Long anticipated Asian-influenced gourmet noodle bar based out of a motel in the Upper East Side.
What we had:
I had a bowl of noodles with honey shallot sauce, 3-hr duck & mixed veggies. The sauce was very light--I only tasted the first bite or two, but the duck was amazing. The veggies were nice, if a bit sparse for my taste.
My DH had the bacon sauce with garlicky pork meatballs. The bacon sauce was smoky perfection that covered each noodle well. The meatballs were good, garlicky as advertised, and moist.
The jury is out as to whether the thick spaghetti-style noodles are fresh or not. They're good either way.
Décor:
Decor is cute--one long, low black table with little stools and a half bar against the wall. Black woods & chalkboard wall. Siracha on the table with tiny bonsai trees. Asian without being tacky. You also can't go wrong with Bruce Lee on the flat screen & The Beastie Boys on the radio.
Service:
Quick serve style with a friendly and efficient staff.
Overall impressions:
We will definitely go back many times for lunching search of the perfect sauce/topping mix.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
La Bamba Spanish & Mexican Restaurant
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We happened to be in Lauderhill and decided to visit this place on a suggestion from Yelp. Yelp gives it a high orange rating, and the reviews were mainly glowing.
What we had:
The table chips were greasy and flat; the salsa was watery and fairly tasteless.
I had the shredded beef burrito with mushrooms and refried beans in a brown sauce and my DH had the chicken burrito with green sauce & cheese.
The meat was so-so, with the same seasoning used for both. My mushrooms were nearly non-existent, but I was starving so could have missed them. I wasn't stopping to savor. My DH said his wasn't terrible.
The beans were canned.
Décor:
Interesting richly-detailed dwirlt Mayan-esque paint accents with natural colors and adobe home arch shapes.
Service:
Quick.
Overall impressions:
Wtf is wrong with Yelp? Our first clue should have been the unexciting menu. Boring American Mexican (think Mexican restaurants in the midwest or in the South in the 90s; cheese and sauce-covered dishes with the same 3 ingredients configured multiple Taco Bell Menu ways) with "Spanish" dishes that have little to do with the Spanish cuisine I know. The menu also has a distinct lack of pork.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
The table chips were greasy and flat; the salsa was watery and fairly tasteless.
I had the shredded beef burrito with mushrooms and refried beans in a brown sauce and my DH had the chicken burrito with green sauce & cheese.
The meat was so-so, with the same seasoning used for both. My mushrooms were nearly non-existent, but I was starving so could have missed them. I wasn't stopping to savor. My DH said his wasn't terrible.
The beans were canned.
Décor:
Interesting richly-detailed dwirlt Mayan-esque paint accents with natural colors and adobe home arch shapes.
Service:
Quick.
Overall impressions:
Wtf is wrong with Yelp? Our first clue should have been the unexciting menu. Boring American Mexican (think Mexican restaurants in the midwest or in the South in the 90s; cheese and sauce-covered dishes with the same 3 ingredients configured multiple Taco Bell Menu ways) with "Spanish" dishes that have little to do with the Spanish cuisine I know. The menu also has a distinct lack of pork.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Mangos on Las Olas
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I think this place is some kind of holdover Fort Lauderdale standard. Every time we're on Las Olas, it seems to be fairly busy and I could picture Blanche Deveraux lunching here.
What we had:
I had the chipotle chicken sandwich--moist chicken, nice balance with crispy applewood smoked bacon, not terribly present charred onions, and a chipotle BBQ sauce that leant a nice tang but no chipotle taste at all. Good ciabatta bun. Smashed potatoes were nice but bland.
My DH had the burger-- perfect mid rare, nice quality beef, bun could have been beefier.
Décor:
I don't think it has been redecorated since the early 90s. We ate in some sort of sunny lenai, which is an improvement over the cave-like interior seating area. The place looked on first glance like it was going to smell of mildew, but thankfully did not.
Service:
The food took forever to come out and our server needed a helmet.
Overall impressions:
Odd pricing structure, with sandwiches only about a dollar cheaper than entrees. Surprising lack of mango on the menu. Menu needs copy re-vamping. You'd think the tea would be tropical.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders, mostly for the service
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the chipotle chicken sandwich--moist chicken, nice balance with crispy applewood smoked bacon, not terribly present charred onions, and a chipotle BBQ sauce that leant a nice tang but no chipotle taste at all. Good ciabatta bun. Smashed potatoes were nice but bland.
My DH had the burger-- perfect mid rare, nice quality beef, bun could have been beefier.
Décor:
I don't think it has been redecorated since the early 90s. We ate in some sort of sunny lenai, which is an improvement over the cave-like interior seating area. The place looked on first glance like it was going to smell of mildew, but thankfully did not.
Service:
The food took forever to come out and our server needed a helmet.
Overall impressions:
Odd pricing structure, with sandwiches only about a dollar cheaper than entrees. Surprising lack of mango on the menu. Menu needs copy re-vamping. You'd think the tea would be tropical.
Rating:
2.5 out of 5 salamanders, mostly for the service
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Boteco
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Brazilian steak & other food joint/ex-pat hangout.
What we had:
Chix croquettes w catupiry cheese--nice but rich toward the last bite. Our favorite of the meal.
Mixed basket of fried turnovers-shrimp--very shrimpy (which I loved, but my DH not so much) and on the dry side, ground beef with an olive--ok, and cheese--can't remember the name, but it was light in taste and creamy.
Chopped filet & fries--the fries were pretty great. The meat wasn't bad. Could use some seasoning, but not bad.
Overall, the meal wasn't bad, but it needed seasoning.
Décor:
Very open. The bar area is open to the outdoor seating area. Total shade, with a nice amount of fan breeze. Very comfy.
Service:
Decent.
Overall impressions:
If you're from South America, this would be a great hangout. We saw families getting together, mingling after meals and greeting friends as they walked in. As outsiders, we felt welcomed into the relaxed atmosphere and were even greeted with the offer of a shared French fry by the toddler many tables were fawning over. To their credit, he was freakin adorable and a happy little sparkly personality.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Miami Food Truck Roundup
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Nacho Mama
Nacho Mama is a Mexican-style truck based out of Key Largo.
We had the Nachos--Initial impression: Not bad. Better than Taco Bell, in fact. Which is saying a bit of something, because even though it's Taco Bell, I still end up going back at least once a year. Nacho Mama nachos are served Taco Bell style, with seasoned beef, gooey cheese, sour cream, beans, and tomato chunks. The nacho cheese tasted fresh, the toppings were plentiful and the chips were fresh but on the greasy/stale side. I'd go back, but not for the nachos.
Twitter @NachoMamasGrill
The Fish Box
Fish Box is the mobile version of Miami favorite La Camaronera, which has been serving up seafood since 1966.
We had the Minuta Sandwich--A fresh tail-on fried red snapper filet, on a fresh Cuban roll. The bread was slightly chewy, the batter was well seasoned and the fish remained juicy. great batter. The sandwich was good, but a bit on the heavy side; maybe not the best dish to follow Michael's Genuine pork belly. I would definitely go back and would like to try the shrimp sandwich next.
Twitter @LaCamaronera
Michael's Genuine Food Cart
Michael's Genuine only rolls the food cart for special occasions, and changes the menu for each. I was near-devastated to find out my special favorite popcorn ice cream wasn't on the menu this time.
We had the Pork Belly Sandwich--A fabulous sandwich with melty porky goodness, quick-pickled onions and cilantro garnish. Yum. As you all know, my taste buds are carrying on a torrid love affair with Michael's Genuine, and this food cart offering did nothing to deter me from that. I'd go back in a heartbeat and try anything on the menu.
Twitter @MGFD_MIA
Gastropod
I'm a little pissed off at Gastropod. Gastropod usually only rolls out during special events, which is fine--that's totally their prerogative. What pisses me off is that they spend an inordinate amount of time traveling to other parts of the country, while missing "home base" events (and still having the hutzpah to campaign for Miami-based food truck accolades). More power to them for trying to expand, but don't neglect your base to do so. Too much too fast. Go for it, just open a second Miami-only truck.
We had the Banh Mi Tacos (again). The pork in these tacos is amazing. See the full review here.
Even though I feel neglected by the 'pod, and even though it took an abysmally long time to get my order--it took over 15 mins. (during which time I almost dropped from overheating on the hot blacktop while certain clusters of people were served dish after dish), I will keep coming back. The food is consistently amazing, and I'm dying to sample more dishes.
Twitter @gastroPodMiami
Latin House Grill
We had the $10 Sampler Plate--The burger was great-juicy & meaty, the pork taco was good-flavorful & juicy, the steak taco was dry, the nachos were a throw away and I wasn't into the fried plantain meat thing at all--the taste of bananas and meat together in a dense, greasy fried packet was just too much for me. I would go back for the burger or pork taco.
Twitter @latinhousegrill
Dels Lemonade
We had a frozen lemonade, which was something a bit special. Shaved ice with fresh lemon rind and Splenda. I was overjoyed that this was sugar-free and could have snacked on a bucket worth.
Dim Ssam A Gogo
Korean-style food truck outcrop of Sakaya Kitchen in Midtown.
We had the Kurobuta Ssam--"Ddae ji" sous vide pork belly with fresh kimchi and house made ssamjanj in a Bibb lettuce leaf--the sauce was good; lots of great stuff going on there, but it killed the porkiness of the pork belly.
Cover'd & Chunk'd Tots--spicy tator tots covr'd in spicy cheese & chunk'd w/galbi beef--Not terribly spicy, but good.
Overall, I'd go back. I'm still cautiously optimistic, perhaps because I stalk this truck on Twitter and they're the masters of positive re-tweets.
Twitter @SakayaKitchen
Jefe's Original Fish Tacos & Burgers
We had the Ensenada Style Fish Taco-- beer batter crispy fish in corn tortilla with shredded green cabbage, pico, crema & lime. This taco had nice crispy & not-too-greasy fish with a pleasant balance of crunch & juice.
Tacos Carnitas--Seasoned slow-roasted pork on a corn tortilla with chopped onion, cilantro, roasted salsa verde & lime. This taco was a standout. The pork was really something special. This is the dish that will keep us coming back over other taco trucks. Latin Burger was ok, but this pork is somethin' special.
Twitter @jefesoriginal
Nacho Mama is a Mexican-style truck based out of Key Largo.
We had the Nachos--Initial impression: Not bad. Better than Taco Bell, in fact. Which is saying a bit of something, because even though it's Taco Bell, I still end up going back at least once a year. Nacho Mama nachos are served Taco Bell style, with seasoned beef, gooey cheese, sour cream, beans, and tomato chunks. The nacho cheese tasted fresh, the toppings were plentiful and the chips were fresh but on the greasy/stale side. I'd go back, but not for the nachos.
Twitter @NachoMamasGrill
The Fish Box
Fish Box is the mobile version of Miami favorite La Camaronera, which has been serving up seafood since 1966.
We had the Minuta Sandwich--A fresh tail-on fried red snapper filet, on a fresh Cuban roll. The bread was slightly chewy, the batter was well seasoned and the fish remained juicy. great batter. The sandwich was good, but a bit on the heavy side; maybe not the best dish to follow Michael's Genuine pork belly. I would definitely go back and would like to try the shrimp sandwich next.
Twitter @LaCamaronera
Michael's Genuine Food Cart
Michael's Genuine only rolls the food cart for special occasions, and changes the menu for each. I was near-devastated to find out my special favorite popcorn ice cream wasn't on the menu this time.
We had the Pork Belly Sandwich--A fabulous sandwich with melty porky goodness, quick-pickled onions and cilantro garnish. Yum. As you all know, my taste buds are carrying on a torrid love affair with Michael's Genuine, and this food cart offering did nothing to deter me from that. I'd go back in a heartbeat and try anything on the menu.
Twitter @MGFD_MIA
Gastropod
I'm a little pissed off at Gastropod. Gastropod usually only rolls out during special events, which is fine--that's totally their prerogative. What pisses me off is that they spend an inordinate amount of time traveling to other parts of the country, while missing "home base" events (and still having the hutzpah to campaign for Miami-based food truck accolades). More power to them for trying to expand, but don't neglect your base to do so. Too much too fast. Go for it, just open a second Miami-only truck.
We had the Banh Mi Tacos (again). The pork in these tacos is amazing. See the full review here.
Even though I feel neglected by the 'pod, and even though it took an abysmally long time to get my order--it took over 15 mins. (during which time I almost dropped from overheating on the hot blacktop while certain clusters of people were served dish after dish), I will keep coming back. The food is consistently amazing, and I'm dying to sample more dishes.
Twitter @gastroPodMiami
Latin House Grill
We had the $10 Sampler Plate--The burger was great-juicy & meaty, the pork taco was good-flavorful & juicy, the steak taco was dry, the nachos were a throw away and I wasn't into the fried plantain meat thing at all--the taste of bananas and meat together in a dense, greasy fried packet was just too much for me. I would go back for the burger or pork taco.
Twitter @latinhousegrill
Dels Lemonade
We had a frozen lemonade, which was something a bit special. Shaved ice with fresh lemon rind and Splenda. I was overjoyed that this was sugar-free and could have snacked on a bucket worth.
Dim Ssam A Gogo
Korean-style food truck outcrop of Sakaya Kitchen in Midtown.
We had the Kurobuta Ssam--"Ddae ji" sous vide pork belly with fresh kimchi and house made ssamjanj in a Bibb lettuce leaf--the sauce was good; lots of great stuff going on there, but it killed the porkiness of the pork belly.
Cover'd & Chunk'd Tots--spicy tator tots covr'd in spicy cheese & chunk'd w/galbi beef--Not terribly spicy, but good.
Overall, I'd go back. I'm still cautiously optimistic, perhaps because I stalk this truck on Twitter and they're the masters of positive re-tweets.
Twitter @SakayaKitchen
Jefe's Original Fish Tacos & Burgers
We had the Ensenada Style Fish Taco-- beer batter crispy fish in corn tortilla with shredded green cabbage, pico, crema & lime. This taco had nice crispy & not-too-greasy fish with a pleasant balance of crunch & juice.
Tacos Carnitas--Seasoned slow-roasted pork on a corn tortilla with chopped onion, cilantro, roasted salsa verde & lime. This taco was a standout. The pork was really something special. This is the dish that will keep us coming back over other taco trucks. Latin Burger was ok, but this pork is somethin' special.
Twitter @jefesoriginal
Gigi Now
|
Open late Asian-influenced noodle bar/tapas joint in Midtown, helmed by Top Chef contestant Jeff McInnis & a prolific restauranteur team.
What we had:
We split an order of Pork Gigi Buns--These buns had explosive flavor, with tender and nuanced pork on soft, pillowy buns. Each order comes with two buns; I could have eaten twice that amount easily by myself.
I had the Caribbean Shrimp Pad Thai--I'm not sure what was Caribbean about the dish, but it did have some nice smoke from the wok, and a great balance of flavors. It was however, a bit heavy toward the bottom. I ate it down to the last drop, but the last quarter or so was on the greasy side.
My DH had the Pork Ramen--between the pork bins and the Stella on tap, my DH's tastebuds picked his second bite in to blow out, so he really couldn't taste much at all. I tasted the dish, and found the shredded pork to be infused with Five Spice powder, the broth to be rich and meaty, and the noodles to be quite satisfying.
My DH had Stella Artois on tap, I had the sweet tea, and I swear the tea tasted like it had corn in it. Not an altogether unpleasant taste, but a bit alarming at first.
Décor:
Looks a lot like home, with exposed concrete, floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of white subway tiles.
Service:
Not bad.
Overall impressions:
I would go back, especially for a late bite.
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
We split an order of Pork Gigi Buns--These buns had explosive flavor, with tender and nuanced pork on soft, pillowy buns. Each order comes with two buns; I could have eaten twice that amount easily by myself.
I had the Caribbean Shrimp Pad Thai--I'm not sure what was Caribbean about the dish, but it did have some nice smoke from the wok, and a great balance of flavors. It was however, a bit heavy toward the bottom. I ate it down to the last drop, but the last quarter or so was on the greasy side.
My DH had the Pork Ramen--between the pork bins and the Stella on tap, my DH's tastebuds picked his second bite in to blow out, so he really couldn't taste much at all. I tasted the dish, and found the shredded pork to be infused with Five Spice powder, the broth to be rich and meaty, and the noodles to be quite satisfying.
My DH had Stella Artois on tap, I had the sweet tea, and I swear the tea tasted like it had corn in it. Not an altogether unpleasant taste, but a bit alarming at first.
Décor:
Looks a lot like home, with exposed concrete, floor-to-ceiling windows and lots of white subway tiles.
Service:
Not bad.
Overall impressions:
I would go back, especially for a late bite.
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The Morgans Restaurant
|
Updated American homestyle comfort food served out of a cute 20s-style house on the Wynnwood art districts' doorstep.
What we had:
I had the meatloaf sandwich with a house salad--the sandwich was served open-faced on a nice crusty slice of toast. Though the menu listed smoky mashed potatoes as the side dish, I was asked what side I wanted and mash wasn't an option, so I chose a side salad. The salad was nice, with dark leafy greens, watermelon radish slices, cherry tomatoes and a nice light vinaigrette. The dinosaur-sized slab of meatloaf was decent, if a bit dry and dense in the center. The tomato glaze on the outside was pretty great. I missed the potatoes.
My DH had the twice-marinated pulled pork sandwich with fries. The pork was succulent and coated in a sweet but non-obtrusive BBQ sauce, and the sandwich was served on a nice bun. The fries were fries, but at least they were fresh.
Décor:
We ate in the downstairs part, which was cute in it's spa-like whites and light woods; the music selection (classic rock) added to the unifying menu theme.
Service:
Enthusiastic.
Overall impressions:
A cute little place, and so close...
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the meatloaf sandwich with a house salad--the sandwich was served open-faced on a nice crusty slice of toast. Though the menu listed smoky mashed potatoes as the side dish, I was asked what side I wanted and mash wasn't an option, so I chose a side salad. The salad was nice, with dark leafy greens, watermelon radish slices, cherry tomatoes and a nice light vinaigrette. The dinosaur-sized slab of meatloaf was decent, if a bit dry and dense in the center. The tomato glaze on the outside was pretty great. I missed the potatoes.
My DH had the twice-marinated pulled pork sandwich with fries. The pork was succulent and coated in a sweet but non-obtrusive BBQ sauce, and the sandwich was served on a nice bun. The fries were fries, but at least they were fresh.
Décor:
We ate in the downstairs part, which was cute in it's spa-like whites and light woods; the music selection (classic rock) added to the unifying menu theme.
Service:
Enthusiastic.
Overall impressions:
A cute little place, and so close...
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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