There is a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant on Boca Raton called Senor Burrito. They have been serving up authentic Mexican food for over 20 years.
As soon as I was seated the waitress brought over a basket of tortilla chips and two fresh made salsas. The red salsa had a smoky, sweet taste to it. It was very finely blended so there we only a few chunks of tomatoes throughout.
The green salsa was spicy. It tasted like they used some
green chilies and jalapeno to create that heat. This salsa was blended very
smooth so there were no chunks.
I ordered the chicken tortilla soup. When the bowl came out I was shocked at how big it was. This was definitely a meal by itself. I am glad I did not order anything else.
There were huge pieces of chicken in the soup, along with an
array of vegetables. The broth was extremely flavorful and not too salty. I did
break up a few tortilla chips and threw them into the soup for crunch.
They also served a small side of rice. The flavor was good. Instead of eating it on its own, I ended up putting the rice into the soup. This just added a little more texture and heartiness.
I did not order much off the menu during this visit to Senor
Burrito. However, I would want to go back to try something else. The fajitas
looked pretty popular.
I found a brewery in Boca Raton, Florida buried in the back of an industrial complex. You would have never known Barrel of Monks was back there if it wasn’t for Google Maps.
They are pretty big on the inside. They have a huge bar guests can sit at plus they also have tables, chairs, and couches. I sat on one of the couches. It was comfortable and a great way to relax at the end of the day.
They are pretty big on the inside. They have a huge bar guests can sit at plus they also have tables, chairs, and couches. I sat on one of the couches. It was comfortable and a great way to relax at the end of the day.
They are decorated beautifully. There are lids from barrels
on the walls and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They also have a
collection of games that can be played while you are enjoying a pint.
Their beer selection was nice. Lots of patrons were doing
flights which aloud for a sampling of multiple beers.
I just went for it. I ordered the Onward Together. This was a Bohemian pilsner with orange peels, mango, coconut, and pineapple puree. There was a slight sweetness to the beer, but it was not overwhelming. Of all the flavors, it was the coconut that seemed to stand out the most.
They offer a small menu with some munchies that you can enjoy while having a beer. I ordered the truffle fries. These were freshly sliced fries that still had the skin on them. They were covered with parmesan cheese and truffle oil. As soon as the fries hit the table I could smell the truffles. Truffles have such a unique, earthy aroma. The saltiness of the fries paired extremely well with my semi-sweet beer.
Barrel of Monks is a great brewery. It is beautiful inside
and it is such a relaxing environment. They are off the beaten path but worth
visiting. Just plug their address into Google.
After a long day visiting family in Lake Worth, Florida, it was time to grab something for lunch. Alabama Joe’s (or AJ’s) seemed like a good spot. It is a sports bar that has an eclectic menu. They have the typical bar munchies plus burgers, flatbreads, meats and seafood.
We started off with the spinach and artichoke dip. This was the perfect blend of fresh spinach, chopped up with artichokes and creamy cheese. They served colorful tortilla chips on the side to eat the dip. The dip was very savory and creamy. The cheese was my favorite part. It was what made the dip so good.
We also ordered the jumbo pretzel. This pretzel truly was jumbo. It was so big it came out on a hook. It was hot and lightly salted. There was a queso dip served on the side. The pretzel was soft and sweet. It tasted so good with the creamy queso. I even ate some of the queso with the tortilla chips form the spinach dip.
For my lunch I ordered the lobster. It was actually on special the day that I was there. This was a pound and a half lobster that they served with melted butter. I had to crack open this lobster myself. I had never done this before, so I was a little messy.
The lobster meat was very sweet. It did not need the butter,
but I did dip a few pieces. It added a saltiness to the lobster. The tail meat
was abundant. The claw meat was the sweetest.
They served cole slaw with the lobster. The crispiness from the cabbage was a nice contrast to the soft lobster. I also ordered a baked potato with lots of butter. There was something nice about the starchy potato pairing with the lobster. Plus, all that melted butter that I did not use on the meat I was able to use on the potato.
This was a great place to get together for lunch. I am sure
it would be a good place to go and watch football. He food was rally good and
the waitresses were very attentive to such a large group.
If you heard there was a deli that served up freshly made bagels, cannoli, and pork roll sandwiches, where would you expect to find this place? In New York or New Jersey perhaps? Well I found this deli in Lakeland, Florida. Uncle Nick’s is owned by a family that is originally from New York.
It is a great neighborhood place that sells everything from sausages and cold cuts to pastries. They bring in cookies from an Italian bakery in New Jersey.
They even have cheesecake from Juniors in New York City. Since I have been to the actual Juniors location I was excited to see this treat.
Since I was there around breakfast time I decided to get a pork roll sandwich on a homemade Kaiser roll. They toasted up the roll and fried the pork roll until it was nice and crispy. They placed it on top of a fresh fried egg and cheese. It was a great sandwich, especially since it was freshly made. The layered slices of the salty pork roll tasted so well with the creamy American cheese. The fried egg helped make this sandwich filling. It was just like what I have gotten in New Jersey.
I did visit Uncle Nick’s a second time for breakfast a few weeks later. This time I got the pork roll sandwich on one of their homemade bagels. I chose the Cheesy Everything bagel. It has a great crispy outside because of the melted cheese. It also had a great savory flavor of garlic that paired so well with the salty pork roll. This time I also had ketchup added to the sandwich. I did not have this last time. Apparently, this is the proper way to enjoy a pork roll sandwich. To my surprise, the ketchup tasted well with all elements of the sandwich, including the fried egg.
This deli is a great find in Lakeland. They are a great place to grab something to eat, either there or to go. The entire staff is friendly and welcoming. They treat you like family as soon as you walk in. Check them out at www.unclenicksbagels.com
After a long day of work while in Charlotte, I was taken out to dinner at South Park Grill (SPG) downtown.
I started off my meal with the French onion soup. This ceramic soup crock was filled with caramelized onions, broth, and sour dough bread. On top they melted gruyere cheese until it created a crispy crust.
I loved breaking into the cheese with my spoon. The salty
cheese complemented the salty onions. The broth of the soup was sweet. This was
good because it balanced out the salty taste from the cheese and onions. It was
a great starter.
For my dinner I got their tuna that was the chef’s special that night. The tuna was seared on the outside. It was peppered with cilantro and a mango pure. The cilantro did add a peppery taste while the mango calmed it down with sweetness.
There were a few sides that were ordered to pass around the table.
The creamed corn was my favorite. I was not able to get a photo because that
dish was pretty popular, and it went fast. The corn was sweet and cheesy. It
was not your typical canned cream corn.
The Brussel sprouts were sautéed and steamed with bacon and onion. The flavor was good because of the bacon but they were not crispy. They were somewhat soft.
The sautéed mushrooms had a great savory and earthy taste. It’s as if they were in their own sauce.
The final side was the truffle fries. These were show string style, so they were extra crispy. The truffle oil that they sprinkled on top was the right amount. It was not an overwhelming flavor. It was the right amount of earthy and salty taste.
I had a nice dinner at SPG. The service was fast, and we got all of our dishes quickly. It was a nice way to end a busy day. Check out their menu at www.southparkgrill.com
Downtown Sarasota has a ton of restaurants that I was not aware of. When I was invited out to dinner I had to decide about where to go. After looking at several menu’s online I narrowed it down to Boca Kitchen.
It is a small restaurant inside but with the lighting and high ceilings it felt much larger.
They had a full bar and a large wine selection. I kept it simple and just went for a vodka tonic. It was refreshing while I looked over the menu.
The table started off with the cheese and charcuterie board. It was an assortment of cheeses that included bleu cheese, parmesan, and feta. The homemade meats included two different salamis, chorizo, and sausage.
It was great to eat the meat and cheese by themselves. However, they also served some jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, pickles, and pickled onions on the side.
They also brought out toasted bread and pretzel bread, mustard, and a fruit jam. These were perfect to spread onto the bread and layer on cheese and meat. The jam was my favorite and I loved eating it with the bleu cheese. The tangy taste of the cheese complemented the sweetness of the jam.
The appetizer that we ordered was the fried green tomatoes. I have not had these in years. It is hard to find them when you are not in the South. These tart tomatoes were sliced slightly thick, breaded, and fried up till crispy. Then they layered on pimento cheese, tomato jam, and bacon.
The toppings were amazing. I would have never thought that
these three unique flavors would go well together, but they absolutely do. The
cheese was salty, the tomato jam was slightly sour and sweet, and the bacon
added crunch with a hint of smoke. These flavors accented the tangy tomato
perfectly. These were nice to share but they could have been eaten as a meal.
For my dinner I ordered the Yellowfin Tuna. The tuna was cooked to a nice medium, where is was still punk on the inside. The tuna came on top of a kimchi purple rice, baby bok choy, coconut broth, and a sweet soy sauce reduction.
The tuna had a light crust on it that had chorizo mixed in
with the breading. It gave each bite a nice spicy crunch. The purple rice was
sweet and crunchy. It was unique but full of flavor from the coconut broth and
soy sauce. The bok choy added some crunchy freshness.
As a side for the table we did order the maple and bacon glazed Brussels sprouts. While the sweet and salty flavor was great, the Brussel sprouts were sautéed and had a slight amount of char on them to give some crispiness. The maple syrup that they used added a pleasant sweetness. The bacon added crunch.
The dishes that I tried at Boca Kitchen were delicious. I really enjoyed my visit. I would definitely want to go back. Check out their menu at www.bocasarasota.com
I went with a group of friends to a local brewery after a long day of meetings. This brewery goes by the name 3 Keys Brewing.
They had a nice assortment of beers on tap.
I went for one of their sour beers called Fruit Flayer. This beer was aged with raspberries in a wine barrel. Even though it was aged with raspberries it was not as sweet or tart as a Framboise Belgian beer. It was not overly sour either. It was refreshing on a hot Florida afternoon.
For my lunch I ordered something I have never seen before, a grilled cheese waffle sandwich. This sandwich litterly was two small waffles with slices of melted cheddar cheese and fresh tomato in the middle.
The waffle was slightly sweet and was crispy from being grilled up. They used a generous amount of cheese that just oozed out when I took a bite. The tomato added a little texture and helped cut some of the creaminess from the cheese.
And what goes better with a grilled cheese sandwich than a warm bowl of soup. I chose “The Soup”, that is what it’s called. It is a chicken soup with cauliflower, orange and yellow carrots, and broccoli all in a creamy Buffalo broth.
It was an interesting soup, starting with the ingredients. I
normally do not see soups with cauliflower and broccoli in them. The texture of
the soup was like a chili. The flavor from the Buffalo sauce that was in it was
nothing like a chicken wing. It had a slight sour taste with slight heat.
This was a nice place to hang out and grab a beer. Their
food menu was pretty extensive. I enjoyed my sandwich. Other people in my group
got burgers, nachos, pizza, and even a homemade mac and cheese.
If you are in the Bradenton area stop by and check them out. Visit their website at www.3keysbrewing.com
I was visiting Orlando when they were having their restaurant week that they call Magical Dining. This was a nice surprise. There were so many restaurants on the list, but I did not have time to visit all of them. I decided to check out what Vines Grille had to offer. They were having a 3-course meal with an appetizer, entrée and dessert.
I started with the Yuca Croquettes. The Yuca was mashed like potatoes and had bacon and cheese mixed in. Then they were breaded and deep fried till crispy on the outside. They served a jalapeno cilantro aioli on the side, but I did not feel I needed to use it.
The filling was extremely creamy. It had a nice smoky taste because of the bacon.
For my entrée I went for the Faroe Island Salmon. This fresh Atlantic salmon was cooked perfectly, with a little crispiness on the outside skin. It was flakey and fell apart as I cut it with my fork. There was a lemon-dill sauce poured on top. It added a little tangy taste.
For a side they served up delicious fingerling potatoes, asparagus, and confit tomatoes. These also had the dill sauce on them. The asparagus was tender. The potatoes were my favorite. They were tender and sweet.
For my dessert I chose the cheesecake. It was a classic NY style. There was a strawberry sauce that they decorated the plate with. This allowed me to take a little of the sauce and not overwhelm the taste of the cheesecake, which was nice and creamy. It was the perfect ending to the meal.
I am so glad I got to not only experience Vines Grille but
that it was part of the Orlando’s Magical Dining. Plus, the restaurant donated
some money from my dinner to local charities. If you are visiting Orlando and
want to try somewhere other than a chain, the Vines Grille is for you.
I recently had dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant in New York called Estiatorio Ammos.
Everything on the menu is supposed to be extremely fresh. This includes the fresh fish that are flown in daily. I was greeted by a few of these fish when I walked in and saw them on ice.
The atmosphere inside the restaurant was electric. The place was packed, every table was full. I loved the décor on the walls. It was unique.
Appetizers were the first thing I ordered. I made sure to pick some items that would be good to share around the table. First up was the Octapodi. This was fresh octopus that was grilled up with fennel, onions, and roasted red peppers. This mixture was then tossed with a balsamic emulsion. I have not been a huge fan of octopus in the past. However, I was willing to give it another chance. I am so glad that I did. The octopus was extremely tender and the texture and taste of it was truly like chicken.
The next appetizer was the Keftedes. These were ground sirloin meatballs that were stuffed with feta cheese and parsley. The meatballs were topped with a tomato and basil sauce. The meat was moist and full of flavor. The feta cheese gave the meatballs a tangy taste rather than a creaminess.
Out next was the Greek salad which was perfect for sharing. They used Horiatiki beef steak tomatoes, Kalamata olives, onions, cucumbers, and tri-colored peppers. They sprinkled freshly made feta cheese on top and then drizzled extra virgin olive oil on everything.
This was a very fresh salad and there was not a single piece
of lettuce. I loved how juicy the tomatoes were. They were sweet and mixed with
the feta cheese it created the perfect pairing.
Along with the salad came some fresh made garlic bread with olives on the side. The olives were not pitted so you need to be careful when you take a bite. The garlic bread was very crispy and had a great buttery taste.
For the main dishes we decided to order a fish and a meat to share family style around the table. The whole fish we chose was the Fogri. This is a firm, mild white snapper that comes form the Greek Islands. The chef grilled this fish perfectly with lemon and capers. The chef also de-boned the fish to make it easier to eat.
The fish was light and flakey. The acid from the lemon and
the saltiness from the capers complemented the sweetness of the fish.
For the meat, we chose the Brizola. This is a 24oz bone in ribeye that was wet aged. Wet aged means it was marinated in a bag. After grilling it up they drizzled a fine herbed butter on top.
The meat was cooked to a nice medium. It allowed the meat to
still be juicy. It was tender but still slightly fatty. The butter added a rich
flavor to the meat.
We had to order sides separately but were still able to
share them. The roasted lemon potatoes were fantastic. I could not really taste
the lemon, but they did have a savory flavor with a little hint of sweetness.
The Brussels sprouts were another must try side. They were
sautéed with cured bacon. Then they were flambeed in a white wine sauce. I have
never had Brussels sprouts prepared this way. It gave the spouts a nice subtle
smoky taste.
The best part about sharing the main dishes was that it left
plenty of room for dessert. We ordered two to share around the table.
The Baklava was layers and layers of phyllo dough that were filled with a mixed nut filling. Then the entire thing was dipped in a honey syrup. The nut mixture was extremely sweet and full of nutty flavor. They also served a homemade fig ice cream on the side. The flavor was also sweet, but the fig taste was subtle.
The second dessert was the Karidopita. This was a walnut cake that was dipped in a honey cinnamon syrup. They served vanilla ice cream along with it. The flavor of the cake had a great cinnamon taste from the syrup. It reminded me of a spice cake you would get at the holidays. It was the perfect accompaniment for a cup of coffee or a cappuccino.
The food was fantastic at Estiatorio Ammos. If you like Mediterranean food I would highly recommend you check them out. Visit their website at www.ammosny.com
