Random Taste for Thursday 2/1/18

Here we go again for the 3rd year ... a brand new set of tastes for 2018 ...

 here's the FOURTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Ikea Restaurant
Location:  Sunrise
Meal:  Lunch
Drink:  New Nordic Fruit Water, Cola flavored
Appetizer:  Garlic Bread
Main:  Swedish Meatballs
Side(s):  Mashed Potatoes with Gravy and Mixed Vegetables
Dessert:  Almond Cake
Server:   Cafeteria Style
Website: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/sunrise/Food_Restaurant
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/IKEASunrise/

So many times we've wandered through the carefully constructed maze that is the Ikea experience, marveling at how much one can fit into such small living spaces, wishing we knew Swedish so we could interpret all of the names (or at least understand some of the stick figure style images) -- and yet never before (not back in Chicago from whence we came nor here in the SoFlo where we've been since early 2014) have we been tempted to partake of the items in the cafeteria.  Oh sure -- we've smelled a good thing or two as we passed by on each visit ... and you can't exactly miss the meatball signs scattered throughout the place -- but still we didn't stop.  That ended this week when we decided to cash in my "free birthday meal" email before it expired at the end of my birthday month (what can I say -- it pays to be "friends and family").  Keep on reading to see how it fared in the old Troy-score:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (hidden away in a corner of the building with great big windows that showed a view of a giant American flag [and the roof of the parking garage], the seating area offered a number of different sections to break up the crowds and was kept clean despite a high turnover ... and I have to be honest, one thought that crossed my mind as I sat there was that, in the zombie apocalypse, I would want to get my people to clear out the closest Ikea to set up camp there ... anyways -- the one point lost comes from the fact that the seats seemed a little small and weren't Americanized to handle our larger bodies)

FOOD:           7/10 (there were choices for chicken balls and veggie balls, but anyone who knows me already knows that I went for the meatiest of the meatballs from Sweden -- the traditional ones, which were perfectly sized to pop in your mouth whole and which were properly gravied for added flavor ... although I normally don't take gravy on my mashed, getting some on the classic scoop of instant potatoes was the right decision ... and that almond cake was very rich AND very delicious ... the problems though [each resulting in a point deduction] -- the garlic bread was "well done" on one side and barely done on the other, the lingonberries were missing from my plate and that new carbonated soda drink was all fizz in a cup that dissolved into a liquid in a very odd way)

SERVICE:      7/10 (it was literally a cafeteria set up ... wait in line, grab a tray, fill it up with goodies, get to the hot food line and make your choices and then pay your way out of the corral to pick a seat ... so in all, there were only brief interactions with the person who put the meat on your plate, the person who put your sides on your plate and the person who took your money ... in this scenario, the first one got it right, the second one got it all wrong [almost giving me the wrong plate of ... gasp ... veggie balls] and the third one made it better by wishing me a happy birthday as she scanned my email ... so 2/3 positive interactions leads mathematically to a score of 6.67 [rounded up to 7])

BACON:         5/10 (I didn't see bacon anywhere -- not even in the breakfast menu items ... but maybe there were some bits on the salads [there *were* lots of salads, even if I didn't select any] ... because I try to be culturally sensitive, I literally googled "do swedes eat bacon" and the interwebs say that they do -- although clearly they eat more fish than anything else ... so I'm going to give my "culturally sensitive score" of 5 in the hopes that some chief Ikean somewhere reads this and considers adding bacon balls to the ball list)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for the little girl who passed by our table at the end of the meal with her daddy, singing along to the "Let It Go" song on the speakers just as we were trying to figure out what tune it was, +3 for my tablemate's dish of chicken fingers and fries [pictured below] which showed up as an adult plate with big pieces of specially breaded chicken and fresh hot fries, +3 for starting the cafeteria line "dessert first", 'cause, you know, priorities and +1 for being a place to which we will return [not that we're running back ... but we will be Ikea-ing again sometime soon ... and we are "friends and family" after all])

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

Random Taste for Thursday 1/11/18

Here we go again for the 3rd year ... a brand new set of tastes for 2018 ...

 here's the FIRST of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Chinese Lantern Festival
Location:  Lauderhill
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Coca-Cola bottle
Appetizer:  Egg Roll
Main:  Combo Platter
(chicken on a stick served with noodles and shrimp rice)
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  Funnel Cake
Server:   Chan (from Chan's Chicken on a Stick!)
Website:  https://www.chineselanternfestival.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1406907156054273/

In the land of SoFlo, where it's pretty much always summer, there's *almost* always an opportunity to go find a festival.  Tonight, as per the FB event description, our destination was "a new and spectacular family friendly event ... the Chinese Lantern Festival produced by Hanart Culture ... a totally immersive experience among Chinese culture, multi-hued 'The Wild' animal lantern displays, live entertainment, authentic Chinese food, hand-made gifts by Chinese craftspeople, and more."  As for how the first (but not the last) festival of the year fared in the Troy-score category, see below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (to be fair, the festival is mostly about the festival and not exactly a "foodie" event ... but you can't quite beat eating at a picnic table in a pavilion where an authentic ancient Chinese shadow puppet show is being performed nearby ... this, after ambling around the lake on a path filled with the brightest of lit-up cloth covered wire creatures [the last picture below doesn't quite capture the beauty but might give a sense of the scope of it] ... the point lost is because of the cost of the activity, just a little too expensive for what was experienced [thankfully, Groupon helped with that])

FOOD:           7/10 (as you can hopefully see from the main photo, this wasn't some kebob of chicken on that stick -- it was a great big piece of Chinese chicken fresh off the grill with a good charred taste to compliment the light sauce ... the noodles were super saucy [although it reminded me vaguely of a lighter Thai peanut sauce] and the vegetables mixed in were plump and juicy ... that being said, there is a point lost for the shrimp that were more texture than flavor when it came to the rice, another point lost for excessive noodle juice that mixed in with everything else on the plate and a final point lost for a funnel cake that should have stayed in the fryer for another minute or two)

SERVICE:      5/10 (since it was a festival, there wasn't exactly much interaction with employees at either stand ... and that's understandable ... but what wasn't understandable was the fact that half of the vendors were a no-show, as seen in the second to last photo in this set ... so since we only had half the choices from which to select a meal, we can only provide half the points in this category)

BACON:         5/10 (with a limited menu [as explained] plus the fact that bacon isn't necessarily a typical ingredient in Chinese cuisine, we'll award half the points solely out of cultural sensitivities [although, let me tell you, I could be a millionaire if I could figure out how to make some bacon flavored funnel cake batter ...])

BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for an egg roll that was not overstuffed with cabbage and therefore tasted great [and I normally don't eat them], +3 for the all the beautiful displays and the artistic performances that were at the core of the festival in the first place and +3 for offering funnel cakes in January)

TroyScore:  35 out of 50 -- aka 70, a C

Random Taste for Thursday 2/16/17

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

 here's the SIXTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Lester's Diner 
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade for those who don't know)
Appetizer:  Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Main:  Chicken Croquettes
Side(s):  Mashed Potatoes and Spinach Escarole (instead of the broccoli I had ordered)
Dessert:  Sheet Cake
Server:   name not gotten but she had a super long braid so you'll recognize her if you go
Website:  n/a
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lestersdiner/
Sometimes you go to a diner for the atmosphere ... and sometimes you go for the food ... and in rare circumstances, you're lucky enough to do it for both.  For this particular local landmark with a Greek flavor (as so many diners are), it's the first one in that list that rang the most true for our party (family was in town, so we were a group of five showing up before the 7pm specials started [although they let us order from that menu all the same]).  The vibe was great ... the vittles not so much (although it is possible that maybe I just ordered wrong).  As for where they ended up on the Troy-score, see below:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (it's exactly what you want in a 24 hour diner, with an extra big room off the back from the main booths ... and you have to walk past amazing desserts on display to get there ... plus there was an outside area [although it was too chilly for it to be used that night] ... as for our group of five [again, family was visiting], we ended up in one of those big corner round tables with a circular booth that celebrities normally sit in [and see an actual celebrity sighting from that night below] ... and, as an added benefit, the big room in the back is decorated with large photos of famous people artfully presented in such a way that you can play "who's that famous silhouette?" whilst waiting for your food) 

FOOD:           5/10 (if I were to follow the maxim of "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all", the only thing I'd be mentioning in this section is the homemade chicken noodle soup -- oh so fresh and flavorful as it was ... but alas, I have committed to documenting my point deductions in a fair and judicious matter -- so ... a point lost for the overall appearance of my main dish [although those croquettes were jam packed when broken up, as seen in one of the photos], a second point lost for gummy potatoes, a third point lost because I got tricked into having TWO orders of gummy potatoes [more to come about that], a fourth point lost because they ran out of my original side order and served the mushy escarole instead ... and a fifth and final point lost because that sheet cake sure did look pretty but sure was awfully dry)

SERVICE:      8/10 (it's funny in that as the evening wore on, we grew to like the waitress more and more ... but it was definitely a case of her winning us over with her sparkling and engaging personality and not so much because of her serving skills ... a point is being subtracted for her biggest error, which was letting me choose one of my two sides as mashed potatoes even though the dinner I ordered was served on top of a scoop of mashed potatoes ... I can't not blame HER for me having that double order ... a second point is lost in this category for a hostess who refused to smile)

BACON:         9/10 (one better be able to get bacon at a 24 hour diner that serves breakfast all the time along with all the other classic diner fare, and this place did not disappoint ... with 18 references to it on the Facebook version of the menu, that's half a point for each call-out to bacon on whichever menu item it might appear ... including an entry under the section MEAT called "bacon sandwich")

BONUS:         6/10 (+3 for the Jackie Mason sighting [captured below] and +3 for being open 24 hours)

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

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 12/1/16

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

Establishment:  Burger 21
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  fountain Sproke (half Sprite, half Coke)
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  The OMG! (add fried egg ... or don't)our double-stacked burger, lettuce, tomato, red onion, applewood-smoked bacon, American, cheddar or Swiss cheese, toasted brioche bun
Side(s):  Cheese and Ale Fries
topped with chopped bacon & fresh scallions
Dessert:  Bananas Foster shake (minus a banana or two)
Server:  Janice (more of an order taker as it was counter service style)
Website:  https://www.burger21.com/locations/ft-lauderdale/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/b21ftlauderdale/

Long before the 50 Tastes of Florida, there was the Burger Quest ... me going to all the "best burger" restaurants across the country as picked by Zagat in 2013 (or 2014?), so it's no surprise that a few of the tastes in this countdown have happened at burger joints.  The latest was this week, an expanding chain (possibly in your state), that started in Tampa FL from the owners of The Melting Pot fondue dynasty.  The name comes from the fact that there are 20 burgers (not all meat based) on their menu PLUS a rotating special that is the 21st one.  To see how they scored on the Troy scale, check out what follows:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (kudos for the clever "B something" slogans on the walls [known as their B-isms] and I do so love me a booth that is comfy and spaced properly for adults at which to eat, so I was happy with the seating arrangements ... although with super high ceilings and super bright lights everywhere, the feeling was more clinical than comfy [those booth cushions notwithstanding] so a point lost ... and a second point lost because, a full 90 minutes prior to close, the employee started "pre-close" procedures of stacking chairs in the back of the space ... which wasn't big enough to go unnoticed -- that activity just throws off the vibe of enjoying the meal, especially when executed so far away from closing time)
FOOD:            7/10 (without a doubt the main feature of the burger was indeed the star and looked beautiful all stacked so nicely upon delivery, and it passed my test of being a sandwich you don't put down once you start, even if the juices go running down your arm ... sadly, though, I had ordered a fried egg add on and the kitchen ignored that part of the order [a point lost], and that cheese and ale sauce was 90% ale and only 10% cheese, such that it was a liquid into which fries were dipped and wetted instead of the classic consistency of something that could be dumped on the fries [so another point lost] and the shake, although good in its own right, was shorted one of its banana components because they had run out [so a third point lost])
SERVICE:      10/10 (it is really a shame that the overall experience didn't match the level of service, which was on point from start to finish ... which included the order taker who took the time to explain the "concept", and the shake maker who upgraded the size of the dessert upon discovering the lack of banana, and the person who I think might have been the manager who offered to bring me out a fried egg right away upon being told it was missed [except I had already had a few bites of the sandwich, so that opportunity had passed] and then reacted to that by slipping our table coupons to be used at a return visit ... and even when they weren't directly interacting with us, they were chatting with every guest and smiling and laughing and having a good time [except the manager, who chose not to smile during our encounter for some reason])
BACON:         5/10 (although the menu at a place like this that lets you add bacon "at will" would normally result in a perfect score ... there is nothing more frustrating than seeing the bacon in the ale sauce that you know should be on your fries but you can't make it stick to them because the viscosity was all wrong ... I'm tempted to wipe out all the bacon points for being forced to throw bacon away ... but instead I'll just do that to half)
BONUS:         7/10 (+3 for that stacked burger seeing as how I am particularly fond of the burgers, +3 for the "sauce bar", which included the regular mayo and ketchup but also had things like roasted marshmallow [for the sweet potato fries] and chipotle mayo and apple cider sauce and +1 for being a place to which we will return if only because I have those "sorry about your fried egg" coupons to use)

TroyScore:  37 out of 50 -- aka 74, a solid C

Random Taste for Thursday 9/29/16

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

Establishment:  Tropics Piano Bar and Restaurant
Location:  Wilton Manors
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Coca-cola
Appetizer:  Stuffed Mushrooms
stuffed with andouille sausage
Main:  Shrimp Bercy
jumbo shrimp dipped in flour and egg then pan sautéed in a white wine parsley lemon butter sauce served over angel hair pasta
Side(s):  Hot Cross Bun
Dessert:  Key Lime Pie
Server:  Giovanni aka "Gio"
Website:  http://www.tropicswm.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/tropicspianobar/

According to a sign by the door, this establishment is itself a historical building for the island city of Wilton Manors, and according to a lot of recent press, it's a place that is a work in progress after a recent change in ownership (the third just since we made the big move here).  And the bottom line is that there IS still work to be done ... as to how those negatives affected the score, see below:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (currently, the immediate vibe that is being throwing off is "hotel bar and restaurant" ... which isn't necessarily good or bad, but just an observation ... the lights are dimmed enough to make a person turn down the brightness on the old cell phone to avoid getting stares, and we were lucky enough to be eating during a piano playing session -- two rooms away so it wasn't overwhelming but was just nice background music ... a point is lost because the booth bankettes are too loose so that it's a luck of the draw as to whether the person behind you is one who moves around a lot and shakes the whole seat and a second point is lost because clearly some degree of updating still needs to be done)
FOOD:            7/10 (in descending order from best to worst -- the refreshing key lime pie [with sliced almonds that we first thought was coconut], then the shrimp bercy in a very light yet flavorful sauce [my first bercy, which is apparently an established french sauce], then the giant stuffed shrooms [which seemed like maybe they were frozen pre-fab and not homemade, so a point lost] and finally the rolls and spreadable whipped butter substitute [which came three in a basket for a table of two ... so we had to fight over who got the extra roll, so another point lost] ... plus, as much I liked my shrimp, they arrived with the tails on ... disguised in the breading and the dimmed light, which resulted in a final point lost)
SERVICE:      8/10 (the actual server did fine ... and the person whom we think was the owner/manager stopped by all the tables to say hello .. but a point lost for a missing host at the stand when we first arrived, and a second point lost because the owner/manager [dressed casually] didn't introduce himself as such, although we're pretty certain that's who he was ... [also see the bonus section below for one additional comment])
BACON:         6/10 (indeed, the menu has it in the usual places [burgers, salads, etc], but I didn't see it used creatively anywhere in any other dishes [I wouldn't have minded some in my bercy sauce, unless that would violate all things French] ... so just a few points off in this essential [to me] category ...)
BONUS:         6.5/10 (+3 for dealing well with a service escalation in that the other party in our group did not like the prime rib special and made it known as such, resulting in a return visit from the owner/manager guy, and +3 for, in the end, agreeing that we'd keep it on the bill because the boys would enjoy it [see photo below] and, for the first time in this series, a half point for being a place to which we *likely* return, if only because we believe in the commitment that the new management has to turning things around)

TroyScore:  35.5 out of 50 -- aka 71, a low C

Random Taste for Thursday 9/8/16

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

NOTE:  This establishment qualified for the REDEMPTION ROUND in 2017.   

Look for the updated "taste" here:  

https://50tastesofflorida.blogspot.com/2017/03/random-taste-for-thursday-33017.html

Establishment:  Miller's Ale House
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Lunch on Labor Day
Drink:  Dr. Pepper and two sips of a Pepsi
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Zinger® Mountain Melt
medium garlic Zingers® piled over crispy fries and smothered with melted Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon and green onions.Side(s):  Ranch Dressing
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Corey
Website:  https://millersalehouse.com/locations/ft-lauderdale/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Millers-Ale-House-181208372285760/

Full disclosure -- this was the FIRST time I set foot inside this particular (mostly) Florida chain of ale houses (as is required to be included in this series), but with 75 locations now all over this state and a few others, it is also very likely that I was once inside one of the Orlando editions of this business (because I'm pretty sure it's down the road from our corporate call center where I met a work colleague for appetizers a few years ago).  I was tempted by the menu to order the OssoBuco (pic below), but then the more I looked at it, the more it reminded me of a human heart, so I had to pass.  See here for how the food I DID order led to the score below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (I like walking in a place and the first impression I get is how I had no idea it would be soooo big and this was one of those places, with a big big bar in the middle and full dining rooms on either side of it ... as a sports bar, it had the requisite team things hanging all around ... and I was especially happy to see booth after booth after booth [I love me a booth] ... and there was a mini-arcade with a pool table and a Golden Tee to help promote the "bar" side of the "bar" restaurant ... a point lost for there being more TVs than customers [although the holiday might have had something to do with that)
FOOD:            6/10 (in the spirit of that full disclosure I mentioned above, this meal was eaten after a night out of bar crawling, so that may have affected my taste buds ... but a point lost for a registered item called a zinger [breaded chicken strips] that, quite simply, didn't have any "zing" ... another point lost for fries that just didn't seem like they were cooked all the way through [especially those underneath the zingers] ... a third point lost for there not being more zingers on the dish ... and a final point lost because you're always going to lose a point with me if you chose to serve Pepsi [boo!] over, Coke [yay!]
SERVICE:      9/10 (we actually met the server at the door, which he held open for us ... and I'm not sure if that was protocol or just coincidence and he was checking the weather right when we walked in ... for someone having to work on the holiday, he was very friendly and very smiley and joked about pulling up a plate to join us so he only gets a point docked because he free-refilled my Dr. Pepper with a Pepsi ... of note, when I pointed out the error, he immediately apologized and fixed it)
BACON:         9/10 (I found seven references on the online menu ... and I appreciate that the place is very versatile with its uses ... on top of fries, added to burgers and sprinkled on salads .. just a point lost because, as you can see from the picture of my main dish, it could have used a bit more of those applewood smoked bacon crumbles)
BONUS:         6/10 (+3 for keeping the pesky kids away from the pool table [only those 21 and over are permitted to play, according to a sign on the wall] and a +3 for having helpful checks that included the total of the bill divided by the number in your party so you didn't have to do any math)

TroyScore:  39 out of 50 -- aka 78, a high C

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 6/23/16

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

ADMIN NOTE:  This location is now closed.

Establishment:  Spring Chicken
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner (although they called it Supper, 'cause they're Southern like that)
Drink:  Cherry (Coke+Sprite)
equal parts Cherries Coke and Sprite
Appetizer:  Mama's Biscuit
Our Yardbird Award-Winning Homemade Biscuit, Baked Fresh Daily (with Honey Butter and Strawberry Jam)
Main:  The Yardbird Sandwich
Award-Winning Crispy Chicken Thigh, House Pickles, Southern Sauce, Served on a Toasted Potato Bun
Side(s):  House Fries AND the "add a drumstick" option
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Kayla (although it is counter style, so she was more of just an order taker)
Website:  http://eatspringchicken.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/eatspringchicken

There are chicken places for those pinching pennies (KFC) and there are chicken places for those of a particular demographic (Popeye's and Church's).  There are chicken places for those looking to send a portion of their personal budget by way of franchise fees to bigots (yep, we have a Chick Fil A in town) ... and NOW, in southern Florida, there are chicken places inspired by local restaurants.  Such is the Spring Chicken franchise (spun off from the Yardbird), and such is the place that JUST opened up here in town.  For the first time in this series ... a score at a BRAND NEW eating establishment ... a score that breaks down as follows:

AMBIANCE:   7/10 (when we first moved to town a year and a half ago, it was a bank ... and now it's one of what will be four fast casual locations down here ... the grand opening was just a few weeks ago, and the place looks bright and beautiful, crisp and comforting... so bright, there's a point lost for not installing shades for the setting sun that hits the seating area right at meal time [I ended up wearing my sunglasses to eat] ... and a second point lost for a parking lot where the people who drew up the lines partitioning cars forgot to account for the fact that a car door has to open after it is in its spot ... and a third point lost for serving blue plate dinners on blue melamine plates as shtick, but re-using them, which seems odd in a fast casual setting)
FOOD:            7/10 (I don't think there is any dispute that the chicken itself was "quality" but it really comes down to how I *wanted* to like it much more than I actually did ... although the sandwich was tasty enough, specifically there's a point lost for honey butter served cold so it couldn't be spread on the flaky biscuits [a pet peeve of mine] ... a point lost for a breading I just didn't enjoy on that drumstick [no offense to Llewellyn, but I wanted it firmer and crispier and I got it a little soggy and overly peppered] and a point lost overall for failing the adage about how if you pay more, you're going to get a better meal)
SERVICE:      8/10 (because it's a counter service construct, our "server" was really our order taker ... and God bless her ... although she was polite and efficient, she was stuck on auto-pilot and even apologized for "listening, but not really listening" -- for which a point is deducted ... and, because we forgot to order the biscuits the first time, I went back in line and got her again and even though having just ordered a few moments before, she didn't remember we had been through the line until I brought it up when I said I didn't need another "pager" -- for which a second point is deducted)
BACON:         5/10 (it IS on the menu, but only once ... maybe it wouldn't be staying true to the place's authentic southern roots ... but I know my sandwich could have done a lot better with a little bit of bacon love)
BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for those award winning biscuits though, +3 for having a make-your-own-Coke machine and +3 for that sauce station in the photo replete with homemade sauces)

TroyScore:  36 out of 50 -- aka 72, a low C