O Solo Mio!

For munchies S&P and I went so Solo at Haulover Park close by Miami Beach.

The building has just changed hands and opened as Solo. They had 'Delano drapes' which created a nice atmosphere and divided up the outside deck. Servers didn't have it together and neither did the front staff but the kitchen knew what it was doing.

We had beers and Fried Calamari and some Conch Fritters. Beautiful view of the water and the moorings [boats coming and going].

The winner was the Fried Calamari.

Next time go back to NEXXT

Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, at its best if you want crowds of people, slow service and great food!

Ol' Mofongoman went with sister SS, niece EB and husband PB. Got a table right away so we must have been eating at the 'wrong' time. Ordered the Pot Stickers to start us off and a good choice it was. They got the Chicken Quesadillas which were huge with chunky not shredded chicken. Then being in a dietetic mood, I ordered the Goat Cheese and Beet Salad which was huge and delicious. That with several iced teas and the day was great, the weather was fine, the company was fabulous and life was good!

The winner was the Salad but the service sucked.

credit alert

Went to Shucker's for Happy Hour with S&P and sat out on the deck waterside. We had visited this place often when down for J&G's wedding. One of departed wife J's favorites which kind of made it a little sad.

Had beers and several appetizers: grilled wings, fiesta rolls and conch fritters.

The winner was definitely the wings and the fritters the losers.

credit alert: They swiped my AMEX card through twice [a $40 extra charge] and I just found that out this morning when I checked my bill online. AMEX is of course challenging the bill but it is a pain and $100+ is way too much for Happy Hour!

little secret

Found out that Carol's Ice Cream on 71st off Collins Avene, Miami Beach serves great sandwiches. I guess that's why its real name is Carol's Ice Cream AND CAFETERIA!!

Had a Sandwich Cubano; typical roast pork, ham, cheese, pickle and mustard all squashed together on good Cuban bread. Good cheap lunch with a refresco de pina.

No winner just a good stop on a long walk to the beach.

thigh or leg?

Ate at Cachita's on Normandy Ave. just down from the fountain and found my Bebo's Cafe without travelling to Puerto Rico. There were 10 specials of the day but I chose #1. It was Pollo Asado con Arroz Moro y Yuca al Mojo [roasted chicken with black beans cooked into the rice and cassava in garlic]. This and a diet Coke came to $5.06!

The place was crowded with local regulars and a little intimidating at first but hunger won out. Ordered in Spanish and couldn't remember the word for thigh [muslo] so just said not the breast [pechuga, no]. What a find on my last day here in Miami Beach at the home of S&P. Actually I was supposed to go home this evening but there is a big snowstorm up in CT so changed ticket to tomorrow at 11am, arriving at 2pm.

The winner was the whole meal [especially the yuca and the crispy skin on the chicken!].

football food

Riverfront in Fort Lauderdale has a slew of restaurants; we ended up at Dan Marino's on the second floor. Booth for six: Mofongoman, S&P, nieces J and E with husband P. Started with the Cheese, Spinach and Artichoke dip and an order of Beefsteak Tomatoes with fresh Buffalo Mozzarela with olive oil and basil drizzle.

I had the Chicago Flatiron Steak [hanger steak?] with mashed potatoes and sauteed veggies The steak was medium rare as ordered grilled very tastily.

For dessert we all shared a Berry Basket. This was a huge almond [crunchy] tuile filled with fresh berries and 'secured' to the plate by huge glob of whipped cream.

The winner was definitely the Berry Basket!

maple syrup dip?

Jaxson's at Dania Beach for lunch. Tried to Google their address but the spelling was not Jackson's.

We had had ice cream there on a previous visit but ate it outside. This time S&P and I got a table inside the madly-decorated dining room.

Mofongoman had the 'Neapolitan' Grilled Three Cheese [provolone, swiss and cheddar] Sandwich. Also got a side order of Sweet Potato Fries which came with a side of cold Maple Syrup to dip the fries. For a dessert I had one scoop of Crunchy Peanut Butter ice cream with Hot Fudge sauce.

S&P shared a three scoop Turtle Sundae [hot fudge and caramel sauces with a 'ton' of pecans.]

The loser was the Maple Syrup.
The winners were the Hot Fudge Syrup and the amount of Pecans.

Aruba Red

Went to Bahama Breeze in Pembroke Pines, FL with S&P, my niece J and husband G and guests from CT, D&S. Drinks on the terrace [three of which were Aruba Red beer] by the firepit .

Interesting decor inside and a very varied menu. Sated by my culinary trip to Miami Beach and lunch at Jaxson's, I chose to have the soup special of the day: Tortilla with Chicken. Added to this I had an appetizer portion of Grilled Salmon with a lime/cilantro glaze on Cuban bread rounds.

No dessert for me but others tried the ...Cheesecake, Pina Colada Bread Pudding and...

The winner: Aruba Red beer.

Las Vegas in Miami

My private table for one at Olivos had turned into a table for two and my favorite waiter wasn't on duty so walked next door to Las Vegas for Cuban cuisine. The 'comida del dia' was Ropa Vieja [one of my favorites]. This translates as 'old clothes' but is really shredded beef in sauce. I had it with a house salad and maduros, rice and black beans. Didn't know they had Arroz Moro as a possibility so would have ordered that; like my black beans cooked into my rice. Ate inside but had my cafecito cortado outside at a sidewalk table.

The winner was the house salad!

sopa del día

Mi Colombia on upper 71st was my lunch stop several times. A little Colombian cafetin with stools at a counter and more stools behind was filled with the Hispanic lunch crowd. First day the soup of the day was Sopa de Pollo filled with lots of white meat chicken, rich broth, potatoes and lots of cilantro. The second time it was Sopa de Plantanos with a beef broth, potatoes, diced fried platanos, a little cilantro and other herbs. They both came with a plate of rice and a little Colombian roll.

The winer was the chicken broth.

teepees on the beach

Nikki's on SOBE was Penrod's when we went there last time. With a bit of redecoration, it again hosted the beautiful of Miami, with beds and tents on the beach [and our waiter, Enrique, in his sarong].

We three [S&P and Mofongoman] sat at a table and had salads; my order was Caesar Salad with Seared Ahi Tuna. S and I shared a Pellegrino water and P tried the House Mojito [more mint than rum].

The winner was the setting.

private table for one

Walking down Collins in Miami Beach a little early for lunch I found a sidewalke cafe, Olivos, with a table for one under its own umbrella. I had the breakfast special of three Empanadas [one beef, two chicken] and salad. Also added a Jugo Natural de Naranja [fresh OJ] and a Cafecito Cortado.

A few days later I went there for lunch and ordered the simplest sandwich on the menu, Milanesa de Carne, with a side of fries. The sandwich was huge on a big round thin toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo. The fries were great. Another OJ and another Cafecito.

The winner was the big ol' sandwich.

blognote: Went back in December, 2005 and the sandwich wasn't as good. The juicer was broken and the traffic sucked!

Georges on 72nd Street

First night in Miami Beach with S&P went to Georges near their house. Had Fiocci [never had heard of it before] and loved it: fresh pasta bundles filled with ricotta cheese and pear. It was served in a Rosemary butter sauce and was fantastic. House salad with Hearts of Palm and a glass of red wine; weather was beautiful and it's March, what a life.

The winner was definitely the Fiocci.

another diner

Ate at the Townline Diner in Wethersfield/Rocky Hill with J&W. W had never had so Chicken Livers so we both tried this version which came in a little casserole with sauted onions and mushrooms. The Mashed Potatoes were mashed and the Gravy was diner usual. The Coleslaw was rough and the Lentil Soup was a little weak and needed salt. J had the mini-dinner of Scrod stuffed with Spinach.

J got the dessert of Bread Pudding but we forgot to get it heated up. We ate it anyway.

The winner [if there was one] was the Chicken Livers.

gypsy kings

Bamboleo Restaurant was where I ate with M&N after Hartford Stage's production of 'The Cook' by Eduardo Machado. Good match of play and restaurant!

They had a coupon or some such deal to get $15 off. Well it actually turned out to be a place where I would go back without any gimmicks! Restaurant is located in Glastonbury in the old Union restaurant building.

M and I had the Shortribs over mashed potatoes and what they called Chimichurri [but was really good fresh salsa] adorned with plantain chips. The meat was perfectly done and the gravy was superb. I had a glass of red wine [will go back and get the full name - excuses, excuses to return]. N had the Pork Shank over mashed potatoes and beans. We ordered a side of Collard Greens which were good and contained chopped pecans. No dessert but a decaf for me and a double espressso.

The winner: the Shortribs

Went back again the other night, March 31st with J&B and J&W. Everyone had a different entree; good crowd [they know the rules]. We started off with a sampling platter of Anticuchos: 2 kabobs each of shrimp [mango salsa], beef [chimichurri], chorizo [spicy mustard] and chicken [with a guacamole-like sauce].

On my recommendation B had the Shortribs over Mashed Potatoes and Plaintain Chip and was as pleased as I was when I had them. J had the Crackling Pork Knuckle served on Polenta. J [the vegetarian] had the Salmon which was grilled on a stick, W had the Diver Scallops special served on wild rice with black beans. I had the Duck Breast special with Sweet Potato Flan, Haricots Verts with grilled onions.

For drinks, B had a Margarita, W a Caribbean Martini, J a Southern Comfort Old Fashioned and I had the same Red Wine [still didn't get the full name so have to go back again].

Too many winners this time! And I can't pick a loser either!