[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the SIXTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!]
ADMIN NOTE: This location is now closed, but the other one in Coral Springs is open.
Establishment: Scarfone's Coal Fired Pizza
Location: Wilton Manors (right on the Drive)
Meal: Dinner
Drink: Coca-cola
Appetizer 1: Naked Balls
Deep Fried meatballs with BBQ and Marinara Dipping Sauces
Appetizer 2: Baked Portabello Mushroom
Topped with sauteed spinach, tomato & mozzarella
Appetizer 3: Our Famous Scarfone's Pear and Ricotta Pasta "Purses"
Pear & ricotta filled purses with a hazelnut cream sauce
Main: Grandma's Chicken
Boneless breast of chicken, roasted peppers, onions, sausage in a marinara sauce served over spaghetti
Side(s): Fresh Garlic Ciabatta Bread
Dessert: Zeppole
with powdered sugar and a drizzle of white chocolate
Server: Michael A (according to the receipt)
Website: http://www.scarfones.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scarfones
Surprise ... it took sixteen entries in this series to get to the first Italian place (which is even more the surprise when one considers all of the eating establishments of that style in the tri county area). And the surprise was on our party when we showed up at 7:30 ... and not a single soul was in the restaurant. Somehow, we apparently found the sweet spot between seniors eating early and drunkies eating late. Admittedly, it was odd at first, but that didn't stop us from ordering what the server called "a feast". Here are the feast-y details:AMBIANCE: 8/10 (the coal fire is prominently featured in an open kitchen set up, and things still feel relatively new and certainly very clean with a beautiful outside sidewalk seating area ... and a great mix of music that at first sounded like Frank Sinatra was going to be every other song, but quickly turned into a variety of top tunes from just about every genre ... a point lost for starting the meal with no other customers present [happily, two other tables came in before the meal was over so it didn't feel so unusual the whole meal] and a second point for awkward forks that felt as heavy as nutcrackers such that I couldn't twirl my pasta unless I used both hands)FOOD: 8/10 (the famous pasta purses are rightfully famous [as they are listed on the menu], the garlic bread was crunchy yet shiny and wet [courtesy of the olive oil], and the naked balls had a crispy coating from the deep fry ... a point lost for the main dish being a touch too oily and another for the disappointing portabellos that were double the tomato so that you had to go searching for the 'shrooms)SERVICE: 7/10 (attentive, sure ... but the server came across that he might be new and or unpolished ... a point lost for awkwardly asking us our mother's day plans in an attempt at small talk and a second point deducted for placing the plates down without much excitement as to what was being served and a third point subtracted for never introducing himself)BACON: 4/10 (there's only a single reference to bacon on the menu [on the BLT wedge salad -- hence the B] and nary even a prosciutto as an ingredient in anything ... so maybe Sicilians aren't as fond of the pig as I am, but with that analysis of the menu, I can't award too many points in this category)BONUS: 9/10 (+3 for the clever way to hand you the bill [see below], +3 for the scrumptious dessert and +3 for that nutella cream sauce with the pasta purses that they should bottle and sell on the way out the door)
TroyScore: 36 out of 50 -- aka 72, a low C
[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the FIFTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!]
Establishment: Top Hat Delicatessen
Location: Ft. Lauderdale's Fat Village
Meal: Late Lunch
Drink: Eli's Root Beer (on tap)
Appetizer(s): Matzo Ball Soup and Rueben Egg Rolls
Main: Top Hat Burger (add RED COW bacon)
pastrami burger with swiss cheese
Side(s): Deviled Eggs and a homemade pickle
Dessert: n/a
Server: Lisa
Website: http://tophatftl.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tophatdeli
So to clear something up ... I don't *always* order a burger when I go out to eat ... but as someone who started a Burger Quest (!) a few years ago (visiting the 25 best burgers as per Zagat as announced in 2013 ... which is exclusive content only found on the Facebook and which is subject to my travels), if I peruse a menu and see a burger I've not had before, you can bet that that's what I'll be eating that day. Or, in other news, I just recently ate a burger that was comprised of a meat patty made up of a 50/50 blend of beef and pastrami on challah bread PLUS swiss cheese and homemade cole slaw. Here are all the details:
AMBIANCE: 10/10 (in a "up and coming" part of town, it reads like an upscale diner, and the black and white theme is super snazzy ... the front section includes giant garage doors that I imagine get opened in the right temperatures ... and it's a nice touch using dish towels as the napkins ... plus the dessert case calls out to you while you enter and again while you're paying ... all in all, it still feels brand new despite being open for a bit)
FOOD: 9/10 (as the pictures show, the food looks amazing when delivered ... every last detail attended to ... and, with one exception, it tastes just as amazing [I could eat buckets of the soup, and a meal of the deviled eggs] ... only a single point deducted for the sauerkraut getting lost in the rueben rolls)
SERVICE: 7/10 (the server herself did well, especially in describing each item in detail after it was ordered, however a point lost for no one greeting our party as we arrived, leading to confusion over whether we were to seat ourselves, a second point lost for having a different server try to take our order after our server was getting the drinks and a third point lost for having the main entrees delivered before we were only halfway done with the appetizers)
BACON: 10/10 (thank you deli for NOT being kosher ... and for having RED COW bacon as a side, bacon that could be also be added to my burger [note: RED COW is the name of the bbq joint also owned by the proprietors, and is not some kind of colored beef bacon] ... so yes, there will be no points lost in this category)
BONUS: 7/10 (+3 for an owner who cut his teeth in the Lettuce Entertain You franchise [well known to this Chicago transplant], +3 for a motto that serves as a worldview to which we all should aspire [Be Nice!], and with breakfast options all very intriguing yet all to date unsampled, this is a place to which we will be returning [+1])
TroyScore: 43 out of 50 -- aka 86, a solid B
[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the FOURTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!]
Establishment: Calypso Restaurant & Raw Bar
Location: Pompano Beach
Meal: Dinner
Drink: TALL Guinness
Appetizer: Conch Chowder
Sweet conch with fresh vegetables and tomatoes in a spicy broth
Appetizer 2: Stuffed Mushrooms
Fresh mushrooms baked with our own seafood stuffing
Appetizer 3: Smoked Fish Dip
House smoked dolphin dip, served with fresh jalapenos and flat bread crackers
Appetizer 4: House Salad with House Jamaican Ginger dressing
A small salad with fresh greens, tomato, cucumber and shredded carrots.
Main: Stuffed Shrimp
6 Large shrimp stuffed with our seafood vegetable stuffing, topped with bacon then baked
Side(s): Baked Potato (with butter and bacon) and fresh Corn on the Cob
Dessert: (homemade) Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Server: Julio
Website: http://www.calypsorestaurant.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Caypso
Since vacationing here a few years ago before the big move to become a local, we always thought that the southern Florida culinary experience was barbecue ... somehow totally missing the fact that it's a about finding a place that buys fish just pulled out of the ocean every morning to put on your plate for lunch or dinner. And this is one of those places. This is also one of only two places since starting this series that has earned the highest score issued so far. Here's how:AMBIANCE: 9/10 (in a strip mall [which is a thing down here in Florida], it had plenty of parking [although the parking lot seemed a bit potentially dangerous with lots of traffic, some of it speeding through] ...and the inside was cozy, with two dining sections and a tiki bar along the wall ... the island decorations were a hoot [see photo below for what joined us at our table] ... just one point lost for a sunset that blinded one side of the table in our party every time the door opened)FOOD: 9/10 (with as much food as was on the table at once, the overall consensus was that everything was delicious ... from the just-the-right-amount-of-spicy conch chowder, to the kick of the house salad dressing, to the firm and flavorful smoky fish/dolphin dip [emphasis on the smoke], to the freshest of fresh seafood ... just one point lost for a feeling at the end of the meal that everything was fresh and tasty, but that it seemed like each dish was missing that extra something something to kick things up a notch)SERVICE: 10/10 (the server made a point to go through all of the specials, and gave us time to completely review a packed menu ... and each round of food came right on time, served hot ... plus the gentleman I assume to be the owner made the rounds and checked in just often enough to make us all feel very welcome)BACON: 10/10 (okay, I'll admit it ... I chose this seafood meal specifically for the bacon it featured, and I was not disappointed ... plus the server and the kitchen made it possible for me to get bacon added to my baked potato despite that not being a published option on the menu)BONUS: 10/10 (+3 for having so much bacon that I was picking it out of my teeth on the way home, +3 for getting there at 7pm, which apparently was just a few minutes before the line out the door started, +3 for a menu that had so many items that ... this is a place to which we definitely have to return [+1])
TroyScore: 48 out of 50 -- aka 96, a high A (only the second time this high score has been issued so far)
[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the THIRTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!]
Establishment: BurgerFi
Location: Ft. Lauderdale
Meal: Late Dinner
Drink: Twiced Cherry Coke/Sprite Mix (I love me some make your own mix machines)
Appetizer: n/a
Main: the limited time only Brisky Business
Double short rib + brisket blend, topped with homemade tomato jam, candied smoke bacon and sharp white cheddar
Side(s): Cry and Fry, done Urban Style
onion ring and hand cut fry combo -- parmesan and herb fries topped with garlic aioli
Dessert: Swirl Custard Sample
Server: Larry (or maybe Tom) -- it said Larry on my receipt but I heard him introduce himself to a customer as Tom
Website: https://burgerfi.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurgerFi/
It's a southern Florida chain ... but there may be a spot or two in your state now that they are franchising and growing ... and we first "met" them at the local bacon fest, although they are a place we see all the time heading over to the beach. In their words ... they are "From the farm, not the lab. We were started in a gourmet kitchen. By gourmet chefs. They didn’t know fast food, so we’re less burger joint, more five-star restaurant. Meaning, there are no shortcuts. Or microwaves, freezers, or heat lamps for that matter. We cut. We chop. We mix, instead. We #trysomebetter." It's also officially the second burger joint since starting this series. Here's why it falls just a few points below the other one (which was the first taste back in January):
AMBIANCE: 10/10 (the place was emptier what with me eating later, which means that there were plenty of seats ... both inside and outside on a patio, and that's important for a place that proudly gives you an old school beeper for your order and messages to you that your wait is because everything is handmade ... during the whole time, you're serenaded with the latest pop 40 hits ... and, if you breathe in deeply, in addition to the fresh food smells, you can smell the ocean just a few blocks away)
FOOD: 7/10 (the establishment prides itself on fresh quality ingredients ... and that definitely comes through in the tastes ... plus they have just the right amount of limited menu items with intriguing topping choices [on the mains AND the sides] ... but, for the first time ever in this series, I'm deducting three points for the exact same problem -- the size of the burger, which was almost half the size of the sides ... quite bluntly, I just expected it to be bigger)
SERVICE: 10/10 (it's a counter style establishment, so the service is mostly in the ordering, but that went just fine ... and every employee that made eye contact as they went past made a point to say hello ... plus the guy who gave the free custard quickly acquiesced to giving me a swirl when he first offered only chocolate OR vanilla)
BACON: 8/10 (it was smoked ... AND candied ... but one point lost because I thought that I might have been missing the bacon while eating the burger and then noticed the description implied that it was tiny pieces instead of big strips ... and a second point lost because of how sad I was thinking that I might have missed the bacon)
BONUS: 6/10 (+3 for having the mix your own Coke machines and +3 for the scratch-off Wednesday promo and the free custard sample that I won)
TroyScore: 41 out of 50 -- aka 82, a low B
