Seasons 52 - Wine Bar and Restuarant

Seasons 52 has a refreshing and welcomed concept--seasonal food cooked well, with every dish under 475 calories. So, of course, I was geeking out before we even got there. My only minor quibble is that I'd like all that and local sourcing.

What we had:

I had the cedar-planked Atlantic salmon with fresh asparagus, sweet carrots and chive-roasted potatoes. The salmon was cooked nicely, and although I appreciated where the chef was going with this dish (preserving the delicate cedar-plank taste), the fish just needed... something. What, I don't know, but something. An herb, something. The carrots were great--tasted like candy. The asparagus and potatoes both needed seasoning: salt, garlic, herbs (I didn't taste chive at all), whatever. The meal was still pretty impressive, though.

My DH had a dish off the rotating side menu. For future note, that's the way to go. He had a roasted quail breast with maple sauce (really light sauce), sweet potatoes and mixed green beans & asparagus with garlic. His quail was freakin amazing. Neither of us had tried quail breast before, and the depth of flavor was amazing in this dish. We had both expected quail to taste like dark meat chicken or mildly greasy like duck--but this was something entirely different. I've now been tasked with cooking quail at home. The sweet potatoes were bland, and he ate most of the veggies, so I'm guessing they were good.

Décor:

Nice cherry-colored wood, crappy music.

Service:

Not bad.

Overall impressions:

I totally wish this place was closer. (It's at the Galleria in Ft. Lauderale) Though I might not get a struggle is suggesting we go back--there was a Bugatti Veyron parked out front.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

4 out of 5 salamanders

Prezzo Martini Bar and Grill

The goal for the evening was to have cocktails. Preferably, to walk to said cocktails. We started out with Justin's in mind (I had read somewhere that Justin's was a friendly neighborhood bar & possibly grill), got to the door, and had to turn right back around--no sneakers allowed. We live on the other side of the lake. There is no freakin way I'm walking that far in heels. Just. Not. Happening. I'd rather drink sensibly elsewhere. So, after deliberation we decided to give "that martini-ish possible jazz place in Loehman's" a try.

What we had:

We both opted for drinks off the 'tini menu--I had the $14 nightly special--something supposedly featuring pomegranite juice, vodka and orange. I tasted the vodka, and the orange. There was coloring as if from something pomegranite-ish, but I didn't taste it. Possibly it was the ripped-off feeling getting in the way.

My DH had an alcoholic Shirley Temple tini thing. Same price. Vodka, grenadine, and possibly a hint of something else. I didn't care for his at all. I thought it was sickly sweet and tasted of lighter fluid.

We wanted tapas, so we settled for a combo appetizer for two--the Mediterranean Platter. Hummus (nicely seasoned), Babaganush (possibly the best-spiced I've ever tasted), Tazksiki, Sauteed Manouri Cheese, Roasted Mushroom, Roasted Pepper, Spinach Pies, Grape Leaves, Giant Beans, Olives, Pita Bread.

We were also served a basket of fresh mini-breads with my favorite topping in the world--roasted garlic. Needless to say, I was in bread heaven.

Décor:

The outside dining is nice. From what I saw of the inside, it's rather dark.

Service:

I think we had a waiter and waiter-in-training. Three or four people brought us things during the "meal" and the service was prompt.

Overall impressions:

Prezzo was not quite what we had in mind for the evening. We set out for relaxed and un-pretentious, what we got was a place with a high-end of mid price range (our appetizer was $30, most were in the mid-teens) that participates in Miami Spice. Our appetizer was quite enough food for the two of us for dinner, just not what we were expecting.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3.5 out of 5 salamanders--I reserve a full vote until we go back for dinner, though that Babaganush was really really good, and I'm a total sucker for roasted garlic.

Mama Fu's Asian House

Nouveau fast-food style Asian noodles for lunch (I think they do table service for dinner) in Hollywood.

What we had:

I don't remember the name of what I had, but it was a bowl of fresh noodles with shrimp, cucumber and a hoisin-style sauce. I could have done with a quarter of the sauce, but it wasn't unpleasant. The noodles were rather tasty. The shrimp, although overdone, wasn't cooked all to death and was pleasantly fresh.

My DH had the Pad Thai. It was pretty bland as Pad Thai goes (at least to us--needed more spice, more peanut, more nam bplah...just more) but other than the blandness, it wasn't bad.

Décor:

Lots of bold colors over black.

Service:

The food is brought to your table. The service is fast.

Overall impressions:

Not too bad. There are enough menu items from enough nationalities to keep me interested in theory. The noodles were very fresh, so that was good.

Company website; what Google says

Rating:

3 out of 5 salamanders--strictly average.

Cancun-Something Mexican Joint on Harrison @ the Circle in Hollywood

Can you tell I was underwhelmed? This is 1 of 2 "Mexican" places listed on the map @ the big circle in Hollywood. The other is Ginger Bay.

What we had:

I don't remember the name of what I had, but it was supposedly-spicy beef with fajita fixins and a whole 2 flour tortillas.

My DH might have had a chimichanga, though it tasted exactly like a burrito.

Décor:

Odd mix of big screen TVs, glow in the dark murals, a stage, and the obligatory Cinco de Mayo beer posters.

Service:

We were excited the meat portions of our entrees came out right.

Overall impressions:

Have they been to Cancun? Does Cancun-style food mean something else in the U.S.? Did I miss a memo? Almost everything on the menu is buried in cheese sauce and there's nary a black bean in sight. Most menu items come swimming in either a mole-ish sauce or some other "red" sauce as well. This place was not great. Not great at all. Not even a good drunken greasy spoon place, and I <3 White Castle.

I'm not even going into what anyone says, since I can't remember the name.

Rating:

1.5 out of 5 salamanders