Modern steakhouse with an International flare on Lincoln Road.
What we had:
I had the ancho and coffee rubbed buffalo filet with chipotle mole butter. I liked mine--the buffalo was butter knife tender, if on the tasteless side with no accompanying fat, but was rich and velvety with the added butter.
My DH had the ancho and coffee rubbed bone-in filet mignon with chipotle mole butter. The coffee taste was a bit aggressive for my Dearest Husband's taste, but the steak was nice and buttery. The bone was a bit cumbersome, but too intriguing of a menu choice to pass up.
We did have a gripe with the steaks--they tasted a bit flat. Needed some salt or acid or something. At this price point ($50), one expects absolute perfection, and that's not what we got. Don't get me wrong; the steaks were good, but were missing that little something to make them truly great.
We split the truffled mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and sauteed Brussels sprouts with onions and bacon, topped with almonds. The truffle mashed was silky, rich and delicious, but the real star of the meal was the sprouts. These sprouts were sauteed to nutty golden perfection, which was bolstered with sweetness from the onions and rich smokiness from the bacon, with the almonds lending just the right amount of crunch.
We also had a trio of chocolate dessert--chocolate lava cake, ice cream and a wafer and mousse sandwich. Although chocolate is neither of our favorite, this was a nice dessert and not too sweet.
The table snacks- wasabi peas, spiced hominy and fresh corn nuts- were a nice addition, and the bread was fresh and plentiful.
We also had sommolier-recommended wines from Argentina, which were both nice. Can't remember the names, but they were great.
Décor:
Rich blacks and ivories with gorgeous warm lighting reflected off of multiple smoked glass and lighted acrylic surfaces.
Service:
Great; from the hostess to the sommolier and bussers. We had reservations for my birthday and everyone was very friendly, attentive and gracious.
Overall impressions:
Not bad. Not our favorite steak in town--that honor still goes to Bourbon Steak--but not a bad alternative on this side of town. This would make a great date or hang out after work for an expensive drink place.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5 salamanders
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Brio Tuscan Grille
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I'm pretty sure this is a large chain--we went to the Gulfstream Village location--but it was nice to visit an Italian restaurant to spark our own imaginations for new & different pasta variations.
What we had:
I had the Pasta Brio- rigatoni with grilled chicken and seared mushrooms in a roasted red pepper sauce. This was a nice dish, with moist chicken and a great sauce.
My DH had the Pasta Alla Vodka- delicate handmade pasta filled with ricotta with crispy pancetta, garlic and basil in a tomato Parmesan cream sauce. This was a great dish, with soft pillowy cheesy purses, nice bacon smoke and a great light sauce. The only gripe was that there wasn't more.
The table bread is nice and fresh.
We also had some sort of chocolate cake with caramel dessert shot, which was pretty great.
Apple cider martini- cinnamon spiced apple cider with spiced captain Morgans rum and brandy. It wasn't horrible...at first. Then, the drink warmed up and all I tasted was alcohol. My DH assured me I was crazy, and the drink was just fine.
Trivento Reserve pinot noir from Argentina. My DH really enjoyed his glass of wine; I thought it smelled like nasty vinegar.
Décor:
Obnoxiously Tuscan.
Service:
Great. Our waiter was very personable and gracious.
Overall impressions:
Not bad for an Italian chain & the price was great ($50).
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
I had the Pasta Brio- rigatoni with grilled chicken and seared mushrooms in a roasted red pepper sauce. This was a nice dish, with moist chicken and a great sauce.
My DH had the Pasta Alla Vodka- delicate handmade pasta filled with ricotta with crispy pancetta, garlic and basil in a tomato Parmesan cream sauce. This was a great dish, with soft pillowy cheesy purses, nice bacon smoke and a great light sauce. The only gripe was that there wasn't more.
The table bread is nice and fresh.
We also had some sort of chocolate cake with caramel dessert shot, which was pretty great.
Apple cider martini- cinnamon spiced apple cider with spiced captain Morgans rum and brandy. It wasn't horrible...at first. Then, the drink warmed up and all I tasted was alcohol. My DH assured me I was crazy, and the drink was just fine.
Trivento Reserve pinot noir from Argentina. My DH really enjoyed his glass of wine; I thought it smelled like nasty vinegar.
Décor:
Obnoxiously Tuscan.
Service:
Great. Our waiter was very personable and gracious.
Overall impressions:
Not bad for an Italian chain & the price was great ($50).
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Moshi Moshi
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Sushi joint on Biscayne Blvd. in Upper East Side/MiMo.
What we had:
Volcano roll
Jumbo BBQ eel roll
California roll with snow crab
Edamame
The rolls were good. Not the best I've ever eaten, but good quality with nice tight wrapping. My sushi-hating DH even enjoyed his Cali roll (which had fresh crab meat).
Décor:
Warm and small with anime movies or Asian TV projected on the walls.
Service:
Prompt.
Overall impressions:
Not a bad little place, and sine it's in walking distance, we should go more often.
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
Volcano roll
Jumbo BBQ eel roll
California roll with snow crab
Edamame
The rolls were good. Not the best I've ever eaten, but good quality with nice tight wrapping. My sushi-hating DH even enjoyed his Cali roll (which had fresh crab meat).
Décor:
Warm and small with anime movies or Asian TV projected on the walls.
Service:
Prompt.
Overall impressions:
Not a bad little place, and sine it's in walking distance, we should go more often.
Rating:
3.75 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Surf Road Taco
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A hole in the wall Mexi-Cali surf shack taco joint in Hollywood right next to 'the tracks'.
What we had:
My DH and I both ordered taco platters--2 tacos with rice & beans.
The portions were large for the price ($5.95 for land meat & $6.95 for seafood). The table chips were greasy & old-ish, but the salsa was nice and fresh.
I had a South Bay grilled Mahi Mahi taco with shredded green cabbage, pico and cilantro lime sour cream & a Big Spender taco with shredded pork, lettuce, tomato and guacamole. The Mahi was tender and well-seasoned and the accompaniments gave a nice taste to the taco. The pork was moist, if a bit under-seasoned, and the accompaniments worked well.
I also had black beans, which were cooked from dried and were nicely seasoned. The rice was lightly seasoned and fluffy. If edible rice in a Mexican restaurant is a new trend, I would like to request from the trend-setter powers that be that it continue.
My DH had the Big Spender & the Frube--shredded chicken with lettuce, cheese, pico & sour cream. He enjoyed the pork taco, but said the chicken was nothing special and aggressively drowned in sour cream.
My DH also had the refried beans, which were not good at all. They were oddly spiced & tin-canny with a lingering bizarre metallic taste. They made me shudder.
All tacos come with flour tortillas. Corn is available upon request. We stuck with flour, and they were decent.
Décor:
Run-down surf shack. To be fair, the building itself is old & run-down.
Service:
We were the only patrons for most of our meal, and the small staff was friendly & accommodating.
Overall impressions:
Overall, the tastes weren't bad.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
My DH and I both ordered taco platters--2 tacos with rice & beans.
The portions were large for the price ($5.95 for land meat & $6.95 for seafood). The table chips were greasy & old-ish, but the salsa was nice and fresh.
I had a South Bay grilled Mahi Mahi taco with shredded green cabbage, pico and cilantro lime sour cream & a Big Spender taco with shredded pork, lettuce, tomato and guacamole. The Mahi was tender and well-seasoned and the accompaniments gave a nice taste to the taco. The pork was moist, if a bit under-seasoned, and the accompaniments worked well.
I also had black beans, which were cooked from dried and were nicely seasoned. The rice was lightly seasoned and fluffy. If edible rice in a Mexican restaurant is a new trend, I would like to request from the trend-setter powers that be that it continue.
My DH had the Big Spender & the Frube--shredded chicken with lettuce, cheese, pico & sour cream. He enjoyed the pork taco, but said the chicken was nothing special and aggressively drowned in sour cream.
My DH also had the refried beans, which were not good at all. They were oddly spiced & tin-canny with a lingering bizarre metallic taste. They made me shudder.
All tacos come with flour tortillas. Corn is available upon request. We stuck with flour, and they were decent.
Décor:
Run-down surf shack. To be fair, the building itself is old & run-down.
Service:
We were the only patrons for most of our meal, and the small staff was friendly & accommodating.
Overall impressions:
Overall, the tastes weren't bad.
Rating:
3 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
El Santo Coyote
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This Mexican restaurant/seafood grill was voted the Best of Miami 2010 for tacos. Located on Dixie Highway in Homestead.
What we had:
Tacos al Pastor & Tacos Carne Asada with rice & beans.
The tacos were true Mexican-style with fresh corn tortillas, cilantro & white onion, and they were fabulous. The beans were fresh and I could've eaten about 10 more tacos & a pint of beans. And wonder of all wonders, I even loved the rice. I hate Mexican rice.
Décor:
An interesting mish-mash of all things Mexican, from brightly-colored pottery on the table, to whole dining sections done up in aged wood and iron.
Service:
The day we went was short-staffed due to the Wings Over Homestead Air Show, so the service we received isn't necessarily indicative of the level of service generally provided. That said, we watched our waiter and the food runners frantically rush around to cover all the directions in which they were being torn. Our waiter was gracious and welcoming and, if not the best, at least in the top three waiters we've had in Miami.
Overall impressions:
This place looks like a Miccosukee Indian Reservation level tourist trap from the outside, with it's jumble of Mexican pottery and handicrafts. They're smart, too in placing the women's bathroom such that you walk through a room stacked with richly-painted terra cotta frogs and the like.
Ignore that. For the price, El Santo is tied with Ernestos in Cutler Bay for the best true Mexican-style tacos around. Talavera technically tastes better, but they are also twice the price and a gourmet operation.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What we had:
Tacos al Pastor & Tacos Carne Asada with rice & beans.
The tacos were true Mexican-style with fresh corn tortillas, cilantro & white onion, and they were fabulous. The beans were fresh and I could've eaten about 10 more tacos & a pint of beans. And wonder of all wonders, I even loved the rice. I hate Mexican rice.
Décor:
An interesting mish-mash of all things Mexican, from brightly-colored pottery on the table, to whole dining sections done up in aged wood and iron.
Service:
The day we went was short-staffed due to the Wings Over Homestead Air Show, so the service we received isn't necessarily indicative of the level of service generally provided. That said, we watched our waiter and the food runners frantically rush around to cover all the directions in which they were being torn. Our waiter was gracious and welcoming and, if not the best, at least in the top three waiters we've had in Miami.
Overall impressions:
This place looks like a Miccosukee Indian Reservation level tourist trap from the outside, with it's jumble of Mexican pottery and handicrafts. They're smart, too in placing the women's bathroom such that you walk through a room stacked with richly-painted terra cotta frogs and the like.
Ignore that. For the price, El Santo is tied with Ernestos in Cutler Bay for the best true Mexican-style tacos around. Talavera technically tastes better, but they are also twice the price and a gourmet operation.
Rating:
4 out of 5 salamanders
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
American Noodle Bar
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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
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
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