Baires Grill is an Argentinian steak house/grill on Lincoln Road (right next to the Colony Theater). We stopped in on a whim--we were in the area to see Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and that was the closest dinner spot to the theater.
What we had:
I had the Grilled Milanese Baires (beef). In a stroke of adventurousness, I ordered this dish blind. The only description on the menu was the name and that it was topped with arugula and tomatoes. Apparently, Milanese style is code for chicken-fried. What arrived was 2 breaded and grilled super-thin paillards of possible beef covered in arugula and chopped hot house tomatoes. This dish was really dry. Like so dry, it took all my willpower to not succumb to the intense desire (near compulsion) to douse the whole thing with the table olive oil. Really, the only thing holding me back was the calorie count and the desire to have popcorn with the movie. I compromised, and choked down half dry and half with a little chimichurri. The breasting had a nice taste, which was good, because the possible beef had none at all. I had a baked potato as my side, which was also bone dry and powdery, even with 2oz. Of flavored sour cream.
My DH had the Skirt Steak, which was flame-grilled and so tender it was buttery. His ultra-creamy, super-buttery mashed potatoes were great, too.
The table bread was nice--ciabatta-style wheat with caraway seeds and French-style white.
Décor:
Steak house dark woods with enough white linen and sunlight to make the space feel open and airy despite it's shoebox size.
Service:
Decent for Lincoln Road, complete with a hostess wearing a dress so short it was probably a blessing she had a rather flat ass.
Overall impressions:
Not bad. The steak was superb, though I wouldn't recommend the Sahara-like Milanese to anyone.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
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Coco Asian Bistro
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Coco has a hip vibe and primarily Asian menu with a Thai bent, requisite sushi and bistro-style dishes like rack of lamb and steak.
What we had:
My DH and I split appetizers and our Thai restaurant gauge--the national dish of Thailand.
Edamame--The edamame was cooked perfectly and came with salt on the side. I think edamames multiply at the bottom of the bowl. This bowl was more than plentiful; so much so we didn't even finish.
Hamachi Kama-This fish collar is what fish would taste like were it butter. Mmmmm... Fish butter. Hamachi is pretty much always a standout dish, and this was the best we've had yet. Tender, flaky and just like butter. The accompanying tamarind sauce was great, too, and we ended up scooping up every little piece with our fingers.
Me Krob--Sauteed chicken and shrimp on a bed of sweet and tangy crispy vermicelli noodles with fresh bean sprouts and scallions. This dish walked the delicate balance between sweet, crunchy and sour.
Pad Thai--We had chicken. The Pad Thai was great, especially with the addition of Coco's vinegar chili sauce. Juicy chicken, well cooked noodles, and great tofu nuggets, but no lime or peanuts. I love lime, but the vinegar sauce (ask for it separately with chili flakes if you like heat) gave a great bite. Minus the condiments, the dish was a bit too sweet for me, but such is the joy of condiment-based cuisine.
Everything we had was excellent. All of the proteins were cooked perfectly and the flavors balanced nicely.
Décor:
Hip lounge decor with music straight from Alt Nation (the alternative rock station on XM Radio), mixed dark and light woods, subtle Thai touches (in the fabrics and canopied booths), atomic starburst-style chandeliers, and a cool white modern lounge wall. Not at all what you expect to see in a strip mall (albeit an upscale strip mall) in Fort Lauderdale.
Service:
Good.
Overall impressions:
This place is great and we will definitely be back. I would venture to say a crowd pleaser as well, since they serve non-Asian dishes.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
My DH and I split appetizers and our Thai restaurant gauge--the national dish of Thailand.
Edamame--The edamame was cooked perfectly and came with salt on the side. I think edamames multiply at the bottom of the bowl. This bowl was more than plentiful; so much so we didn't even finish.
Hamachi Kama-This fish collar is what fish would taste like were it butter. Mmmmm... Fish butter. Hamachi is pretty much always a standout dish, and this was the best we've had yet. Tender, flaky and just like butter. The accompanying tamarind sauce was great, too, and we ended up scooping up every little piece with our fingers.
Me Krob--Sauteed chicken and shrimp on a bed of sweet and tangy crispy vermicelli noodles with fresh bean sprouts and scallions. This dish walked the delicate balance between sweet, crunchy and sour.
Pad Thai--We had chicken. The Pad Thai was great, especially with the addition of Coco's vinegar chili sauce. Juicy chicken, well cooked noodles, and great tofu nuggets, but no lime or peanuts. I love lime, but the vinegar sauce (ask for it separately with chili flakes if you like heat) gave a great bite. Minus the condiments, the dish was a bit too sweet for me, but such is the joy of condiment-based cuisine.
Everything we had was excellent. All of the proteins were cooked perfectly and the flavors balanced nicely.
Décor:
Hip lounge decor with music straight from Alt Nation (the alternative rock station on XM Radio), mixed dark and light woods, subtle Thai touches (in the fabrics and canopied booths), atomic starburst-style chandeliers, and a cool white modern lounge wall. Not at all what you expect to see in a strip mall (albeit an upscale strip mall) in Fort Lauderdale.
Service:
Good.
Overall impressions:
This place is great and we will definitely be back. I would venture to say a crowd pleaser as well, since they serve non-Asian dishes.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
July 24, 2010
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Hot to death at The Warped Tour. Dillinger Escape Plan! Suicide Silence! Emmure! IWrestledABearOnce!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Spice Resto Lounge
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Spice is a Brazilian cocktail lounge/restaurant/night club off of Young Circle in Hollywood. I went with a couple of former co-workers, "the ladies," for drinks & dinner.
What we had:
We lucked into half price drinks and appetizers (from 6-8), so we only ended up spending around $20 each.
Aside from our decent and strong drinks, we had:
Fresh fried calamari--light, perfectly-fried in fresh oil with marinara.
Grilled chicken and steak skewers--nicely seasoned and still juicy.
Beef mini empanadas--very well seasoned ground beef in lightly-fried non-flaky pastry with sour cream.
Chicken quesadilla--this was surprisingly tasty, with juicy chicken, nice onions, and not too much cheese served with guacamole and sour cream.
Fried plantain chips--fried long strips of plantain fried in fresh oil served with limey garlic sauce.
Some sort of Brazilian croquettes that started with a c--fried mashed potato dumplings stuffed with peas, cheese and something else served with a nice sweet and sour sauce.
All of the appetizers were tasty, and prepared from fresh ingredients with care.
Décor:
Decent. Dark and clubbish. The servers, while not technically decor, are something else. All of the female servers were dressed in some variation of a white bra and hipster underwear with fish nets and comfortable boots; the male waiters were dressed in tight white shirts. Some servers were more successful than others with the outfit, of course. Our bartender/server was adorable and had I an ass that looked like hers, I'd run around in undies all day too.
Service:
We were served by the bartender, who was very friendly and managed to be attentive even when the bar got busy.
Overall impressions:
This is a vibrant and fun little place. On the loud side for serious conversation unless you scream, but a great place to grab a bite & a drink. From what I've heard, Spice erupts into a wild party every night. From what we saw early on the evening, I'd believe it.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
We lucked into half price drinks and appetizers (from 6-8), so we only ended up spending around $20 each.
Aside from our decent and strong drinks, we had:
Fresh fried calamari--light, perfectly-fried in fresh oil with marinara.
Grilled chicken and steak skewers--nicely seasoned and still juicy.
Beef mini empanadas--very well seasoned ground beef in lightly-fried non-flaky pastry with sour cream.
Chicken quesadilla--this was surprisingly tasty, with juicy chicken, nice onions, and not too much cheese served with guacamole and sour cream.
Fried plantain chips--fried long strips of plantain fried in fresh oil served with limey garlic sauce.
Some sort of Brazilian croquettes that started with a c--fried mashed potato dumplings stuffed with peas, cheese and something else served with a nice sweet and sour sauce.
All of the appetizers were tasty, and prepared from fresh ingredients with care.
Décor:
Decent. Dark and clubbish. The servers, while not technically decor, are something else. All of the female servers were dressed in some variation of a white bra and hipster underwear with fish nets and comfortable boots; the male waiters were dressed in tight white shirts. Some servers were more successful than others with the outfit, of course. Our bartender/server was adorable and had I an ass that looked like hers, I'd run around in undies all day too.
Service:
We were served by the bartender, who was very friendly and managed to be attentive even when the bar got busy.
Overall impressions:
This is a vibrant and fun little place. On the loud side for serious conversation unless you scream, but a great place to grab a bite & a drink. From what I've heard, Spice erupts into a wild party every night. From what we saw early on the evening, I'd believe it.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Gastropod Food Truck
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We finally caught up to Gastropod at Fairchild Gardens' Mango Festival. As a side note, we always have kickers food at these events. Last time, it was Tropical Chinese and kettle corn. This time, it was Gastropod, an Indian joint in Pinecrest I must find, and more kettle corn. I dream about the kettle corn.
What we had:
Ban Mi Tacos--succulent pork with a quick-pickled carrot slaw, cilantro, and light sauce on soft corn tortillas. Fan. Freakin. Tabulous. Like holy crap good. Th pork was really out of this world and generously heaped on the tortillas.
We also had an all beef hot dog with stupid slaw on a potato roll. This was pretty good, but can't hold any real candle to the tacos. The dog was top quality, the roll was great and the slaw was pretty good; just not as good as the tacos. We must try the short rib burger. With an egg.
Décor:
Shiny, shiny prettiness.
Service:
Quick as a food truck can be with a cool vibe.
Overall impressions:
Why has it taken us this long to track this truck down??? What is wrong with us?! Its not like i don't Twitter stalk the 'pod. We won't make that mistake again.
Ooh, and for those of you in places not-Miami... Gastropod travels. Last time it was Asheville, NC. Next up is Charleston, SC. They also hit Bonnaroo this year.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
Ban Mi Tacos--succulent pork with a quick-pickled carrot slaw, cilantro, and light sauce on soft corn tortillas. Fan. Freakin. Tabulous. Like holy crap good. Th pork was really out of this world and generously heaped on the tortillas.
We also had an all beef hot dog with stupid slaw on a potato roll. This was pretty good, but can't hold any real candle to the tacos. The dog was top quality, the roll was great and the slaw was pretty good; just not as good as the tacos. We must try the short rib burger. With an egg.
Décor:
Shiny, shiny prettiness.
Service:
Quick as a food truck can be with a cool vibe.
Overall impressions:
Why has it taken us this long to track this truck down??? What is wrong with us?! Its not like i don't Twitter stalk the 'pod. We won't make that mistake again.
Ooh, and for those of you in places not-Miami... Gastropod travels. Last time it was Asheville, NC. Next up is Charleston, SC. They also hit Bonnaroo this year.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Buena Vista Deli
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French bakery and sandwich joint between the Design District and Little Haiti.
What we had:
I had the Miss Piggy--pressed sandwich with roasted pork, caramelized onions, lettuce, and tomatoes on fresh country bread. This was a nice and satisfying sandwich on a rainy day. Light.
My DH had the grilled cheese deli--Pressed sandwich with brie, mozzarella and swiss on fresh country bread. Also satisfying and light for a grilled cheese.
Décor:
Looks like a bakery/sandwich shop. Lots of white with black accents and interesting local photography.
Service:
Not bad. Prompt table service.
Overall impressions:
Kind of like Paul, and a little mire tasty. The sandwich toppings are top notch, but I kind of missed the side salad, and Paul has a larger menu.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders. We're not the only ones that enjoyed this place. BVD was voted "Best Sandwich 2010" from the Miami New Times
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the Miss Piggy--pressed sandwich with roasted pork, caramelized onions, lettuce, and tomatoes on fresh country bread. This was a nice and satisfying sandwich on a rainy day. Light.
My DH had the grilled cheese deli--Pressed sandwich with brie, mozzarella and swiss on fresh country bread. Also satisfying and light for a grilled cheese.
Décor:
Looks like a bakery/sandwich shop. Lots of white with black accents and interesting local photography.
Service:
Not bad. Prompt table service.
Overall impressions:
Kind of like Paul, and a little mire tasty. The sandwich toppings are top notch, but I kind of missed the side salad, and Paul has a larger menu.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders. We're not the only ones that enjoyed this place. BVD was voted "Best Sandwich 2010" from the Miami New Times
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
79 Cafe
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Little bodega-style cash only lunch counter eatery right outside MiMo.
What we had:
My DH and I both had the ham and muenster sandwiches on a non-flaky but tender and delicious croissant. Mine had lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper and olive oil, which made a tasty addition.
Décor:
Shelves of ready-to-eat dry goods and as much seating as possible in this tiny spot.
Service:
Friendly and efficient.
Overall impressions:
Friendly, cheap & tasty. The perfect little spot to stop in for a sandwich, empanada, smoothies or granola bar. This place is located right next to a bus stop, and has the bustle that regular customers in a hurry can bring.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
My DH and I both had the ham and muenster sandwiches on a non-flaky but tender and delicious croissant. Mine had lettuce, tomato, onion, pepper and olive oil, which made a tasty addition.
Décor:
Shelves of ready-to-eat dry goods and as much seating as possible in this tiny spot.
Service:
Friendly and efficient.
Overall impressions:
Friendly, cheap & tasty. The perfect little spot to stop in for a sandwich, empanada, smoothies or granola bar. This place is located right next to a bus stop, and has the bustle that regular customers in a hurry can bring.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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