Educated Foodie

Father's Day Grilling 101

2013-05-13T15:34:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I know I have been off my game for blogging.

If you want to learn how to Grill something special for dad this year, sign up for Father's Day Grilling 101 at FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. Chef Moran is an expert on the subject he has cooked for Kings and Queens and knows his way around a kitchen whether it is inside or out.

Grand Opening of The Cheese Course in Aventura Mall

2012-11-29T15:48:00.000-05:00

GRAND OPENING OF THE CHEESE COURSE IN AVENTURA!

Miami, FL (November 20,2012) Please join us for the Grand Opening of The Cheese Course, a new European style cheese shop and quick service bistro in Aventura Mall. Enjoy delicious samplings from our extensive selection of artisanal cheeses, gourmet products and fine wine.

What: The Cheese Course Grand Opening in Aventura Mall

When: Friday, November 30th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

American Artisanal Cheese and Wine Tasting Event

Saturday, December 1st from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Cheese from Around the World and Wine Tasting Event

Where: 19575 Biscayne Blvd. Suite 383 Aventura, FL 33180

About The Cheese Course:

A European-style artisanal cheese landmark of South Florida, The Cheese Course is the only shop in the Southeast that consists of a cheese and wine market, educational courses, tastings, and bistro in each of its seven locations. After 10 years in the market, The Cheese Course has mastered the artistry of cheese and influenced others to grasp a culturally rich understanding of this classic artisan product. The Cheese Course has locations in Weston, Midtown Miami, Boca Raton, Hallandale, Coral Springs, Pinecrest and Aventura, and continues to expand in the South Florida market. Crossing all cultural borders, The Cheese Course unites and imports cheeses from dairy farms all over the world. The store embodies a traditional, farm-to-table approach to dining with a bistro menu of more than 40 items, each enhanced by the store’s assortment of hand-crafted cheeses.

Cheesemongers in every store offer a culturally rich and authentic experience for guests shopping for the finest cheeses from every country, including La Tur (Italy), Epoisses (France), Stilton (England) and L’Amuse Signature Gouda (Holland). The founder’s vision to inspire and educate guests about every aspect of cheese led to the concept of promoting a higher standard for cheese lovers. With owner and franchise operator, Miguel Contreras, The Cheese Course continues to grow and integrate even more types of cheeses into its already vast selection.

The brand prides itself on the more than 150 imported artisanal cheeses that fill the wooden creates and wicker baskets in each store. Images and color schemes from farms, green pastures and rolling mountainsides bring to mind the authentic, organic roots of the store’s products and concept.

In addition to the specialty cheese and wine market, The Cheese Course Bistro boasts a menu of more than 40 items, clearly labeling cheeses included in each dish and categorizing cheese plates by region and flavor, paired with the perfect accompaniments. Turning classic sandwiches, salads and cheese plates into a cheese lovers’ adventure, menu items include traditional favorites such as; the Prosciutto Di Parma sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, basil pesto, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar; Applewood Bacon sandwich with goat gouda, tomatoes, avocado, rosemary aioli, and greens; French Field Greens with fresh goat cheese, dried cranberries, mustard-shallot vinaigrette. The Cheese Steward’s Tasting Plate allows guests to sample three special cheeses at an ideal stage of ripening and flavor, carefully chosen from the store’s entire collection, and served with two accompaniments and sliced baguette.

The array of educational courses offered to guests interested in learning more about specific cheeses or the cheese making process is a valuable addition to The Cheese Course experience. Classes are offered several times throughout the month at each location, and provide a simple approach to understanding the art of cheese making, pairing and tasting. Drawing upon community learning, The Cheese Course takes advantage of hands-on methods of education and allows guests the opportunity to sample, ask questions and indulge in all things cheese.

Aventura on Dwellable

The Foxy Brown in Downtown Fort Lauderdale

2012-11-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

www.thefoxybrown.com

I am on a roll this week with blogs, I hope I can keep it up. Checked out last night The Foxy Brown in downtown Fort Lauderdale. They are located on the north side of Broward Blvd, just east of US1. The location is deceiving and it really isn't in a hotbed of culinary activity being that it is off Las Olas, and not close to anything else. Parking was easy enough behind the restaurant and we came in the back door, which made sense to us but the hostess is by the front door, oh well we got it covered.

This place is small and tight, if you are claustrophobic you might want to sit outside. We got a table quickly and started to look at the menu. The choice of food is almost as limited as the amount of seats, not a huge menu, but everything sounded very good. The style is new American, it is a little of everything from Fish and Chips, to beef-a-roni, to Chicken and spaetzle. The wine and beer menu is much more extensive than the food menu. Lots of great craft beers so I was happy. We started with an appetizer special, the Cherry Bombs, hollowed out tomatoes filled with sausage and herbs, covered in a wonton wrapper and deep fried, with also the fried green beans. Both appetizers not only were delicious but served very fast and piping hot.

After the appetizers and before the main course we were delivered warm wet towels like you would get at a sushi restaurant, very nice little touch, unexpected and appreciated. For dinner I had the clam bake special ($24.00) all the seafood was cooked perfectly and the broth was briny and satisfying. The only issue was I didn't have enough bread to soak it all up. Not that I needed it, I had too much food already. Carole had the Mabel's Chicken ($18.00), chicken thighs served with spaetzle with a delicious gravy. Our friend Scott also went for a special, the fried clam strips with Old Bay seasoned fries ($19.00). They were good, but for the most part unmemorable.

Dinner did not take long at all from sit down to clean up, you don't feel rushed but service was prompt and efficient to turn the tables and get more clients in to this small space. We opted out of desert, but not before the warm wet towels showed up again. I really liked that! Dinner for 3 with 2 appetizers 5 beers and 3 entrees was priced at $108.00. For what we got it was a great meal and I will be back.

Educatedfoodie

Fort Lauderdale on Dwellable

Quarterdeck on Dania Beach

2012-11-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

www.quarterdeckrestaurants.com

'Twas the night after Thanksgiving, and the last thing I wanted was turkey. My wife, folks, and I went to the new Quarterdeck on Dania Beach Pier last evening and while we were not expecting much we were pleasantly surprised. I have some friends who hit this place a couple of weeks ago when they first opened and had awful service, and a terrible meal. We had a great time!

For those who know Quarterdeck you know what to expect. It is a family friendly bar, the same family that owns Flanigans, owns Quarterdeck. Good food, cold beer, good service, reasonably priced. The last few owners that have had the pier restaurant have not been successful; shoddy service, crummy food, and overpriced, and destined to fail. As long as Dania is not gouging Quarterdeck on rent, they should be fine and stay there for a long time. I bet during lunch or dinner in the summer the view has got to be great. At 6:30 in November you can barely see your hand in front of your face. We sat inside and while the server was brand new, he was informed on the menu, and eager to help us with our order. We all steered away from anything foul, 3 burgers and a Grouper Rubin. All four sandwiches were cooked perfectly. It wasn't the best burger I have ever had, but for what it was and how much we paid you couldn't beat it.

I will definitely go back. This is the first Quarterdeck that I have been to that has a Sushi bar. That might be a try next time.

Dania Beach on Dwellable

Rosies bar & Grill in Wilton Manors

2012-11-21T10:34:00.000-05:00

Picture stolen from www.rosiesbarandgrill.com

I’m back! I’m trying to catch up on the blog by just doing quick short stories instead of the long ones from now on. I am hoping that using this strategy I will write less but more often.

Last night Carole and I met some friends from the old Alamo Rent-A-Car days for dinner in Wilton Manors. We saw Patrick & Veronica (Pat & V) from www.foodandwinechickie.com at Rosie's bar and grill (http://www.rosiesbarandgrill.com/) on Dixie Hwy in the heart of Wilton Manors. Great burgers as always, I went for the Hellena Bun a burger covered in hot sauce, blue cheese and fried jalapenos. They have awesome potato salad so that was my side and I drank a few too many Blue Moons. The citrus from the beer really helped to cut through the grease of the burger making all the flavors come out. Good meal, but the real star was the conversation. We will be vising Pat & V in New York next month and she has given the rundown of where to go in the city for all of our meals. I am hoping to reinvigorate the blog especially with the NY trip coming up. There should really be some great things on the menu.

Educated foodie

Wilton Manors on Dwellable

Problems were small yet Cumulative

2012-08-14T22:08:00.001-04:00

Let me start this blog by saying. I love French food. This weekend my wife and I visited her French aunt and it put me in the mood for the cuisine of France. We went to Le Petit Café this weekend. The place has been in Dania Beach for over 10 years, and we have thought about trying it many times as we stared from across the street while at The Field Restaurant on Griffin Road. We walked in and our anticipation quickly started to diminish. The place is packed with tables, way too many for the space, especially because most were empty. They could have easily lost 30% of the seating and not missed a beat. The decorations on the wall were poor, the flowered drapes were ugly, and the fresh flowers on every table were actually a little too much. A gigantic miss was the paper napkin folded into a fan at each place setting. Cloth isn't that expensive to wash, and the bread that came out was covered in a cloth napkin, so why couldn't I use one in my lap?

Ok, so the place is not the most inviting but I can get past that. We looked at the menu and notice that the wine list is pretty slim. My opinion is that wine lists at a French restaurant should offer a range of the offerings of the various regions in France. The list was for the most part Red or White. That may be a little over simplified, but not much. Again not a huge “ding” but definitely noticeable. I went for a Kronenbourg beer, simple yet tasty. The aforementioned bread that did come out wrapped in the napkin was very sad. 4 cold slices of baguette with a mound of margarine appeared on our table.

We ate our cold bread and decided on dinner. The decision was made to go for the homemade pate, and to split the special seafood cassoulet. The dinner came with a cup of vichyssoise, it was good, nothing special, but good. After having to remind the waiter about the pate we watched it immediately being retrieved from the refrigerator in the dining room already plated and garnished. It was ok, a little overdone, but tasty. It could have been accompanied by some good mustard, but it was good none-the-less. The cassoulet was not what I expected. The bay scallops, shrimp, and unidentifiable white fish came out over-done, and in an overly curried red sauce. I did notice some of the other patrons dishes that looked excellent, the one thing that I did see were the sizes were huge. The portions were easily twice what they should be, and the prices reflected that.

Splitting the app and the entree was definitely the way to go. We were not overly full and could easily have a crepe. We saw a few savory crepes come from the kitchen and they all looked delicious. We decided to go for the traditional Crepe Suzette, and cups of café ole. The presentation of the crepe was perfect, it was flambéed table side and it had the perfect flavor, and texture.

The bill came to about $80.00 with tip. A little high I think, for in theory dinner it was only dinner for one, at a strip mall French restaurant in Dania. There was nothing that really jumped out a being awful. All the issues were small yet cumulative. I probably won’t go back, I won’t recommend anyone to go there. I might try it again after dinner just for the desert and coffee, but probably not.

Hollywood on Dwellable

A weekend dining trip to South East Asia and beyond.

2012-05-24T15:59:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I tried 2 new Vietnamese places. One was the best that I have had in a long time, one was okay. I have been meaning to write about it and I hadn't found the time. I also didn't know if I should tell everyone or keep this secret to myself. I am a kind giving person and I want The Hot Pot to succeed so here is my review.

A couple of weeks ago on a Friday night a friend and I decided to hit up a brand new
Pho restaurant in downtown Hollywood, Pho Vi. Walking in was like walking into
a white room with brown tables, because that is what it was.

Nothing on the walls, nothing exciting and we began to
cringe that the food was going to be as boring as the place itself. Our waiter,
who I will refer to as Miss Siagon, was interesting. He had no ideas about the
drinks they serve, and was confused when we handed two credit cards to pay the
bill at the end of dinner.

The food itself was good, Pho is not something that I
NEED but more of an occasional want. We each decided to get the small special
Pho and split a Banh Mi sandwich. The soup was big and full of flavors and
different meats, noodles, and vegetables. By choosing the special Pho the meats
were different cuts of beef, I think some pork, sausage, and tripe. All of the
meats together gave the broth a delicious taste and was one of the best bowls
that I have had. The sandwich had pork, chicken, and beef along with daikon,
and carrots on a very good roll.

It was a good sandwich, nothing to do run around
screaming eureka about, but good enough.
Again I could live without Pho, it isn’t something that I crave. I will
definitely go back, but it will not be a weekly thing.

While Friday was not a flop, it definetly paled in comparison to the Saturday night
restaurant and I plan on going there regularly. Saturday we went to The Hot Pot on Stirling road, in
Hollywood/Davie/Dania (I have no idea what city it is in, I found it in all
three on a Google search). Walking in we found it also bland. Come on people step it up and put something on the walls.

We sat down at the table that each has its own burner for cooking the hot pots.
We went there for one reason only, crawfish. The owner, who is from Vietnam,
lived for a long time in both New Orleans, and Hawaii and his restaurant is
representative of all of the foods he liked in each place. It is kind of a
hodgepodge but it works so well together. The crawfish were live and cost $9.99
per pound. Carole, Jesse, and I ordered 5 lb’s of the mud bugs along with corn,
potatoes, and sausage.

The way that they handle the crawfish is by the pound and then you pick your sauce, garlic butter, lemon pepper, rajun cajun, or the She Bang. The She Bang is taking all the spices and sauces and mixing them together into something that was sent down from the gods up above. These crawfish did not have a chance. When we were done there was only shells, we sucked everything out of the heads and tails, and there was a point that I was using a spoon to suck up the rest of the sauce. It was an amazing meal, and the presentation while a little odd really worked. The crawfish were delivered in a plastic bag full of all their spicy goodness on top of some thick paper. When dinner was done, cleanup was easy.

One word of warning, the crawfish are good but don't eat too many of them. Their beignets are good, not Cafe du Monde good, but some of the best that I have had in SOFLA. Also the sweetened condensed milk on the side makes them even better.

Do yourself a favor and make your way over to The Hot Pot. Try Pho Vi if you need some Pho, but you have to go to The Hot Pot!

33rd and Dine Fort Lauderdale

2012-05-24T15:19:00.000-04:00

Finding 33rd and Dine French Cafe was a happy accident. Carole and I decided to try something different Saturday and the place that we ventured out to didn't look as good in person as it did on the website. We decided to walk around and hit the wine bar and reassess the situation. We stopped in at 33rd Street wine bar and hoped that they would provide us with some insight of our location. We were sorely mistaken. The wait staff were rude and really wanted as little to do with their customers as possible. The owner was a little better but not much, we were about to leave and try our luck somewhere else and we just happened to do a quick Yelp search and found that 33rd and Dine, accross the street, had pretty good reviews so we stuck around for dinner.

The interior looked a little old and dated so we sat outside to enjoy our meal. The French Country Pate was some of the best that I have ever had, and I make a great Pate. For our entrees I had the Moules Frites (Mussels and French Fries) Carole had the Melted Brie Sandwich. The Mussels were perfectly cooked and I would have to say they are the second best mussels in Ft. Lauderdale. (Sorry there is a place on Las Olas with the best). The Brie Sandwich was awesome with a fresh slice of tomato. Only one thing to say and that is French comfort food. For dessert we split the Crepe Suzette, and had a cup of coffee. With tip I think we were under $70.00. A great deal for Ft. Lauderdale Beach on a Saturday night.
I wish that I had taken more pictures, but we enjoyed the meal so much we just ate and thought about the photos later.

3 Different Restaurants in the Same Plaza, all good.

2012-03-25T15:27:00.004-04:00

I have just been writing about the new restaurants that I go to, and I have been neglecting my normal go-to restaurants. These three different places are all in the same strip mall on Hollywood Blvd, and all three offer a really good, affordable meal.

The strip mall is on Hollywood Blvd and 36th Avenue, behind the Wendy's and flanking the Walgreen's. China Hollywood sits at the east most storefront, Sushi N Thai, and Capone's sit just towards the west.

China Hollywood: The restaurant has been there for ages, but has recently changed owners and they went from "OK, I don't want to cook tonight" Chinese to, "really good" Chinese. For the most part, Americanized Chinese is all about the same wherever you go. The owners at China Hollywood have tried to stick to their heritage, while offering food that Americans can relate to. The prices are reasonable, and the portions are large, you don't have to worry about being hungry in 30 minutes. All meals come with white, or brown rice, which is nice and a little different from the norm of just white. They also come with the obligatory egg roll, soup, fried noodles, and a desert. My favorite by far is the hot and sour soup, I get it everywhere, and they have the best. I didn't know that the place had changed hands when we first went back, I knew as soon as I tasted the soup.

Everything is good, and made fresh, the chicken dishes use only white meat, and is tender and juicy every time I have had it. The owners are also some of the nicest people you will ever encounter and take the time to go to every table and thank them for coming. Definitely a jewel for Hollywood.

Sushi N Thai: Their sushi is good, their Thai is better. Another place that is consistent, gives good size portions and is affordable enough for a weeknight when takeout sounds a lot better then cooking. If you order online for pickup or delivery there is a discount www.sushi-n-thai.com. Their Tom Ka Gai is good, I have had better, but no real complaints from me, and I get it every time. They don't have anything that jumps out as different or exciting. What really keeps us coming back is that we have never had a bad meal. The service sometimes is good, sometimes a little slow if they are busy, but the wait is never that long. Don't ask the busers for anything, they don't speak much English, if any. Everyone is very friendly, and it actually sounds pretty good for dinner tonight.

Capone's Italian Pizzeria: This is the same Capone's as in Flicker Lite on the beach. If you have tried the one east it is exactly the same, but looks newer and cleaner. The pizza is one of the best in the city. Make sure that you give yourself time, it takes about 45 min to make the deep dish but it is so worth it. Get the sauce on the top for the real Chicago flavor. Capone's Flicker Lite has been on the Hollywood Intracoastal since the 1960's, and they have a name, and a tradition. When they opened the Italian Pizzeria on Hollywood Blvd they brought this tradition with them. I always have the pizza, usually opt for the calamari or garlic rolls. The salads are always good, and they have some of the best meatballs in the world.

The Walgreen's plaza on Hollywood Blvd, and 36th Avenue really does offer 3 of the best, most consistent places. Don't go there hoping to have a world class meal, from a world class chef. Lose the tie, flip flops are fine. This is not the usual tourist hangout, no hipsters, just regular Hollywierdo's.

Enjoy my favorite haunts.

Hollywood on Dwellable

Bertoni Brick Oven Pizza & Lounge & Car Wash

2012-03-22T22:56:00.000-04:00

Picture stolen from mborrero on www.urbanspoon.com

This place is on the corner of 151 and Biscayne. Throwing distance from my work and looked promising. I heard good things from some, and then after I went I heard a lot more bad. I should have talked to more people. I wish I took pictures, but my words are all that I have of this experience.

Yes, it is attached to a car wash, but so is Karma further south and that place is great, so you can't judge a restaurant by their side business. It is hard to decide what was worse about Bertoni, the food, the service, the price point, or the strange high-top tables with high top couches you share with the people behind you. Nothing good.

We always go to the same sandwich shop for lunch. New York Big Apple Deli, they are great, a little pricey, but the sandwiches are huge, so no complaints. We wanted to try something different so we went to Bertoni and we were really disappointed. Panini's are not hard to make. Make a good sandwich, on good bread, and then press it. The bread was wrong, the meet was cut too thick, the cheese wasn't melted... Not a Panini. Also at $10.00 plus drink, plus tax and tip it was a little on the high end for what it was. I can go to the Big Apple Deli and spend that and get 2 lunches out of it.

Besides the food being lousy, the server looked about as enthused to be working there as I was to be eating there. She seemed annoyed to have to wait on us, I never got a refill on my iced tea, and then finally I had to walk up to the counter and ask for the check. We get it, you hate your job, quit, find something else. Don't serve people!

If you are hungry and need your car washed, keep driving to Karma, or spray it with the hose and go to Taco Bell, you will have a better meal, and better service.

North Miami Beach on Dwellable

Corned Beef. It's whats for St. Patty's day dinner.

2012-03-21T21:05:00.003-04:00

From reading my blog, it just looks like I am a glutton who knows his way around a menu, but ask me to stand in a kitchen and my eyes glass over and I lose all bodily function. This is not true my friends, not true at all. I would say I am better than average in the kitchen, good tools and good ingredients go a long way, and can definitely make someone seem a lot better than they really are. Why am I telling you this? I had a party this Saturday, for the greenest and happiest day of a leprechaun's year, and I figured I would go over the menu, and tell you what the offerings were.

St. Patrick's day, as every one knows, is a day of remembrance when a great man named Patrick first dyed his beer green, and served it in solo cups to hordes of coeds on spring break. This caused them to make very bad decisions but have a great time, and wake up with a wicked headache. So in honor of Patrick I did what I could to make bad decisions when it came to food, and beer so that I could remove life from my liver and cake my arteries with a thick coat of yellow plaque.

Food: I went for finger food type offerings, something that can be held in one had without the possibility of spilling your beer. Corned beef is an Irish staple, they say, and one cannot have corned beef without cabbage. I made corned beef sliders with a cabbage and green apple slaw with a very light dressing, mostly cider vinegar, oil, lemon juice and spice. They were served on small potato rolls, that were nice and soft, and soaked up all the different flavors. I was going put them in a chafing dish to keep them warm, but they went way too fast and I think I only got one.

I cooked up some bangers on the grill. I used a mahogany wood, it burns hot and lasts a while and gives a good flavor. Served up with a trio of mustards and there are some leftovers just not much.

Ireland has a long and famous tradition of smoking meat, being in the North Atlantic they have a huge variety of mackerel, herring, haddock, pollack and albacore tuna swimming in the cold water off their shores. Well I'm in Florida, and I will smoke what I can get fresh. I picked up a nice king fish from Jim's Seafood in North Miami, this is a great place that needs its own story one day, and I had them give me 2 very large fillets. I brined it overnight with salt, sugar, and other ingredients that Jim gave me and I cannot tell. Smoked just for 3 hours over apple wood. I have so much leftovers of this it isn't funny. It is in the freezer if anyone wants a slice.

More British then Irish, but I also made up a Welsh Rarebit, toast points with cheddar cheese sauce. This is the easiest sauce to make. The toast can be anything, I actually used a nice marble rye loaf that I cut up and I used Melba because it is cheap and stores well if I have leftovers, the sauce is Campbell's cheddar cheese soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper till it tastes right. Really easy, but one of those things that I remember my grandfather making when I was a kid and I still love it.

Carole made a sticky toffee pudding, definitely some more British Fare, but people really loved it. Lots of dates, and sugar with a very sweet sauce. I can't imagine what the calorie count was on that alone, but it had to be dangerous.

Personally I didn't do dessert, not really in the mood for something sweet, just wanted salty and the most important staple to any St. Patrick's day event, Beer.

Beer: Cold, cheap, and yellow need not apply here, also I am not going to dye beer green, it doesn't add anything except sorrow and regret in the morning. I did a combination of the standard Irish Lagers and Stouts; Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, and Magners Cider. These beers taste like Ireland, it is what you want to drink after you kiss the Blarney Stone, and you are sitting in a pub having the old locals laughing at you for kissing the Blarney Stone. While wanting to keep to my Irish roots, I also wanted to embrace this country's great contribution to malted hops and barley. I picked up a bunch of 6 packs of assorted American small batch beers; Magic Hat, Stones, Highland Brewing Company, and Cable Car were all represented. Beers from the east, west, and central. The night ended up disbanding the beer, and hitting the Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, so much for not having sorrow and regret in the morning.

I think that everyone who came had a good time. It was a long day but we had fun celebrating our Irish heritage, or lack there of. I will be going out to dinner and writing about it soon.

Finally I say unto you an old Irish Toast:

May you have food and raiment, A soft pillow for your head, May you be forty years in heaven Before the devil knows you're dead!

Generally, in order to add the Urbanspoon.com link the story has to be about the restaurant. Captain Jim Hanson's is great. Take to go, or eat in, either way it is awesome! The place looks a little sketchy, but the prices are great and the freshness can't be beat.

Seafood World, Lighthouse Point. They have been there forever for a reason!

2012-03-14T11:50:00.001-04:00

www.papahughie.com

"In 1976 Joy and Hugh Ganter opened Seafood World in Lighthouse Point, Florida. After many
years in the Bahamas, they had a clear ideal of the kind of restaurant they wanted and that
focus has never changed. They serve the freshest seafood in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere
where recipes are simple and tasteful. Sauces and spices enhance, but don't overpower the seafood."

I couldn't have said this better myself. Papa Hughie and his staff at Seafood World have been turning out the best seafood meals, for longer than I have been alive. I only recently discovered this place, and I don't know where I have been this whole time. Walking in it looks more like a fish mongers shop then a restaurant, but turn the corner and there are tables and chairs that offer some of the best meals you could ask for.

It is unfortunate that in South Florida it is hard to find a good fish restaurant. There are a few, but they are far between. When company comes it is always hard because they think, "you live between Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami, you should have the best fish places" that is not always the case. Seafood World has to be the best fish place that I have come across, north of the Keys. The driftwood style walls, and the fish mounts makes this place look authentic, and gets you ready for a good chunk of seafood, to go along with an ice cold beer.
We started off this meal with the Mama's Conch Salad, which I thought could have a little more flavor, but the conch was tender and was tasty and lots of it. Every appetizer salad that I have had there has been good, the seaweed salad and the calamari salad have so much complexity with flavor, and are out of this world.

The last time I was there, I had the Hog fish, a god awful ugly creature, with the sweetest flavor. It is amazing that you are what you eat, the hog fish eat small crustaceans and you can tell it by the texture and flavor of its flesh.This time I had the swordfish Livornese, which had a large piece of fish covered in a caper, olive, tomato sauce and served with choice of potato or rice and salad or coleslaw. Carole went for the seared tuna, which was featured one time on Gordon Ramsay's Hells Kitchen (not in a bad way). It was seared perfectly, leaving the fish mostly rare, and it came with the seaweed salad. My mother-in-law had the seared scallops, huge diver scallops that had a nice caramelization on the meat, and left tender and slightly rare. Perfect. My father-in-law had the fried snapper, he is a man who is very particular about his food, and where he eats. It was a "Mikey likes it" moment.

Don't expect to walk out of Seafood World hungry, or with a lot of money left over. The portions are huge, but they charge market rate for their food. The quality, and the quantity makes up for it. A little pricy, but worth it.
I don't get up to Lighthouse Point that often, it is a little far, but for this place, the food makes up for the drive. If you go for lunch try the cracked conch sandwich. Reasonably priced, lots of conch, delish!

Lighthouse Point on Dwellable

La Vendetta, in Hollywood. Good not great!

2012-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Picture courtesy of vendettarestaurant.com

Friday night is all about trying something different and this week we hit up La Vendetta. Driving down Hollywood Blvd, you can't miss the big red and black sign, and the 1956ish T-Bird out front is also a good point of reference. Before I go into the restaurant, I need to have a little rant about the city of Hollywood. About 3 months ago the Mayor and city council decided to not charge for parking anymore in downtown, great idea and thank you. Unfortunately valet parkers have swooped in like vultures and picked up about 25% of these spots and charge even more for the parking then the price used to be. I don't have a problem with the valet in general, I have a problem with their parking practices. They do not need 5-6 spots per restaurant. They need 1, and then they should move the car. Parking is free, why should I pay you $10 to park the car myself and then have you watch it. Not cool, something needs to change!

Ok, back to the review. La Vendetta spent a ton of money renovating and refinishing the old Rainbo Cafe. Rainbo has been there since the 1930's without much more than a paint job every now and then. Rainbo, before closing was a diner but started out as a casino, and had one of the original liquor licenses in Broward County after Prohibition. La Vendetta went all out, new everything including the bathrooms, which are a huge improvement. Sitting down you are treated to two different menus, one an Italian American menu, and one a Romanian. I'm not too sure why they are going after two different markets, pick one and do it really well. Everyone who works there is Romanian, from the owners, to the cooks, to the servers. My thoughts, be a Romanian restaurant, and leave the lasagna and spaghetti to the people who can do it really well.

Warm, fresh bread came out with a saucer of oil and olive dip, very nice. We also ordered an eggplant appetizer that wasn't much more than a baba ghanoush with a roasted red pepper, good, but not what I expected.

We ordered our dinner from the Romanian menu, I had the mittitei, Carole went for the grilled pork chop. For those of you who are not familiar with Romanian food mittitei is a beef, non cased sausage, usually with lots of spices, and garlic, grilled, and served with mustard. So we waited for our meal, and waited, and waited. Now downtown Hollywood isn't a bad place to wait. You can definitely people watch and the view is priceless. Hollywood with its mix of Latin, European, Canadian, and the strange make for a great vibe and a lot of fun.

When the food finally arrived, 45 min later, it was good, nothing special though. The pork chop was ok, not a lot of flavor, but not dry. I have had better mittitei. Normally the spices and seasonings stick with you for hours after your last bite, these tasted more like a partly seasoned hamburger with some Frenches yellow mustard on the side. They were tasty, but completely unmemorable.

If you want to try something new in downtown Hollywood, that is completely redone and clean, with an above average lounge singer it isn't a bad Friday night. Upstairs offers a large banquette hall for parties of 75, the bar was well stocked, and while the meal wasn't anything exceptional, it wasn't bad at all. The service was a little slow, which for the fact it was half full was upsetting, but seeing a woman push a baby stroller with a cat in it made up for the wait. I will go back, I might try something different, but I will try it again. It was good, it just wasn't awesome.

Thanks Jesse Ziglar for taking this!

The night, like most for us in Downtown, eroded into going to PRL across the street for a pint, and then down to Hollywood Vine for a glass of something stronger. It was a good night, great conversations with friends we met up with, and great stories too. Seriously a baby stroller with a cat!

Hollywood on Dwellable

A taste of the Keys in North Miami: Blue Marlin Fish House Restaurant

2012-03-09T14:01:00.002-05:00

Just about a mile away from work, right on the Oleta River one block east of US1 and 163 Street sits a little unassuming gem. If you like fresh smoked fish, and enjoy the breeze off the water this is the place to visit. Story to follow:

Followup: If you are not looking for Blue Marlin Fish House as you drive east on 163rd St. be prepared to pass it on your way to the beach. If you do though, you have missed out on a taste of the keys right in your backyard. I have eaten here a few times, and it never dissapoints. The food is easy; fried, grilled, or smoked served in a plastic basket and is filling and inexpensive.

My recommendations are to start with the conch fritters, they are nothing too special, except to me all conch fritters are special. The smoked fish sandwich, or the fish tacos would be my follow up. The fish taco filling are mayonnaise biased, but not overpowering, or extra heavy. They have a good beer menu, mostly small batch breweries, but the cold, yellow, and cheap find a home on the board too.

It is hard to get out of here, not because of traffic or congestion, but because as soon as you sit down you forget where you are and have no desire to leave. Whether you are sitting on the patio under cover, or out on the dock looking at the boats pass by, and the fish jumping it feels like you are doing the same thing in Tavernier, or Largo

North Miami Beach on Dwellable

Lunch at FIU Kovens Center, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Advanced Food Production Management

2012-03-07T14:01:00.001-05:00

Had a great lunch today at the Kovens Center. The students definitely outdid themselves. Full story to follow:

Followup: One of the many great things about working with FIU is the lunches and dinners that are put on by the very talented students here in the Kovens Center. Remember, that FIU, Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism is not a culinary program even though cooking classes are in the curriculum including a class that prepares, markets, and executes several lunches and dinners per semester.

These meals are open to the public, and reservations are available. Visit http://myhospitality.fiu.edu/mailings/DiningEvents.jpg for more information. Wednesday's lunch started with a Caprese salad, which was simple enough and got our taste buds ready for the main entree. A specialty drink, a blueberry-pomegranate iced tea, was served with the appetizer and wine was suggested with the main courses, that I declined. The two main course options were grilled lamb chops, or a pan seared sea bass that was substituted for the advertized mackerel. The fish was cooked perfectly and came with a couscous side that was bland, but OK, and a drizzle of chimichurri that overpowered the fish and was not necessary.

The people at my table found the lunch good, but the lamb was a little on the rare side for some of the guests. Desert was a chocolate mousse served with coffee. These are students, they are not formally trained professional chefs, or expert servers so there are some hiccups. All and all it was a great meal, partly because of the food, partly because of the view of the Biscayne Bay, and partly because of the company. I don't get to go to many of these events, work takes the priority over these things, but they are fun to do. Please, if you are in the area and want to try something for lunch or dinner, and to help out the university, please look at the days, make a reservation and try one out. Next fall the new restaurant and teaching kitchen will be complete, and the renderings are of the best looking restaurant I have ever seen.

North Miami Beach on Dwellable

Movies at O Cinema, dinner at Wynwood Kitchen & Bar

2012-03-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

Friday night we had a great meal in South Beach, Saturday we went into the design district. This area of Miami has made huge changes in the past 10 years. What once was a blighted frightening area, has had a huge transformation and is trendy and a fun place to walk around.

First we went to O Cinema, a strange little movie theater that once was a warehouse. Indistinguishably from the front as a movie theater with the exception of the large art mural walking in, doesn't make you feel as though you are going to see the next great blockbuster. Well you aren't, O Cinema is an independent theater playing artsy, foreign, and strange movies that don't get the normal attention or large ticket sales. We wanted to see Crazy Horse, we saw the live show in Las Vegas and this seamed like it would be fun to see the behind the scenes of the show. Ticket prices were reasonable, about $10.00 each, wine and beer were very inexpensive, just about $3.00 for a plastic cup full. After waiting for the movie ahead of us to finish we visited one of the little shops in the building and picked up a little trinket for mom. When we sat down we were treated to a live burlesque show before the movie, very unexpected, very cool. The movie was good, but the experience was great, I will keep my eyes open for something else to strike my fancy and we will go there again.

Courtesy Thomas Lowey Visuals

After the movie, we drove only .2 miles to Wynwood Kitchen and Bar where I had made reservations, glad I did. We sat outside and not only did we experience a great dinners of small plates, we had a beautiful surroundings of interesting wall art. The dinner was fabulous. We ordered 4 different dishes, the short ribs, the PEI mussels and clams, the flash fried bok choy, and the special of the night the duck prosciutto salad. With the exception of the salad everything was spectacular. The duck prosciutto was cut too thick and the dressing overpowered the flavor of the duck and the arugula. The other three dishes surely made up for the one flop (which we still ate, because while it wasn't great it wasn't terrible either).

The beer and specialty drink menu was a little intimidating, but I had the Aiko, a combination of tequila and Pimms with other flavors reminding me of a margarita but different. For desert we split the coconut upside down cake, which was so hot that it burned my mouth but I didn't care because it was so good. Dinner was very reasonable, only $90.00 and parking is free so it was a great deal.

We walked around afterwards, and looked at the wall art, a free movie was being shown behind the restaurant and it looked like people just bring their lawn chairs and sit outside and watch. The art was very well done, and the Peter Tunney art gallery has some amazing works in it. It was a great evening, even though Carole was feeling her cold acting up and wanted to go home. When she feels better, and we have a reason to take some people to try something new we are definitely going back down to Wynwood.

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

2012-03-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

We ventured down to South Beach this weekend, actually we hit Miami twice this week for two terrific date night dinners. Friday night we took a chance and hit Yardbird Southern Table and Bar without a reservation, but it paid off. Yardbird is a hometown, southern cuisine restaurant that has large servings and special cocktails.

Be prepared when you get there with a date, the tables are large and the chance of sharing it with one or two other couples is possible. Carole and I shared the fried chicken, with two sides; mac and cheese, and the grits. The fried chicken was great, but I have had better, just not much better. The grits and mac and cheese were thick, and heavy, full of flavor and a perfect companion to the chicken. The decor is very country, exposed wood and brick, natural finishes, very clean and inviting.

While the food is great, the drinks are awesome. The majority of the specialty drinks are bourbon based, but with lots of interesting flavors that people who don't like the taste of Kentucky nectar will still find something that they like. We finished off the dinner with the apple pie, obviously homemade crust, that came with a scoop of buttermilk ice cream and pickled raisins.

Walking out of any restaurant on South Beach with only paying $100.00 per couple is a major accomplishment, and I think we won. We will be back, I want to try the shrimp and grits.

Bulldog Burger for Lunch

2012-02-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

South Beach Wine and Food Fest is coming closer and one of the largest events every year is The Burger Bash. The “Amstel Light Burger Bash presented by Allen Brothers Steaks and Diet Pepsi hosted by Rachael Ray” is one of the most attended and most anticipated events in the SOBEWFF line-up. 29 chefs and restaurants participate annually and, Bravo TV’s Top Chef Season 3 contestant, Howie Kleinberg of Bulldog Burger always represents his terrific product.

For no reason other than the convenience of the restaurant’s location to my workplace, and the fact that my boss and I both wanted a burger, we decided to drive over and get some ground beef deliciousness. Like a lot of gastropubs or burger joints popping up, they do try to buck the system when it comes to what we consider the norm of the noble hamburger. I ordered “The Hot Mess”, a Certified Angus Beef burger with bacon candy, caramelized onion, crisp onion, roasted ‘shrooms, bleu cheese, and horseradish mayo. I went for it medium rare, it was juicy and sloppy, but good.

My boss, Dr. Upchurch, made a little mistake when ordering. He read the description for the “Luther”, crisp bacon, caramelized onion, cheddar cheese, and house sauce but stopped right before the part that said it was served on a “Crispy Cream” sweet glazed bun. The bun was covered with a frosting glaze and looked more like a donut than a hamburger bun. Dr. Upchurch was not a fan of the bun, but enjoyed the burger. The first thing he said was, “It’s good, but way too sweet!” He ate about half of it on the bun before abandoning the sweet bread and opting for the fork and knife.

Bulldog Burger is definitely not a cheap burger, but I don’t put $11-$12 out of the realm of possibility for a dinner burger, or even occasionally for lunch. They also have a pretty good beer selection, both bottle and draft. The majority are specialty craft beers, not just the “cold, cheap, yellow” variety. I would go there again, not every day, and would recommend eating lunches like this in moderation.

North Miami Beach on Dwellable

Sunday Dinner at The H Restaurant Sunny Isles

2012-01-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

We had a great dinner on Sunday. My folks were staying in Sunny Isles Sunday night so my dad could get to an early meeting Monday morning. We decided to join them for our normal Sunday dinner but this time we went out. They made reservations at The H Restaurant on 174^th and Collins Ave.

The H Restaurant is a small French place that has been open a short time but they hit a home run in food and service. The restaurant is roomy with an open kitchen. You can see bursts of flames leaping out of the skillets and men in chef’s coats busily plating food. The TV over the bar was tune to Americas Funniest Home Videos. It would have been nice to be off then tuned to something that distracted you when your eye caught a baby throwing up, or someone getting kicked in the crotch.

It was quite empty on a Sunday night so reservations were not necessary, but Open Table points are always nice to receive. We sat down to a basket of warm bread and individually wrapped pads of butter. It is a huge waste to put out ramekins of butter, but the presentation is so much better than the aluminum wrapped hard butter pucks. We ordered a bottle of their Italian Pinot Grigio and the French Platter as an appetizer. The French Platter was huge and delicious, filled with a large selection of cheeses, fruit, and charcuterie that made me hungry for what was soon to come. When the meal arrived 3 of the dishes came out while we waited for the 4^th. I do like it when all the dinners come out at the same time so that there is not that awkwardness of “do I wait, or can I start”, but we waited and the 4th came out quickly.

I ordered the braised duck that was slow cooked in a port orange sauce and was served with fresh mashed potatoes and 2 pieces of asparagus. The duck was perfectly cooked and the meat peeled right off the bone. It was flavored perfectly. The mashed potatoes had a little lump to them so you knew that they were not out of a box. They were flavored with and had a hint of garlic and herb but nothing overpowering.

My dad ordered the frogs legs that were “fresh from the everglades”. I have no idea if they actually procured the legs from the end of a gig stick but they were fresh. People who say the frogs legs “taste like chicken” have either never eaten frog’s legs, or never eaten chicken. Frogs legs have a little hint of chicken but remind me more of a good sea bass with a chicken bone going through it. The legs were sautéed in garlic, butter and white wine and were served with a potato salad that I did not get the chance to taste but looked good. Mom and Carole both ordered fish, mom went for the Grilled Ahi Tuna, medium. She went a little more well-done then I would like, but she said that it tasted great. I actually took the rest home with me and was supposed to give it to her but I forgot. Sorry mom!

Carole had the Snapper en Papillote. The presentation of the fish wrapped in parchment paper was impressive, and as she opened it, the steam that escaped smelled delicious. The fish was flaky, cooked perfectly and tasted as good as it smelled. Her dish came with sliced potatoes that I could have sworn were cooked in bacon or duck fat. They were salty and crispy and I would have bet that the flavor could have only come from animal grease. I asked the chef and he said that they were just cooked in peanut oil, salt, and pepper. Whatever his trick is, he wasn’t going to tell.

We knew we were going to walk over to Epicure and pick up pastries so we skipped dessert. The bill for the 4 of us was under $200 including tip. If yo are in Sunny Isles or looking for a great French restaurant I would highly recommend this place. Reservations are probably more necessary on Fridays and Saturdays but it never hurts to make one. Parking can be an issue; we scored a spot right up front out of luck so that was nice. If you are looking for an inexpensive romantic dinner for two, my suggestion would be a bottle of whatever wine you want, the French platter and then order one entree to split. Trust me, it is more than enough and you will be well under $100.

North Miami Beach on Dwellable

Que Perros - Hollywood

2012-01-29T23:16:00.000-05:00

When I decided to start this blog my idea was to try a bunch of new places that would give me an excuse to spend a little more money and eat at some really high quality places. So far I have eaten at some really good places, had some new experiences, and shared them with some great friends. For this dinner we decided to go outside of the box, actually we blew up the box.

We were watching Anthony Bourdain's new show The Layover the other night and he was in Miami eating at a Colombian hot dog joint. We both knew that there was a place like that in Hollywood but had never even thought about going to a place like it. Well last night we decided to give it a try.

We went to Que Perros! which is just west of 59th Ave on Johnson street. It has been there for 10 years serving the same thing: hot dogs, hamburgers, and some Colombian specialties. If you are one of those people who:
A. Argue that New York hot dogs are better than Chicago style hot dog or "vice versa" or,
B. You are 6 years old and think that a hot dog is simply a way to get more ketchup into your diet
Then this is not the place for you. If, however, you like to try something totally out of the norm, give a Colombian hot dog a chance. Que Perros! is a small place that mostly offers take-out even though there are a handful of tables inside. They stay open till 3:00am to cater to the people coming home late from the Hard Rock Casino or any number of late night bars and clubs. Why go to Taco Bell to try to soak up some of the poison you have been putting in your system all night when you can get a hot dog instead?

I went on the suggestion of the guy behind the counter who said if this was my first time I should try the El Perrito. This dog is topped with a pineapple sauce, a pink sauce (which I think is just a ketchup/mayonnaise sauce), and crushed potato chips. His second sugestion was the Scooby Doo, which is thesame as the El perrito but has quail eggs on top. I went for the Scooby. Carole went a little more normal an opted for the El ranchero, a hot dog with melted cheddar, refried beans, bacon, the same pink sauce and chips.

If that is not enough damage to our bodies we also ordered a minipicada, a side dish with enough choleserol that we thought about sprinkling Lipitor on top instead of salt. The minipicada consisted of french fries, country potatoes, chicharron, chorizo, morzilla (blood sausage), quail egg, and a grilled arepa. It also came with some different homemade sauces. My favorite was the garlic aioli. My thought is, if you are going to eat like this, cover it with mayonnaise and pray to God you wake up in the morning without a pain running from your chest down your left arm.

Because of the size of the place we decided to take it to go and catch up on some of our shows trapped on the DVR. The best thing to compliment this dinner was something cold, cheap, and yellow. Anything brewed in Denver, Milwaukee, St. Louis, or most of Mexico works well with this.

We were shocked at how good the food was, and we will probably go back, but first I am going to go for a run because I just feel guilty.

Hollywood on Dwellable

Mangia Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in Lake Worth, FL

2012-01-29T23:04:00.000-05:00

We traveled far outside of our comfort zone leaving the 305 and 954 and entered the heart of the 561. One of Carole's friends from work and his wife, Bill and Joanne, invited us to dinner at one of their favorite places, Mangia Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria in Lake Worth off Lantana Road. Personally I thought Lantana was just the place to get the ticket on the Turnpike driving up to Orlando, but people live there and have restaurants, great restaurants.

Mangia sits inside a strip mall, no distinguishing characteristics or landmark, but all the character is on the inside. From what I understand, the chef/owner, who is from Sicily, ran another restaurant with his brother and then for whatever reason decided to split off and do his own thing. The food was terrific and the quality was superb. We were their Friday night which turned out to be very crowded and caused the kitchen to run a little slower than normal, but when the food came out we were glad we waited.

When we sat down there was a basket of hot garlicy focaccia bread on the table. They actually make a lot of the bread there and then use the leftover bread to make their own breadcrumbs that they use in their dishes. The specials that night included an appetizer of rice balls and fried cauliflower which had more cheese then rice or cauliflower but was excellent. Carole ordered pasta ala Mangia, a special with a pink sauce, prosciutto, and peas, I had the veal saltimbocca and our friends each ordered the chicken ala Sicilia.

My veal was tender and flavorful, the gravy was sweet with wine but not overpowering, and the fresh mushrooms gave it an earthy taste that was fantastic. I couldn't eat the whole thing and brought back almost half. Bill and Joanne's chicken was free range, you could tell because of the tenderness and the freshness. On top sliced eggplant tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Three of our meals came with broccoli rabe that was cooked in tons of olive oil and garlic. I was tasting it the rest of the night, but it was great.

Carole's special had wide pasta noodles and the sauce was fresh and creamy, not thick and viscous like you sometimes get at other Italian restaurants. The peas gave it a different level of flavor and texture that Carole was really happy with. Unfortunately because we got there a little late, and because they were so busy that night, all the cannolis were sold out so we opted out of dessert. We were not drinking so the total bill came to only $100.00. For the amount and quality of the food we got I think we made out pretty well.

We had a great time and a great meal, the drive was a little much for someone who works in Miami and lives in Hollywood but the food is worth making the trek up there again.

Open Plaza 1935, PRL, then Menchies

2012-01-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

Last week Carole and I had made plans to go with two of our favorite people, Mallory and Jesse, to try a new restaurant in downtown Hollywood. We got to Open Plaza 1935 just after 7:00 and it was pretty quiet for a Saturday night. I didn't have high hopes just by the name, taking ambiguous words and throwing them together does not make a name, but when you walk in the ambiguity starts to make sense. The restaurants web site describes themselves as "Cafe/Bar/Resto/Lounge/Show/Art & Gift Shop" and they have made this actually work. Very kitschy, very interesting, very cool. There is outdoor seating available, unfortunately next door is one of the half dozen Hootchie clothing stores downtown whose volume on their stereo is set to 11 and it would have made conversation impossible. Inside does not resemble a restuarant, it is a cross between a lounge, and grandma's living room. The table we sat at had upholstery wing-back chairs across was a wall of old Golf magazines, they had some neat, eclectic pieces of art and furniture, plus they sold clothing and used books both for $2 a piece.

We started off with some drinks, Mallory, Carole, and I each had a glass of wine, a Cabernet Sovenion, Temparnilo, and a Cariñena. Jesse ordered a Quilmes beer. We ordered an appetizer for the table, which came with 4 empanadas, 4 pieces of bruschetta, and a quesadilla. The empanadas were fresh, crispy and delicious, the fungi bruschetta had so much incredible flavor that we were all impressed by it, the quesadilla was unimpressive, not bad, just nothing special.

None of us were starving, especially after the appetizer. Carole, Mallory, and I each just ordered a sandwich. These are not just plain boring sandwiches. They are available hot or cold, and made on bread baked in house. Picking 4 different ingredients including meat, cheese, vegetables, imported olives and a host of other things only costs $5.00. Jesse went for the pesto pork chops. Normally when I order chops at a restaurant they are double sized and imposible to cook correctly and more then one person needs to eat. His pork chop was thin, cooked perfectly, and came with a very flavorful pesto sauce. The oven roasted potatos were seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and the salad that was on the side looked delicious. The total dinner was around $70, including the tip, but we had a $25 restaurant.com gift certificate so it made it a very inexpensive meal.

After dinner we walked around the shop and looked in the curios at all the interesting things for sale and spoke briefly with the owner, who was very friendly and thanked us for coming in that night. We really did have a terrific time and it will be a place that we visit frequently and take people from out of town too.

The night was still young and we only had one adult beverage a piece so we decided to walk across the street to PRL Euro Cafe. The menus say that PRL is the "sexy communist way to say Poland" I don't know if it is or not, all I can say is the place is really neat. It is small, it can be smokey, and if you are not a beer person this is not the place for you. They have about 7 or 8 beers on tap, the rest are in bottles. The best way to order is to forgo the menu and pick beers that are on the wall, those they have, what is listed in the menu is a crap shoot. They do have the mainstays, Bud Light, Miller Lite, and others, but their real niche is unusual, foreign, high gravity beers. I had a Dunkle, a Delirium Tremens, and a great IPA that I can't remember the name. The place can get a little crowded and loud, but it makes it even better. Also if you are in the mood for a little food, next door Mauro's Pizza has cheap, large slices that can soak up any amount of hoppy liquid you put in your stomach, and you can grab a slice and bring it back to your bar stool.

Before we left them for the night, we walked over to Menchies Frozen Yogurt. This store model is popping up all over the place. If you have been to a Pinkberry or Yogurtland it is the same thing. You get a bowl, fill it with yogurt and toppings and then pay based on weight. Not rocket science, but delicious, and if you stay away from all the fattening toppings it is low-cal.

We had a wonderful time with our friends and can't wait to try another place soon. We were very impressed with Open Plaza 1935 and hope that they continue to do well. It would be great if they could talk to their neighbors and see if the volume could be turned down to a level that won't interfere with the other people trying to enjoy themselves in downtown.

Every Monday night at Young Circle downtown is a food truck roundup. We are thinking about trying it tomorrow, we will see how the work day goes.

Hollywood on Dwellable

Organic Brewery a Bust

2012-01-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

The blog has been quiet the past few weeks because there has been not much to talk about. Last weekend we spent fishing in the Keys and subsequently eating our catch. The weekend before we decided to take a break and not do much but go to "My Big Fat Greek Restaurant" a good, not great Greek place, then not much else.

Last night we ventured down to Hollywood Beach to check out the new Organic Brewery. I have heard mixed reviews about this place personally, as well as from Yelp but I thought I would try it out. Parking on Hollywood Beach in season is always a bear, unless you want to pay $7.00 for all day parking, which we did, but it was convenient so it made it okay. For those who don't know about this place, it is just north of the old Oceanwalk at 290 N. Broadwalk, right on the beach. Walking up to this place it looks really great, old world Bavarian decor, a large picture window filled with stainless steel tanks where they make their beer on site. It was cool and windy but we opted to sit outside, Carole, myself, and our friend Scott from down the street. While we were expecting to hear some Oom-Pah band or accordion music what we got was old school Reggae blasting from the outdoor speakers.

First thing you should know when you go there is that the menu is an idea of what they might have to serve. Don't get your heart set on one thing because you will probably be disappointed. The menu is quite limited to sausages and schnitzel, and even though they do have a $9.00 guacamole app, we did not take our chances and try it. 2 out of the 5 beers they offer on the menu were unavailable, one of the two soups was sold out, along with other things we tried to order. The beers come in 3 sizes: 10oz, 16oz, and a whopping 34oz. We tried a 10oz Pilzner, a 10oz Wheat Beer, and a 16oz Stout. All were fresh and clean tasting yet lacked any real flavor or distinctiveness.

While we waited for our food, one of the things that would be really nice would be something to munch on. Quick education for those who want to start a restaurant or bar, the peanuts, snack mix and other salty goodies that are out to eat are not there just to satisfy ones hunger for a meal, they are there because they are salty, and salty foods make you thirsty and make you drink more. A basket of stale, room temperature bread did come out for Carole's meal, but no butter and nothing for the rest of us. This is a German restaurant, it would not be hard to put out some good, hot, German bakery bread and heavily salted butter, or even better some fresh soft pretzels with spicy mustard (by the way they didn't even have pretzels on the menu). This would complement the beer and probably had me order a second, or even third.

The food, when it arrived, was not impressive at all. Carole did enjoy her goulash even though it was a huge bowl with only a small ladle of soup in it. My assorted sausage dinner was lousy. The sausages were homemade using real casing but they all tasted exactly the same, were overcooked and had more spice then meat. They came with a cabbage side dish that I was looking forward to, but had little to no taste and was soggy. Finally, Scott ordered the smoked game hen. He said the flavor was good, but it had obviously been reheated and only the outside was warm while the inside was still stone cold. He too was under-impressed by the cabbage side dish. We didn't stick around for dessert, the Reggae was getting louder and I really wanted another beer, just not one of theirs, so we decided to get the check and run. $60 for the 3 of us, tip included. I'm glad I caught that because our server almost got an additional $12 out of us, for not much work, and not much service.

After a discussion at the next bar we put wagers on how long it will last, the general consensus is if it can make it through tourist season, congratulations, but in 6 months time if you want some high end brewing gear get ready for the auction, because they won't last. I do appreciate that someone has taken a chance and done something different on Hollywood beach. It is not a dive bar, a pizza joint, or ice cream stand, but if they don't try harder they will fall victim to everyone else who has tried something on the beach and failed miserably. The concept is great, and I hope they prove me wrong.

Hollywood on Dwellable

Hollywood Vine & Cafe Volare

2012-01-03T21:55:00.000-05:00

Trying to figure out dinner tonight. Carole stayed home from work, didn't feel well so I think the plan is to go out tonight. My plan was to take her to the Airport and have her cough on people and see how long it will take to start a global pandemic. She vetoed this so we decided to do something else.

It is Tuesday night so we decide to go to downtown Hollywood, yes we go here a lot. On Tuesday nights Hollywood Vine always has a free wine tasting. There are actually three wine bars in downtown Hollywood, all on Harrison Street. Harrison's Winebar, I have never been here. They wouldn't let me in one time because I was wearing shorts and flip flops in July in South Florida. Never tried it again. Vino, which happens to be next door to Winebar, this is one of those places that you put a card into a machine and it dispenses wine. I don't eat sandwiches out of an automat, so I don't drink wine out of one of these things either. Hollywood Vine is a great little wine bar that has a terrific selection of wines, beers, and spirits, plus cheese, olives, and other little tid-bits. This is one of those places that while Sam Malone isn't there and they don't actually know your name, you feel like they know who you are, and they know that you have visited their establishment on more than one occasion. The owner and bartender are very knowledgeable about wine, they know what they are pouring and can tell you about the grapes, the terroir, the vintage, whatever you want to know they have an answer.

Yes I look pretentious in the
bow-tie, but I like it.

The wine selection today was from the Napa region, the best was the Brassfield Eruption, a terrific meritage from the northern Napa area. After the tasting we grabbed a bottle of 2010 Predator Old Vine Zin from St. Helena and tried to figure out where to eat for dinner.

On recommendations from people drinking and working there we decided to go next door to Cafe Volare and order something and have them deliver it back to Hollywood Vine. Cafe Volare is a very small restaurant, only 4 or 5 tables inside. The owner, whose mother is Italian yet he hails from Ecuador, is warm and inviting. He tells me, "Don't look at the menu, tell me what you want to eat and I will make it for you." Carole orders an eggplant parm and he talks me into a bow-tie pasta with salmon in a pink sauce. He tells us to go and drink out wine and he will be over soon. I try to pay and he says no, pay later.

Within 15 or 20 minutes the owner and one employee walk in with plates, napkins, silverware, our dinner, and warm garlic mozzarella bread. I try to pay again and he tells me, "No you are now family, you pay when you are ready." Dinner was excellent and heavy, perfect for a cold Florida night. Mine was more food then I needed but I ate it, Carole brought half home. The eggplant parm came with a side of sauteed fennel and carrots that were amazing. When we were done, the server came and collected the plates and again I tried to pay, he hesitantly took my credit card still trying to sell a dessert or even another entree. Total was about $25.00 plus tip.

End of the night we paid for our bottle of wine and I stopped back into Cafe Volare just to thank the owner, and tell him how wonderful we found his food. He said again, "You are Family now, whatever you want I will make it for you. You need something catered I am your man."

I have no problems or complaints with any of tonight. Hollywood Vine is so consistent, I know what I am getting and I am always happy when I leave. Cafe Volare is now one of my favorite little Hollywood gems. Hope it sticks around!

Hollywood on Dwellable

My First Blog

2012-01-02T18:15:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog posting, actually my first is title New Years 2011, but I figure I should do a little introduction of myself if I am going to pontificate on the web.

I was born in Connecticut but moved to Florida, Hollywood in particular, when I was 2 and I haven't left, I am 35 now. I have seen this city change a lot, and I have seen it stay exactly the same in a lot of ways. My wife, of almost 12 years, Carole and I go out to dinner a lot, and we also cook a lot. Cooking is one of my passions, second only to eating. These two get jumbled up frequently so first or second are actually different any day of the week. I have a masters degree in Hospitality Management so I should have some idea of what I am talking about when I say what restaurants/hotels/bars/etc do well or not so well. Hence the name, Educated Foodie, get it?

I don't travel as much as I like, but when we do, we eat at all sorts of places from expensive and chic to roadside stops along the highways. Carole and I hate the chain restaurants, we will do it occasionally in a pinch, but we love the one offs. The restaurants that someone had to struggle to make the menu and really care about what they are doing. When I go to a chain, I won't tell you about it, unless it was surprisingly good, or unsurprisingly bad. When I am going to a new place, give me a day and I will tell about my experience. This is not going to be a restaurant review blog, there are enough of those out there, and the newspapers do a much better job then I can.

I hope to tell my experiences and hope that people care, even just a little. If you like my suggestions, go to the places that I recommend, if you don't that is fine too. Most of the places I eat on a regular basis are in my backyard, Hollywood, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. I get to the Keys, Palm Beaches, and the West Coast of Florida occasionally and this blog should give me a reason to experiment more, but South East Florida is home so that is what I will normally talk about. If I make something really out of this world for dinner I might post the recipe, I am making Vietnamese Pho tonight for dinner, Carole is sick and it sounded good.

I hope I stick with this, New Years resolutions and all are sometimes hard when January is over and plates become filled with life. Enjoy what I have to say.