Foodinista

Pardo's Chicken is Coming!

When I visited Peru I was introduced to the most delicious rotisserie chicken I have ever had in my life.  And now it is coming to Miami!  The delicious Pardo's Chicken will take over the old Venivici location on Ponce in the Gables.  I can't even tell you how excited this makes me.  I don't know when they are scheduled to open but whenever it is...it's not soon enough.  I don't know what it is that they do to this chicken to make it so great but I know that when I was in Peru I couldn't get enough of the stuff.  I'll keep you updated when I find out more information.  Get excited!

An Indian Treat

Hello everyone!  I hope all of your Thanksgivings were wonderful and you ate as much turkey as I did.  I am sad it's over...it's one of my favorite holidays of the year but with the end of Thanksgiving came an unexpected invitation to one of the best meals I've had in a long time.

I had heard good things about the restaurant before but Imlee Indian Bistro surprised me.  I happen to love Indian food but usually when I need my curry or vindaloo fix I head over to the House of India in Coral Gables which although a little rough around the edges, I have always liked for its home-cooked food in a family restaurant vibe.

Imlee picks up where the House of India left off.  It has the same cozy family restaurant feel but is not at all rough around the edges and is in fact quite refined in the decor as well as with the food that they serve.  The menu is extensive with lots of different meat, chicken, fish, and vegetarian dishes to choose from.  We wanted to have a taste of everything so we ordered a dish from each of these sections.  We ordered a tandoori lamb appetizer that was one of the evening's specials as well as the baingan bharta eggplant, goa fish curry, and the chicken tikka masala.  We also ordered a side of naan bread (which is a must) to dip in all of the amazing sauces.  Each one of the dishes was absolutely delicious.  So delicious in fact that I actually slowed myself down when I was eating because I realized that I didn't want the meal to end.  It really was that good.

Imlee is in an inconspicuous little strip mall in Pinecrest and it is tiny.  I went on Saturday night it was packed full so you definitely should make reservations, especially on the weekends.  It was the perfect end to a weekend of great food so head down to Pinecrest and give it a try.   

When You're Feeling Down...

There is nothing that can cheer you up more that a glass of champagne and a delicious steak, or salmon, or mussels in a wine sauce.  You get the idea.  The other day I was a little stressed out and basically feeling down in the dumps.  My dad (who knows me very well) offered to take me out to dinner to make me feel better.  We went to Le Buchon du Grove in Coconut Grove which happens to be one of my favorite places in Miami not just because the food is so good but because the atmosphere makes me happy.  I love the French vibe of the place with all the cool decorations and flags.  Also, the waiters are all so bubbly and French which adds an authentic feel.  When I read that last line over it sounded funny..but you know what I mean.   Our waiter this evening even showed us the sonogram of his baby on his iphone.  It was really cute.

The meal was spectacular.  I ordered the salmon tartare appetizer which was a combination of raw and smoked salmon surrounded by a lime flavored oil and a light cream sauce.  For my entree I had the filet mignon in a pepercorn cream sauce with a portobello mushroom on top of it which came with a side of potatoes au gratin.  Sinful but delicious.   Our waiters also gave us a complimentary glass of champagne but then kept filling mine up which was very nice.  It was just what I needed to lift my spirits.  And to top it all off I had the BEST chocolate mousse I have ever had for desert.  So..if you are ever feeling a little down, a good time is just a drive away at Le Buchon.

Pizza Contest Winner

It's been a long hard road but I've finally made my decision.  The winner is.....SIR PIZZA!  I finally made it out to the key last night and I remembered why I love this pizza so much.  It is by far the best pizza in Miami in my opinion.  Don't forget to get the ranch dressing because it really makes the whole experience.  So there you have it!  Take a drive over there and see for yourself...Enjoy!

Spotlight on: Captiva

This past weekend I decided to leave the madness that is Miami and tag along with my boyfriend to the west coast of Florida.  He had to do some work on the boat that he keeps in Ft. Myers so we decided to make a vacation out of it (leave it to us to turn work into a vacay) and stay on Captiva Island.  As soon as I got there I began to wonder what kind of food the island had to offer and after sifting through some of the mediocre island fare throughout the weekend I found some great places to report.

The Bubble Room has it all.  It's fun, has great service, and great food.  I recommend that everyone go with an open mind because it is not your conventional family restaurant.  The outside of this place is painted pink with blue bubbles all over it.  And that's just the beginning.  The inside is decorated from floor to ceiling with antique and retro toys with an underlying Christmas theme, as there are multiple Santas and Christmas tree lights everywhere.   As far as service goes, the  "servers" are not called  "servers" at all.  They are referred to as "bubble scouts."  Now let me pause for a moment here and say that the cynic in me wanted to write the place off as a cheezy tourist trap but luckily I stayed long enough to enjoy a meal.  The restaurant started to win me over when my boyfriend ordered some Cokes for us and our bubble scout brought us two glass bottle Cokes with a cherry on top of each one. The kid inside me flipped for it.  It was all downhill after that.  I was running all over the place examining the random retro paraphernalia and toys. 

The food itself is wonderful.  The meal is started off with a basket of bubble bread which are baguettes covered with a buttery garlic parmesan concoction and cinnamon sticky buns.  I ordered "The Eddie Fisherman" which is a fillet of grouper covered with crushed  pecans and Ritz crackers which is then baked in a brown paper bag.  I can't even describe how yummy this was.  It came with a twice baked potato and steamed veggies.  My boyfriend ordered the t-bone steak that came on a sizzling pan in garlic sauce which smelled incredible and tasted even better.

But if you know me at all by now you know that I saved room for desert.  Before we even sat to eat I saw people walking out with wrapped up pieces of cake the size of my head so naturally, I was very intrigued.  When our bubble scout brought out the desert tray I almost had a heart attack.  There were HUGE pieces of cake of all different varieties.  We ended up ordering an orange crunch cake which was a yellow cake covered in orange cream cheese icing with layers of brown sugar mixed with crushed pecans.  I don't have any adjective to describe the feeling I had when I took my first bite, but to put it mildly, it was absolutely incredible.

All in all our experience  at The Bubble Room was a lot a fun.  The only negative about this place is that they don't take reservations so if you want to eat at a normal time be prepared to wait for up to an hour.  But do not get put off by this because as I quickly learned, it is well worth the wait.

We also ate a a great place called The Mad Hatter. We had no idea what to expect when we walked in and were very pleasantly surprised.  Apparently this restaurant has recently changed ownership and from what we experienced, it will become the premier gourmet restaurant on the island.  The place itself is adorable.  It has just been redone and is tastefully decorated with a gorgeous view of the gulf.  The restaurant is very small however so I would recommend reservations which is something we did not do. 

The food was spot-on.  Our appetizer was a "lobster escargot" special which did not actually contain any escargot but was served in an escargot dish.  The lobster was wrapped in spinach which was resting in garlic butter which was very tasty.  For my entree I ordered grouper (again) which was maple syrup glazed and served over a creamy risotto.  My boyfriend ordered the seared tuna which tends to be boring but this one was rubbed with a delicious combination of spices which was a nice departure from the usual sesame crusted tuna. 

I recommend this place for the overall experience.  It's the perfect place for a romantic dinner (someone was actually proposed to while we were there) and is just too cute to miss.

Pizza Contest Update

I know it may seem as if I have forgotten about the pizza contest but I haven't. I'm just spacing it out a little bit becuase I don't want to eat too much pizza in a short period of time as I'm sure you can understand. I have been enjoying researching for this contenst though and I promise you the winner will come soon!

Rosa Mexicano: The Miami Version

When I heard that one of my favorite New York restaurants, Rosa Mexicano, was venturing down into my neck of the woods I got very excited.  So naturally, I went to check out the Miami outpost of this delicious Mexican restaurant.  I am remorse to say that the place was a little disappointing.   Maybe my expectations were too high but it was totally Miamified and not in a good way.  It was very sceney, in the sense that everyone looked like they were about to go to South Beach right after dinner and it was only 7:15 on a Wednesday night.  It was also huge, which I guess is to be expected, but it just felt commercialized and impersonal.  The food was still good.  I will give them that much, but they were very skimpy on the size of the guacamole appetizer (which I LOVE) so we ordered two.  The service was lacking as well. The one thing that was very true to the original was the pomegranate margaritas.  After two of those all the negatives I just mentioned would probably no longer matter.  So my suggestion, if you choose to go to the Miami location, is to drink lots of margaritas as soon as possible.  Otherwise, wait till you happen to be in New York and visit the First Ave. location.  You will not be disappointed.

Spotlight on: Dallas

I visited Dallas last weekend and  the number one thing on my to do list was to visit Casey's (from Top Chef) restaurant, Shinsei.  Needless to say I was not surprised by the delicious food.  Shinsei is a sushi bar with a "pan asian" menu but it is definitely mostly Japanese.  I loved everything we ordered except for one special which was a rock shrimp lettuce wraps appetizer.  The shrimp was in a mayonnaise sauce and I can't stand mayo so that was it for me on that dish but everything else was amazing.  We also ordered the tuna tartare, A delicious roll which had hamachi, jalapeno, cilantro, and avocado on top (I can't remember the name of it for the life of me), and the miso black cod.  All of which were superb.  And get this!  There was a desert special that night which were mini cupcakes!  You better believe I ordered those bad boys and they were awesome too.  They had cream cheese icing on top which happens to be my favorite icing.  The decor was also very nice which was modern Japanese but still cozy.  The service was great too..our waiter made some items magically disappear from our check which is always lovely.  All in all it was one of the best meals I have had in a very long time.  Check it out if you are ever in Dallas. 

Top Chef Finale

Now that I have spent the appropriate amount of time brooding, I have accepted the fact that Hung won top chef.  He is an amazing chef with perfect technique but I still hate him because he has no soul.  I was so sad that Casey didn't pull through in the end but I'm proud of her anyway.  I am actually traveling to Dallas this weekend and I am going to her restaurant so check back for the review on Shinsei.  Hopefully a girl will win next season!

Food for Thought on a Rainy Day: A New Contest

Earlier today I was sitting in my Chinese foreign policy class and (as usual) I was pondering what I wanted to eat for dinner.  For some funny reason Chinese food sounded horrible but what did sound good was pizza.  I have been on a pizza hiatus due to my semi-recent attempt to be "healthy" but this stormy day has rattled my brain and has brought about an interesting thought.  What could be healthier than a piping hot pizza?  Don't ask where this logic comes from just work with me. So I decided that I would have pizza.  Not just any ol' fast food pizza though.  It would be from one of my favorite pizza places: Sir Pizza, Riviera Pizza, or La Gastronomia.  This is when I had another novel idea.  Time for another contest.  In the next few weeks I will choose the foodinista proclaimed best pizza in Miami.  It's hard work but someone's gotta do it.

Sir Pizza has been at the top of my pizza place list for a very long time.  I'm talking like couldn't drive, walking around Key Biscayne being a little punk with my friends, long time.  But all nostalgia aside, this is great pizza.  It is a perfect mix of thick, thin, chewy, and crispy. My favorite part about this pizza is that it doesn't have a crust... the cheesy good stuff goes all the way to the edge.  I don't normally like pepperoni but for some reason I love it on this pizza because they don't use pepperoni slices but rather little pepperoni chunks.  I know it sounds gross but I promise it's not.  Another interesting thing about this place is that it has developed a cult following of people who dip the pizza in ranch dressing. So much so that they started charging for the cup of ranch.  I can attest to this because I have been a member of this cult for years and I know it might sound strange but you MUST try it.  I highly recommend you splurge (25 cents) and try the ranch.

The next place on my list is Riviera Pizza. This is a small University of Miami hangout with great pizza.  The beauty in this pizza is it's simplicity.  It is one great slice. Literally.  People usually order a slice or two because it is served up New York style and a whole pizza is way too much.  I usually just order a plain slice of cheese and doctor it up with lots of parmesan, pepper, and garlic powder.  Sometimes simpler is better and in this case it absolutely is.

The last place on my list is La Gastronomia in Coral Gables. It's a cute little Italian bistro which serves Italian style, brick oven, thin (like paper) crust pizza.  It is very good.  The choice of toppings at La Gastronomia is much more refined than at your usual neighborhood joint and the pizza is delightfully delicate.  This place also serves wonderful meat and pasta dishes but right now pizza is the name of the game and it's great at La Gastronomia.

This is going to be a tough choice.

Earlier today I was sitting in my Chinese foreign policy class and (as usual) I was pondering what I wanted to eat for dinner.  For some funny reason Chinese food sounded horrible but what did sound good was pizza.  I have been on a pizza hiatus due to my semi-recent attempt to be "healthy" but this stormy day has rattled my brain and has brought about an interesting thought.  What could be healthier than a piping hot pizza?  Don't ask where this logic comes from just work with me. So I decided that I would have pizza.  Not just any ol' fast food pizza though.  It would be from one of my favorite pizza places: Sir Pizza, Riviera Pizza, or La Gastronomia.  This is when I had another novel idea.  Time for another contest.  In the next few weeks I will choose the foodinista proclaimed best pizza in Miami.  It's hard work but someone's gotta do it.

Sir Pizza has been at the top of my pizza place list for a very long time.  I'm talking like couldn't drive, walking around Key Biscayne being a little punk with my friends, long time.  But all nostalgia aside, this is great pizza.  It is a perfect mix of thick, thin, chewy, and crispy. My favorite part about this pizza is that it doesn't have a crust... the cheesy good stuff goes all the way to the edge.  I don't normally like pepperoni but for some reason I love it on this pizza because they don't use pepperoni slices but rather little pepperoni chunks.  I know it sounds gross but I promise it's not.  Another interesting thing about this place is that it has developed a cult following of people who dip the pizza in ranch dressing. So much so that they started charging for the cup of ranch.  I can attest to this because I have been a member of this cult for years and I know it might sound strange but you MUST try it.  I highly recommend you splurge (25 cents) and try the ranch.

The next place on my list is Riviera Pizza. This is a small University of Miami hangout with great pizza.  The beauty in this pizza is it's simplicity.  It is one great slice. Literally.  People usually order a slice or two because it is served up New York style and a whole pizza is way too much.  I usually just order a plain slice of cheese and doctor it up with lots of parmesan, pepper, and garlic powder.  Sometimes simpler is better and in this case it absolutely is.

The last place on my list is La Gastronomia in Coral Gables. It's a cute little Italian bistro which serves Italian style, brick oven, thin (like paper) crust pizza.  It is very good.  The choice of toppings at La Gastronomia is much more refined than at your usual neighborhood joint and the pizza is delightfully delicate.  This place also serves wonderful meat and pasta dishes but right now pizza is the name of the game and it's great at La Gastronomia.

This is going to be a tough choice.