A Barcelonian-style bistro/urban wine bar/tapas lounge in MiMo.
What we had:
I had the grilled chicken breast with saffron mashed potatoes, a wild mushroom and sherry cream sauce and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. I don't know quite what drew me to this dish over the steak. Maybe it was the mushrooms. Maybe the asparagus. Maybe the chicken at Michael's Genuine... whatever it was, I'm glad I broke out of my beefy/porky mold. The chicken was moist and nicely flavored (warning: some skin and the leg bone comes left on the breast); and the sherry mushroom sauce provided a rich foil for the dense potatoes. The asparagus came wrapped in perfectly-crispy prosciutto (possibly deep fried). Nothing to complain about there.
My DH had the Habanero. A Cuban-style pressed sandwich with roasted pork, pepper jack cheese, French ham, cornichons, caramelized onions and Dijon mustard on a fresh French baguette. This sandwich had a great mix of fat, salt and sweet. Nice quality ham and juicy pork.
The table bread, fresh sun-dried tomato foccacia, was good as well.
We also had cocktails. As we all know, I never like cocktails as much as I think I'm going to. I got a whole 3 sips into my lychee and raspberry-tini. What I should have gotten is the Tom Collins my DH ordered. The bartender had to look up the recipe, but the drink came out flawless (with a sword-skewered cherry to boot!).
Décor:
We sat outside in the front dining/lounging area on large lounging couch-style booths.
Service:
Not bad. Friendly and unobtrusive.
Overall impressions:
UVA is a great place to grab drinks and bar bites, and we would go again for a more substantial meal.
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders for no real reason, except that we both agreed we just couldn't bump the rating up to 4. Neither of us were sure why, either.
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Talavera Cocina Mexicana
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Talavera is a gourmet Mexican restaurant in Coral Gables.
What we had:
I had the Mahi Mahi Huraches. (what? No tacos?!) The perfectly cooked and seasoned Mahi was nestled in a fresh black bean puddle on top of a masa huraches (sandal). I usually can't stand masa cakes, but this was something different. This was light, flavorful, and yielded slightly to the tooth.
My DH had the pork tacos. (Aah. There's the tacos. All is right with the world). These were well-seasoned with cardamom and vinegar and perfectly moist. Strangely, this is closest thing to Eastern North Carolina pit-cooked pig we've tasted in a long while. Needless to say, we were in piggy heaven.
The fresh table salsas were also phenomenal. The roasted tomato and red pepper was just spicy enough & the habanero had a clean, bright citrus taste. The chips were pretty great, too. (especially the blue chips)
Décor:
The decor is very Mexican, but in a grown up and classy manner, with lots of Mexican cobalt and silver.
Service:
Lots of people served us; and they were very slow on getting us the check.
Overall impressions:
Yum. I must go back and sample more dishes. I also may bathe in the roasted red pepper salsa.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 salamanders, we aren't the only ones that love this place. Talavera was recently named "Best Mexican Restaurant 2010" by the Miami New Times.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the Mahi Mahi Huraches. (what? No tacos?!) The perfectly cooked and seasoned Mahi was nestled in a fresh black bean puddle on top of a masa huraches (sandal). I usually can't stand masa cakes, but this was something different. This was light, flavorful, and yielded slightly to the tooth.
My DH had the pork tacos. (Aah. There's the tacos. All is right with the world). These were well-seasoned with cardamom and vinegar and perfectly moist. Strangely, this is closest thing to Eastern North Carolina pit-cooked pig we've tasted in a long while. Needless to say, we were in piggy heaven.
The fresh table salsas were also phenomenal. The roasted tomato and red pepper was just spicy enough & the habanero had a clean, bright citrus taste. The chips were pretty great, too. (especially the blue chips)
Décor:
The decor is very Mexican, but in a grown up and classy manner, with lots of Mexican cobalt and silver.
Service:
Lots of people served us; and they were very slow on getting us the check.
Overall impressions:
Yum. I must go back and sample more dishes. I also may bathe in the roasted red pepper salsa.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 salamanders, we aren't the only ones that love this place. Talavera was recently named "Best Mexican Restaurant 2010" by the Miami New Times.
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Munchees Raspaos
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Munchees' menu is quail-egged and pineapple-sauced madness, like every taste combination you've ever dreamed of while wrapped in a ganja-scented haze.
What we had:
I had the Munchees Cuban--a Cuban-style pressed sandwich with pork, pink sauce, salami, mozzarella, and ham... Very interesting and pretty good.
My DH had the chicken quesadilla. The chicken was surprisingly well-seasoned and juicy.
Décor:
Kind of exactly what you'd expect, with a circus tent flare.
Service:
Friendly.
Overall impressions:
Munchees' food is by no means or possible sense of the term what one would consider health food, but it was pretty damn tasty nonetheless. I couldn't eat here often, but I'm dying to try something with a quail egg and pineapple sauce.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the Munchees Cuban--a Cuban-style pressed sandwich with pork, pink sauce, salami, mozzarella, and ham... Very interesting and pretty good.
My DH had the chicken quesadilla. The chicken was surprisingly well-seasoned and juicy.
Décor:
Kind of exactly what you'd expect, with a circus tent flare.
Service:
Friendly.
Overall impressions:
Munchees' food is by no means or possible sense of the term what one would consider health food, but it was pretty damn tasty nonetheless. I couldn't eat here often, but I'm dying to try something with a quail egg and pineapple sauce.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
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Salsa Fiesta
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Fresh urban Mexican fast-ish food salsa party.
What we had:
I had a trio of carnitas tacos. The pork in all three was succulent, and the flavors were clear and bright. The soft corn, flour and wheat tortillas were all tasty.
I had:
1 original taco: Pico de gallo, homemade guacamole, lettuce, jack and cheddar queso, pork.
1 guerrero taco: Onions and cilantro, shredded cabbage, mango relish, with a flavorful sauce, cilantro salsa, jack and cheddar queso, pork. This was my favorite.
1 macho taco: Black beans, lettuce, sour cream, jack and cheddar queso, pork.
My DH had the Mexicano Burrito: Cilantro-lime rice, black beans, roasted sweet corn, onion and cilantro, jack and cheddar queso with signature sauce, cilantro salsa and chicken.
Each dish was served with a nice little taco shell cup filled with really fresh pico and tortilla chips.
Décor:
Urban & hip with bright oranges and limes.
Service:
Not bad. Table side delivery fast-ish food.
Overall impressions:
The menu variety is impressive, as is the freshness of the food. I think this just might be our new go-to taco joint.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had a trio of carnitas tacos. The pork in all three was succulent, and the flavors were clear and bright. The soft corn, flour and wheat tortillas were all tasty.
I had:
1 original taco: Pico de gallo, homemade guacamole, lettuce, jack and cheddar queso, pork.
1 guerrero taco: Onions and cilantro, shredded cabbage, mango relish, with a flavorful sauce, cilantro salsa, jack and cheddar queso, pork. This was my favorite.
1 macho taco: Black beans, lettuce, sour cream, jack and cheddar queso, pork.
My DH had the Mexicano Burrito: Cilantro-lime rice, black beans, roasted sweet corn, onion and cilantro, jack and cheddar queso with signature sauce, cilantro salsa and chicken.
Each dish was served with a nice little taco shell cup filled with really fresh pico and tortilla chips.
Décor:
Urban & hip with bright oranges and limes.
Service:
Not bad. Table side delivery fast-ish food.
Overall impressions:
The menu variety is impressive, as is the freshness of the food. I think this just might be our new go-to taco joint.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
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Primebar
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Brand new New American bar/bistro-style cuisine spot in The Village at Gulfstream.
What we had:
I had the Primebar burger w stir-fried vegetables. My DH had the French dip sandwich with fries.
This was an oddly hit or miss meal-- the French dip, (which was really just a Philly-style roast beef), was really great (as was the beefy and flightly herbal jus), but the fries were Sysco.
My burger was cooked to death, unseasoned, and sucked all the taste out of my mouth. The mushrooms were on the greasy side, but had a nice taste. Too bad they were lost in the huge slab of goat cheese. The grilled tomato was awesome. The stir fried veggies were something special, with notes of five spice & curry (carrots, snow peas, broccoli, shiitake, onion, edamame & red bell pepper). I dwapped this huge portion--a whole bowl full--of lightly sweet tender-crisp vegetables for the fries.
Décor:
Nice, with dark woods and caramel colors.
Service:
Our food took forever, but the server was apologetic.
Overall impressions:
Despite the hit-or-miss meal, we would like to come back. The menu was interesting (pork belly tacos & short rib sliders). Next time, we will do the all plates.
Rating:
A tentative 3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the Primebar burger w stir-fried vegetables. My DH had the French dip sandwich with fries.
This was an oddly hit or miss meal-- the French dip, (which was really just a Philly-style roast beef), was really great (as was the beefy and flightly herbal jus), but the fries were Sysco.
My burger was cooked to death, unseasoned, and sucked all the taste out of my mouth. The mushrooms were on the greasy side, but had a nice taste. Too bad they were lost in the huge slab of goat cheese. The grilled tomato was awesome. The stir fried veggies were something special, with notes of five spice & curry (carrots, snow peas, broccoli, shiitake, onion, edamame & red bell pepper). I dwapped this huge portion--a whole bowl full--of lightly sweet tender-crisp vegetables for the fries.
Décor:
Nice, with dark woods and caramel colors.
Service:
Our food took forever, but the server was apologetic.
Overall impressions:
Despite the hit-or-miss meal, we would like to come back. The menu was interesting (pork belly tacos & short rib sliders). Next time, we will do the all plates.
Rating:
A tentative 3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Chilorio's Very Mexican
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Fast, fresh & healthy Mexican food near Dadeland.
What we had:
I'm a slacker, and we have been eating here regularly on Monday nights for about a month. My DH usually goes for the burrito and I get the tacos. Because we have addictions.
How to order: First, select the dish you want (grilled burrito, 3 tacos, 2 tostadas, 1 quesadilla, 1 salad, 2 enchiladas or 1 tostada) and then the meat (Chilorio chicken, grilled chicken, Chilorio beef, steak, ground beef, grilled mixed veggies, shrimp or lobster), toppings and sides.
Meats
Chilorio chicken: Supposedly spicy shredded chicken. Neither of us find it spicy, but it isn't bad, either.
Grilled chicken: Chopped, grilled chicken.
Chilorio beef: Supposedly spicy shredded beef. This one isn't spicy either.
Steak: I think this is the best of the bunch. Generally less dry than the others (go fig), and nicely seasoned.
Ground beef: My DH likes this one; I haven't had it yet.
Pork: I swear they have pork, but it's not on the menu. The pork was dry, but it was pork, so I wasn't complaining.
Grilled veggies & seafood: Haven't tried these options, either. Seafood ups the price by around $3, and I'm usually way too starving by the time we get here to order veggies.
Toppings
Typical beans/rice/pico/cheese/lettuce toppings.
Tortillas
The tortillas are homemade. My favorite is the soft & pillowy wheat.
Sides
I love that they offer baked tortillas and non-refried mashed pinto beans as sides. The black beans are also very tasty.
Décor:
The little fire guy is cute, and I like the lime and red color scheme. They also have small upgrades like TVs, menu pics on an overhead monitor and a cell phone charging station.
Service:
I don't know if it's the acupuncture I get before I go, or old age setting in, but whomever is behind the counter is usually almost inaudible.
Overall impressions:
Not bad. A little bland, and not as good as Moe's, but we don't feel guilty about eating here, either. The prices are very reasonable. We usually get out for just under $20 for one burrito, three tacos and two fountain drinks. We must not be the only ones who don't feel guilty about feeding their need for Mexican here--Chilorio's was voted 2010 best guilt-free burrito by Miami New Times.
Check out their website for nutritional information.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
What we had:
I'm a slacker, and we have been eating here regularly on Monday nights for about a month. My DH usually goes for the burrito and I get the tacos. Because we have addictions.
How to order: First, select the dish you want (grilled burrito, 3 tacos, 2 tostadas, 1 quesadilla, 1 salad, 2 enchiladas or 1 tostada) and then the meat (Chilorio chicken, grilled chicken, Chilorio beef, steak, ground beef, grilled mixed veggies, shrimp or lobster), toppings and sides.
Meats
The meat is generally dry, but what do you want? It's been sitting in a pan, waiting on your order. This is fast food. At least it's not sitting in grease.
Chilorio chicken: Supposedly spicy shredded chicken. Neither of us find it spicy, but it isn't bad, either.
Grilled chicken: Chopped, grilled chicken.
Chilorio beef: Supposedly spicy shredded beef. This one isn't spicy either.
Steak: I think this is the best of the bunch. Generally less dry than the others (go fig), and nicely seasoned.
Ground beef: My DH likes this one; I haven't had it yet.
Pork: I swear they have pork, but it's not on the menu. The pork was dry, but it was pork, so I wasn't complaining.
Grilled veggies & seafood: Haven't tried these options, either. Seafood ups the price by around $3, and I'm usually way too starving by the time we get here to order veggies.
Toppings
Typical beans/rice/pico/cheese/lettuce toppings.
Tortillas
The tortillas are homemade. My favorite is the soft & pillowy wheat.
Sides
I love that they offer baked tortillas and non-refried mashed pinto beans as sides. The black beans are also very tasty.
Décor:
The little fire guy is cute, and I like the lime and red color scheme. They also have small upgrades like TVs, menu pics on an overhead monitor and a cell phone charging station.
Service:
I don't know if it's the acupuncture I get before I go, or old age setting in, but whomever is behind the counter is usually almost inaudible.
Overall impressions:
Not bad. A little bland, and not as good as Moe's, but we don't feel guilty about eating here, either. The prices are very reasonable. We usually get out for just under $20 for one burrito, three tacos and two fountain drinks. We must not be the only ones who don't feel guilty about feeding their need for Mexican here--Chilorio's was voted 2010 best guilt-free burrito by Miami New Times.
Check out their website for nutritional information.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
T-Mex Cantina
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Tex-Mex bar in the downtown Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk. The menu has a variety of burritos (regular and loco size), tacos, nachos, burgers and other bar food and was written by a drunk Spanglish speaker. Chicken was referred to in one burrito as both chicken and pollo; not sure what they think the difference is... maybe pork? Pretty much all iterations come with a shrimp or fish option, but surprising little pork on the menu.
What we had:
I had the shredded chicken burrito and my DH had the ground beef burrito. Both were edible, but way too watery and boring to be called good. We ordered hot, and it wasn't at all spicy.
Décor:
Bras & beer signs on the ceiling.
Service:
Typical bar service.
Overall impressions:
We were starving, so no complaints about not dying of starvation, but it's not a place I would willingly visit again if even a little sober. Maybe if I turn into a Girl Gone Wild when I grow up. Or learn how to do a keg stand.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the shredded chicken burrito and my DH had the ground beef burrito. Both were edible, but way too watery and boring to be called good. We ordered hot, and it wasn't at all spicy.
Décor:
Bras & beer signs on the ceiling.
Service:
Typical bar service.
Overall impressions:
We were starving, so no complaints about not dying of starvation, but it's not a place I would willingly visit again if even a little sober. Maybe if I turn into a Girl Gone Wild when I grow up. Or learn how to do a keg stand.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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