T01:30:00.001-04:00

As you look out over Moosehead Lake, you must realize that most of your lunch doesn't come from there: Lobsters,Clams. crabs,haddock come from the ocean hundreds of miles away on the coast waters of Maine, but it's still tasty,The transportation company keeps it on ice so arrives fresh to stores like

Graves Seafood

I had been craving a lobster roll,and it came with cole slaw and french fries. Both were delicious. Hubs had a haddock sandwich and sweet potato fries that were very good.

The outdoor seating is great on a dry day; it was most enjoyable making conversation with the locals.

Graves Seafood

As a friendly place to have a great lunch of fried seafood, I would highly recommend Graves Seafood. They have beer, wine and stronger alcohol beverages available, and the food is really dekicious

A New Adventure-Retirement

2015-07-01T14:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, my dear husband worked his last day. He is officially retired and I couldn't be more excited.

His days of drawing a real paycheck started when he was 13, helping his father in his job as a delivery driver. He worked full time during his high school years, working second shift in a woolen mill and often worked three jobs while in college. He certainly doesn't shy away from hard work, and the bigger the bank balance the happier he is.

He spent much of his adulthood working in sales, then he started his own office equipment business, which eventually was bought from a Fortune 500 company. He then steered his career towards economic development for one of Maine's poorest counties, which he has done for the past 13 years. He found great personal satisfaction in that position and wasn't really sure he wanted to retire.

Last year, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and our little world went into a tailspin. He didn't want to give up his summer of golf, or his autumn of bird hunting, so he had a hormone shot and prostate removal surgery was set for November. We grew incredibly close as the months went by; the hormone shot had put him into man-o-pause. He had huge fluctuations in his mood and his body temperature (something I had already been through). We talked for hours, alternately laughing and crying and sharing our most personal thoughts. He really suffered and told me he wished he'd forgone the shot and had just had the surgery when he was diagnosed. He continued to suffer months after the surgery in November with mood swings and hot flashes; now he had a painful catheter (he said it felt like a garden hose) in his penis and couldn't sit up straight for very long. He had to wear a diaper as well, since urine leaked around the tube.

We discussed life in general and our dream since our first trip to Bermuda 25 years ago was to travel a great deal once we retired. I became disabled in 2004--thus I was already retired. He is Scottish and very frugal with money and it was because of his money management skills that we were able to reach our magic number before he turned 65. I asked him if he still wanted to travel and he was definite about his answer-YES! Then why would you keep working?

The cancer had scared us both and made us ask ourselves some hard questions. Honestly, I was ready to sell our home because if he were to die there was no way I could handle the maintenance, and frankly I didn't want to. What if he couldn't get back to "normal" and keep up with the maintenance? We agreed to put off the decision for a few months and see how things worked out.

He felt he needed to let his board of directors know that he would retire at the end of June, so they would have ample time to replace him. I was the only one who knew how much he struggled with his decision. The plain truth was that he truly loved his work, and the thought of not getting a regular paycheck twice a month scared him, and why wouldn't it? He'd been working for over 50 years!

He signed up for Social Security and had collected his first check. He is cancer-free! Our first trip is next month when we drive up to Cape Breton Island in the Canadian Maritimes for ten days. He is going on a fishing trip in Canada in September, bird hunting in October and November, and right after Christmas we head south with the rest of the snowbirds. We decided to keep our home for now.

2014 was a terrible year for us. There were several family crisis' that we got through with God's help. The cancer was just one of the year's many challenges.

It's July 1, 2015 and so far the year is going great. One of our three daughters is flying up from Miami in just a few days, and we are so excited to see her and her four children. She is staying at a huge home on Moosehead Lake and will celebrate her 40th birthday and marry her wonderful Scott. I will be performing the ceremony--now how cool is that? Another of our daughters, who has three beautiful daughters, discovered a few weeks that "surprise!" they are having another baby in January. This will be number 10 grandchild for us, and we will have plenty of time to spend with all of them.

I've always said that God loves me best; my blessed life proves it.

The Best Cheeseburger

2015-06-08T15:51:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, only men are supposed to handle the grill, but not in this house, and especially not when I want a burger.

One of my brothers turned me on to carmelized onions years ago and a hamburger or hot dog isn't edible without them. So before I even turn on the grill, I've cut up about five Vadalia onions and have them slowly cooking in a cast iron grill on the stove.

The hamburger must be grass-fed and cooked until it's still just a little bit pink inside. The bun must be grilled, and the cheese must be provolone. The bacon must be crisp. While I am assembling my little beauty I am frying an egg; in my case, the yolk has to be cooked. A little salt, a little Raye's Sweet and Hot Mustard and I've outdone myself once again. Best sides are bread and butter pickles and Maine's Own Humpty Dumpty BBQ potato chips.

The Chopped Kitchen

2015-06-08T15:40:00.001-04:00

I love the show "Chopped", but I find myself just wanting to have my chance! I can hold my own in my kitchen, but wouldn't it be a blast to have a chance to cook in THAT kitchen! Of course, I'd want the whole shebang and have a prep cook and a cleanup crew. All that lovely food in the pantry! All those spices! A flash chiller and an ice cream maker!

I would have to say that my kitchen is better designed; the sink is actually where I need it, not on the other end of the kitchen, and there is counter space beside the stove. And I have a dishwasher--ever see one on the Chopped set?

I'm not interested in the part where I actually have to open the basket and cook the ingredients. They come up with some weird stuff that I just wouldn't have a clue what to do with. Just my luck they'd give me eye of newt, pig cheeks and jelly beans,

Maybe I'll just stay in my own kitchen, and buy my own groceries.

Retirement

2015-06-08T15:27:00.000-04:00

I never truly believed my husband would retire, but at the end of June he is done.

It shouldn't be a surprise that his frugal ways have enabled us to retire with a fairly large nest egg. He's Scottish and the Scott's hang on their money quite tightly. I grew up thinking I was Irish but I did my family tree and found out I'm Scottish as well. So much for my spending ways; I have to be frugal now too!

He's been wondering what he will do with his time once he is retired, especially on rainy days. We have already decided that we will winter in Florida and summer in Maine, so he'll see a lot of time on the links. I suggested to him that he rediscover his passion for photography which he had before he found his passion for moi thirty five years ago. Of course, he had no new equipment so he sold his old camera and lens, a canoe and a rifle to come up with the money for new stuff. The whole kit and kaboodle came the other day and I am so happy to see him as excited as a little boy as he learns what the new camera and lenses will do.

Next month, one of our daughters is remarrying on beautiful Moosehead Lake, about an hour north of us. My favorite times are those when all of my grandchildren are together so that camera is going to get a lot of use. We found out last week that we have another grandchild on the way, which will make an even ten. We have four grown children, one of which is unable to have children, so I'd say the other three children have figured out where babies come from!

Four of our grandchildren live in Miami, so we don't see them as often as we'd like, but starting this winter that will change. I can hardly wait!

Favorite Taste Combinations

2015-06-08T15:06:00.001-04:00

I know some people swear by Chocolate and Peanut butter, or tomatoes and basil. My favorite taste combination is a little strange, since I'm normally not a person who likes wild greens, strong cheese or champagne.

My absolute favorite taste combination is Asiago Cheese, Arugula and Prosecco. If I should ever end up on death row, my last meal had better consist of Asiago, Arugula and Prosecco. Otherwise, there will be hell. to pay.

One year, I had the pleasure of staying at Chadwick's Inn in Portland and took part in making dinner. Erica Archer, a fine sommalier was there to pair foods with wine and I just wanted to bring her home with me. The entire evening was so relaxed and fun but I found myself hoping I would find just one more serving of Asiago, Arugula and Prosecco in my room when I called it a night.

This year I planted Arugula seed and have been eating it practically as it comes up through the dirt. I just had to buy a hunk of Asiago cheese and some Prosecco to wash it down with. What blows me away is that I normally hate greens of any kind, I'm not a huge cheese fan and I never cared much for Champagne. Now that I know what green goes with what cheese and with what wine, my mind has been opened to lots of new possibilities.

I now know that Baby Kale is heavenly! Now, to pair it with something scrumpcious.

Too Much Poundage

2015-06-06T13:33:00.002-04:00

The day started out gloomy, and for me, achy. I have fibromyalgia and any number of triggers can bring it on; I suspect this one was two days of cold rainy weather. After an hour of being up this morning, I took my best buddy, Cooper (a Shihtzu/Maltee mix) back to bed and with a couple hours of sleep. I feel much more human now.

One of my favorite places in the world is my own back yard. The road we live on is not widely traveled, and our home is back from the road. I've taken special pains to keep our backyard more like a retreat than a fancy flowerbed, and we love it. An old fence creates a boundary between our yard and the woods, and over the years I have scattered seeds of forget-me-not, bleeding heart and knotweed. The lawnmower keeps it all in check, yet it looks natural. I keep three birdfeeders filled, two with a mixture of songbird food and one with hummingbird food. I don't know what I did differently, but this year we have managed to attract two pair of Indigo Bunting and several Pileated Woodpeckers. I am keeping the birdbath cleaner this year, which I think has helped, since I've seen many birds using it.

Jim just purchased a super DSL camera this week and I just know I will have some stunning pictures to share once he gets the hang of it.

An upcoming wedding has me excited, especially since they decided they didn't want anyone doing anything and have engaged a caterer. It is supposed to be a very low-keyed wedding, centered on the family more than the ceremony. On the shores of Moosehead Lake in mid-July, what possibly can go wrong?\

I'm hoping to lose ten pounds by then (it's just about a month) and see no reason why I can't do it. I've been going to Zumba, which I LOVE, and doing yoga at home, aerobics at the gym. If I can lose then ten pounds, I can feel fairly comfortable in a dress I own. Otherwise, I am going to have to go buy something (in a larger size). I'd like to puke at that thought.

So, that being said, I think I will take Cooper for a long walk.

Paddy Murphy's Irish Pub, Bangor, Maine

2015-06-05T13:28:00.002-04:00

Paddy Murphy's in downtown Bangor is a fun place to be. Of course, they have all the beer and wine you could ever want (liquor too) but the atmosphere and food are what makes it fun. I have to preface my words with the fact that my son-in-law Sean was responsible for making the interior look like a real Irish bar; the workmanship is beautiful. That being said, the food is delicious. They have specials most days but I keep coming back to my favorite, the good old American Hamburger. They do it up well. The fries, be they white or sweet, are always hot and good, and the draft beer is always cold with just the right amount of foam.

The staff is friendly as can be and the food always comes out hot and on time. Prices are reasonable. What's not to love?

Paddy Murphy's is located right smack downtown in Bangor Maine. You can't miss it.

East City Grill Worth More Than One Visit

2012-03-31T09:52:00.001-04:00

The City of Weston didn't even exist when we bought our timeshare in 1994; we were told the city was currently being developed and would be a city of distinction when finished. All true. The City of over 65,000 residents is a glowing example of what good planning and lots of money can do, and Weston was born and incorporated in 1996.

There is something for everyone in Weston, but my favorite thing is East City Grill at 1800 Bell Tower Lane. I am not a huge fish fan, but I love beef; my husband is just the opposite, so we sample each others meals all the time. Our first visit, in March 2012, was by all standards excellent. My heritage tomato/basil/fresh mozzarella salad was so delicious (and large) that I barely had room for my filet mignon, which was outstanding and prepared perfectly medium rare. Jim had the scallops appetizer which he devoured and their fish special which was served on a pearl pasta with a truffle sauce that I personally wanted to lick off the plate.

Our second visit, a week later, found us ordering some of the same items because they were too good to pass up. I tried a different appetizer--crabcakes, which were very moist and full of crab. I ordered the Chimichuri steak as my entree, and while it was very tasty, it was tougher than I expected. Jim had the Seared Tuna steak, which he pronounced "awesome". We went away with a doggy bag of the tuna steak because he had filled his belly with the Scallops appetizer again.

East City Grill offers indoor or outdoor seating, and the service is superior. Dinner for two and wine for one cost just under $115. East City Grill is definitely a great restaurant for that special occasion. To make reservations, call 954-659-3339.

Ugh, they turned this lovely place into a sportsbar. They took a winner and turned it into a loser.

The Pearl--A Real Gem in Rockland, Maine

2011-07-11T11:58:00.000-04:00

I am always on the lookout for a new place to eat whenever we got to the mid-coast area, and I'm always pleased when a find a great one. The Pearl is located on the Waterfront downtown with plenty of free parking and from the looks of the full tables, is a very popular spot.

We went on a warm Saturday night and we able of get an outside table with a beautiful view of part of the harbor. Our waiter, Lloyd, was quick with a smile and very attentive. I'm normally not a red wine drinker, but The Pearl offers a very nice wine list of local wines as well as wines from around the world, and I was interested in the same wine my husband was, which was a very dark Cataldi d Abruzzo, which was very, very good. Maine has a law that if you don't finish your bottle of wine you can have it recorked and bagged and can then take it home with you, which gives you the opportunity to have only a glass or two and not have to feel bad that you're leaving all that wine on the table.

Instead of having a huge meal, I ordered an Arugula salad with Chevre and grilled grapefruit, ($11) which was delicious and light, since the dressing was a simple olive oil and lemon juice. I also had the Crispy Spring Rolls ($9) with a mango dipping sauce, which balanced the acidity of the salad. I could have licked the plate, but I held myself back. Jim had the pan-seared Scallops in Truffle sauce ($19) which was served with a sweet potato/Yukon Gold potato mash, which was very flavorful. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the truffles blended perfectly with the entire dinner as well as the wine.

The menu is sufficiently large so that anyone will be able to find something to enjoy. Our dinner, including the bottle of wine was $78.00. The entire experience was exceptional and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend The Pearl highly.

We visited again in the summer of 2014 and were not at all impressed. The service was poor as was the time in which it took to get our mediocre food. The dining room was empty on a friday night which should have told us something. We would not go back.

A Double Whammy

2011-06-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

My brother thought that taking us to dinner on Father's Day at Bay Haven Lobsterpound in Cornish, Maine would be a great thing. This, from the brother who eats friend Spam.

It was crowded at 4pm so we took seats at the bar and waited with an adult beverage. The buzzer they had given us was in the shape of a Maine lobster and we sat it in the front of our table in the bar. So far, so good. Lots of bikers in there, liquoring up for whatever their destination was, so we sat and chatted and enjoyed our drinks. If the evening had led no further, I probably would have given the bar good marks--we had a great time there, even though the server had allowed my drink to be empty for quite awhile.

Anyway, the lobster lit up red and buzzed, scarring all of us into action. We led it to the head server who led us to our table in the first dining room. We were right beside the waitress's station which included the non-alcoholic beverage service as well the computer that all servers had to use to keep their orders inputted.

The first thing I noticed was the air conditioner blowing right on us, so my dear brothers went to the car to get our wraps, The second thing was the flies in motion around every light/fan combination. They were off-duty, not bothering us, but I pity the poor diner when their fancy flightwork was done.

The menu was well-done, making it easy for all four of us to choose our dinners. I had a combo plate of fried scallops and shrimp, fries and a side salad. Lori had the prime rib with scallops; Bernie had the combo platter with haddock and clams and Ken had clams and scallops. Bernie was the only one who ate the entire plate of food, and believe me when I say it was a BIG plate of food. I hardly made a dent in mine; the scallops were cooked perfectly with just enough batter and cooked just right. The Shrimp were the same frozen shrimp you get anywhere in a restaurant except for maybe in January or February. The fries were the same; they took them out of a bag and put them in oil until crispy. Nothing new there. Ken said the clams were about a minute undercooked. Lori loved the primerib and she had a twice-baked potato that we should have gone with.

Service was average, decor was tacky and loud, and it seemed to me that the cooks hadn't done anything beyond using fresh seafood and obviously changed their frying oil frequently to make meals special.

I can't give Bay Haven Lobsterpound very good marks. The scallops, twice baked potato, primerib and fried fish were one small mark about average. Everything else - service, cleanliness, ambiance, and food were below average.

Sorry, Bay View Lobsterpound--poor ambiance and poor food are a double whammy.

Fishbones Restaurant in Chelmsford, MA

2011-06-01T12:15:00.000-04:00

If it hadn't been for my brother's insistence that he had to have sea scallops, we probably wouldn't have discovered Fishbones in Chelmsford. We were fortunate to arrive a bit early and beat the line of waiting diners on this April Saturday night and were seated immediately. Our table was right by the door and all of those hungry diners waiting for a table so it was a bit loud and hectic.

The decor is lovely; subdued colors of the ocean on the walls with white beadboard on the bottom half of the walls. There is seating outside, which would be very enjoyable on a warm summer evening. There are several tables that look out onto the Main Street.

Their wine and beer list is extensive, boasting 57 different beers, 11 of which are local microbrews. The wine list was a pleasant surprise; it not only offered a large quantity of wines, more than half of them were available by the glass.

My brother claimed the scallops to be the best he had ever eaten. They were sweet, fresh and the coating was perfectly done. The clam chowder, a creamy New England style, was a disappointment. Although it was thick and creamy it lacked clams. The lobster roll I had was simple, and average. The lobster was very fresh and there was plenty of meat in the roll--the problem was that it was a hamburger roll.

The service was slow and the problem appeared to be understaffed. Each server had too many tables to give better and faster service.

Three out of four of us decided Fishbones was on the expensive side, although they did have a great way of bringing your check and keeping separate checks straight--each check comes in it's own little pail with a pen.

Would I go again? Sure, but I'd make reservations for one of the quieter tables by the window, and I wouldn't order the clam chowder or the lobster roll.

gigi--the Best in Miami Gourmet

2011-04-05T15:25:00.000-04:00

I can always find things wrong with a restaurant, but lunch today at gigi was as close to perfect as I can imagine. The only thing I could find wrong was the acoustics; it gets pretty loud when it fills up, and it was close to filled the entire time we enjoyed our long lunch.

The idea behind gigi is fresh, small, tapas-like plates. If you're dining with friends, you order several different dishes and share, which is my favorite type of dining (even if I'm in a fine restaurant, my fork has been known to show up in my dining partner's plate). With a little help from my dining companion, we ordered the tandoori chicken bun (the bread was a cross between Naan and a chinese bun and was heavenly, filled with chopped cucumber, tandoori chicken and a fresh mint flavor); a local greens salad with a mild miso vinaigrette dressing; Homestead Heirloom tomato salad (colorful heirloom tomatoes with cucumber, hearts of palm, thai basil with a dressing that I couldn't get enough of; fresh tuna salad plate--my least favorite dish, but I don't care for tuna so I'm not much of a judge to rely on; shitake mushrooms in a sticky soy sauce with a hot aftertaste, and the Florida fish (cobia) in black bean sauce, jasmine rice and spring vegetables. It sounds like a lot of food but it was light and refreshing.

gigi is at the corner of N. Miami and NW 35th Street in Miami with plenty of free parking in the back. The decor is funky, as you would expect it to be, planted in the middle of Miami's Design District, and it's just a fun place to be. One of the contrasts that I liked that wine was served in water glasses and water was served to the table in wine bottles. Jars of huge cookies were offered on the bar as well as a regular dessert menu.

Would I recommend gigi? Oh yes! Again and again!

Something is ALE-ing the Carolina Ale House

2011-04-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

The Carolina Ale House is another eatery off Weston Road in Weston, and we’ve eaten here on numerous occasions. Generally on a scale of 1-10, I’ve normally give it about a 6. It’s a good place to drink beer, eat a burger and watch a game on one of their many large tvs. This time I’d rate it a bit differently. My husband had a rib-eye steak that was ordered medium rare and was served very rare. It was so full of stringy fat he couldn’t eat it. Although the manager took it off the bill, it left a bad taste. I had a sirloin steak that was cooked perfectly and tasted great. However, the mashed potatoes were like gobs of paste and the vegetables served on the side were inedible and cold.

It’s a fairly large restaurant and acoustics are a real problem. You get 10 tvs on and 100 different fans cheering and it’s hard to enjoy a quiet dinner.
I’d recommend this ONLY as a place to go to watch the game, have a burger and a beverage. Not a good place for a first date, to bring your parents (unless they’re real sports fans) or for a romantic anniversary dinner.

Date of visit: March 24, 2011

Carolina Ale House, 2618 Weston Rd, Weston, FL 954-217-1233

Lurio's--I'd Expected Better

2011-04-01T17:09:00.002-04:00

The location of Lurio’s, at the corner of Blatt Blvd. and Weston Road is perfect. Their restaurant has the corner location allowing patrons to have plenty of light from the windows, although the view is of a parking lot.

Reservations aren’t needed for dinner here, especially if you eat dinner early, like we do. We arrived at 6:30 and were told to seat ourselves, so we took an intimate table by a window. They offer very few wines by the glass, but you do get a good pour.

The menu said the salad I ordered had lettuce, dried cranberries, walnuts and friend noodles, but there wasn’t a noodle in sight.

I ordered the Lasagna Bolognese, since the menu said it had bechamel sauce, which I thought would be nice. No béchamel sauce ,and way too much of the tomato sauce which had no flavor except tomato. I expected to taste a bit of oregano or basil, so I went away disappointed. There seemed to be only two servers and they pulled double duty getting drinks as well, so maybe that’s why the didn’t come around with grated cheese or fresh pepper.

Maybe it was a bad night; I know they’ve been around for a few years, but I doubt very strongly that I’d give them another shot.

Date of visit: Monday, March 28, 2011 6:30pm