Random Taste for Thursday 7/28/16

[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the TWENTY-NINTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Taquería Doña Raquél
Location:  Pompano Beach
Meal:  Dinner
Drink: (a few) Tecate
pale lager beer
Appetizer:  Choriqueso
melted cheese dip with Mexican chorizo
Main:  (Tres) Gorditas
cornmeal pocket, with sour cream and cheese and meat -- one chicken, one grilled steak and one pork rinds
Side(s):  Chips and Salsas (one hot, one hotter)
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Milca
Website:  not applicable
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Taqueria-Do%C3%B1a-Raquel-121075597933818/

Here's the hard truth.  I'm not a fan of Mexican food.  I said it before that it's mostly all in my head ... and something about textures and food running together and too many dishes with beans.  That being said, I know that life is such that I'm going to be eating this type of cuisine every now and then, and I can't always order fajitas (my go to) or tacos (my second go to) or just eat a whole meal of guac and chips (I haven't done it yet ... but I have thought about it).  I think it's important to keep that in mind when reading how tonight's score came about:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (the whole plaza seems connected [with a restaurant, a convenience store, a meat store, etc.] and it's fun to feel like you are in Mexico when you step on the parking lot, especially with the authentic music playing ... there's a lot to be said for an open kitchen format where you see everything being made just beyond your table [although the boy making it looked to be about 12] ... a point lost for for being a bit too bright and another one docked for TV screens that were pimped out as ads that barely moved [the same real estate guy on the screen stared at me the whole meal])
FOOD:            7/10 (the details I shared in the intro notwithstanding, I particular enjoyed that the salsas were clearly homemade and very spicy with homemade chips, that the appetizer lived up to its warning that it was extra sticky and I have no doubt that my main meal was authentic with crispy gordita shells ... but a point lost for not being able to tell which one was which by sight, another lost for being packed full of the extras moreso than the meat and a final point taken off because although it was a nice touch to serve the strawberry candies with the bill, the candies tasted as if they were as old as Mexico itself)
SERVICE:      8/10 (this is difficult ... because our waitress *wanted* to take our order and we put her off for more beers and chips and conversation and then when we were finally ready, a party table had slipped in and was taking up all of her time ... but I still have to dock a point for there not being any solution for that issue other than us raising our hands over and over again until we could get her attention, and a second point for feeling a little rushed as they were doing closing prep and we were still chowing down)
BACON:         6/10 (chorizo is like bacon [kind of?] and so are pork rinds [ish?])
BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for the best huevo rancheros and beans that someone at our table who really really enjoys Mexicans said he had had recently, +3 for the authenticity of it all that left me with tingly lips on the ride home and +3 for the bathtub Jesus in the parking lot [see photo below])

TroyScore:  38 out of 50 -- aka 76, a solid C

Random Taste for Thursday 7/21/16

[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the TWENTY-EIGHTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  The Chimney House Grill and Cafe
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink: Half Pitcher Traditional Sangria
white (not red)
Appetizer 1:  Guacamole Costeño
with green plantain chips
Appetizer 2:  Tuna Ceviche "Nikkei"
Japanse and Peruvian fusion ahi tuna ceviche marinated in lime with nikkei sauce
Main:  Lomo Saltado
the perfect Peruvian-Cantonese fusion:  wok stir-fried steak strips, red onions, tomatoes, french fries and soy sauce
Side(s):  White Rice
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Lauren
Website:  http://www.thechimneyhouse.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechimneyhousefl

As hard as it is for someone like me who has lists and plans and folders and such to accept, sometimes the best experiences happen when you abandon your plans at the last minute and find something new as a replacement.  Which is exactly what happened for this establishment after our original plans to go to a classic FTL diner on the opposite end of Las Olas (maybe some other time?) were reevaluated ... and this place on a part of Las Olas we didn't even know existed filled in at the last minute.  And what a great concept -- panLatin -- with choices included, but not limited to, Argentinian, Venezuelan, Peruvian, Colombian, Cubano, etc etc.  It was like a greatest hits collection of dishes ... and here's how it garnered it's score:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (what an adorable set up -- a historic remodeled house rebuilt to feature the chimney ... which we actually walked right past to get to an expanded outdoor two level porch that tripled the amount of seating available, and it had overhead fans to address the summer Florida evening heat ... it was covered in such a way that even a quick evening rain storm *enhanced* the feel of outdoor eating ... there were also neighborhood dogs being walked by time and time again ... [and, since it was outside, even a few that pulled up a chair to eat with their owners])
FOOD:            8/10 (everything was delicious and extra flavorful ... the plantain chips for the guac was a nice twist, the ahi ceviche with the roasted corn nuts was visually appealing [remember, you eat with your eyes first], and the main dish was oh so tasty, with every ingredient -- including the fries -- covered in the scrumptious sauce, and the steak strips were tender and juicy ... one point is lost because the chef seemed to have a heavy hand with the red onions [in EACH and EVERY one of those dishes] and a second point is lost because the tuna was oddly chopped into pretty big pieces, which made for an awkward chewy mouth feel)
SERVICE:      9/10 (our waitress was extremely friendly and on top of everything throughout the whole meal ... plus there was the added bonus of her being able to pronounce the dishes authentically but not having a language barrier for the customers ... just a single point lost for her not being excited enough about the desserts to sell us on it when we asked)
BACON:         8/10 (although not referenced on the dinner menu, we asked to see the brunch menu, and were pleased to see that it was indeed a possible side, so some points in this category can be awarded)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for those roasted corn nuts, which I now think should be treated like bacon and be added to every dish, +3 for being the kind of place to which we will confidently recommend anyone goes who asks us for a dining selection, +3 for the pan-Latin concept and +1 for being a place to which we will return again [maybe because we recommended it to you and made you take us along!])

TroyScore:  45 out of 50 -- aka 90, a low A

Random Taste for Thursday 7/14/16

[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the TWENTY-SEVENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

Establishment:  Char Hut
Location:  Oakland Park
Meal:  Dinner
Drink: Cherry (Coke+Sprite)
equal parts Cherries Coke and Sprite from a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine
Appetizer:  Truffle Mac & Fries
our signature white cheddar special, drizzled with white tru ffle oil.
Main:  Big-Bite Burger
1/2 pound steak burger prepared from a special chef’s blend with select cuts of brisket on a Kaiser roll -- with toppings of bacon, cheese, mushrooms, mayo, bbq and lettuce
Side(s):  Rosemary Fries
crispy, golden Char-Fries drizzled in olive oil with rosemary
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Counter service but Mo took the order
Website:  http://www.charhutinc.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CharHutOaklandPark/

It's true.  I do love a burger (which you could have figured out by now what with how many photos of burgers already appear in this series).  As such, when looking for another burger option in the area, this local chain that started in Miami way back in 1976 that is looking to ramp up its franchising became the next choice.  It is counter service -- and fast casual -- and it reminded me at times of Subway (with its "you tell me what toppings you want" section) and Noodles and Company (with its mac and cheese side) and even my favorite Eat-a-Pita place back in Chicago (where I regularly had pita stuffed burgers).  Their motto is "one bite says it all" ... so I'll echo them and say that "one score says it all":

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (it was a quiet night ... which was probably good since the made-to-order concept would likely create a bit of a bottleneck on the ordering line were it busy ... but the dining room was welcoming and the supplies and add-ons [like straws, lids, condiments, etc] were well stocked ... and although it was too hot to eat outside that evening, there was a patio area shared with a smoothee shop and a dunkin donuts as an option -- speaking of which, one point is lost for the workers tearing down the outside a full hour before they closed as we were wrapping up our meal inside and another point lost for some dirt on the floor, as sweeping it might have been a better use of their time)
FOOD:            7/10 (kudos for having so many options as burger toppings and for being made to order to your temperature request right in front of you AND for offering the burger on a pita as a choice ... but a point lost for too much powder on the outside of that pita and another one lost for the excess rosemary sprigs on the fries [including one that got stuck in my teeth] and a final point lost for those flavored fries because they were missing basic salt)
SERVICE:      7/10 (as much as I appreciated Mo, who knew her menu in and out and was friendly as friendly as could be, there are two points lost for two different colleagues interrupting her twice during the order taking and a final point lost for breaking down the shake machine an hour before they closed, robbing us of our raspberry shake dessert)
BACON:         10/10 (when the menu says add bacon to anything for 80 cents ... that's an invitation to add bacon to ANYTHING for a very reasonable price ... my only regret -- and this is my fault -- I should have done it to the fries and the mac and cheese)
BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for Mo caring about her job as much as she did [I really can't say enough about her and her pleasant attitude], +3 for the pita option and +3 for the Coke freestyle machine [really, everyone should have one of these contraptions by now])

TroyScore:  41 out of 50 -- aka 82, a low B

Random Taste for Thursday 7/7/16

[My ongoing series for 2016 continues ... with the TWENTY-SIXTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA (coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!]

WINNER (TIE) BEST OF 2016 FOR OVERALL
HONORABLE MENTION BEST OF 2016 FOR SIDE
HONORABLE MENTION BEST OF 2016 FOR BACON

Establishment:  The Burning Oak BBQ
Location:  North Lauderdale
Meal:  Mid Year's Holiday Dinner
Drink:  Fountain Sproke (half Sprite/half Coke)
Appetizer:  Hand Cut Potato Chips
blue cheese dipping sauce (see note below), diced tomato, scallions, candied bacon
Main:  Brisket Burger
lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, kaiser roll
Side(s):  French Fries (see note below)
Dessert:  Candied Bacon
Server:  Counter service but Deena took the order ... after another young girl gave us a tour of the menu ... after we met Ahmed who was running the kitchen ... and after a gentleman (manager?  owner?) helped approve a special order for the other person in our party
Website:  not applicable
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BurningOakBBQ/

Being as much of a fan of New Year's Eve as I am, it was only a matter of time before I created a sequel of a holiday.  And so, two years ago, Mid Year's Day was born.  One of the first decisions about the new celebration was that the traditional meal for Mid Year's Day was always to be BBQ.  After seeing this place in the 'burbs of the FTL highlighted in the local paper and after reading about the burger that you see in the main picture, going here for the 2016 version of the new holiday was a given.  Little did I know of the experience that was in store ... here's how the visit was quantified:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (this was yet another relatively new establishment ... and it showed in how everything was crisp and clean ... with wall decor that let you know the folks were serious about their cuts of meat ... and a personal roll of paper towels at each table [I judge the quality of my bbq places with how many paper towels I have to use during my meal, and this was a five-paper-towel dinner] ... plus see the SERVICE section below because how well we were treated helped elevate the mood)
FOOD:            9/10 (those loaded chips, though!  [delicious!] ... and, in a happy accident, they were out of blue cheese that night, and since I don't like blue cheese, they were even better than they might have been for me on a regular night ... the side of fries [it was the double the potato night for me] were thick cut and the perfect mix of crunchy on the outside and hot and mushy on the inside [plus look for bonus points below about them] ... and then the burger ... combining the best of their smoked meats lightly sauced on top of a juicy hunk of beef and a toasted bun -- I am docking one point for there being too much red onion for my taste, although I do have to say that I was asked during the ordering process if I wanted everything on it and said yes ... so that was partially my fault)
SERVICE:      10/10 (as we wandered in and started reviewing the menu, we were greeted with a question:  "first time here?" followed by an exclamation:  "YAY!" and that admission on our part entitled us to a tour of the menu offered up by one of the younger very articulate employees behind the counter and a brief introduction to the man running the kitchen ... that level of attention and welcoming spirit continued when the other person with me asked [and was approved] to create a special combo plate [one of the smartest decisions of the night because that introduced us to the smoked turkey {not pictured}] ... on through to the expectation setting during the ordering process [when I was warned that my burger was made to order and that this place was "not like Burger King"] ... and then to the delivery of the food and to the check-ins while we were eating and to the final goodbye:  "come back next week!" ... you would have thought we were family in for a visit with how friendly every employee was)
BACON:         10/10 (any non-breakfast place that is smart enough to put bacon as a side in the same spot on the menu as the vegetables is MY kind of place ... plus that candied bacon [that I got as dessert instead] was on my loaded chips and was also available for other dishes)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for how welcoming *everyone* was, +3 for the special seasoning on those thick cut fries [the secret was disclosed to me, but I'm not sure that I want to ruin the pleasant surprise for anyone visiting next], +3 for the best smoked turkey ever eaten at a bbq establishment [so good that we felt so bad putting some leftovers in the doggie bag knowing full well that the doggies wouldn't get any of it] and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely be returning)

TroyScore:  49 out of 50 -- aka 98, a nearly perfect score and the highest one earned so far!