Whenever I travel to New York I make sure to have time to head to Brooklyn to visit Ferdinando’s Focacceria. They are a neighborhood Sicilian restaurant that has been serving up homemade dishes for over 100 years. They are an institution that almost everyone knows about them.
I got there right as they opened, so I was able to get a seat right away. The first thing I did was order a cold Manhattan Special. This is a cold coffee soda that is on tap. It is refreshing and a great way to wake up.
The stuffed artichoke was the first thing that came to the table. Of all the times I have visited this place, I never tried the artichoke. That was about to change this visit. The artichoke was covered in seasoned breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. The breadcrumbs were loaded with Italian seasonings, which made the artichoke meat taste savory. As I ate closer and closer to the enter, the flavor got more and more intense. The petals from the artichoke were so addicting.
Whenever I visit Ferdinando’s, I always make sure to order an Arancini. Their rice balls are some of the best I have ever eaten. The are big in size and loaded with meat and peas in the center. The rice itself is creamy in taste. The outside crust had a great crispiness to it. They put a nice amount of sauce on the meat and peas that you do not need any more.
The last must have item is the Panelle Special. Panelle is a fritter that is made from chickpea flour. The dough is formed and fried up. It was placed on a fresh made Italian roll with Ricotta cheese and shredded parmesan cheese.
The bread had a great crunch on the outside and was soft inside. The panelle had a great crunch to it as well. The flavor is very mild, and it reminds me of a potato pancake. The fresh Ricotta cheese added a smooth texture and creaminess to the bite. It is a filling sandwich and can be messy to eat with all the Ricotta.
Throughout my travels I have noticed crab restaurants starting to pop up. There was one that opened in Lakeland, Florida called Crafty Crab. I thought I would check them out.
As soon as I walked in, I was transported to the beach. There was fishing décor everywhere. It reminded me of the seafood restaurants I visited as a kid on vacation.
I ordered a few appetizers to try. The fried calamari were the first to come out. These were thick rings that were extremely tender. The breading was very crispy. They served a marinara sauce on the side. The sauce was slightly salty. The calamari go perfectly with this sauce. It gives the dish a savory feel.
I also tired the crab bites. These were basically mini crab cakes. The breading had a slight hint of sweetness, like a hush puppy. It came with a tarter like sauce, but I did not try it. I really was enjoying the flavor from the crab bite itself.
I saw crawfish on the menu and decided to order that for my lunch. They serve all their seafood in boil bags. So, I got this giant bag filled with crawfish, red potatoes, and corn on the cob. There is a choice of seasoning for all the seafood ordered. I got the Crafty Cajun original seasoning.
When the bag came to the table I started laughing because it was so big.
I opened it carefully and put everything onto the metal tray. Naturally I was wearing a white skirt, so I had to be very careful not to get sauce on everything.
I made sure to wear the bib and gloves. It is messy to eat crawfish. The gloves helped prevent my fingers from smelling like the sauce all day.
The crawfish were jumbo in size. They were full of meat. I really got the hang of opening them up. I just kept repeating the phrase “Pinch, Twist, Suck”. The seasoning was perfect, it had a hint of Old Bay. It is amazing how well that seasoning goes with seafood. The crawfish was tender and sweet. That was a great complement to the saltiness of the sauce.
The red potatoes were tender and sweet as well. I made sure to soak them up in the sauce as well. The corn was the last thing I ate. It had all the spices mixed in between all the kernels. By this time the sauce started to get a little spicier to me. It paired well with the sweetness of the corn.
I really enjoyed the food I tried at Crafty Crab. I am looking forward to going back and trying another one of their seafood boils.
There is a little hole in the wall Latin restaurant in Lakeland, Florida that is nestled in the back of a small shopping center. Tropico Latino had lots of customers coming and going. I thought I would check them out.
There were empanadas on the menu that I wanted to try. They had the traditional kind as well as a Columbian version. The Columbian version used a shell made of potato verses the traditional flour shell.
The traditional empanadas were filled with seasoned ground meat. The shell was thick and crispy that locked in the heat. They served it with a homemade pico de gallo that was full of flavor. The tomatoes, onions, and cilantro added additional flavor to the meat. It really helped make the empanada stand out.
The Empanadoas Colombianas also came out crispy. These shells kind of puffed up when they were fired. The shell did not taste like potato. These were also filled with ground meat and onion. I used the pico de gallo on this empanada too. It just added so much additional flavor.
Another South American dish they had on the menu were Arepas. Arepas are a corn cake made from ground maize dough.
The first one I tried was the Arepa Con Queso. This was a warm corn cake stuffed with shredded cheese. It was like a Latin grilled cheese. The corn cake was crispy on the outside from the grill. It has a sweet, buttery taste. Not all the cheese melted right away. So, there was a nice contrast between hot and cold.
I also tried the Arepa Con Todo. This was the same corn cakes, but these were stuffed with shredded meat and cheese. The meat was tender and had an amazing savory taste. The cheese melted from the heat and created a nice creaminess that married well with the savory meat.
There is a beautiful restaurant located at Island Gardens in Miami called The Deck. This restaurant has beautiful outside seating that overlooks a marina with exquisite boats. They have tables as well as cabana seating. There are flowers and greenery everywhere.
While waiting for our table to become available, we got a few cocktails to try. Now these are expensive cocktails than what I find at most places. And because the restaurant is in Miami, they automatically include an 18%-20% gratuity on the bill. Just keep that in mind before you order.
The first cocktail was The Islander. This tropical drink was rum, coconut sorbet, mint, pineapple juice, and lime juice. It was served in a coconut shell glass. It was definitely a vacation drink. There was a great flavor with the pineapple juice. The coconut sorbet gave the drink a creamy texture. It would be easy for this sip this drink quickly because it was so smooth. I needed to make sure I paced myself.
The other two drinks I was able to take a sip of but did not drink the whole thing. The Old Fashion was a classic cocktail that had a beautiful, dried orange on top. It was strong and should be sipped slowly.
The cocktail From St. Barths with Love was a mouthful of a drink name. It was a vodka-based drink that was blended with mango liquor, mango puree, lemon juice, and a touch of mint. The fresh mango slice was a pretty accent. This drink was sweet and full of mango flavor. It really disguised the taste of the vodka. It was a fun beach drink.
A few appetizers were passed around the table. The shrimp cocktail was a classic starter. The shrimp were jumbo in size. They served fresh horseradish on the side. The shrimp were tender, and the horseradish gave the shrimp a nice kick.
The Mediterranean Mussels were amazing. These were Manila clams in a tomato sauce. They served grilled sourdough on the side. The presentation on the wooden board was very pretty. The clams were tender, and the tomato sauce was tangy and had a great garlic taste. The sourdough bread was excellent for soaking up the extra sauce. If they had given a few more clams this could have easily been my dinner.
Another appetizer I tried was the Arugula and Prosciutto brick oven pizza. They used Pomodo Buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto di Parma. The crust was crispy and had a nice, smoky taste from the oven. The prosciutto was salty and the fresh mozzarella added a sweetness with a creamy texture. The arugula added a little pepper taste.
For my dinner I got the Oraking Salmon. The fresh salmon was pan seared in a passionfruit brown butter. They served it over roasted hearts of palm and sliced oranges. The salmon was cooked perfectly, allowing it to flak apart. The butter sauce added a richness to the fish. The vegetables were a nice addition but it was not enough of a side.
We ordered some sides to share around the table. The whipped potatoes were delicious. They were creamy and loaded with garlic butter and parmigano Reggiano cheese.
The other side was the grilled asparagus. These were jumbo stalks of asparagus tossed in a lemon vinaigrette and lemon zest. The flavor of the sauce was tangy. The asparagus was a little too thick. I ended up only eating the tips because the rest of the stalk were too chewy.
I also got to try another dish. It was the Wood Oven Roasted Cobia. Cobia has a few other names which might be a little more familiar – codfish or lemon fish might be more commonly used. It was served with a blue crab relish, roasted asparagus, and a sweet corn espuma. They placed it all on top of a pistachio crema that they creatively spread on the plate. The fish was flakey ad very mild in flavor. I loved the blue crab relish. It added a unique taste to the overall dish.
Before we ordered dessert, we were entertained by a flame dancer. It was amazing how she could twist and turn while holding poles on fire. It was great entertainment.
For dessert I got something light, since I had eaten so much throughout the evening. I figured the sorbet would be perfect. It was chocolate, raspberry, and vanilla. They were very creamy. It did start to melt pretty quickly in the Florida heat.
The dining experience at The Deck was nice. It is a pretty expensive restaurant. And if you are going with a group of people just know that they will not break up the bill base don what you order, so plan accordingly. Check out their menu at www.islandgardens.com
