Bulla Gastrobar

Needs another star!

The restaurant had booked three large parties and was booming but that did not hinder service even though a tapas meal could be considered easier to serve. My guests had been with me in Barcelona a few years back and this was like a reunion but much closer!

Started with marinated Olives, Pimientos de Padron [shishitos] and Chorizo stuffed Dates while we perused the menu with a bottle of Raimat Albariño. Perfection so far. Next was the Pan con Tomate with Jamon Iberico and Manchego cheese. Added to that service was Fried Artichokes [the best ever], Curry Shrimp and Garlic Shrimp [related but so deliciously different] and the Lentil Soup. 

Finished with Torrija and Natillas for dessert. I had the Bombon coffee which was like another dessert. Then, of course, to finish it all of a Lustau Vermut!

This restaurant needs to come to Hartford. The Manager was evident of the floor the entire meal and she was definitely in charge of a popular gem of a restaurant.

blognote: Jacob was a great server and cool, calm and collected

Reyes Mezcalería

After walking around Lake Eola to see the Christmas decorations and visit the food and craft fair, we strolled over to Reyes Mezcaleria for brunch. They were closing the kitchen to set up for a large private party. They let us in to order by 2:55 and all was well after that...

What a treat that was. Service was great and the food excellent. I had my first Michelada with Tecate beer. I am now a convert to that drink. I, of course, mispronounced it with a French accent but nevertheless that was overlooked by our great server. Two of us had the Steak Chilaquiles with the best piece of steak cooked perfectly medium rare. The chilaquiles were super hot but the queso fresco and crema cooled them down. The egg of top was the crowning glory. The other order of Chicken Mollete was deemed excellent also.

Casa Mia

Nice little place for a good meal in North Miami. Owner operated with one server and can they take care of a room.All the little details are there.

Started with a delicious Cream of Spinach soup. Good bread and great olive oils. Then on to the Pasta Special: fresh spinach, sweet Italian sausage and mushrooms over al dente spaghetti. It was simple and beautifully prepared. Paired this with a bottle of Festa suggested by the owner. For dessert a triple layer of chocolate cake, flan and a caramel mousse with a cappuccino.

bloginfo: Casa Mia Trattoria is located 1950 NE 123rd Street in North Miami. No website. 

blognote: Not the kind of restaurant where you take pictures of the food, so you get the table decoration instead.

Cadillac Ranch

Ate here at Cadillac Ranch after I landed at FLL. Great flight on JetBlue.

We started with the Spinach Artichoke Dip with Lump Crabmeat [$12.99] and then I had the Black and Blue Salad [$12.95]. The salad of romaine hearts and fresh spinach had dried cranberries, apples, candied pecans, red onions and tomatoes tossed in citrus vinaigrette and topped with blackened salmon and blue cheese. 

Cap's Place

Now this place is unique! Cap's Place Island Restaurant and Bar is in Lighthouse Point but that's the easy part. To get to this place that has been serving seafood since the 1920's you need to get the boat on the pier and get taken to the private site. The cap'n of the boat gives a good intro on the way over and announces the specials of the evening. For a starter I had 6 fine Oysters and then Sesame Crusted Dolphin [mahi mahi] in a soy ginger sauce with mashed sweet potato and string beans. The coating on the fish was powerful but added lots of flavor to the dish. The other entrées were Rib Eye Steak and Swordfish with a lemon caper sauce. The bottle of Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay went exceedingly well with dinner!

Moonlite Diner

Shopping day, shopping day! Not me but family I was staying with. So we stopped to eat something; what's new about that! Between hither and yon in Hollywood we stopped into the next available eatery and it was the Moonlite Diner.

Typical good diner food: Tuna Melt on rye with sweet potato fries for $9.99. The other two orders were a Santa Fe salad and a Ham and Swiss Panini with coleslaw.

db bistro moderne

 Have always wanted to eat at Daniel Boulud's  and so jumped at the chance to entertain there. He has establishments in Miami, Beijing, London, Singapore and Vancouver; we were in Miami in the Marriott Marquis. There was a birthday [not mine] and an anniversary for our party of three.

the inner workings of the $32 hamburger

I had heard of the outrageous hamburger of kobe beef, stuffed with braised short ribs and white truffles. It was worth it...delicious...outrageous...a meal in itself...garlic frites on the side. Cold broccoli rabe soup was the starter...strange and overpowering. The brioche were amazing. A strawberry mille feuille for dessert. Wonderful wine. The atmosphere and service were superb. 

blognote: I cannot even remember the rest of the meal or the entrées of the two guests [branzino and duck confit???]

Dolores, but you can call me Lolita

Yes, that is the name of the restaurant! 'Dolores, but you can call me Lolita' is so much fun and inexpensive for Miami. There are too price ranges on the menu: $19.95 and $23.95 and each comes with an appetizer. I had the Gazpacho and the Veal Churrasco with chimichurri sauce. I was given a birthday plate in honor of the occasion.

blognote: Can't remember the entrées of the other members of the party. But I do remember the mojito!

Anise Waterfront Taverna [FL]

This Taverna is one of my favorite places in Miami. We walked in and were welcomed like long-lost friends. Now that is how the 'front of the house' should work.

We had had a dining disaster across the river, should have come here for dinner in the first place. Had the Dessert Platter [$18] which contained just about everything you would ever want except one guest also needed Flan [$7] which we added to our order. The chocolate cake was new to me and deadly good. But the best after our dinner was the Yoghurt with Fruit, a tangy and cool antidote to the sweet gooeyness [is that a word?] of the platter. Also had a bottle of sparkling water, some great Moscat d'Asti [$7 a glass but a refill at the end] and an espresso. Great terrace with a real view. Love you guys!

blognote: Promised we would do dinner here at the end of June prior to my Cuba trip.

3/13/2009

Ate here again last night late. They still had patrons so we joined in. Good thing we did. Same good food and great atmosphere.

We each had a Keo beer from Cyprus, good and cold. Some apps: the sausage sampler plate and the tiropites [cheese triangles in phyllo] which I almost like better than spanokopita.
Three entrees: Braised Rabbit with homemade gnocchi [excellent], Shrimp Saganaki [one of my old favorites] and my Calamari salad which was huge and fresh with very thinly sliced and fried calamari rings.
No dessert for us but we received glasses of a limoncillo and anise cookies!


Now here is a find. If you are in Miami make the effort to eat here. If the weather is good you can sit outside on the canal.

January 15, 2009 review:

We ordered the following:

from the drink menu:
three beers: Alpha [Greek], Peroni [Italian] and a Heineken

from the salad menu:
Greek Village[$7] typical Greek salad as served in country; no lettuce
Crisp Butter Lettuce [$9] topped with white anchovies & shallots in a lime vinaigrette. It was simple and fresh and delicious.

from the mezze - tapas menu:
Spanokopita [$7] with lots of feta
Grilled Sausages [$9]: Greek, French and Italian sausages
Baked Eggplant Rolls [$9] feta and herbs topped with a cherry tomato salsa. Rich and hearty.

complimentary glasses of Chinchón [Spanish anisette liquer] with the check.

All of the food was excellent, the place is right out of Mykonos and the service rocked! Their website is now up and working.

bloginfo: 620 NE 78th Street, 33138
telephone: 305.758.2929

red light little river [FL]

WONDERFUL food and TERRIBLE service


Someone please tell the chef that the 'front of the house' is ruining his restaurant!


At a beautiful table outside overlooking the little river, we had an enjoyable but terribly frustrating meal. An app while looking over the menu with some fancy schmancy drinks, a large order of BBQ Shrimp $17], was delicious, the sauce and baguette for dipping were excellent. Then the apps came with the entrées [oh, there was a mixup in the kitchen or maybe I didn't order them]. So I sent my Ceviche back to the kitchen and the Oyster Bisque which never really reached the table was cancelled. 


The entrées were good: small order of Tangy Spareribs [$10] was tasty and house smoked but not fall off the bone-good, Day Boat Scallops [$14] in an orange glaze were very good and had both bay and sea scallops, the Rib Eye [$14] was deemed excellent with a tasty melange of veggies laid over it but the side of Mac and Cheese never arrived [oh, do you want that to go? NO].


The kitchen was busy [less than 10 tables going], can I buy you dessert [NO]. So we left for the place across the river where we should have been in the first place, Anise [see review here].


January 10, 2010


Strange restaurant in a strange area with a strange menu and even stranger food. With that said, don't miss it!!!

Found it through Thrillist and you can  read the article here. We had so much fun reading the menu and then eating the great food.

Started with an Artichoke appetizer special of the night. This was a HUGE artichoke that had been done in white wine and stuffed with breaded crumbs and then finished in the oven. The other app was 'bbq shrimp & dip bread' [$17] with a good sauce, good bite.

Main courses were: 'guava-lime & habanero glazed Swordfish, toasted corn red rice' [$18], 'duck cassoulet' special and my 'baby its cold outside' rabo encendido [oxtail] with white cheddar grits. We finished a bottle of 'It's the sh*t toro' - Elias Mora Crianza [$58] and then a glass of garnacha [me] or tempranillo [them].

Great experience, great food, great people - get the message; let's go back!

bloginfo: 7700 Biscayne Blvd at the Little River, Miami; 305.757.7773
blognote: Pay the $5 parking, the attendant will escort you into the restaurant which is part of the Blu Motel in a changing [for the good] part of town. Also you see Anise across the street; another favorite restaurant of mine.

Tonino Lamborghini Caffe Corsa [FL]

'Sunset Dinner' [$19.95 (Florida-speak for Early Bird)] here at the Village at Gulfstream Park in Aventura. Also 'two-for-one' happy hour. Sat outside and watched the crowd stack up at Brio and wait an hour or so for a table.

Started with Peroni beers and a Pinot Grigio.
Apps: Caesar Salads and my Vitello Tonnato. Haven't had this veal and tuna dish for ages and this was a hit.
Entrees: Swordfish over a vegetable medly, Gnocchi with Bolognese sauce and my Pizza Elettra [a simple tomato basil pizza]
Desserts: all had Ricotta Cheesecake
Two Cafe Lattes and a French Press

bloginfo: This is a huge new complex. Take a look here.
blognote: Along with the racetrack, there is a casino here. Vanna White was good to me!

Tapas y Tintos [FL]

After my FLL airport pickup last night, we headed for Española Way to Tapas y Tintos. What a great find!

Started with a pitcher of Sangría Blanca [$25] and proceded to clean out the kitchen with:
a plate of Manchego cheese [$8.75], a plate of Jamon Serrano [$9.25] , Queso Cabra [$9.50 (goat cheese)] in a tomato sauce, Ensalada Canaria [$9.95 (grilled pork with avocado over tomatoes and greens)], Champiñones Serrranos [$8.95 (the best cheese/ham stuffed mushrooms ever)] and a Parrilada de Carne [$21.95 (grilled chorizo, chicken and steak)]. All of this with great bread [lots of it!]. What a meal.

bloginfo: Cinco de Mayo celebration was going on strong and loud down the street.
blognote: This may become my signature picture!

Captain Jim Hanson's Seafood Market and Restaurant

Captain Jim Hanson's is a gem of a find on the West Dixie Highway in North Miami, Florida!

What you see is what you get...and it's all as fresh as can be. You sit a booth set with plastic utensils and a roll of paper towels.

Complimentary [amuse bouche?] plastic cups of the best Crab Salad with a few strips of green/red pepper and onion mixed with a tiny dab of mayo. Delicious.
We started with an order of ten Stone Crab Claws [$28.24 for 1.13 lbs] and a half-dozen Oysters [$5.99]. Had a pitcher of Amber Bach [sic] for $10.

Main courses on plastic plates of Grilled Hog Snapper with fries [$13.95], Combo Plate of 3 fried choices with Red Rice and Beans [$14.75] and my Whole Florida Yellow Tail with Fried Plantains [$12.95].

Everything was done to perfection.

bloginfo: There is no website and they are at 12950 West Dixie, phone 305.892.2812

Brio Tuscan Grill

Started out at Wildfire but ended up next door here at Brio. Glad that happened as it was a great meal.

Went through two bottles of Montepulciano, Cataldi Madonna (Abruzzo, Italy) [$78].

Had the Bruschetta4 Appetizer [$14.50] with eight servings of four remarkable varieties of bruschetta. The spinach/pancetta was my favorite.

Gorgonzola was the hit of the night with my Gorgonzola Encrusted Strip Steak [$15.95] and a Gorgonzola Encrusted Lamb [$26.95] for the other. Third entrée as a Carbonara [$15.95]. All were very good. My Grilled Asparagus was nice but the something-or-other cheese Mashed Potato was not a winner.

Desserts were all Minis, all 8 choices [$2.45] and what a great idea. No guilt dessert. Our choices were a Vanilla Brulée, my Caramel Brulée with chocolate shavings and a Peach Melba.

bloginfo: check website here

Chef Allen's

Went back to Chef Allen's since we had such a good meal last time. See review from January 12 of this year.

Had a bottle of Trinitas Petit Syrah [$55] which needed to breath a bit before drinking and then turned out quite fine and stood up to some of the more hearty entrées.

Appetizers were the Lobster Mac and Cheese [$16] which was deemed as good as the last visit, a tableside Caesar Salad [$10] and my redundantly named Tuna Sashimi Poke [$11]. The poke was good [Hawai'i does it better] but the topping was a mystery, a good one. It was either wasabi foam or wasabi infused caviar, anyway it was fine.

Our entrées were Steak Frites [$22] and two Surf and Turf [$28 each]. Last time the surf and turf was Short Ribs and Diver Scallops but this time two hugh Grilled Shrimp were the surf part. This was beyond excellent!

Desserts [yes, we did that too] were the Cherry Trio [$5] a bunch of cherry type things, a Beggar's Purse [$7] which was a thing filled with stuff and my Apricot Lavender Sorbet [$5] which was super.

A great meal, nice room and good service; I will go back again.

fratelli Lyon

Before leaving for Brazil, we had an interesting meal last night at Fratelli Lyon in the Design District of Miami. The room is very industrial, heavy on the color orange, situated next to a furniture/decor store. The dining room shared a common wall and the two rooms complemented each other.

Apps: two salads; one fennel and the other bibb, both interestingly dressed. one gorgonzola fondata; a dish of melted gorgonzola topped with lots of toasted focaccia swimming in the delightful mess [each @$12].

Entrees: Petto d'Anatra [duck breast a little to the medium rare ($26)]; Ravioli Evalina [house recipe ($16)] and my lamb stuffed tortellini [$17] which was the perfect sized amount of delicious lamb in home made tortellini on a mint sauce [anid I don't mean mint jelly, dear]. A nice bottle of Poggio d'Arna accompanied the meal [$49].

I skipped dessert but tasted a bit of both the others: a berry Panna Cotta and a piece of the cake of the day [$10 each].

bloginfo: 4141 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL
305.572.2901 with website here
www.fratellilyon.com
blognote: we started outside but the sun was blinding and the traffic loud; a good place to sit at night

Michael's Genuine

Michael's Genuine [Michael Schwartz, chef] was voted the 4th best new restaurant in the US for 2008 by the New York Times. Tonight's meal was true evidence of that. Luckily we were seated in the gallery and not the main room with bar which is very noisy. We were able to concentrate on our food which is always a good thing. But being in the Design District, the place is alive!

If I were to add this restaurant to my poetry blog, it would start:
'Torch ginger in the men's room, jazz at the bar....'

Opened with a bottle of Qupe Roussanne 2005 [$68] with the help of Mackenzie, Sommelier. It was a delightful full wine that complemented and did not overpower all the great food we ordered.

Marco, our server, was very helpful in steering us through the large menu. Unfortunately, everything sounded great so decisions were hard to come by. The food portions are divided into small, medium and large offerings [like tapa, porción and servicio] also sides, snacks, etc.

We ordered mainly from the medium, sides and snacks:
duck confit cauliflower mash, wilted greens, pear raisin chutney [$16]
wood roasted sweet onion stuffed with ground lamb and apricots [$15]
sautéed sweetbreads heirloom tomato & cippoline onion chutney, brown butter pan sauce, watercress [$16]
fudge farms bbq st louis ribs housemade bbq sauce [$15] made today in the parking lot
wood roasted brussels sprouts with pancetta and lemon aioli[$6]
homemade french fries [$6]
chicken liver crostini with caramelized onions [$5]
roasted pepper and cambazola cheese crostini [$6]

and for dessert [hedy goldsmith - pastry chef]:
chocolate cremoso with sea salt, olive oil, sourdough crostini & espresso parfait [$9]
banana caramel toffee panini with warm melted chocolate sauce [$9]
tangerine 'cremesicle' pot de creme with blackberry basil marmalade & hot doughnuts [$9]

and coffee [$2.50]

MY favorites were the cambazola cheese crostini [cheese is a great wedding of brie and gorgonzola], the brussels sprouts [the pancetta and aioli heightened the flavor] and the sweetbreads [the accompaniments made the dish]. My least favorite was the ribs [great flavor, too tough]
ALL the desserts were great but the banana panini [a flavor orgy] and the blackberry basil marmalade [cut the sweetness of the sweetness] were definitely memorable.
THE WINE was superb!

bloginfo: website

Fontainebleu Hotel

Well today was a day! The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so instead of resting we went out and did the town.

Walked through and got lost at the new Fontainebleu hotel. Saw three of the new restaurants: Gotham [Alfred Bertole is the chef], Fresh and Vida where my niece is doing her internship from Johnson and Wales, Miami. Tried to get a drink at the pool bar and walked for miles through underground passages, up and down stairs, down an elevator and found the elevator to be closed. So we again walked through underground splendor an exit. We had opted to park at a meter on the street to avoid the $18 valet charge and found that we had 47 minutes left!

Ended up getting the drink [Blue Moon, Mai Tai, Margaritas] at Shuckers after driving in and out of the Barchetta lot.

Chef Allen's

Dinner time! Now it is Monday night, a slow night; not in Miami. We arrived at PF Chang to find the parking lot full of people waiting for a table, 45 minute wait. Went to Houston's on the other side of the parking lot, same deal. Walked past Morton's [too expensive and I can go to the one in Hartford]. Tried the new Miami Prime which had lots of empty space but was a sport's bar and not what we were looking for.

Our finale is a success: Chef Allen's [celebrity chef Allen Susser] is in Aventura and we found it via the GPS in the cellphone. Only a five minute wait for table, so sat a the bar for a drink [Campari and Soda].

The wine for dinner was a Decoy Meritage [$65] and was perfect. The appetizers will be remembered forever: Lobster Mac and Cheese[$14] [like no other I have ever tasted; not creamy and gummy but simple perfection] and Shrimp Grits Brulée[$10] with manchego cheese, crumbled crunchy bacon and three large shrimp covered with parmesan cheese and put under the broiler. This was heaven [when Chef Allen came by the table I told him the grits were 'outrageous' and he laughed]!!!
Our entrées were wonderful too. Swordfish over Lobster Bisque[$26], Skirt Steak[$24] with chimichurri sauce and yucca fries and my Surf and Turf[$28]: two immense Divers Scallops and Beef Shortribs [off the bone] over mushrooms and winter vegetables.
Dessert was two individual Soufflé, one chocolate[$10] with whipped cream and Valronha chocolate sauce; the other a Grand Marnier[$13.50] strawberry soufflé with creme anglaise.

Maya Tapas & Grill

Sunday afternoon on Lincoln Road outside on a balmy day; what could be better?


A pitcher of white Sangría and three [then one more] tapas: Provoleta [baked provolone with herbs and tomato ($7.95)], Garlic Shrimp [$8.95], Chorizo Argentina with chimichurri sauce [$5.95] and Beef Carpaccio [$11.95] with Manchego cheese and arugula salad. All served with great bread.

bloginfo: Maya is at 809 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139 - Telephone 305.538.0058