Scorch Grillhouse & Wine Bar

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Steak/sandwiches grill in Aventura.

What we had:

I had the Blackened Tilapia Tropical Fruit Salad--mixed greens, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, black-bean corn salsa, tropical fruits and shaved red onion with a chimi-style vinaigrette. A pretty decent salad--the tilapia was cooked well, and the fruit was fresh.


My DH had a chicken sandwich with pepper jack, bacon and grilled chicken--a nice, if messy, sandwich.


Décor:

We ate on the patio.

Service:

Not bad.

Overall impressions:

Solid.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Uncle Tom's BBQ

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It was one of those meals that reminds you what's so great about being a carnivore. One of those wtf is wrong with vegetarians? meals.

What we had:

I had the pork platter with fries and cassava. Although I had envisioned pulled pork, the pork came out in slices. It's not Carolina style, but it wasn't bad at all. The sauce was pretty tasty, too. I found a side item I don't like, to0--cassava. It was gross. I'm not sure what the texture is supposed to be like or the taste, but it was mushy yet fibrous, and aggressively bland.

My DH had the ribs, and yet again, he got the better dish. These were unsnap your pants good. Sweet & smoky & cooked to perfection.


Décor:

BBQ joint. Wood, picnic tables.

Service:

Not bad.

Overall impressions:

My DH and I had both been craving BBQ and it was making us homesick--this place totally reminded us what's great about the pig. Pig is great. We found this place with our noses--they spit-roast a pig over coals in the parking lot. Totally awesome.

No company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Nexxt Cafe

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Sitting outside, under a big umbrella with fabulous food & people watching--what's not to like?

What we had:

I had the Indochine Salad--Sliced chicken breast with mixed greens, red & yellow peppers, green beans, cucumber, mango & wantons in an asian vinaigrette with macadamia nuts and sesame seeds. Wow. This salad was super-fresh, well-balanced and freakin huge. I ordered the lunch size, and holy crap it could have fed 2 easily.

My DH had the Baja Chicken Tacos--three soft flour tortillas filled with spicy chicken breast, cheese, slowly-grilled onions, fresh cilantro & avocado. Served with black beans & rice. His was huge, too. Huge, but really, really good.


Décor:

We sat outside under a huge network of umbrellas.

Service:

Not bad.

Overall impressions:

The menu is a book with something like 1,000 dishes offered--so there is something for absolutely everyone here. The perfect place to take a group. We will definitely be back.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Burritos Grill Cafe

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Well, we can't eat at Ver-Daddy every weekend, can we? This is a Yucatan-style Mexican entree/burrito joint hybrid.

What we had:

I had pibil pork tacos: Yucatan-style shredded pork on corn tortillas with the ubiquitous rice & beans side. All of the necessary components were there--achiote, slow cooking, and finely diced pink onions. This dish was good. Not I'm never eating at the other Mexican joints I love in town good, but it was good for a change.

My DH had a chicken burrito thing, that was well-spiced and toasty on the outside.

Décor:

A mix of sparse and typically Mexican (clay and iron vs. sombreros).

Service:

Not bad.

Overall impressions:

Not bad. Not my favorite, but I didn't want to cry.

No company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Grand Lux Cafe

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Aah! It's another mall restaurant!

What we had:


Appetizers.

Double Stuffed Potato Spring Rolls
Creamy Mashed Potatoes with a Touch of Green Onion, Rolled in Crispy Asian Wrappers Topped with Melted Cheddar, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Green Onion. Served with Sour Cream

This was my DH's favorite appetizer of the night. This grown-up potato skin was perfectly balanced in flavor and texture, and looked really good on the plate. Baked, not fried. The applewood bacon's taste didn't come across as applewood--a term I think is bandied about way too freely.

Duck Potstickers
Duck Breast, Shiitake Mushrooms and Crispy Vegetables in a Spicy Hoisin Sauce. Steamed then Sauteed until Crisp

This was our least favorite. The sauce was decent (though I thought it was Ponzu), and the dumplings were cooked well, but you couldn't tell the meat was duck. It tasted like pork.

Asian Nachos
Crispy Fried Wontons Covered with Chicken in a Sweet-Hot Peanut Sauce. Topped with Wasabi Cream and Melted Cheese

This was a neat appetizer. The sauce would be cloying in large doses, but it was just this side of fine here. The wasabi cream helped. I don't remember melted cheese on the nachos at all, but it could have been under the sauce. The rice in the middle of the dish was smoky mexican-style and a neat flavor balance. I think this was my favorite appetizer.

Décor:

They were going for something--my DH and I had a difference of opinion of exactly what. He thought Asian, I thought grande European hotel ballroom. Either way, it was interesting, though the jewel toned and billiard green velvet booths totally didn't go.

Service:

Our server was knowledgeable and helpful.

Overall impressions:

Not too shabby. So far this is the most exciting place we've eaten at the mall. The menu is really varied, verging on chaos. They have a dish from just about everywhere and something for just about everyone. A good family compromise if you don't mind a chain.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Original Pancake House

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South Florida-based pancake house in the "international" style. But actually international.

What we had:

I had the potato pancakes and 2 eggs on the side.

The potato pancakes were great--a good balance of potato fluffiness and crispiness. served with sour cream & applesauce. The eggs were pretty good. They came unseasoned--I ordered over medium--1 came over medium, 1 came over hard--connected, no less. Interesting.

My DH had the sausage in a pancake blanket.

The pancakes were really good--real butter milk, fluffy, light. The sausage was top-notch, too.


Décor:

Nothing special

Service:

Decent.

Overall impressions:

This place was a pleasant surprise. The menu is impressive--and full of ads. I have a need to go back and order something called a "dutch baby." it looks like a big bread bowl with some sort of whipped cream in the center. I must have it. In fact, I have my next 4 meals planned out.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Islamorada Fish Co.

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"Keys" influenced fish restaurant attached to Bass Pro Shops/Outdoor World.

What we had:

Great bread, yet again. This bread was sweet Bimini-style bread--soft, sweet, with crumbles of brown sugar on top. Mmmmmm....


I had the grilled create-your-own combo--grilled local dolphin (blackened) and grilled sea scallops (fresh roasted garlic style).
The dolphin was light, the blackened seasoning spot-on. the scallops were pretty impressive. They were actually cooked right (gasp!). One on the end was even a hair underdone. The garlic topper made a great addition to my baked potato. The "fresh" vegetable side--not so much. Edible, but that's it.

My DH had the fried create-your-own combo--fried Florida grouper and crab cakes.
The batter was pretty good--not overpowering flaky style. The crab cake was decent, but a matter of personal/regional choice--there was plenty of crab in that cake.

Décor:

Chain fish restaurant decor with a nice vertical tank in the middle of the room.

Service:

Decent.

Overall impressions:

We were out first day of hurricane season indulging my doomsday-scenario paranoia shopping and starving. This place was a pleasant surprise. We expected frozen fishsicks, and got a decent meal. And, as a bonus, we're now prepared for the apocalypse.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders

Grill Time

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Kosher steak house on Biscayne in Aventura.

What we had:

Let's start with the bread. Our meal came with fresh pitas and too many sides to remember for the starter. Not even a starter, just with the bread. Baba Ganoush (spelled wrong, but the best i've ever had), egg salad, potato salad, chickpeas, corn relish, sliced carrots, a roasted tomato salsa thing, beets that weren't bad (I generally hate beets with a passion), and possibly more. I forget. This was amazing. I could have eaten just this and been full.


I had the Gaza Strip Steak: "A delicately prepared masterpiece, marinated in rich juices, and sizzled to a thick tenderness. Our strip steak personifies the words "Great Steak." It is served with a side of chimichurry."
Holy crap. The steak was perfectly done (rare), nearly fork tender, and one of the most flavorful sliced steaks I've ever eaten. The chimichurry was good, too.

My DH had the Beef Short Ribs: "These tender large ribs are marinated, then grilled slowly till sweet & succulent, served on our beer-battered onion bread."
This was amazing, too. The beef was falling apart tender and the collagen had fully released, giving yummy rich goodness to the dish. The ribs had a sweet glaze that set the comforting goodness off perfectly. Our only gripe was that we couldn't get the marrow out of the bones--the glaze had sealed the ends rock-hard.

The sides weren't anything to write home about (except for the rice, but we're suckers for well-seasoned white rice), but who's counting?

Décor:

Low light like a steakhouse should have, dark wood, gold walls. Pretty minimalist.

Service:

Good.

Overall impressions:

Jews rock. This is not your dad's steak house, and we are sorry we've waited so long to try this place. We left ridiculously full. We need an excuse to go back. This place is freakin great. We learned something new, too--Israel has a good selections of wines. Had no idea.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 salamanders

Brasserie Les Halles

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I had no idea this place existed outside of NYC. Part 2 of 2 of an 'appetizers in the gables' day. The goal was to meander the Mile, shop, nibble. I was not impressed by the Miracle Mile in general--I'm guessing the 'miracle' is how 575 bridal spots exist cheek-by-jowl in a one-mile strip. It was a nice day to walk around, though.

What we had:

Appetizers only.

Croutons de Coulommiers rotis eu miel et poivre: Honey-roasted peppered Brie on croutons with salad.

Too-sweet Brie on slightly burnt baguette with a nice light mixed salad. There was no real balance to this dish. The honey was a bit cloying--the pepper didn't balance it right. And, the crouton was pretty burnt.

Frites.

My DH makes great fries, so i'm a bit biased there. They were good, but I didn't want to lay down & die.

We got bread here, too. I'm pretty sure it wasn't baked on site.

Décor:

Dark burgundy paint--the latest layer of what looked like years and years of color-changes. Very French posters on the wall.

Service:

Decent.

Overall impressions:

We were excited to try this place because we love Tony Bourdain, and we're food geeks. Having said that, my objective opinion is meh. The place seems to be in love with its own mythos--Les Halle posters and all--and I'm hoping that their classic dinner of steak & frites will be better. The logo is great--french-kissing cows--hard to go wrong there.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

2 out of 5 salamanders-- we have a difference of opinion here. My DH says 2--I was leaning toward a 3--but that's not objective. Ok, if you factor in the price ($10 for the brie appetizer worth half that at best) it's a solid 2. Hopefully we can bump that up after going back for dinner.

Por Fin

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I heard about this place on miami.com, and had to try it. Part 1 of 2 of an 'appetizers in the gables' day. The goal was to meander the Mile, shop, nibble. I was not impressed by the Miracle Mile in general--I'm guessing the 'miracle' is how 575 bridal spots exist cheek-by-jowl in a one-mile strip. It was a nice day to walk around, though.

What we had:

Appetizers only.


Tuna Tartare: Ahi tuna, avocado, mango, caviar, yogurt and soy sesame vinaigrette.
This was everything you could want from a tuna tartare--well-balanced tastes/textures from the velvety avocado to the succulent mango and melt-in-your-mouth tuna. A garnish of I'm guessing radish or alfalfa sprouts lent a great little backbone to the dish. While the essence of caviar didn't come across as caviar, (we forgot it was in there until I read it on the menu just now) the dish came across as perfectly balanced while eating it. And it was pretty, to boot.

Eggs at Por Fin: Fried eggs served with potato creme, potato crisps, serrano ham and truffle oil.
This was one of those 'holy crap' dance in your seat dishes. The tuna was fantabulous, but this was freakin awesome. The eggs were perfect, pillowy, and full of eggy goodness; the potato creme was creamy, balanced velvet caressing your palate; the crisps lent body and crunch; the ham, soft saltiness. My mouth is watering writing about it, it was so good. I don't remember tasting truffle, but i don't care. it was that good.

And, we got great crusty bread with kick-ass tomato accompaniments (a grilled? tomato relaish and fresh, bright tomato relish).

Décor:

Understated elegance--bright white tables, espresso wood trim, neat b&w photography.

Service:

Good.

Overall impressions:

Must. go. back. I fell the need for a big-ass dinner cooked by this chef.

Company website; Google says nothing.

Rating:

5 out of 5 salamanders