Today we stopped by Bedner's Farm Market in Boynton Beach, FL. Our goal was to have some lunch from the Rolling Stove food truck that's become so popular in our area but we played golf this morning and got to Bedner's too late. So we "settled" on having barbecue from Porky & Beth's. We were pleasantly surprised!
Because we barbecue ourselves, we're a bit fussy about the barbecue we eat in restaurants. Porky & Beth's is definitely high up on our list of places we'd choose! They cook & serve from a brand-new beautiful trailer, and there are many picnic tables under a large canopy for you to sit and enjoy your meal. "Porky", whose given name is Robert, stops by every table and asks how you like the food. He's very proud of their product and he should be.
We had a "Three Meat Plate" which comes with two sides. We chose beef brisket, pulled pork, and ribs, and our sides were macaroni & cheese and collard greens. We also got an ear of grilled corn, husk attached. The brisket was good, although Carol would have preferred the "point" rather than the "flat" section that we were given...we'll have to ask next time if that's an option. The "point" is a bit fattier and more tender. The pulled pork was very good but we wished it had more "bark" (crunchy outside crust). The ribs were the best-tasting of the three meats and were so tender they had fallen off the bones. Paying customers like ribs this tender although judges in barbecue competitions are a bit hard on contestants who turn in ribs like this. Sauce options were sweet and hot, tomato-based, and were very tasty! The mac & cheese was just OK, and the collards were a little bitter. We liked the corn.
We talked a bit with "Porky" afterward and got a close look at their Lang smoker. Lang calls their smokers the "#1 BBQ smoker" and they do manufacture a great product. Porky uses oak for all his meats, and while he uses a bit of restraint so that his meats don't taste too "oaky", we prefer oak for beef and fruitwoods like apple & cherry for pork.
We'll go back to "Porky & Beth's BBQ" to see if we can't get a little of the brisket "point" and talk more barbecue with Robert!
http://www.porky&bethsbbq.com/
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Bogart's Bar & Grill
Bogart's Bar & Grill is housed on the second floor of the Cinemark Palace 20 Theater here in Boca Raton. It is a great place to go for dinner just before or after a movie. We often pair this with the Premier movie experience at the theater. Tonight the Premier was booked so we went downstairs to see Secretariat. Great movie by the way!
We called early for reservations and they had none at the time we needed so we were quite pleasantly surprised to find we had only a 10 minute wait for a table. Ryan was our server and he was excellent. He was very attentive to our needs.
Carol had the Barbecue Chicken Pizza. She thought it was great. It had cheddar-Monterey jack
cheese, roasted peppers, fresh tomatoes, red onion and house made barbecue sauce.
I had the Organic Lemon Roasted Chicken which came with wild rice pilaf, broccoli and lemon thyme jus. So often when you get roasted chicken it comes quite bland. This had a ton of flavor. The rice pilaf was nutty and quite good as well.
We have frequented this restaurant in the past and we always find the food exceptional and the service great. Since it is a restaurant in a theater, they are always mindful of when your movie starts and get you out in time for the show.
We got there early thinking we would have quite a wait to get a table. Since we got in rapidly, we had enough extra time to have dessert so we shared the Turtle Ice Cream Sandwich which is layers of chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, Heath Bar pieces topped with hot fudge and caramel sauce. The portion was enormous so we had more than enough to share. It was quite wonderful!
We think this is an exceptional restaurant that may be missed by many because of its venue. It is a wonderful treat to go with your movie. Do not miss it.
http://www.bogartsofboca.com/
Great Food at Duffy's Sports Grill!
We've been to several links in the Duffy's Sports Grill chain; yesterday we visited the Deerfield Beach, FL location for lunch.
Duffy's has a wide variety of choices on the menu, ranging from appetizers like Loaded Potato Skins to Coconut Crusted Dolphin Fingers and Mini Crab Cakes. If you're going for a full meal you can choose from sandwiches (Carol likes the Buffalo Chicken), salads, and specialties such as steaks, pork chops, and pasta dishes.
On our visit yesterday, Lisa had the Angus Cheeseburger (her cheese of choice was Cheddar). She had sweet potato fries as a side ($1.50 extra). The burger was cooked to her liking at medium-well, and although she said it wasn't the best burger she's ever had, it was very good. The sweet potato fries were crinkle-cut and a bit bland...a cinnamon-sugar dip would be nice!
Carol went for a special...the Island Wrap. It contained blackened shrimp, lettuce, tomato, & chopped avocado, and she enjoyed it. She chose onion rings as a side (again, $1.50 extra). They had already cooled a bit by the time they arrived at the table.
Stop by a Duffy's next time you're hungry...you'll leave satisfied!
www.duffyssportsgrill.com
Duffy's has a wide variety of choices on the menu, ranging from appetizers like Loaded Potato Skins to Coconut Crusted Dolphin Fingers and Mini Crab Cakes. If you're going for a full meal you can choose from sandwiches (Carol likes the Buffalo Chicken), salads, and specialties such as steaks, pork chops, and pasta dishes.
On our visit yesterday, Lisa had the Angus Cheeseburger (her cheese of choice was Cheddar). She had sweet potato fries as a side ($1.50 extra). The burger was cooked to her liking at medium-well, and although she said it wasn't the best burger she's ever had, it was very good. The sweet potato fries were crinkle-cut and a bit bland...a cinnamon-sugar dip would be nice!
Carol went for a special...the Island Wrap. It contained blackened shrimp, lettuce, tomato, & chopped avocado, and she enjoyed it. She chose onion rings as a side (again, $1.50 extra). They had already cooled a bit by the time they arrived at the table.
Stop by a Duffy's next time you're hungry...you'll leave satisfied!
www.duffyssportsgrill.com
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Pear Clafouti
Not easy to say but fairly simple to make, this is Ina Garten's recipe. I just did a google search for pear clafouti (fortunately it finished spelling clafouti for me). There are three pears inside along with a batter that is a lot like a pancake batter. We will put either a glaze or a caramel on top with homemade ice cream that Carol is making, a vanilla ice cream with a salted butter caramel swirl. Looking forward to dessert tonight.
Carol's mom is cooking, Italian! It promises to be an excellent eating evening.
Cheesecake Factory
One of our most favorite places to go for dinner out is the Cheescake Factory. We are fortunate in that there is one right down the street from us.
Last night's meal was exceptional. We started with the Cream of Chicken, Mushroom and Artichoke soup which was excellent. Be sure and try it if you are there when it is the soup of the day. Carol ordered the, Asian Carmel Chicken which was a special and not on the online menu. They have served it before when we were there so she knew she loved it. Lisa had her old standby, the Factory Burrito Grande. It used to be served with the rice and beans on the plate beside the burrito but recently the chef has been putting the rice inside the burrito. When she asked about it, our server Michelle said they could put the rice on the side. It was much better that way. It comes with chicken, onions, and many other things inside and a fresh tomato salsa, sour cream and guacamole on top. It was wonderful as usual.
We noticed last night that they were paying much more attention to service. They have always been good but last night, they went overboard. DeeDee, another server pitched in and brought us drinks when she saw we were below half way. A gentleman also came and asked if everything was ok. Several apologized for the slow service. It was not that slow but it was nice that they were concerned about it. We also noticed there was a staff member in the restroom helping out with anything that was needed.
We are almost always too full when we finish with our meal to even think about eating cheesecake and last night was no exception. However when we do order dessert, I LOVE the Warm Apple Crisp. I know, its Cheesecake Factory, but none of the cheesecakes hold a candle to the apple crisp. Try it sometime, you'll understand.
All in all, over the top service along with wonderful food made for a great evening out.
Champs Americana
Friday night we had dinner with some friends from the Florida Library Association who were down to conduct several sessions discussing the new FSU program for in person classes for their Masters Degree Program. We met them at Champps Americana in North Fort Lauderdale.
Sam, our server was very good. He kept our drinks filled without us having to ask and was quite attentive to our needs.
Carol had the Bleu Cheeseburger with melted bleu and cheddar cheeses, topped with two
strips of apple wood-smoked bacon. She of course asked for medium rare and it was cooked very nicely. She loved the stake fries which were quite crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy inside.
Lisa had the Shroom Burger, a juicy burger loaded with sauteed mushrooms and
Swiss cheese. She had onion rings on the side. The meal was great. The batter an the onion rings was thicker and crispier than most and was very nice. She of course had her burger cooked medium well. There was no pink inside but she was ok with that.
All in all it was a very nice meal.
http://www.champps.com/
Sam, our server was very good. He kept our drinks filled without us having to ask and was quite attentive to our needs.
Carol had the Bleu Cheeseburger with melted bleu and cheddar cheeses, topped with two
strips of apple wood-smoked bacon. She of course asked for medium rare and it was cooked very nicely. She loved the stake fries which were quite crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy inside.
Lisa had the Shroom Burger, a juicy burger loaded with sauteed mushrooms and
Swiss cheese. She had onion rings on the side. The meal was great. The batter an the onion rings was thicker and crispier than most and was very nice. She of course had her burger cooked medium well. There was no pink inside but she was ok with that.
All in all it was a very nice meal.
http://www.champps.com/
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tomasso's Pizza & Subs
Tomassos, one of the best pizza places we know of just happens to be right around the corner from us. It has been in business for MANY years and we have frequented it probably more than any other restaurant.
Tonight was a special night. They held a raffle to raise funds for breast cancer and the money went to the Boca Raton Regional Hospital's "Go Pink" Challenge. They raised $5000. The grand prize winner (not us) won a year's worth of pizzas; 52 pizzas throughout the year. The second prize winner (also not us) won an Italian dinner for 10. The third prize winner (again, not us) won an office pizza party for 10. There were several other prizes, none of which we won but that is ok. We did get a free large 2 topping pizza for buying a raffle ticket. They offered sausage peppers & onions in sauce, stromboli, cookies, cupcakes and sodas for free.
We met our friend Kathy there and ordered a large pizza half pepperoni and the other half ham, a gorgonzola salad, and garlic rolls (without the garlic). As always it was excellent.
We often go there for a quick lunch as they sell GREAT subs, salads and everything else.
We had a great evening supporting a good cause.
Tonight was a special night. They held a raffle to raise funds for breast cancer and the money went to the Boca Raton Regional Hospital's "Go Pink" Challenge. They raised $5000. The grand prize winner (not us) won a year's worth of pizzas; 52 pizzas throughout the year. The second prize winner (also not us) won an Italian dinner for 10. The third prize winner (again, not us) won an office pizza party for 10. There were several other prizes, none of which we won but that is ok. We did get a free large 2 topping pizza for buying a raffle ticket. They offered sausage peppers & onions in sauce, stromboli, cookies, cupcakes and sodas for free.
We met our friend Kathy there and ordered a large pizza half pepperoni and the other half ham, a gorgonzola salad, and garlic rolls (without the garlic). As always it was excellent.
We often go there for a quick lunch as they sell GREAT subs, salads and everything else.
We had a great evening supporting a good cause.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
New Find: "The Whale Raw Bar & Fish House"
We found a great new little place tonight, thanks to discount cards from the Restaurant.com website we bought from Lisa's niece (Katie) and nephew (Scott)...
The Whale Raw Bar & Fish House is a true "find" for those who love fresh-tasting fish! It's tucked into a strip mall in Parkland, FL on State Road 7, just north of Hillsboro Blvd.. The owner used to own The Whale's Rib in Deerfield Beach, so there are a few similarities. The "whale fries" (housemade potato chips) and "whale juice", a honey mustard-type sauce served with the fries, are dead giveaways.
The decor is typical sports bar, with several TV's, booths, tables, and a full bar. However, there's a "Cheers-type everybody knows your name" friendliness that makes you feel like you've been coming here for years.
Tiffany, our welcoming server this evening, brought our soft drinks out promptly in very large (maybe a quart) glasses.
Since Tropical Storm Nicole had blown through the area today and it was still a bit wet out, we both began with cups of New England clam chowder. It was not the standard white, creamy bland base, but was more of a tan color and a savory flavor...a nice surprise! Carol wished for more clams, though Lisa was quite happy with the minimalist approach!
As for the main course...Lisa ordered the Mahi Mahi Island Style, which meant "plantain crusted, mango, Jasmine rice, vegetables, and citrus butter sauce". The vegetables were broccoli florets. First, let us tell you that Lisa's not the biggest fish lover, so her goal is to NOT have the fish taste much like fish. She had no complaints about the preparation but to her taste it needed more of everything to cover the fish taste. She loved the mango salsa and wished she'd asked for a bit more.
Carol was in a barbecue mood tonight so she asked Tiffany how The Whale's ribs were. When Tiffany began to make a face, Carol said, "OK, I hear you...they're not too good!" Tiffany said, "This is not the place to get ribs." So Carol thanked Tiffany for her honesty, then asked her advice and was steered toward the seafood (no surprise!). Carol ordered the Fried Fish Combo, which consisted of a nice hunk of cod, 3 large shrimp, 3 nice plump oysters, and fried clams that were really clam strips (disappointing!). Accompanied by the whale fries and a cup of whale juice, the crisp, greaseless assortment was delicious!!
We had no room for dessert but noted the "Peanut Butter Stack" on the "Specials" board and hope that's available next time!
Service: As noted above, Tiffany was a smiling, professional server who knows The Whale's strengths. She didn't pass Lisa's "straw test" but that's only because we never needed drink refills. We have to say that the silverware, wrapped in the napkin with its little adhesive paper band, was polished to a gleaming finish...something we certainly can't say about most restaurants.
On the way out, we spoke for a while with Perry Spivey, the General Manager who greets you at the front of the house. With many years of extensive restaurant experience, Perry is another good reason to stop in to The Whale and have a small bite or a full meal! The discount card might have brought us there the first time but the food and friendly service will make us go back again & again...and we can't wait!
The Whale Raw Bar & Fish House
7619 No. State Road 7
Parkland, FL 33073
Phone: 954-345-9190
Fax: 954-345-9140
http://www.thewhalerawbar.com/
The Whale Raw Bar & Fish House is a true "find" for those who love fresh-tasting fish! It's tucked into a strip mall in Parkland, FL on State Road 7, just north of Hillsboro Blvd.. The owner used to own The Whale's Rib in Deerfield Beach, so there are a few similarities. The "whale fries" (housemade potato chips) and "whale juice", a honey mustard-type sauce served with the fries, are dead giveaways.
The decor is typical sports bar, with several TV's, booths, tables, and a full bar. However, there's a "Cheers-type everybody knows your name" friendliness that makes you feel like you've been coming here for years.
Tiffany, our welcoming server this evening, brought our soft drinks out promptly in very large (maybe a quart) glasses.
Since Tropical Storm Nicole had blown through the area today and it was still a bit wet out, we both began with cups of New England clam chowder. It was not the standard white, creamy bland base, but was more of a tan color and a savory flavor...a nice surprise! Carol wished for more clams, though Lisa was quite happy with the minimalist approach!
As for the main course...Lisa ordered the Mahi Mahi Island Style, which meant "plantain crusted, mango, Jasmine rice, vegetables, and citrus butter sauce". The vegetables were broccoli florets. First, let us tell you that Lisa's not the biggest fish lover, so her goal is to NOT have the fish taste much like fish. She had no complaints about the preparation but to her taste it needed more of everything to cover the fish taste. She loved the mango salsa and wished she'd asked for a bit more.
Carol was in a barbecue mood tonight so she asked Tiffany how The Whale's ribs were. When Tiffany began to make a face, Carol said, "OK, I hear you...they're not too good!" Tiffany said, "This is not the place to get ribs." So Carol thanked Tiffany for her honesty, then asked her advice and was steered toward the seafood (no surprise!). Carol ordered the Fried Fish Combo, which consisted of a nice hunk of cod, 3 large shrimp, 3 nice plump oysters, and fried clams that were really clam strips (disappointing!). Accompanied by the whale fries and a cup of whale juice, the crisp, greaseless assortment was delicious!!
We had no room for dessert but noted the "Peanut Butter Stack" on the "Specials" board and hope that's available next time!
Service: As noted above, Tiffany was a smiling, professional server who knows The Whale's strengths. She didn't pass Lisa's "straw test" but that's only because we never needed drink refills. We have to say that the silverware, wrapped in the napkin with its little adhesive paper band, was polished to a gleaming finish...something we certainly can't say about most restaurants.
On the way out, we spoke for a while with Perry Spivey, the General Manager who greets you at the front of the house. With many years of extensive restaurant experience, Perry is another good reason to stop in to The Whale and have a small bite or a full meal! The discount card might have brought us there the first time but the food and friendly service will make us go back again & again...and we can't wait!
The Whale Raw Bar & Fish House
7619 No. State Road 7
Parkland, FL 33073
Phone: 954-345-9190
Fax: 954-345-9140
http://www.thewhalerawbar.com/
Friday, September 24, 2010
Emeril's Tchoup Chop
One of our all time favorites, Emeril's Tchoup Chop in Orlando at Universal's Citywalk never dissappoints. This time we had quite an adventure along with our meal.
We rode with a friend from the hotel we were staying at, virtually across the street. She has a Toyota Prius, which holds 3 people much better than my little Miata. We left the car with the valet and went in to sit with drinks until we were shown to our table.The staff at this restaurant are consistantly some of the best we have ever seen. One time we went with a group of 20. We sat at one table and when the wait staff brought our meal, there were 20 of them and they served every meal in unison! This visit was no exception. Garrett, the bar tender was working on 7 orders at one time while he fixed our drinks. He worked fast and efficiently and had all 7 orders done in no time at all. Asia, our server was quite exellent as well. We got seated at our table, met Asia and opened our menu when the valet came in saying he couldn't get the car started. Ruth went out with him and had no more luck than he did. So she called AAA. They warned that they were facing some delays but that they would send out a truck.
In the mean time, we ordered appetizers and dinner. We had the Crispy Chicken Egg Rolls with Orange-Chile Dipping Sauce. There were 4 halfs and they were quite excellent. The sauce was the perfect accompaniement with a bit of a bite to it. For the meal, Ruth ordered the Organic King Salmon Filet with Purple Potato and Sweet Corn Succotash and Yamasa Ginger Butter Sauce. She said it was quite wonderful. I had the Mongolian Barbeque Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Sweet Onion-Orange Confit and Stir Fried Lomein Noodles. It was very good. The the tenderloin had a little less spice than I am used to but it went with the noodles well. Carol ordered the Tender Sake Braised Beef Short Ribs on Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes with Hoisin-Honey Infused Veal Jus. She said it was ok but the Short Ribs were not spiced as well as she would have liked. They needed salt and the whole meal lacked flavor. I must say this is the first time we have ever had a meal at this restaurant that we could not say every dish was absolutely exceptional. The kitchen was backed up a bit and it took a little longer than normal to bring our meal out but we were not going anywhere soon so we hardly noticed that. By the time we finished our meal, we still had not heard from AAA so of course we HAD to order desert! Carol and I ordered cappuccinos and were served espressos. They told us the guy who prepared it for us was new and quickly fixed their mistake. Then we ordered 2 deserts to share among the three of us. We had the Kahlua Chocolate Cake which is Peanut Butter Mousse Filled Chocolate Cake Topped with Bananas Foster Sauce, quite excellent, and Blueberry Bread Pudding Served with White Chocolate Crème Anglaise and Buttermilk Ice Cream also very decadent.
We really enjoyed our meal and the opportunity to take our time and relax while eating it.
We left the restaurant to go outside and wait for the AAA guy to come. He showed up after a 2 hour wait but we did not have to wait outside for long. He was going to jump the car but then discovered that they could not even unlock the car. Thus, a locksmith was called upon, another 30 minute wait. The locksmith arrived and set to work opening the door, then Ruth reached into her purse and discovered a second key. Evidently, the key they were working with belonged to her son's car... The second key was hers and started the car right up! We had quite a good laugh at Ruth's expense and all agreed that it was a wonderful evening in spite of the extra adventure.
http://www.emerils.com/restaurant/7/Emerils-Tchoup-Chop/
We rode with a friend from the hotel we were staying at, virtually across the street. She has a Toyota Prius, which holds 3 people much better than my little Miata. We left the car with the valet and went in to sit with drinks until we were shown to our table.The staff at this restaurant are consistantly some of the best we have ever seen. One time we went with a group of 20. We sat at one table and when the wait staff brought our meal, there were 20 of them and they served every meal in unison! This visit was no exception. Garrett, the bar tender was working on 7 orders at one time while he fixed our drinks. He worked fast and efficiently and had all 7 orders done in no time at all. Asia, our server was quite exellent as well. We got seated at our table, met Asia and opened our menu when the valet came in saying he couldn't get the car started. Ruth went out with him and had no more luck than he did. So she called AAA. They warned that they were facing some delays but that they would send out a truck.
In the mean time, we ordered appetizers and dinner. We had the Crispy Chicken Egg Rolls with Orange-Chile Dipping Sauce. There were 4 halfs and they were quite excellent. The sauce was the perfect accompaniement with a bit of a bite to it. For the meal, Ruth ordered the Organic King Salmon Filet with Purple Potato and Sweet Corn Succotash and Yamasa Ginger Butter Sauce. She said it was quite wonderful. I had the Mongolian Barbeque Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Sweet Onion-Orange Confit and Stir Fried Lomein Noodles. It was very good. The the tenderloin had a little less spice than I am used to but it went with the noodles well. Carol ordered the Tender Sake Braised Beef Short Ribs on Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes with Hoisin-Honey Infused Veal Jus. She said it was ok but the Short Ribs were not spiced as well as she would have liked. They needed salt and the whole meal lacked flavor. I must say this is the first time we have ever had a meal at this restaurant that we could not say every dish was absolutely exceptional. The kitchen was backed up a bit and it took a little longer than normal to bring our meal out but we were not going anywhere soon so we hardly noticed that. By the time we finished our meal, we still had not heard from AAA so of course we HAD to order desert! Carol and I ordered cappuccinos and were served espressos. They told us the guy who prepared it for us was new and quickly fixed their mistake. Then we ordered 2 deserts to share among the three of us. We had the Kahlua Chocolate Cake which is Peanut Butter Mousse Filled Chocolate Cake Topped with Bananas Foster Sauce, quite excellent, and Blueberry Bread Pudding Served with White Chocolate Crème Anglaise and Buttermilk Ice Cream also very decadent.
We really enjoyed our meal and the opportunity to take our time and relax while eating it.
We left the restaurant to go outside and wait for the AAA guy to come. He showed up after a 2 hour wait but we did not have to wait outside for long. He was going to jump the car but then discovered that they could not even unlock the car. Thus, a locksmith was called upon, another 30 minute wait. The locksmith arrived and set to work opening the door, then Ruth reached into her purse and discovered a second key. Evidently, the key they were working with belonged to her son's car... The second key was hers and started the car right up! We had quite a good laugh at Ruth's expense and all agreed that it was a wonderful evening in spite of the extra adventure.
http://www.emerils.com/restaurant/7/Emerils-Tchoup-Chop/
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Margaritaville - Orlando
We're in Orlando for a meeting and decided to be "wastin' away in Margaritaville" for lunch. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Cafe is at City Walk at Universal Studios. The only negative thing is that you have to pay a $15 parking fee just as if you were going to the theme park.
Carol is a HUGE Jimmy Buffett fan and listens all day to his Radio Margaritaville channel on Sirius satellite radio. Since they broadcast most days from the Orlando cafe, she really wanted to eat there. Lisa, being the good sport she is, went along!
The interior of the cafe is outfitted with artifacts of the ocean, boats, and Buffett...oh, and there's a giant "live" volcano that erupts whenever they play Jimmy's hit, "Volcano". It's VERY cool (well, no, it's actually very HOT!).
They seated us not far from the Radio Margaritaville broadcast booth. J. D. Spradlin, the afternoon D.J. (hey, that's "J.D." backwards...) was rockin' the joint (and the country) with Jimmy's hits and other singers. Carol had to go over and meet him. She thanked him for the great music and made a request..."Jolly Mon", which we never ended up hearing. Oh, well, we did hear lots of great tunes!
We HAD to have a "frozen concoction" to "help us hang on", so Carol ordered a "Havanas Bananas", a nice mix of Cruzan dark rum, Bailey's Irish Cream, Bols Creme de Banana, and Island Oasis Coconut Mix. My, it was good! Lisa had a "Tropical Hurricane", which contained Appleton Estate V/X rum, and Island Oasis Guava, Papaya, and Mango Mixes. While we wouldn't have minded just ordering another round of these drinks and just hanging out all afternoon, we did want to eat...
On to the food...since we hadn't had breakfast, we were hungry! Menu items have names that are inside jokes for Jimmy's songs. For instance, we ordered the "Jamaica Mistaica" chicken wings, which are named for his song about his private plane getting shot at when they tried to land in Jamaica for some jerk chicken. Obviously, they have a "Cheeseburger in Paradise", and it's served with Heinz 57, french fried potatoes, and a "big, kosher pickle"! Carol's had it at the Key West location and it's delicious! Anyway, the wings are glazed with a habanero-honey sauce and come with a mango-ranch dip...they had a nice bite and were pretty messy!
Lisa had the Fish of the Day Sandwich, which was tilapia. The fish was grilled with a little seasoning, served on a wheat bun with french fries. Carol had the BBQ Pork Sandwich, served on toasted garlic French bread with Guava Barbecue Sauce, topped with onion rings, and a cup of sweet cole slaw.
Service was pleasant and efficient from Sara, who even passed Lisa's "Straw Test"! We both enjoyed our food, our drinks, and the music & videos! We got to see the volcano erupt and the "lava" flow down into a giant blender container!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Copper Canyon Grill
We have visited the Copper Canyon Grill in Boca Raton several times and each time we walk away with mixed feelings.
The service is great and always has been. Up until tonight they seemed genuinely concerned as to if we liked the food or not. (No one asked tonight.) Robert, our server tonight was very good though he didn't pass the straw test. Okay, I'll explain. I like to drink soda without a straw. Most often the glass is handed me the first time with a straw in it. The observant server will notice that I take the straw out and when they bring the drink back after refilling it, there is not a second straw. This time I ended up with 2 straws on the table, unused and unusable. Also the observant server will see when you are done with a drink and bring another glass immediately. That didn't happen either. He did bring me another drink later and it was before I had to ask for it. On the other hand, he had a good conversation with Carol to ensure that she got her steak cooked the way she liked it.
Carol had a rib eye steak with canyon mushrooms on top, with smashed potatoes and sweet glazed carrots. The steak was cooked perfectly and quite tender. And the sides were quite good. I had the chicken pot pie. I have had it before. The first time we went to this restaurant that is what I ordered. At that time I was quite shocked because it tasted like they had poured a bottle of hot sauce in it. It just seemed like two tastes that were not meant to go together. The pot pie was good but it was too spicy for me. When the manager asked how the meal was I mentioned that. He asked me if the server warned me that it would be spicy and I said no. So that night I got my dinner for free. That was a nice touch. We have had other meals in the past and found none spectacular. So you may wonder why I ordered the chicken pot pie a second time. I read in the newspaper that the restaurant had made several changes and that they had a new chef. When we went there the last time we had a discussion with our server and he said they were not putting so much spice in the pot pie any more. So I gave it a second chance... It was still quite spicy. Not quite so bad as the first time but let's just say I will not order it again.
So, while we really like the atmosphere and the service there, and we really want to love this restaurant, so far we have had only one REALLY good meal and the rest have been mediocre. Will we go back again? We'll see.
The service is great and always has been. Up until tonight they seemed genuinely concerned as to if we liked the food or not. (No one asked tonight.) Robert, our server tonight was very good though he didn't pass the straw test. Okay, I'll explain. I like to drink soda without a straw. Most often the glass is handed me the first time with a straw in it. The observant server will notice that I take the straw out and when they bring the drink back after refilling it, there is not a second straw. This time I ended up with 2 straws on the table, unused and unusable. Also the observant server will see when you are done with a drink and bring another glass immediately. That didn't happen either. He did bring me another drink later and it was before I had to ask for it. On the other hand, he had a good conversation with Carol to ensure that she got her steak cooked the way she liked it.
Carol had a rib eye steak with canyon mushrooms on top, with smashed potatoes and sweet glazed carrots. The steak was cooked perfectly and quite tender. And the sides were quite good. I had the chicken pot pie. I have had it before. The first time we went to this restaurant that is what I ordered. At that time I was quite shocked because it tasted like they had poured a bottle of hot sauce in it. It just seemed like two tastes that were not meant to go together. The pot pie was good but it was too spicy for me. When the manager asked how the meal was I mentioned that. He asked me if the server warned me that it would be spicy and I said no. So that night I got my dinner for free. That was a nice touch. We have had other meals in the past and found none spectacular. So you may wonder why I ordered the chicken pot pie a second time. I read in the newspaper that the restaurant had made several changes and that they had a new chef. When we went there the last time we had a discussion with our server and he said they were not putting so much spice in the pot pie any more. So I gave it a second chance... It was still quite spicy. Not quite so bad as the first time but let's just say I will not order it again.
So, while we really like the atmosphere and the service there, and we really want to love this restaurant, so far we have had only one REALLY good meal and the rest have been mediocre. Will we go back again? We'll see.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Brewzzi's Italian-American Bistro and Microbrewery
This wonderful Boca Raton restaurant never disappoints us! Their food and service are always head and shoulders above most similar establishments. And we always let them know how great they are!
As their name says, they brew their own beer and ale. Since neither of us drink beer (well, Carol has a sip or two occasionally), we'll leave those to others more qualified. We'll stick to Brewzzi's food!
They have imaginative appetizers like Gorgonzola Chips, which are their house-made "cottage chips" (thick-cut potato chips) hidden from sight by a huge helping of "gorg" and heated in their oven. They are very good! They also have Jumbo Lump Crab Dip served with a pretzel roll for dipping. It's a relatively new item and we haven't had it yet...but we will next time!
Brewzzi's burgers are some of the best we've ever had in a restaurant, and they're one of the few places that'll still cook it rare for you...Carol LOVES that!
We like to sit at the long food bar right in front of the kitchen and wood-fired oven so we can watch it all come together!
Tonight Lisa had the Mushroom Swiss burger, done medium-well as she likes it. Choices of sides are numerous and Lisa chose the Red Bliss Smashed Potatoes.
Carol had the Marinated Skirt Steak, the smashed potatoes, and sauteed spinach with enough garlic to fill a room (umm!!).
Our server, Randy, was attentive and had a great sense of humor!
www.brewzzi.com
As their name says, they brew their own beer and ale. Since neither of us drink beer (well, Carol has a sip or two occasionally), we'll leave those to others more qualified. We'll stick to Brewzzi's food!
They have imaginative appetizers like Gorgonzola Chips, which are their house-made "cottage chips" (thick-cut potato chips) hidden from sight by a huge helping of "gorg" and heated in their oven. They are very good! They also have Jumbo Lump Crab Dip served with a pretzel roll for dipping. It's a relatively new item and we haven't had it yet...but we will next time!
Brewzzi's burgers are some of the best we've ever had in a restaurant, and they're one of the few places that'll still cook it rare for you...Carol LOVES that!
We like to sit at the long food bar right in front of the kitchen and wood-fired oven so we can watch it all come together!
Tonight Lisa had the Mushroom Swiss burger, done medium-well as she likes it. Choices of sides are numerous and Lisa chose the Red Bliss Smashed Potatoes.
Carol had the Marinated Skirt Steak, the smashed potatoes, and sauteed spinach with enough garlic to fill a room (umm!!).
Our server, Randy, was attentive and had a great sense of humor!
www.brewzzi.com
Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant
We'll cut to the chase immediately...we LOVE Maggiano's Little Italy! Now for the reasons why:
We love the decor and the Frank Sinatra music...it reminds us of restaurants in New York's Little Italy. We think the service is excellent; attentive but not intrusive. And the food is wonderful!
We visited Maggiano's last Sunday with Carol's mother. We began with a couple of appetizers...the tomato caprese salad and stuffed mushrooms. Though tasty, the caprese salad could have used a bit more drizzle of balsamic vinegar. The stuffed mushrooms were medium sized, filled with spinach (there was a bit of green in there) breadcrumbs, and what the menu described as "garlic white wine sauce".
Moving on to dinner, Maggiano's has the GREATEST deal! Their "Classic Pastas" are two for one! Order one for dinner at the restaurant and get a second one to take home! Choose from Spaghetti Marinara, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Spaghetti with a Meatball, Eggplant Parmagiana, Four Cheese Ravioli, Gnocchi with Tomato Vodka Sauce, Coach Joey Z's Angel Hair Pasta with Sausage, Mom's Lasagna, or Taylor Street Baked Ziti.
Carol chose the Taylor Street Baked Ziti and it was delicious! Chunks of crumbled Italian sausage mixed into melted cheesy ziti and a wonderful tomato sauce made for a satisfying meal. She was only able to eat half of it! As her take-home meal she decided on the Eggplant "Parm", which was her lunch two days later. Wow! That was great, too!
Lisa had the Chicken & Truffle Tortellacci. We knew what "tortellini" were but had never heard of "tortellacci"...they turned out to be huge tortellini-like pillows "stuffed with chicken baked in a garlic and white wine cream sauce with smoked ham, Asiago cheese, and fresh spinach". Notice that no where are truffles mentioned in the menu's description. Although this was a dreamy, rich dish, there were no truffles, and Lisa didn't find any recognizable pieces of chicken.
No dessert since we were very full!
www.maggianos.com
We love the decor and the Frank Sinatra music...it reminds us of restaurants in New York's Little Italy. We think the service is excellent; attentive but not intrusive. And the food is wonderful!
We visited Maggiano's last Sunday with Carol's mother. We began with a couple of appetizers...the tomato caprese salad and stuffed mushrooms. Though tasty, the caprese salad could have used a bit more drizzle of balsamic vinegar. The stuffed mushrooms were medium sized, filled with spinach (there was a bit of green in there) breadcrumbs, and what the menu described as "garlic white wine sauce".
Moving on to dinner, Maggiano's has the GREATEST deal! Their "Classic Pastas" are two for one! Order one for dinner at the restaurant and get a second one to take home! Choose from Spaghetti Marinara, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Spaghetti with a Meatball, Eggplant Parmagiana, Four Cheese Ravioli, Gnocchi with Tomato Vodka Sauce, Coach Joey Z's Angel Hair Pasta with Sausage, Mom's Lasagna, or Taylor Street Baked Ziti.
Carol chose the Taylor Street Baked Ziti and it was delicious! Chunks of crumbled Italian sausage mixed into melted cheesy ziti and a wonderful tomato sauce made for a satisfying meal. She was only able to eat half of it! As her take-home meal she decided on the Eggplant "Parm", which was her lunch two days later. Wow! That was great, too!
Lisa had the Chicken & Truffle Tortellacci. We knew what "tortellini" were but had never heard of "tortellacci"...they turned out to be huge tortellini-like pillows "stuffed with chicken baked in a garlic and white wine cream sauce with smoked ham, Asiago cheese, and fresh spinach". Notice that no where are truffles mentioned in the menu's description. Although this was a dreamy, rich dish, there were no truffles, and Lisa didn't find any recognizable pieces of chicken.
No dessert since we were very full!
www.maggianos.com
Anthony's Pizza
We watched the local paper closely as they ran a people's choice poll selecting the best local pizza. We were interested to hear that the winner of the poll was Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza in Fort Lauderdale. We have never been there. We made a note of it for the "restaurants we must visit some day" file. There are several Anthony's in the area, some of which are closer to home than the one in Fort Lauderdale. A few weeks later a close friend asked if we wanted to meet her at Anthony's in Delray. She said she knew of this awesome pizza place that also makes great wings. She knew we liked pizza and wings. Of course we said yes.
We had wonderful service! The waiter was concientious and aware of our needs. You might be surprised at how many wait staff in other restaurants really seem to have little care for their customers. We ordered a large pizza with half pepperoni and half mushrooms/onions. Our server asked if we wanted an order of wings. We said no. He brought us a small order for us to try because he wanted us to taste them. No charge to us. I loved the wings! Kathy and Carol said they were nothing to write home about. The were not anything like buffalo wings. They were oven roasted and covered with a mound of carmelized onions. The skin was nice and crispy and well seasoned. We did finish the wings.
The pizza, on the other hand, left something to be desired. I had two slices. I only got two bites from those two slices with any tomato sauce at all. Other slices had some sauce on them but it was sketchy at best. Kathy (who said this is the best pizza) said the crust was thicker than it usually is and that this was not nearly as good they usually serve it.
Bottom line, we have decided we will give Anthony's a second chance. We wonder if the increased business due to the paper's poll might have caused them to rush through making the order and thus they lost some quality. While we were not much impressed with their food, we were impressed with their service and we know that a LOT of people say they make great pizza. Hopefully the next time we will taste that great pizza.
We had wonderful service! The waiter was concientious and aware of our needs. You might be surprised at how many wait staff in other restaurants really seem to have little care for their customers. We ordered a large pizza with half pepperoni and half mushrooms/onions. Our server asked if we wanted an order of wings. We said no. He brought us a small order for us to try because he wanted us to taste them. No charge to us. I loved the wings! Kathy and Carol said they were nothing to write home about. The were not anything like buffalo wings. They were oven roasted and covered with a mound of carmelized onions. The skin was nice and crispy and well seasoned. We did finish the wings.
The pizza, on the other hand, left something to be desired. I had two slices. I only got two bites from those two slices with any tomato sauce at all. Other slices had some sauce on them but it was sketchy at best. Kathy (who said this is the best pizza) said the crust was thicker than it usually is and that this was not nearly as good they usually serve it.
Bottom line, we have decided we will give Anthony's a second chance. We wonder if the increased business due to the paper's poll might have caused them to rush through making the order and thus they lost some quality. While we were not much impressed with their food, we were impressed with their service and we know that a LOT of people say they make great pizza. Hopefully the next time we will taste that great pizza.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Park Avenue BBQ & Grill
Park Avenue is the furthest south restaurant in a small chain located in southeast Florida.
I had a baby back rib and chicken combo and Carol had a combo that contained chicken, St. Louis ribs, pulled pork and pulled beef. We would call this mediocre food with very good service.
We asked about the smoking technique because the meat did not have much smokey flavor. There as also no smoke ring on any of the meat. Their smoker was designed by the owner and is electric. The ribs were quite fatty. The sauce was very good. Carol could not tell the difference by taste or sight between their pulled pork and pulled beef. She had to ask the server if the plate had both on it. We both had the collard greens and agreed that they were not spectacular and if we went back would not order them again. The corn bread and the mac and cheese was quite good and Carol said the french fries were excellent!
Our server was a very nice young lady and was very good at serving. She even passed the straw test... Okay, I guess I must explain the straw test. When I get a drink, I always remove the straw. I would rather not use a straw. The ultimate test of a good server is the one who notices that I did not have a straw in my drink and does not put another one in. There are often times when a server will bring me back a straw with each refill and I end up with a stack of unused, yet unusable straws and all it would have taken to avoid that would be a little bit of attentiveness. In any case, our server passed the test. She was quite attentive to our needs.
When all is said and done, we both agreed that if we want to get good barbecue in Boca, we will go to Whole Foods down the street from us rather than Park Avenue BBQ & Grill.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
A Good Lunch is "Easy" at the Over Easy Cafe on Sanibel!
Today, our last full day on Sanibel Island, we took Poco shopping at the Olde Sanibel Shoppes. After a stop at Island Paws, a fun shop catering to pets (mostly dogs), where we bought Poco a little bandana and us a set of Maltese drink coasters, we went for lunch at the Over Easy Cafe. The manager here at the Signal Inn, where we're staying, recommended it for its good food and dog-friendly service.
We sat at an outdoor table, under a fan-cooled canopy, and Poco did his charming puppy routine...which he's very good at! The server brought us a glass of ice water for Poco, which we poured into his foldable soft bowl. Then we got down to ordering and enjoying our lunch...
Lisa chose the lemon-pepper grilled mahi sandwich, and she selected a side of pasta salad from the choices of french fries, cole slaw, cottage cheese, or the pasta salad. Although she thought the mahi tasted more of blackening spices than lemon-pepper, she enjoyed it.
I had the crunchy grouper sandwich and it was a full filet and very crunchy! The grouper was very sweet and tasty, and the cole slaw I chose had a touch of onion. The sliced tomatoes we both were served with our sandwiches were very ripe and juicy!
Since they had some special desserts we decided to try them. Lisa ordered the apple crisp, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and I had the bread pudding, made from the Cafe's homemade cinnamon rolls. We both found the apple crisp to have almost too much cinnamon, to the point of being spicy. I liked the bread pudding but both portions were way too big to finish!
Check out the Over Easy Cafe when you visit Sanibel! (http://www.overeasycafesanibel.com/)
We sat at an outdoor table, under a fan-cooled canopy, and Poco did his charming puppy routine...which he's very good at! The server brought us a glass of ice water for Poco, which we poured into his foldable soft bowl. Then we got down to ordering and enjoying our lunch...
Lisa chose the lemon-pepper grilled mahi sandwich, and she selected a side of pasta salad from the choices of french fries, cole slaw, cottage cheese, or the pasta salad. Although she thought the mahi tasted more of blackening spices than lemon-pepper, she enjoyed it.
I had the crunchy grouper sandwich and it was a full filet and very crunchy! The grouper was very sweet and tasty, and the cole slaw I chose had a touch of onion. The sliced tomatoes we both were served with our sandwiches were very ripe and juicy!
Since they had some special desserts we decided to try them. Lisa ordered the apple crisp, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and I had the bread pudding, made from the Cafe's homemade cinnamon rolls. We both found the apple crisp to have almost too much cinnamon, to the point of being spicy. I liked the bread pudding but both portions were way too big to finish!
Check out the Over Easy Cafe when you visit Sanibel! (http://www.overeasycafesanibel.com/)
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Sanibel Has "The World's Best Breakfast"!
Since we hadn't shopped last night we just HAD to go out for breakfast! We'd read that the Lighthouse Cafe has "The World's Best Breakfast" so we decided to see for ourselves...
As you might expect from the name, the Lighthouse Cafe (http://www.lighthousecafe.com/) is located right down the street from the Sanibel Lighthouse, and capitalizes on this with a decor of walls filled with photos, drawings, & paintings of lighthouses around the world. Shelves contain lighthouse figurines.
OK, to the food...Lisa selected the Eggs Benedict ($8.95), which was classic in its ingredients of the English muffin base (you could have it "Lighthouse-style" by choosing a croissant for $1.00 more) with ham and poached egg but took a different turn with a Key Lime Hollandaise sauce. You're served two "Bennies" sided by "Lighthouse potatoes", which are really delicious cubed home fries with onions. Lisa turned out be a little disenchanted with the tang of the Key Lime Hollandaise sauce and would have preferred the standard preparation.
I had the Blueberry Whole Wheat Hotcakes ($6.95) (the menu states, "Our own recipe made from Whole Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, fresh Eggs and whole Milk")...there were three large beauties on the plate, chocked full of small fresh blueberries. They serve these with a small pitcher of warm blueberry sauce but I opted for the warm maple syrup (purist that I am). I selected a side order of smoked sausage links ($3.50), which had all the qualities one wants in a sausage...lucious links of smoky, salty, "porkiness".
The Lighthouse Cafe has tons of other breakfast items like "Pan-Handled" egg dishes, omelettes, frittatas. I filed the "Ocean Frittata" away for a future visit...it has shrimp, scallops, "krabmeat", broccoli, & mushrooms with artichoke hearts and an Alfredo Sauce topping.
Try the Lighthouse Cafe when you visit Sanibel Island! You won't be disappointed!
As you might expect from the name, the Lighthouse Cafe (http://www.lighthousecafe.com/) is located right down the street from the Sanibel Lighthouse, and capitalizes on this with a decor of walls filled with photos, drawings, & paintings of lighthouses around the world. Shelves contain lighthouse figurines.
OK, to the food...Lisa selected the Eggs Benedict ($8.95), which was classic in its ingredients of the English muffin base (you could have it "Lighthouse-style" by choosing a croissant for $1.00 more) with ham and poached egg but took a different turn with a Key Lime Hollandaise sauce. You're served two "Bennies" sided by "Lighthouse potatoes", which are really delicious cubed home fries with onions. Lisa turned out be a little disenchanted with the tang of the Key Lime Hollandaise sauce and would have preferred the standard preparation.
I had the Blueberry Whole Wheat Hotcakes ($6.95) (the menu states, "Our own recipe made from Whole Wheat Flour, Brown Sugar, fresh Eggs and whole Milk")...there were three large beauties on the plate, chocked full of small fresh blueberries. They serve these with a small pitcher of warm blueberry sauce but I opted for the warm maple syrup (purist that I am). I selected a side order of smoked sausage links ($3.50), which had all the qualities one wants in a sausage...lucious links of smoky, salty, "porkiness".
The Lighthouse Cafe has tons of other breakfast items like "Pan-Handled" egg dishes, omelettes, frittatas. I filed the "Ocean Frittata" away for a future visit...it has shrimp, scallops, "krabmeat", broccoli, & mushrooms with artichoke hearts and an Alfredo Sauce topping.
Try the Lighthouse Cafe when you visit Sanibel Island! You won't be disappointed!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Gourmet Librarians go to Sanibel Island (Post #1)
We're spending the Memorial Day weekend on Sanibel Island, on the southwest coast of Florida. Since we'll be here until Monday, we'll let you know where we eat and how it was! Since we're staying at a nice little apartment we also can cook so we might create some island specialities!
Tonight we ate out since we were tired and didn't feel like shopping. Some of the guests who'd signed the guestbook in our unit recommended the Island Cow restaurant (http://www.sanibelislandcow.com/), and after reading the menu in the magazine here, we decided to try it. They also have outdoor seating and we're able to take our little Maltese, Poco, to dinner!
The menu at the Island Cow is HUGE...both in size and selections! It was hard for me to decide what to have. I eventually chose what they call the "Holy Cow!" basket ($23.99 with grouper). It was a fried seafood lover's delight of calamari, clams, scallops, oyster, shrimp, and a filet of the catch of the day. I chose grouper. Fries and Tropical Cole Slaw (with small pineapple chunks) and two hush puppies joined the seafood in the very crowded basket. Small cups contained cocktail sauce, marinara sauce, tartar sauce, and 1,000 Island Dressing.
This very ample dinner was crisply fried with not an ounce of oil anywhere! I needed a box to tote some leftovers back to our unit...
Lisa had the "Fishin' Rules" dinner, which basically lets you create your own plate...choose a fish (Lisa had mahi at $18.99), choose your preparation method (Lisa had them char-grill it), choose two sides (cheese grits & steamed veggies for Lisa).
The mahi was tasty with a pleasant grilled flavor, and the veggies were delicious. Unfortunately, the cheese grits were a bit watery.
We'll likely go back to the Island Cow before we leave Sanibel because, as their menu states, they have "Udderly Great Food"! We agree!
Tonight we ate out since we were tired and didn't feel like shopping. Some of the guests who'd signed the guestbook in our unit recommended the Island Cow restaurant (http://www.sanibelislandcow.com/), and after reading the menu in the magazine here, we decided to try it. They also have outdoor seating and we're able to take our little Maltese, Poco, to dinner!
The menu at the Island Cow is HUGE...both in size and selections! It was hard for me to decide what to have. I eventually chose what they call the "Holy Cow!" basket ($23.99 with grouper). It was a fried seafood lover's delight of calamari, clams, scallops, oyster, shrimp, and a filet of the catch of the day. I chose grouper. Fries and Tropical Cole Slaw (with small pineapple chunks) and two hush puppies joined the seafood in the very crowded basket. Small cups contained cocktail sauce, marinara sauce, tartar sauce, and 1,000 Island Dressing.
This very ample dinner was crisply fried with not an ounce of oil anywhere! I needed a box to tote some leftovers back to our unit...
Lisa had the "Fishin' Rules" dinner, which basically lets you create your own plate...choose a fish (Lisa had mahi at $18.99), choose your preparation method (Lisa had them char-grill it), choose two sides (cheese grits & steamed veggies for Lisa).
The mahi was tasty with a pleasant grilled flavor, and the veggies were delicious. Unfortunately, the cheese grits were a bit watery.
We'll likely go back to the Island Cow before we leave Sanibel because, as their menu states, they have "Udderly Great Food"! We agree!
A "Cheesy" Luncheon!
Last Saturday we hosted a luncheon, and as Lisa described, we ordered a cheese platter containing 3 cheeses from The Cheese Course in Mizner Park in Boca Raton, FL. Because we're all about "gilding the lily" we decided to create three "kicked up" versions of a grilled cheese sandwich. Actually, they were more like paninis...
First, we decided on something with ham & cheese, similar to the sandwich we had at The Cheese Course but grilled. We chose Black Forest Ha, picked up a nice aged Gouda that we sliced on our slicing machine, and decided to add sliced pears. We baked a brioche loaf to hold all these goodies!
Next, we went traditional Italian veggie...grilled eggplant & red onion, mozzarella, and roasted pepper. For this we baked a rustic log of whole wheat.
The third sandwich had smoked turkey, Fontina cheese, and caramelized onions, also on the brioche...
We served a variety of accompaniments that we'd found while cruising the aisles at Whole Foods...fig preserves, honey mustard, spinach artichoke spread, and an interesting plum smoked tea spread.
Once the sandwiches were grilled we cut them into quarters and served them to our friends...and it was good!
First, we decided on something with ham & cheese, similar to the sandwich we had at The Cheese Course but grilled. We chose Black Forest Ha, picked up a nice aged Gouda that we sliced on our slicing machine, and decided to add sliced pears. We baked a brioche loaf to hold all these goodies!
Next, we went traditional Italian veggie...grilled eggplant & red onion, mozzarella, and roasted pepper. For this we baked a rustic log of whole wheat.
The third sandwich had smoked turkey, Fontina cheese, and caramelized onions, also on the brioche...
We served a variety of accompaniments that we'd found while cruising the aisles at Whole Foods...fig preserves, honey mustard, spinach artichoke spread, and an interesting plum smoked tea spread.
Once the sandwiches were grilled we cut them into quarters and served them to our friends...and it was good!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Cheese Course
An aged gouda
Oma
Cabbot Clothbound Cheddar
Winnemere
TetillaWe had heard from friends about this shop/cafe and wanted to try it so were very excited when we learned that they were opening up a shop in Boca. We went there for lunch a couple of weeks ago then ordered a cheese platter for a luncheon we were hosting the following week. We were quite pleased with both experiences.
For lunch we ordered a 2 cheese cheese course and a Black Forrest Ham sandwich. The cheese course came with 2 cheeses, baguette bread, and one accompaniment. We ordered Winnemere cheese (a somewhat stinky, washed rind cheese) and Tetilla a semi-hard, very mild cheese. The accompaniment we choose was the raspberry/cranberry relish and we added a tapanade to go with. The Winnemere was rather mild and though I am not a huge stinky cheese fan, we both really liked it. The Tetilla was VERY mild and we felt lacking in flavor. The accompaniments and bread were all excellent. The sandiwch came with brie, raspberry/cranberry relish and greens. It was very good. They also had 2 different types if cheese for sampling. While we were there, we ordered a small cheese platter to go with a luncheon we were hosting the following week.
The platter came with 3 cheeses, 2 accompaniments, grapes and a baguette. For this, we ordered Cabbot Clothbound Cheddar (aged and rather sharp), Repenauer (an aged gouda also somewhat sharp) and the Winnemere with the raspberry/cranberry relish and sundried tomato pesto. During the week I received 2 calls from the folks there saying first that the Winnemere, being at the end of its season, may not be available and asking if she could substitute Oma, also a washed rind cheese. I said yes. She called again saying that though they had the Winnemere she was not satisfied with its quality (again because it was at the end of its season) and we agreed to substitute Oma. All cheeses were great as were the accompaniments.
The staff were extremely knowledgeable and great at customer service. Definitely this has become one of our favorites and we will return often.
For lunch we ordered a 2 cheese cheese course and a Black Forrest Ham sandwich. The cheese course came with 2 cheeses, baguette bread, and one accompaniment. We ordered Winnemere cheese (a somewhat stinky, washed rind cheese) and Tetilla a semi-hard, very mild cheese. The accompaniment we choose was the raspberry/cranberry relish and we added a tapanade to go with. The Winnemere was rather mild and though I am not a huge stinky cheese fan, we both really liked it. The Tetilla was VERY mild and we felt lacking in flavor. The accompaniments and bread were all excellent. The sandiwch came with brie, raspberry/cranberry relish and greens. It was very good. They also had 2 different types if cheese for sampling. While we were there, we ordered a small cheese platter to go with a luncheon we were hosting the following week.
The platter came with 3 cheeses, 2 accompaniments, grapes and a baguette. For this, we ordered Cabbot Clothbound Cheddar (aged and rather sharp), Repenauer (an aged gouda also somewhat sharp) and the Winnemere with the raspberry/cranberry relish and sundried tomato pesto. During the week I received 2 calls from the folks there saying first that the Winnemere, being at the end of its season, may not be available and asking if she could substitute Oma, also a washed rind cheese. I said yes. She called again saying that though they had the Winnemere she was not satisfied with its quality (again because it was at the end of its season) and we agreed to substitute Oma. All cheeses were great as were the accompaniments.
The staff were extremely knowledgeable and great at customer service. Definitely this has become one of our favorites and we will return often.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Bankok in Boca
We ate last night at Bankok in Boca. We ate outside for our first experience of taking our little puppy Poco with us out to dinner. We were the only ones outside. In fact there were very few eating at the restaurant.
The worst part of the experience, and the only bad part at all, was parking! That is a NIGHTMARE parking lot. All roads in are extremely narrow. AND there is NO OUTLET to any of them. So we got pulled into one parking area only to find the person in front of us backing out because there were no more spots and she couldn't turn around or get out any other way than to back out. As we were backing out to let her out, someone pulled in behind us. We got really lucky after about 10 minutes of fearing for our lives and found a spot!
The service was great! The food was wonderful! And Poco loved it! http://www.bankokinboca.com/ Carol had the shrimp and scallops delight, I think, and I had the scallop pepper platter. We each had soup to start. The food was fresh, colorful and quite tasty! It is a very nice restaurant. We had the added benefit(?) of hearing the live musician at the Irish Pub next door since we sat outside. This guy sang a lot of Irish tunes along with a song about Peter Cottontail who you better watch out because he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake... The restaurant is at the south end of the Mizner shopping center. The worst part (and i guess the best part in some ways) was that there were very few people there while all the other restaurants were packed.
In any case, it was a great dining experience and I highly recommend it to everyone who likes Thai food.
The worst part of the experience, and the only bad part at all, was parking! That is a NIGHTMARE parking lot. All roads in are extremely narrow. AND there is NO OUTLET to any of them. So we got pulled into one parking area only to find the person in front of us backing out because there were no more spots and she couldn't turn around or get out any other way than to back out. As we were backing out to let her out, someone pulled in behind us. We got really lucky after about 10 minutes of fearing for our lives and found a spot!
The service was great! The food was wonderful! And Poco loved it! http://www.bankokinboca.com/ Carol had the shrimp and scallops delight, I think, and I had the scallop pepper platter. We each had soup to start. The food was fresh, colorful and quite tasty! It is a very nice restaurant. We had the added benefit(?) of hearing the live musician at the Irish Pub next door since we sat outside. This guy sang a lot of Irish tunes along with a song about Peter Cottontail who you better watch out because he sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake... The restaurant is at the south end of the Mizner shopping center. The worst part (and i guess the best part in some ways) was that there were very few people there while all the other restaurants were packed.
In any case, it was a great dining experience and I highly recommend it to everyone who likes Thai food.
Monday, February 15, 2010
The WORST Restaurant Experience Ever!
We're in Tallahassee, FL for an annual visit to advocate for libraries. We'll spend the next two days roaming the halls of the Capitol talking to our local legislators about how Florida's libraries change lives, especially in today's economic climate. But first, we gotta eat, right?
We're staying at the Doubletree Hotel, right near the Capitol, a beautiful hotel with an emphasis on great customer service. That's why this dinner story is so distressing and puzzling, and why we're mentioning it here.
Tonight there were twelve of us dining, and I'd made a reservation last night at the restaurant onsite, Jacob's on the Plaza.. "No problem,", I was told, "We'll be happy to accommodate you!"
I guess I first should mention that Lisa & I had dinner at Jacob's last night, and while it wasn't the best meal we've ever had, it wasn't the worst either. Our complaints were that Lisa's filet mignon was tough and grisly & my baked potato wasn't quite hot enough. We didn't complain, and perhaps we should have. We also had breakfast there this morning and it was OK. Anyway, back to tonight's debacle....
We arrive for our 7:30pm reservation, and all order dinner. We talk and wait for dinner...and talk & wait....and wait some more.... The menu states that bread comes with meals but none is brought. One of our companions asks for bread since we're waiting so long for our meals. We wonder if the server heard her because no bread comes out for a l-o-n-g time but then finally arrives...a basket of rolls that was fresh....yesterday! Today they were dry and tasteless....
It was 9pm and still, we had no dinner! One of our party walked to the hostess station to inquire, and by the time she walked back to our table, the plates began to arrive, just like magic!
To make a long story a bit shorter, NO ONE was happy with their meal....most of dinners were unacceptably cold...one person's filet was cold, and the rice served with it was ice-cold, as was the rice on another's plate (although her hamburger was warm enough), someone's vegetables tasted like fish, my ribs were barely warm & my baked potato wasn't warm enough to melt the butter I put on it!
Some of us ordered new meals, some didn't want to since it meant waiting again, and I asked that mine be heated up. We asked why it had taken so long for our meals to come out in the first place and the servers gave lame excuses about problems in the kitchen, too many room service orders, and a group of 15 in their private dining room (but that party was leaving the restaurant when we were first being seated!). I had to interject that these weren't acceptable reasons since we'd eaten there last night and my potato was barely warm then! We asked to see the Manager, and after 10 minutes were informed that she'd left for the night. A few minutes later we were told that the Manager was returning to the restaurant. When she got there she apologized to us, said all meals would be "no charge" and that she would resolve the issue. She came back a few minutes and began clearing off the table, telling us that she'd had a "little chat" with the cook, and something about "having a son his age" (I didn't see the relevance!).
We were nice enough to give the servers a small tip, even though many of us felt that they'd been part of the problem...they never came out & said they were sorry it was taking so long, and when asked why, they blamed the kitchen staff for it all.
I think we've all had a negative restaurant experience or two but I've never eaten somewhere where EVERYONE was dissatisfied! As librarians we emphasize service, and we can see that the problems at this restaurant start at the top. I guess we won't be having dinner at Jacob's again during our stay!
We're staying at the Doubletree Hotel, right near the Capitol, a beautiful hotel with an emphasis on great customer service. That's why this dinner story is so distressing and puzzling, and why we're mentioning it here.
Tonight there were twelve of us dining, and I'd made a reservation last night at the restaurant onsite, Jacob's on the Plaza.. "No problem,", I was told, "We'll be happy to accommodate you!"
I guess I first should mention that Lisa & I had dinner at Jacob's last night, and while it wasn't the best meal we've ever had, it wasn't the worst either. Our complaints were that Lisa's filet mignon was tough and grisly & my baked potato wasn't quite hot enough. We didn't complain, and perhaps we should have. We also had breakfast there this morning and it was OK. Anyway, back to tonight's debacle....
We arrive for our 7:30pm reservation, and all order dinner. We talk and wait for dinner...and talk & wait....and wait some more.... The menu states that bread comes with meals but none is brought. One of our companions asks for bread since we're waiting so long for our meals. We wonder if the server heard her because no bread comes out for a l-o-n-g time but then finally arrives...a basket of rolls that was fresh....yesterday! Today they were dry and tasteless....
It was 9pm and still, we had no dinner! One of our party walked to the hostess station to inquire, and by the time she walked back to our table, the plates began to arrive, just like magic!
To make a long story a bit shorter, NO ONE was happy with their meal....most of dinners were unacceptably cold...one person's filet was cold, and the rice served with it was ice-cold, as was the rice on another's plate (although her hamburger was warm enough), someone's vegetables tasted like fish, my ribs were barely warm & my baked potato wasn't warm enough to melt the butter I put on it!
Some of us ordered new meals, some didn't want to since it meant waiting again, and I asked that mine be heated up. We asked why it had taken so long for our meals to come out in the first place and the servers gave lame excuses about problems in the kitchen, too many room service orders, and a group of 15 in their private dining room (but that party was leaving the restaurant when we were first being seated!). I had to interject that these weren't acceptable reasons since we'd eaten there last night and my potato was barely warm then! We asked to see the Manager, and after 10 minutes were informed that she'd left for the night. A few minutes later we were told that the Manager was returning to the restaurant. When she got there she apologized to us, said all meals would be "no charge" and that she would resolve the issue. She came back a few minutes and began clearing off the table, telling us that she'd had a "little chat" with the cook, and something about "having a son his age" (I didn't see the relevance!).
We were nice enough to give the servers a small tip, even though many of us felt that they'd been part of the problem...they never came out & said they were sorry it was taking so long, and when asked why, they blamed the kitchen staff for it all.
I think we've all had a negative restaurant experience or two but I've never eaten somewhere where EVERYONE was dissatisfied! As librarians we emphasize service, and we can see that the problems at this restaurant start at the top. I guess we won't be having dinner at Jacob's again during our stay!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Homemade Ricotta
Today we made some homemade ricotta...so easy to make and much more delicious than store-bought! All you need is a half gallon of organic whole milk, 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and cheesecloth. This recipe makes about 3 1/2 cups of ricotta.
I had found a recipe online and we tried it last week but since it said to use whole milk and heavy cream, it was a bit heavy for our taste. This week we left out the cream and it turned out much better! In the future we plan to try lower fat milk and see if that works as well.
Step 1: Heat the milk to 185 degrees over medium heat. A deep frying/candy thermometer works for this. Be sure that you don't let the milk boil.
Step 2: Remove the milk from the heat, add the white vinegar and stir for 30 seconds. The milk will coagulate immediately.
Step 3: Add the Kosher salt and stir for another 30 seconds. You can taste it and add more salt if you prefer.
Step 4: Cover the milk with a clean towel (not terry) or a cloth napkin and allow it to sit for 2 hours.
Step 5: Line a strainer with several thicknesses of the cheesecloth and pour the ricotta into it. Allow it to drain for 30 minutes. Serve immediately or chill!
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Brewzzi experience
We have always loved Brewzzi. The service at this restaurant is excellent and the food is great. We eat out a lot and service is always very important to us. It seems like it should be so easy for the wait staff to be alert as to what the customers want but it is rare to find a restaurant that makes service a priority. We have also found that it is obvious when they do make service a priority as every member of the wait staff are great at it. This is one where they care about their customers. We have never had a bad meal or bad service here. Tonight was no exception. We sat at the bar where we could see the kitchen action. To the right in front of us was the 'pizza guy' and a brick pizza oven. To the left were the grills, stoves and ovens. The pizza guy worked non stop all evening and turned out about 15 pizzas while we sat there. A special pizza tonight was Thai Chicken. Several orders of eggplant parmisan were cooked on the left as well as sandwiches, dips and many other meals. Somewhere down the line they cooked the burgers but we didn't see that.
We ordered burgers, I had a Swiss cheese and mushroom burger with smashed red bliss potatoes and Carol had the barbecue burger with cottage chips (potato chips made in house). Excellent as usual.
While we watched the chefs work, we were amazed at the amount of aluminum pie pans they went through and the amount of well used, oddly shaped frying pans that they used. This seems to be the norm at restaurant kitchens as every time we get to watch we see the same practices.
We took the 'opportinity' to eat out tonight as we lost power in our house early this morning and did not get it back until almost 9:00 PM. Brewzzi's was a nice, warm, break from a cold dark house.
We ordered burgers, I had a Swiss cheese and mushroom burger with smashed red bliss potatoes and Carol had the barbecue burger with cottage chips (potato chips made in house). Excellent as usual.
While we watched the chefs work, we were amazed at the amount of aluminum pie pans they went through and the amount of well used, oddly shaped frying pans that they used. This seems to be the norm at restaurant kitchens as every time we get to watch we see the same practices.
We took the 'opportinity' to eat out tonight as we lost power in our house early this morning and did not get it back until almost 9:00 PM. Brewzzi's was a nice, warm, break from a cold dark house.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
