Random Taste for Thursday 4/20/17

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

 here's the FIFTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza 
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Late Lunch
Drink:  bottle of CocaCola
Appetizer:  Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese, small order (2)
(large meatballs slowly cooked in our tomato sauce)
Main:  Philly Cheesesteak Pizza
(thinly sliced top round, marinated & served with our caramelized onions)
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   Carrie
Website:  https://acfp.com/location/fort-lauderdale/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthonyscoalfiredpizza/

It only took five tries, but we finally found an Italian place that makes it into the A category -- although there's slight trickery involved.  We're a little behind this year, so this visit happened on April 27 and it's being slotted into the April 20 post but the score jumped ten points based on something it decided to do in June which I discovered when I wrote the post in early July.  If that's confusing to you -- no worries.  Just know that you the people are warned upon entry that the crust is only well done ('cause coal fired oven) and that all the details of how the original AND revised Troy-scores are calculated below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (our meal took place at an odd time -- in between the normal lunch rush and prior to the senior citizen supper hour, so the overall effect was that we were the only customers at one point ... that being said, it seemed like a place that could handle a bustling crowd, what with its outside patio seating, its open dining room full of tables and large open windows all around and its bar along the back wall for a slightly different experience ... plus the location is in a relatively recently built strip mall so everything still looks shiny and new ... just a point deduction because the layout allows for a take out order line where people waiting to get food to take home and eat pass the time watching YOU eat YOUR food)

FOOD:           8/10 (when you got a good thing, you got a good thing ... and Anthony has got himself at least two really good things -- MEATBALLS that are light and airy but dialed back in flavor a touch to let the SAUCE have the spotlight with its just right kick of spices that do not overwhelm and that make it almost downright drinkable ... I made sure that any extra was promptly placed on that pizza ... which could have used a more measured hand with the onion component [a point off] and which had the tasty crunchy base that was promised, making it more disappointing that the bread that came with the meatballs was a bit limp [the second point off])

SERVICE:      8/10 (our server was friendly and efficient and did exactly what you would want a server to do ... smile, take your order, check in after it's been delivered, provide take out boxes for anything you can't finish and take care of your payment ... that's exactly what happened ... just a one point deduction because of an oddity in that the pizza was ready before the main salad dish ordered by my tablemate and for a slightly longer wait at the end when it came to taking care of the check)

BACON:         5/10* (could it be that the special ovens can't handle bacon, despite there being options for those delicious meatballs and tons of sausage as toppings for just about every menu item ... luckily, there is a choice for prosciutto, so we can award half the points in this category as a consolation ... but I do have to wonder why Anthony doesn't like bacon ... *NOTE:  since the visit, it turns out that Anthony's launched a Bacon and Bourbon happy hour every Wednesday for the summer, which means this score can be upgraded to a full 10!)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for having a good mix of music playing but having the last song we heard on our way out be a ditty by Frank himself [if you can't figure out the last name, then you needn't bother stopping by], +3 for quality authentic super-flavorful not-just-lunch-meat roast beef and the best shredded mozzarella on the side of that aforementioned salad [see pic below], +3 for teaching a little geography on the chalkboards above the kitchen area featuring its other national locations [including past home states of PA and IL], and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return, where I just might order sauce with a side of sauce!)

TroyScore:  45 out of 50 -- aka 90, an A

Random Taste for Thursday 3/16/17

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

 here's the TENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Farmers' Market Restaurant 
Location:  Florida City
Meal:  Lunch
Drink:  (Pitcher!) of Coca-Cola Classic
Appetizer:  Fried Zucchini
Main:  Fried Fish Fingers
(Fresh catch ... which that day was dolphin fish)
Side(s):  Steak Fries and Cole Slaw
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   Karlene
Website:  n/a
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/floridacityfarmersmarketrestaurant/

This year, we are well on our way to beating last year's record number of diners in this series, and I'm happy to say that tonight I get to feature the highest scoring diner of the four so far this year, and the second highest of the ten diners since we started the very first taste so many months ago.  It might have been because family was in town ... or maybe it was excitement over the experience of the excursion at the national park from which we had just taken a break for lunch ... or maybe it was all because of Karlene ... but see how the Troy-score of only the second A so far this year came together below: 

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (I mean this in the best way possible ... but it didn't take me long to think of this place as the location in a Stephen King movie where all the surviving townfolk would gather to unite to fight whatever "big bad" was threatening them -- and they'd be damn sure fed well while they were there ... it was a big open room with lots of individual tables with various colored checkerboard tablecloths and it had a high ceiling with a natural light that came in through a row of windows, lighting up the wall mural of the cow driving the tractor ... the only point being taken off is for the public bathrooms that are right next to the restaurant with nonstop traffic and a bit of a public restroom smell that you had to navigate before you could have lunch)

FOOD:           9/10 (when you learned that the fish was swimming that morning and that the vegetables came from the farmers' market next door, it was no surprise that the taste of something as basic as dolphin fingers and fried zucchini was bumped up a notch ... and, from previous reviews in this series, know I wasn't going to pass up that fried zucchini, particularly when served as medallions ... and you can see from the photo that those steak fries were giant pillows of goodness, crunchy on the outside and practically mashed potatoes on the inside ... just a half a point off because the fries were missing salt and another half a point off for the homemade coleslaw, which was missing the tang that I prefer in that type of slaw)

SERVICE:      10/10 (I'm pretty sure that there may have been other employees working that day, but we were lucky enough to get Karlene -- and yes, she did make me think that she might have been related to the Jan Hooks character Carlene from 'Designing Women' and yes, we wish her service on every customer that comes through the door ... she had many talents, but I think the one that won me over was her ability to engage in an actual conversation without it feeling forced in any way -- she made it seem like she should have been in the other seat at the table as part of our party ... and the story was priceless about her having to explain to not-so-savvy customers that dolphin is a fish and not the actual dolphin and so an order of dolphin fingers did not mean that there were fingerless Flippers out there)

BACON:         7/10 (although none of my choices included bacon, it was indeed all over the menu in the breakfast and lunch sections ... it disappear from the dinner options, though, so we'll award 2/3 of the points in this category)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for all the delicious crunchies at the bottom of that basket of friend zucchini, +3 for Karlene [enough said], +3 for her not being afraid to bring over a whole pitcher of pop at the outset instead of just a glass 'cause she correctly guessed that I'd be drinking a refill or two and +1 for being a place to which we will return the next time we end up on the edge of Everglades National Park -- maybe even on all you can eat Wednesdays -- although then we'd probably skip the park and just hang out in the restaurant all day)

TroyScore:  45 out of 50 -- aka 90, an A

Random Taste for Thursday 10/27/16

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

HONORABLE MENTION BEST OF 2016 FOR AMBIANCE

Establishment:  World Famous Parrot Lounge
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  (Gametime) Dinner
Drink:  Bucket o Beer
(half Bud Light and half Yuengling Lager)
Appetizer(s):  Mozzarella Sticks; Chicken Quesadilla
sticks:  made here and breaded here; quesadilla:  a blend of jack and cheddar cheese in a flour tortilla
Main:  Philly Cheesesteak (on an Amoroso roll)
choice top round, sliced in house -- add 'shrooms and mayo
Side(s):  homemade kettle chips
Dessert:  soft pretzel AND a blue jello shot for each TD!
Server:  Amber
Website:  http://www.parrotlounge.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/World-Famous-Parrot-Lounge-138197609213/

In 2001, we moved from PA (where we grew up) to Chicago, where we lived for a dozen years.  We quickly discovered that one of the ways to beat the homesickness was to spend Saturday afternoons in the fall glued to the Penn State games -- and it helped that the BigTenNetwork had launched.  That tradition of becoming insta-fans of the team continued with the big move from Chicago to the FTL in early 2014.  Which is all the preamble to say that finding a place by the beach that is known as THE place to see all the games and getting to watch a night game there was extra special.  For it to have been the game where PState beat OState in an upset was extra *extra* special!  See how the establishment scored below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (outdoor seating ... with multiple TVs in sight ... just a block or two from the beach ... and a bucket of brew ... plus almost everyone -- customers and staff included -- dressed in your team's shirts [it's a Penn State bar!] ... what's not to like? ... well, other than the one old man who came up and introduced himself and asked us to watch his bag that he abandoned under the window while he disappeared for a bit [not cool, Anthony man, not cool -- it's the terrorist era and you dare not do that] ... so just one point lost for having to deal with old beach drunks [note that no one was harmed in this story, as the abandoned bag was reclaimed and did NOT blow up])
FOOD:            8/10 (what with eating while watching the game, this turned into a progressive meal of sorts, with something ordered after each quarter along the way ... and although it's a bar, the "bar food" was elevated -- with special kudos to the cheese stix ["homemade" and not just out of the bag] and the soft pretzel [reminding me of the Hills snack bar of my youth], an honorable mention to the philly steak sandwich [with fresh 'shrooms] ... not as successful were the queadillas [crunchy yes but melty cheese not so much] and the kettle chips [normally a favorite for me but they seemed a bit stale like maybe they were made the day before] -- so a point off for each of those)
SERVICE:      9/10 (there is none so worthy as the server who pulls the shift during the big game that has to deal with every kind of drunk ... and ours smiled the whole time, from kickoff to surprise win ... and her helpers stopped by once or twice to check in [and to deliver more ice to the beer bucket] and her busboy [who looked like he was ON the team a year or two ago] worked in the background without getting in the way ... just a point lost because of the "free" jello shots that were followed up shortly after by someone looking for donations [not that there's anything wrong with raising funds, just that the concept wasn't explained up front])
BACON:         9/10 (it's on the menu in all the right places -- added to the chicken sandwiches, to the burgers and to the salads ... for a perfect score in this category, why not add it to the list of possible additions to the philly cheese steaks and really start something special)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for bringing the Penn State pride, +3 for being so close to the beach, +3 for that bucket o beers money saving concept and +1 for being a place to which we will return, quite possibly for another night game in just a few weeks!)

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

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 6/16/16

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

WINNER BEST OF 2016 FOR MAIN

Establishment:  BC Cafe
Location:  Davie
Meal:  Sunday Brunch
Drink:  Bellini (not pictured)
prosecco sparkling wine and peach purée or nectar.
Dish 1:  bananas foster french toast (bottom left)
Dish 2:  chicken and waffles sliders (bottom right)
fried chicken, cheddar waffle, topped with cayenne maple syrup
Dish 3:  breakfast ramen (middle)
topped with pork belly, sausage, scallion pancake and sunny side up egg
Dish 4:  steakhouse eggs benedict (top left)
filet, creamed spinach, fried onion rings, black pepper bernaise
Dish 5:  breakfast burger (top right)
homemade beef patty, sweet potato pancake, fried egg, cheese, bacon
Server:  Oops ... didn't catch the name of the order taker or food deliverer (it was kind of counter service-ish)
Website:  http://www.bctacos.com/cafe/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BCTacos/

What can I say ... brunch works well for this series!  After sampling one of the award winning "best" last week, it was great timing to see a current New Times article promoting the ten "outrageous" brunches in the area.  This particular place was deemed "outrageous" because it permits its customers who can't decide which dish to order ... to get ALL of them (in half-portion size, for a reasonable price for parties of two).  As luck would have it, Sunday errands had us out in that part of the world, and so it was a perfect match to sample this location that ALSO has a well known food truck pushing tacos and burgers out and about.  Here's how and why they scored well:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (bright and colorful, with plenty of seating and parking [it is in the 'burbs, after all] -- it attracted a good mix of college kids, family folk coming right after church and a few of the drunks from the night before ... I can't think of a reason to dock a point)
FOOD:            7/10 (having the sampler, we got to taste half portions [those are only HALF portions!] of each of their five special brunch dishes ... which means I can actually consider all of them ... ranked, in order from super to oops:  the french toast [2 points!], the steakhouse eggs benedict [2 points!], the chicken and waffles [2 points!], the breakfast burger [1 point!] and the ramen [0 points!] ... the ramen might have been better except for a strange flavoring in the excessive broth, and the burger needed just a little more of "something something"
SERVICE:      9/10 (ordering at the counter and paying in advance as was the set up, there wasn't as much traditional service provided although, for sure, the person behind the counter was smiling and happy the whole time, and the person delivering the food seemed the same way ... just a point lost for a bussing incident at the table next to us when a guy took one of his children to the bathroom and his wife took the other child outside ... so the busser cleaned the table and discarded the fresh hot coffee the guy had just gotten ... the bin was literally steaming)
BACON:         9/10 (it may have only officially been in one of the five brunch dishes [the breakfast burger] ... but that ramen included pork belly ... which is like the forefather of all bacon ... and I confirmed that this place has several bacon options on its regular menu ... just a point lost because that pork belly was in the least successful of the dishes)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for all the smiles, +3 for the dessert goodies display, +3 for offering up a sampler platter for people like me and mine and +1 for being a place to which we will return -- if only to sample all the main dishes at non-brunch time)

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

Random Taste for Thursday 5/5/16

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

Establishment:  Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill
Location:  Oakland Park
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Frozen Tequila Sunrise Margarita with salted rim
Appetizer:  Chips and Salsa (and Guac)
Main:  Chicken And Steak Fajita
sauteed onions, green and red bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes with chicken and steak 
Side(s):  Tortillas, Cheese, Sour Cream and Pico de Gallo
Dessert:  Fried Ice Cream
Server:  Ali
Website:  http://tequilasunrise.us/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TequilaSunriseMexicanGrill/

Funny thing ... up until the afternoon of the day our party ate here (actually on cuatro de Mayo ... knowing full well that the post would show up on cinco), we were planning to eat at a different place (which may yet show up as one of the fifty, so I won't jinx it by naming it yet) only to find out that the other place was closed on Wednesdays (the day we were all meeting and eating).  And it's a good thing that happened, because this eating establishment ended up with one of the top three scores to date.  Here's how it got to that number:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (one of the great things about the place is that it filled up quickly, and yet it never felt crowded with it's bar, tables around it, a separate dining room area AND outdoor seating ... and it had [almost] everything you'd expect to find as decorations [except a Mexican blanket, which was a topic of the conversation at one point and so we were hoping to locate one hanging from the rafters] ... 
FOOD:            10/10 (my go-to at Mexican restaurants is the fajitas [what can I say?  I'm addicted to the sizzle] and the combo was well seasoned and extra tasty and there was enough to go around to fill FIVE tortillas ... then came the dessert, which I shared with the other three in our group [although they were restricted to just one spoonful apiece] ... I don't think a single person in our group left a morsel on their plates, which says a lot)
SERVICE:      10/10 (there's nothing but good things to say about the young woman who played the role of server ... seventeen weeks in to this series, and she's in the running for one of the best of the year so far ... she came across like she *wanted* to be there and that she *enjoyed* her job ... with a smile every step of the way, she hung back at the beginning to allow our party time to reconnect, was right on top of every step of the order taking process, stopped back just often enough during the meal, and chatted personally with our group for a few minutes at the beginning and the end of the experience without any sense of rushing)
BACON:         5/10 (this is the second Mexican restaurant in this series, and I'll say here what I said for the last one:  "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 and carnitas and such, the reality is that I didn't see a single reference to bacon on the menu ... out of sensitivity to the culture and because of the high scores in all the other categories, I'll put a few points on the board") 
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 again for the hospitality the server showed, +3 for having big-sized booths that comfortably fit four adults, +3 for the alcohol and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return)

TroyScore:  45 out of 50 -- aka 90, a low A (one of only three As given to date ...)