Random Taste for Thursday 5/25/17

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

 here's the TWENTIETH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Aruba Beach Cafe
Location:  Lauderdale By The Sea
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  coke?  water?  beer?  (oops -- I forgot to record)
Appetizer 1:  Lobster Bisque (soup of the day)
Appetizer 2:  Baked Escargot (for the table)
(tomato, garlic and pernod, served with crusty French bread)
Appetizer 3:  Seafood Quesadilla 
(flour tortilla stuffed with fish, shrimp, scallops, jack & cheddar cheese, served with guacamole)
Main:  Grilled Swordfish (special of the day)
Side(s):  House Rice AND a whole loaf of freshly baked Bimini Bread with Honey Aruba Glaze
Dessert:  Key Lime Pie
(Key West lime citrus custard pie with whipped cream. kiwi and raspberry drizzle)
Server:   receipt said Matt B (although I don't think there ever was an introduction)
Website:  http://arubabeachcafe.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/arubabeachcafe/

If you take nothing else away from this post, you should understand the call to action to hie thee hither to this establishment at your earliest convenience to score some of their homemade freshly baked Bimini Bread with Honey Aruba Glaze.  Their social media says they sometimes run out, so hie thee hither early in the day.  You can thank me later.  Also -- a quick disclaimer about this post:  due to a delay with the publication of this blog, this review is being retroactively slotted in May 2017 but posted in June 2018 for a meal that was actually eaten and photographed in July 2017 [hope you can follow that!]).  Also also -- keep on reading to see how this particular local treasure fared on the Troy-score:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (a wall of windows looks right out into the ocean -- which I'm sure is amazing during the day and maybe even special at night ... and a good sized veranda wraps around on the outside and is next to the beach and the main thoroughfare to it -- which I'm sure is good for people watching ... but as explained below, I opted for moving our group to a corner against the wall so that we could focus on the conversation and the people across the table from us, which is how I came to realize that there was a bit of an 80's hotel feel about the decor, which is why there is a point deduction)

FOOD:           8/10 (truth be told, there's a real good chance that I would have been happy making a meal just out of that homemade bread [see bonus below] ... but I was also very pleased having chosen the swordfish special, because I like me a fish that is more steak-y than flaky, as that one was, and the meal felt healthy [as opposed to some of my choices in this series] ... plus the quesadilla was packed full of goodies as you want a quesadilla to be ...  the points lost are because just about everything else felt like it was so so close to being delicious but just a touch off -- the bisque was a touch too sweet, the sides were a touch too forgettable, and even the key lime pie was a touch too tart -- a persistent enough problem that is worth the rare double point deduction for the same issue) 

SERVICE:      8/10 (we put the service to the test immediately ... as in *before* we sat down ... as in I didn't like the first table offered and wanted to pick something in the corner instead so that we weren't immediately on top of other guests as our party had lots of conversation and catching up to do -- and I'm happy to say that they gladly re-seated us quickly ... the points lost are because there wasn't much interaction during the meal and because there was definitely no urgency at the end of the evening when we were pressed to leave since the meter was running out even though we explained that fact to the staff)

BACON:         6/10 (that's one point for every time I saw it on the menu ... and that was in all the usual places [wrapped around a scallop, as a salad topping, defining a burger, as a side meat for brunch] ... but that was all rather expected and nothing all that special, which, for me [and the overall score], was disappointing) 

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for those special fishy light fixtures [see accompanying photo], +3 for that amazing glazed loaf of bread (I just can't say it enough), +3 for providing live music to amp up the atmosphere and +1 for being a place to which we will return on a night when we can maybe focus on those breathtaking views a little more)

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

Random Taste for Thursday 5/18/17

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

 here's the NINETEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Dolce Salato Pizza & Gelato
Location:  Wilton Manors
Meal:  (late) Lunch
Drink:  (Fountain) Coca-Cola
Appetizer 1:  Le Polpette (Italian Meatballs)
(3 tasty meatballs made in house and baked in the pizza oven with their special sauce served with Ricotta cheese and Italian toasted bread)
Appetizer 2:  Rosemary Garlic Cheese Bread
(served with special marinara sauce)
Appetizer 3:  Slice of Meat Lovers Stuffed Pie 
(italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, meatballs, mozzarella and provolone cheese)
Main:  Parma Panini
(prosciutto, fresh oviline cheese, italian basil, salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil)
Side(s):  Dolce Salata (club special) with homemade blue cheese dressing
(mixed romaine hearts & spinach, ham, turkey, tomatoes, red onions & mozzarella sprinkles)
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   Silvia (as in the owner Silvia)
Website:  http://www.dolce-salato.net/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/dolcesalatofla/

If you are a regular reader of this series, then you know there's something that happens when we set foot inside an establishment serving Italian cuisine -- we tend to feast out a little.  The only thing that kept us from filling up the table this particular time was the time of day we stopped in -- for a late late lunch.  (Quick disclaimer:  due to a delay with the publication of this blog, this review is being retroactively slotted in May 2017 but posted in May 2018 for a meal that was actually eaten and photographed in July 2017 [if you can follow that]).  As a relatively new(er) addition on the northern end of the entertainment district known as "The Drive", the authenticity all around went a long way toward earning this establishment its spot in the A list:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (small -- as in I think I counted only six tables -- but cozy, with extra outdoor seating available, this family owned business all but makes you feel as if you may be invited to join them as an honorary long lost cousin regardless of your ethnic background has authentic smells with all the good food being prepared and authentic sounds with Italian music playing in the background ... there's a point deduction only because it is a little bright and I feel it could be transformed with a little mood lighting and a second point comes off since it was rather warm the afternoon we ate -- either because we sat too close to the ovens or because the AC wasn't working at full capacity)

FOOD:           9/10 (at a place like this, the rule is that you shall know the quality of that which you are about to eat by the sauce -- and this sauce was obviously freshly made [obvious because of the bright red color of it] ... plus the meatballs were light and airy, the stuffed pizza slice was full of goodies and had a crispy crust that called for a knife to cut through it and that garlic bread was taken up a notch with the addition of the cheese AND the rosemary for an extra punch of flavor ... that panini was toasted all the way through, yet somehow was refreshingly cool -- and of course every ingredient on it was fresh ... the one and only mis-step [representing the point deduction] were tomatoes on the salad that weren't quite ripe and should not have been included and wouldn't have been missed if quality control had removed them)

SERVICE:      10/10 (when the owner herself is waiting on you, it's no surprise that she's invested in making sure that you feel welcome as soon as you set foot in the place ... but the pleasant surprise was how she went out of her way to be accommodating in letting us order just a few pieces of the special rosemary garlic cheese bread instead of a whole pie and how she properly set expectations that the single slice of meat lovers stuffed pie could take up to ten minutes to prepare -- which is, in my opinion, the proper way to handle a transaction from the perspective of your customers ...  brava, Silvia, brava!)

BACON:         9/10 (like any non-Italian, I confuse prosciutto with pancetta when it comes to thinking about the Italian version of bacon ... but prosciutto is hammy enough and scattered enough throughout their menu to earn some points in this category ... PLUS actual bacon IS on the menu as an extra topping that can be added to the pizza ... the point lost is because although bacon is on the menu, it wasn't included as an ingredient in our meat lovers slice)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for that seemingly tiny bowl of salad that ended up like one of those Chinese food boxes that somehow has an endless supply, +3 for the authentic accents that all but assured you that the food would be authentic, +3 for a homemade dressing that should be bottled and sold on the side if it isn't already, and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return because we didn't even try the gelato!)

TroyScore:  46 out of 50 -- aka 92, an A

Random Taste for Thursday 5/11/17

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

 here's the EIGHTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  The Revenant Coffee and Eatery
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Brunch
Drink:  Herbal (Iced) Tea
Fresh Ginger, Rosemary, Lemon and Mint
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  1/2 a BLT ... and 1/2 a Breakfast Chapa
(BLT:  Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato, Mayonnaise onHomemade Chapa Bread)
(Breakfast Chapa:  Fried Eggs, Cheddar Cheese, Ham, Bacon, Avocado, Arugula, Tomato on Homemade Chappa Bread)
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   Order Taker (counter service)
Website:  http://revenantcoffee.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/therevenantcoffee/

In the 2016 version of this series, we tasted a coffee shop (plus) called The Alchemist (and they won two categories in the end of year awards last December).  It turns out today's taste is a distant relative ... as in a place newly opened by an original co-founder of The Alchemist who eventually (allegedly?) left in a business dispute (oh the drama in the industry) and started up a new coffee shop (plus) not too far away.  (Disclaimer:  due to a delay with the publication on this blog, this review is being slotted in May but posted in October for a meal that was actually eaten and photographed in June [I also had drama this year]).  In light of that, and not to stoke any competitor fires, you can see how this place scored higher than the original in the Troy-score detailed below (spoiler alert:  bacon had a lot to do with it!):

AMBIANCE:   8/10 ("it's a coffee shop in a furniture store" was what we were told going in ... and, sure enough, it was indeed one dedicated space out of three-four rooms of a separate business [Cargo Furniture] ... but somebody forgot to mention that there was a separate rustic outdoor wooden seating area with views of the New River to address the fact that the coffee shop room itself is a little tiny [point lost] with only a portable air conditioner to keep the crowds comfortable [the other point lost])

FOOD:           9/10 (that chappa bread?  ... it's made on site [you can see the oven on the side of the outdoor shot below] and is deliciously toasted and tasty ... that breakfast chappa?  ... somehow it's light yet filling and super fresh with an excellent combination of bright ingredients ... the only thing keeping this from being a perfect 10 is two instances of a little too much excess -- what seemed like a whole head of lettuce on the BLT [or should  that be a bLLLLt] and a whole lot of overpowering mint in the tea)

SERVICE:      9/10 (a counter service location automatically equals limited staff interaction, but the order taker [whose name we failed to get] was friendly and efficient on a busy day with a non stop line ... the point deduction in this category comes because the tea was ordered as an iced one but was served hot instead [and that mistake *was* fixed as soon as it was mentioned] ... the location uses those old fashioned pagers, because food is made fresh to order, and the wait was lengthy -- to the point where I was about to report that mine was broken when it finally started buzzing -- but the food was worth it [and as mentioned, it was busy], so there will be no point lost)

BACON:         10/10 (being a small place focused on the drinks, they do make the most of a limited menu -- and they don't skimp on the bacon one bit -- with FOUR big pieces on that BLT and TWO more topping the other breakfast sandwich ... btw, those pieces were perfectly made and they were clearly the stars of those menu items [imho])

BONUS:         7/10 (+3 for having a resident "house" puppy dog to up the cool factor [just take a look at that face!], +3 for a direct view of a clothing optional resort on the other side of the water for some added  pleasure and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return [I can already hear the bacon calling me ...])

TroyScore:  43 out of 50 -- aka 86, a B

Random Taste for Thursday 5/4/17

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

 here's the SEVENTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  El Guanaco
Location:  Oakland Park
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Sangria (red)
Pre-Appetizer:  Warm chips and salsa
Appetizer:  Salvadoran Combination #1
(chicken tamale, sweet corn tamale, pupusa, fried yuca, salvadoran cream and cheese, pickled cabbage, red sauce and spicy salsa verde on the side)
Main:  Grilled Salvadoran Steak/Carne Asada
(served with pico de gallo)
Side(s):  Rice, black beans and sweet plantains
Side (that was supposed to be an appetizer):  Chicken Soup/ Sopa de Pollo 
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   Gabriella
Website:  http://www.elguanacooaklandpark.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/www.elguanacorest.net/

Not for nothing, but eating here was a year in the making.  El Guanaco was on the list of places to try in the first set of 50 tastes based on an episode of 'Check Please' here in SoFlo on the PBS, and we even had dinner plans in May of 2016 that were changed at the last minute because they were on a Wednesday ... and this place is closed every Wednesday.  Luckily, though, it was not forgotten when it came time to find a latin inspired eatery for a Cinco de Mayo celebration for the second set of 50 tastes.  This place prides itself on both its Mexican AND Salvadoran food preparations and so despite the "holiday", we went mostly Salvadoran in our choices, and that led to the Troy-score detailed below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (there's no getting around it ... this place is on the small side -- but cute all the same ... and although it's not exactly a communal set up [see photo], your table is almost always going to hear the conversation at the tables nearby during the meal [on our night, that meant listening to a discussion on superhero movies amongst what I assumed to be a group of fleet-week boys], so a point lost because that can be a bit of a "luck of the draw" scenario when it comes to "shared ambiance")

FOOD:           9/10 (there was an overabundance of deliciousness as the size of the main dish plus the appetizers quickly upgraded this to a feast ... warm chips at the start with a dark and spicy salsa to set the mood and that extra flavorful steak with tasty rice that wasn't too sticky were the highlights ... the feeling of authenticity came from that appetizer plate which featured the traditional Salvadoran papusa ... and that chicken noodle soup that arrived late [see below] was uniquely unexpected in its size, in its preparation with a huge chunk of bone-in chicken and a mini corn on the cob smack dab in the middle of it and in its inclusion of chayote ... just half a point deduction for the fact that I wanted my papusa filling to be a little wetter or sauced or something not so dry and a second half a point deduction for the fact that the beans were 'meh'-flavored)

SERVICE:      8/10 (we were lucky to get the last table at the time we arrived which was by the front door ... sadly, our attempts to switch to a booth along the wall once one opened up and before the food had arrived were denied by our server [one point off] and there was a rather long wait for the apps [a second point off] -- so long in fact that the chicken noodle soup that should have been served early on in the meal didn't even arrive until after the main plate [the final point deduction] ... a few smiles and a bit of friendliness at the *end* of the meal earned a point back)

BACON:         7/10 (being such a fan of bacon as I am -- so much so that it gets its own category in the score calculation such that a place can go from a 100 to an 80 just by not offering it anywhere on the menu, I have grown to be sensitive to cultures that might not feature any bacony goodness ... especially if they are being authentic to the dishes from their countries ... as I don't doubt the authenticity of these Mexican and Salvadoran culinary creations, I have to award half the points just out of respect to their culture ... and then two more -- one because the papusa we chose had pork filling [the closest to bacon I had that night] and one because those beans likely had some pork product flavor influencers)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for that sweet sweet sangria though, +3 for the quantity and quality of the food in the feast far outpacing the cost, +3 for that unexpected chicken noodle soup and +1 for being a place to which we will return if only because I talked myself out of getting the beef tongue steak and now I feel like I might have missed out on something)

TroyScore:  43 out of 50 -- aka 86, a B