Random Taste for Thursday 1/26/17

And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...

 here's the THIRD of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

(coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!

Establishment:  The Whole Enchilada
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Freestyle Sproke (half Sprite/half Coke)
Appetizer:  Guac and Chips
Main:  The Whole Enchilada Platter
corn tortillas stuffed with jack and cheddar cheese and meat [I chose steak], topped with melted cheese, "red" sauce and sour cream
Side(s):  Pinto Beans and Mexican Rice
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   name not provided (see below) for this counter service location
Website:  http://twefreshmex.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TWEfreshmex

Maybe it was the wrong location (they have three listed on their website).  Maybe it was the wrong employee.  Maybe it was the wrong night.  But whatever the case, finally choosing this taco joint that we've driven past many a time just didn't quite live up to the hype on the website about being "feisty", "fun and friendly" with a "'cutting edge' charisma".  The details as to how it scored on the Troy-scale follow:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (as you might be able to tell from the accompanying photo, this location is a converted gas station, which gives it a bit of a charm -- including a conversion of where the gas pumps were into an outdoor eating area with picnic tables and an ability to roll up the garage doors to give it all a very open vibe ... which is necessary because inside it's a little small and a little crowded, and a point is lost because that meant that our table by the freestyle soda machine was practically on top of the line of people waiting to self serve their drinks ... and a second point is lost for having sticky tables upon our arrival -- which, in retrospect, may be because of its proximity to said machine)

FOOD:           8/10 (with the disclaimer that Mexican is not necessarily my favorite of categories, everything was good for what it was and I was pleased that all the items weren't just mixed together on a plate, that the steak pieces in the enchiladas were large and meaty and that the guac was smooth and creamy ... my main disappointments were that the chips seemed old or stale [might they have been made fresh earlier that day?] and the freestyle Coke machine was out of cherry flavoring)

SERVICE:      8/10 (let me just say that it's a good thing the "food runner" was friendly, or else this score might have been lower than what it ended up as ... mind you, we've been to many a counter service location, so the bar is a little lowered knowing that the interactions are somewhat limited -- but this "order taker" didn't even seem to be present during the exchange [point lost], as evidenced by getting the order wrong of a tablemate [see second serving of nachos pictured, seeing as how the first ones did not arrive as ordered ... which explains the second point lost])

BACON:         5/10 (as often happens with Mexican restaurants and/or taco joints, I couldn't find a single reference to bacon on the menu ,,, so I'll say what I said before:  "it's a tricky category, as traditional authentic Mexican food is more about the fresh ingredients ... and although the menu includes many references to pork [13 according to the browser counter], the reality is that bacon was not to be found ... out of sensitivity to the culture, I'll put a few points on the board")

BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for having something called the "ex-wife challenge" [details provided from its website below], +3 for the retro pop playing [retro as in y2k music, which counts as "classic" nowadays] and +3 for the creative use of the renovated gas station space]) 

“Because it seemed like a good idea at the time…”
Those willing to take on the ex-wife challenge will have 45 minutes during one sitting to complete the entire burrito and all of its accompaniments. If successful ~ it ‘s free and you will receive a TWE shirt and a forever gift of remembrance at The Whole Enchilada Fresh Mexican Grill.
THE EX-WIFE

a combined 6 pounds of mexican rice, black or pinto beans, jack and cheddar cheese, salsa, guacamole, lettuce and sour cream with your choice of charbroiled chicken, ground beef, pork or tofu along with a healthy side of chips.

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

Random Taste for Thursday 1/19/17

And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...

 here's the SECOND of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

(coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!

ADMIN NOTE:  This location is now closed.

Establishment:  Mellow Mushroom
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Coke
Appetizer 1:  Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
Portobello mushroom cap, basted with garlic butter, stuffed with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella. Baked and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Served on a bed of spring mix tossed with an herb vinaigrette dressing
Appetizer 2:  Garlic Butter and Parmesan Pretzels
Signature Mellow dough twisted into pretzels With a side of Mellow red sauce and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cheese
Main:  Funky Q. Chicken Special Pizza Pie
BBQ chicken, mozzarella and cheddar, caramelized onions and applewood smoked bacon. Finished with a bbq sauce swirl
Extra Main: (half) Meatball Sub (on French)
Seasoned meatballs in a Mellow red sauce topped with melted mozzarella
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  Half Baked Brownie Supreme
The name says it all. Our decadent triple chocolate brownie served with all-natural vanilla bean ice cream, dark chocolate truffle sauce and house made fresh whipped cream, topped with an all-natural bing cherry
Server:   Mike?  Tom?  Bill?  Insert vaguely frat boy sounding first name here -- but not Biff.  I know it wasn't Biff.  I just forgot to capture it off of the receipt.
Website:  http://mellowmushroom.com/store/fort-lauderdale
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mellowfortlauderdale

Let's get something out of the way right away -- I will admit that the pizza places/Italian restaurants that are a part of this series will always have a greater challenge because we tend to order a mini-feast when we visit an eating establishment in that category, which means there are more opportunities for something to go wrong because multiple items are sampled ... and indeed that was the case here at this newer entry in the locale of a chain that started in Atlanta long long ago (when I was just two years old aka 1974, according to the wiki).  To see how this franchise location performed on the Troy-scale, see below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (it's got kind of a warehouse vibe, with a very tall ceiling and funky art work hanging from it [see the giant fish in the photo below] and psychadelic mood lighting that throws off a subtle kaleidoscope of light -- so much so that I ended up taking multiple food pics, because each push of the button on the camera would result in a different colored glow on the menu items ... there was an outdoor patio and a section of nice sized booths with an open kitchen design ... I felt like, especially with the name, they might have been going for millennial stoner chic -- so a point lost 'cause it made me feel old to not be a millennial)

FOOD:            7/10 (without a doubt, the strongest dishes of the night were definitely the specialty pizza and the homemade pretzels [oh those pretzels!], although the beer cheese didn't quite do it for me [the consistency faded fast] ... that mushroom appetizer was practically a meal unto itself [it came, correctly, with its own steak knife], although it could have used some more time on the grill ... and the meatball sub had tasty balls but a touch too much oregano ... the biggest disappointment was the brownie, which looked amazing but also tasted suspiciously like too much oregano -- and that's not a veiled reference to it being "baked" with anything extra special, but a direct commentary on the flavors it seemed to have absorbed from maybe being stored too close to the kitchen action ;.. all in all, the presentation and the concept of the dishes helped to balance out some of the disappointments, so I won't dock a point for each and every "infraction")

SERVICE:      8/10 (things were a little laid back and casual  [again with the stoner vibe] which resulted in a bit of delay on the food items [so a point lost], but it should be stressed that the server was knowledgeable about the menu and was definitely friendly and attentive when he stopped by ... we're pretty sure the manager also paid a visit to the table to apologize for the lack of a crowd, letting us know they were all across the street at what we think might be a sister property, and a second point is docked because he didn't introduce himself as such, so it was an awkward conversation to have)

BACON:         10/10 (there can't be any points lost here because they "honor" bacon by referring to it as a "specialty protein" on their menu AND they include it as a ingredient in the majority of their own special pizza pie creations)

BONUS:         6/10 (+3 for an indoor/outdoor bar connected at the service area so the bartender can service both from the same vantage point and +3 for having a pizza boy back in the open kitchen throwing dough who looked authentically [capital] I-talian [even if he seemed like he might be 12 years old])

TroyScore:  40 out of 50 -- aka 80, a low B

Random Taste for Thursday 1/12/17

And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...

 here's the FIRST of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

(coming to you on sequential Thursdays.  All.  Year.  Long.)!

ADMIN NOTE:  This location is now closed, but other ones in the area are open.
Establishment:  Rubio's Coastal Grill
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Fountain Sproke (half Sprite/half Coke)
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Rubio's Coastal Trio
The Original Fish Taco® - Our signature recipe that started it all in 1983.
Salsa Verde Shrimp Taco - Shrimp, pan-seared and topped with salsa verde.
Wild Mahi Mahi Taco - Grilled Wild Mahi Mahi topped with fire-roasted corn, creamy chipotle sauce, cilantro/onion mix, and cabbage.
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  Churro
Server:   Shad (although it was counter service)
Website:  https://www.rubios.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RubiosFortLauderdale302/

It's a NEW year ... and a NEW set of tastes ... so why not start it all for 2017 with a brand NEW eating establishment?  Well, actually, if you're reading this and you're from the coast of California, then you already have heard of this company that just NEWly expanded into Florida by taking over the locations of the local Lime Mexican Grill that recently closed.  With a concept committed to fresh quality ingredients, they succeed in making healthier food taste great.  As for how they fared on the Troy-scale, see below:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (it was indeed bright and clean and shiny ... which is to be expected for a location like this that is brand spanking new ... just a point lost because the table at which we sat was sticky and a second one lost because there was a homeless man wandering around talking to himself while the manager was out cleaning tables [sadly, he was too late for ours] and nothing was done [he said afterwards he thought he was with someone])

FOOD:            8/10 (they might still be working out the mahi mahi, what with it being a special add for the Florida menus, and a point is is being docked because it was the least successful of the tacos in my trio [and in my tablemate's option of a mahi-mahi bowl, also pictured below] and that may have been because it was the tiniest piece ... the signature fish taco had a much "meat"ier chunk of fish ... but the shrimp taco was clearly the star as it was packed with flavor and had toppings that heightened the taste of every bite ... the churro was hot and fresh and dusted liberally with good stuff ... just one additional point lost because it's a taco place that somehow doesn't serve guac on the side)

SERVICE:      8/10 (as a counter service location, it's all about that ordering interaction, and the employee taking our order was knowledgeable and right on top of the greeting as soon as we stepped up to the register ... corporate would also be happy to know that he was on top of the upselling opportunities and even found a way to bring it up multiple times without being too annoying, although his constant repetition of the customer's name was slightly off-putting, so a point lost ... and a second point is docked because it did seem to take a bit long to get the food after ordering [perhaps the price to pay for freshly cooked quality meals])

BACON:         8/10 (somehow the special featured plate I ordered didn't include bacon as any taco topping [how did I miss that?] ... but it was listed five times on the special Florida menu, so a point for each of those references and then another three bonus points because their website calls out [all natural] bacon in their mission statement)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for having an outdoor patio [even if it was too cool to sit outside that night], +3 for NOT having any tip pressure at a counter location [which is rare for Florida even thought the service interaction is limited at that type of establishment], +3 for a membership club that has already sent some free entree coupons our way and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return, especially to get some of that [all natural] bacon)

TroyScore:  42 out of 50 -- aka 84, a solid B

Random Taste for Thursday 1/5/17

In a week of change, some things will be staying the SAME in the new year.  Specifically, that which ran on consecutive Thursdays last year is returning for a 2017 edition.  Here's how it was introduced last year:

I could pretend that I want to try my hand at reviewing restaurants ... but really I just want an excuse to eat out at least once a week. Indeed, that is exactly the goal ... and although I promise that not every thing featured every week will be covered in bacon, I do hope to bring some delectable dishes to the weekly post ... and to offer up some "dish" about local eating establishments (and there may be a bacony thing or two ... in the vein of "know your brand").

The rules are simple ... one NEW place (at which I've never before eaten) each week, with a year end best-of wrap up on Dec [28th]. And although I expect that most places will be within the more immediate tri-county area (Broward, MiamiDade and PalmBeach), I am hoping to expand to other locations within the state as travel plans permit.

All that said, there will be a few changes for 2017.  For instance, the old "Random Thought for Thursday" is now officially retired (replaced by the now more accurate "Random Taste for Thursday") AND this too will have its own spin off dedicated blog -- going "live" next week with the first of fifty entries for 2017 (and with all of last year's entries uploaded to it).  One last thing -- that blog will be searchable by new topics (category, grade, location, overall Troy-score, plus1s, perfect 10s and year).  Be on the lookout for a special "redemption round" each quarter as well.

Here's to 50 more delicious meals at 50 exciting eating establishments!