Random Taste for Thursday 4/13/17

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

 here's the FOURTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

ADMIN NOTE:  This location is now closed.

Establishment:  Sublime Restaurant and Bar 
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Grapefruit Mule
(tyler's of london gin, giffard pamplemousse, fresh grapefruit juice, ginger beer)
Appetizer 1:  Polenta Herb Fries
Appetizer 2:  Soup of the Day
(potato corn chowder)
Appetizer 3:  Pretzel Dip Medley
(soft pretzel, roasted tomato hummus, caramelized onion dip, key lime mustard)
Main:  Mushroom Ravioli
(housemade, filled with cashew cream, slow-roasted tomato butter sauce, basil)
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  Chocolate Nirvana
(chocolate cake, kahlua butter creme, dark chocolate ganache)
Server:   Jennifer
Website:  http://www.sublimerestaurant.com/home.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sublimerestaurant/

In light of all of the pictures previously posted in this series that were meat-focused -- not to mention the fact that there is a whole category worth 20% of the overall score dedicated to the presence of bacon in the meal or on the menu -- one might be surprised that tonight's Taste is a VEGAN restaurant.  First, it might just represent a glimpse into the future, as I will one day be at the very least a vegetarian, what with how confident I feel that we are living in apocalypse adjacent times (whether zombie, armageddon or a second term of Trump) during which I will not be able to kill animals for food myself in order to survive.  Or maybe it was just that a college friend was in town who had dietary restrictions and it was the proper host-move to find an eating establishment that honored such requests.  Regardless of the reason, see how the Troy-score came together below: 

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (after so many strip mall restaurants [a regular thing down here in Florida], it was nice to set foot inside a large building dedicated to a number of different nooks and niches to enjoy a quality meal -- from the separate dining room with the waterfall windows [see photo] to the bar area with its row of booths [you know I love me a booth] to what I can only assume is a private dining room for all the celebrities that give testimonials on the website ... plus there's a great big parking lot in the back that abuts one of the many Ft Lauderdale waterways replete with ducks who probably know that they'll never be slathered in an orange sauce for hanging out nearby)

FOOD:           9/10 (as a well documented carnivore, the question was really one of "would a meat-eater miss the meat in the meal"  -- and the answer was a semi-resounding "not so much!" ... admittedly, I chose my menu items very carefully [you can't go wrong with ravioli!] so as not to have to evaluate meat-substitutions [although shout out to the sublime picatta ordered by my tablemate and pictured below, which served its purpose well enough] ... and I enjoyed every bite I put in my mouth -- from those polenta fries to that amazing dessert ... the one point deduction is just for a general comment that sometimes it felt like the emphasis was on finding a textural substitute over a flavorful one)

SERVICE:      9/10 (our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and either knew the answer to my tablemate's questions or returned with the information if she didn't AND she willingly became photographer when we asked her to capture our college reunion in a photo ... the only reason that there is a single point deduction is because her attention to our experience seemed to wane slightly toward the end of the evening -- perhaps because she got busier or maybe because we were taking our time with the meal seeing as how we were catching up after a twenty year lag in face to face interactions)

BACON:         5/10 (oh the dilemma ... how exactly does one provide a score in the bacon category for an eating establishment that clearly wants all pigs to live free from any future bacon status? ...  we're going to do so by splitting the difference and awarding half the points in recognition of its mission statement that puts 100% of its profits to support animal welfare ... or, if nothing else, you can consider those five to be guilt points)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for having that aforementioned key lime mustard sauce, which was both a nice nod to soflo living and indicative of how seriously they take their mission statement seeing as how they believe that bees should be able to keep their own honey, +3 for those pretzels though -- as I could have made a whole meal of just them and their sauces, +3 for not being afraid to pipe a nearly subliminal message style song about washing your hands into the restrooms [you had to be there], and +1 for being a place to which we will return the next time someone visits with a similar culinary POV [we've already returned once to purchase a gift certificate for a housewarming gift for just such a friend])

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

Random Taste for Thursday 4/6/17

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

 here's the THIRTEENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Rendez-vous Bakery and Bistro 
Location:  Oakland Park
Meal:  Lunch
Drink:  Coke (in a can) with a slice of Lemon (on the glass)
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Poulet Cordon Bleu Panini
(Breaded chicken, ham, swiss cheese, mustard a la ancienne spread)
Side(s):  Bag o chips
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   We didn't get his name ... 'cause he kind of abandoned us (see more below)
Website:  http://rdvbakery.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RDVBakery/

Counting the original 50 Tastes from 2016, in 62 meals at (mostly) SoFlo eating establishments, we've never ever eaten at a place that scored a D.  Sadly, number 63 was that place -- and all because it was the worst service we experienced since this all started (in that category, we've never ever given less than a 7 ... until now).  To share in our disappointment, see below for this record-breaking (in all the worst ways) Troy-score:    

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (giving credit where credit is due -- the place is pretty darn cute ... from the outside where it kind of looks like a fancy barn in the countryside to the different sections inside where it seems like they might have expanded over time to a patio area for outdoor bistro-ing ... and you might be able to see it in the accompanying photo, but the pièce de résistance is the pastry bin and dessert cooler underneath the shingles that serve to transport the indoor customer to a market booth in the old country).

FOOD:           9/10 (it was lunchtime in a bistro, and I chose chips instead of salad or fries [the latter of which I could have gotten for a four dollar upcharge -- so I'm guessing that maybe they call in the night shift for extra help when that side gets chosen during the day?], so I guess I can't complain too too much about the bag of chips thrown on the plate ... but I'm still going to deduct a point for the financial disincentive regarding the "french" fries ... as for the panini, though, it was perfectly crispy on the outside and perfectly gooey on the inside, and those chicken tenders made it perfectly meaty for a healthy hearty lunch)

SERVICE:      2/10 (there was a sign on the door when we arrived that said something to the effect that the management was hiring servers, and I have to hope that the one we got on our lunch visit was either so brand new that he hadn't completed training yet OR that he was waiting to leave employment as soon as his replacement was hired ... of course, it might have been that he was just super chill and super laid back or super not into lunch shifts, but he was a super disappointment ... our order was taken and our food was delivered after a bit of a lengthy wait, so the bare minimum expectations were met [hence the 2 points in this category] -- but the food took forever to arrive and we were ignored at the end of the meal ... after saying he'd return with the check, we waited a good 15-20 minutes while he did side-work in front of us and ignored us, prompting us to get up and say how "we'd really like to leave but we'd also like to pay first" ... our "honey badger don't care" waiter was so ingrained in not caring, that it was only when we made a small scene in front of the other diners [of which there were only two or three other tables, so it wasn't that things were crazy busy or anything] that the other server on staff that day helped us get a check so we could pay and leave) 

BACON:         6/10 (bacon appeared to be on the lunch menu three times in various dishes -- a hot sandwich, a panini and a pasta dish ... but can you imagine how much better my Poulet Cordon Bleu Panini would have tasted if I could have added bacon [although I probably would have been shocked at the upcharge based on how they calculated the cost of dropping some potato pieces in the fryer ...])

BONUS:         7/10 (+3 for acknowledging that maybe we should have focused on the bakery and dessert items ... or come for dinner instead of lunch, +3 for the guests with whom we shared this experience [the long lost nephew and the mother were both in town and joined in on this meal], and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return because surely better servers have been hired by now and this low score can be redeemed in the future)

TroyScore:  34 out of 50 -- aka 68, a D

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 12/15/16

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

WINNER BEST OF 2016 FOR APPETIZER
HONORABLE MENTION BEST OF 2016 FOR DRINK
HONORABLE MENTION BEST OF 2016 FOR DESSERT

Establishment:  The Spillover
Location:  Coconut Grove
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  A Mead Flight
one each flavored with fig, coffee, chili and "blod"
Appetizer (see below):  BBQ Gator Ribs
two (or three) fall-off-the-bone gator ribs from Clewiston, Florida, slow roasted for 2 1⁄2 hours then finished on the grill with our soon to be famous honey BBQ sauce, served with brussel sprouts and asparagus
Main:  Bababooey Burger (yes, *that* bababooey, as you can see in the photo below)
ground in-house beef burger topped with brie, caramelized apples, cinnamon butter, grilled onions, crispy bacon and honey mustard, served on a challah bun
Side(s):  Fries
Dessert:  Mrs. McHugh’s Banana Créme Pie
homemade crème pie made with vanilla beans, a walnut and graham cracker crust, topped with bananas, whipped cream, caramel sauce and dusted with bittersweet chocolate
Server:  Tina (whom I believe was officially Christina, according to the receipt)
Website:  http://spillovermiami.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/spillovermiami/

When I started this series at the beginning of this year, I set the expectations that most of the establishments would be in the tri-county area (defined as Palm Beach, Broward and Dade), but the reality has been that the overwhelming majority of places have been immediately in and around the FTL here in Broward.  Recently, I finally faced the unknowns of Miami (will I95 be drivable?  where will I park?  will the restaurant be too "hip" for this middle aged eater?) ... and I'm most certainly glad that I did.  Full disclosure:  for this meal, I was the guest of the sister of one of the owners, as the sister was a former college classmate of mine in town on vacation -- a factor which did NOT influence the high Troy-score, as you can see below:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (options make the world go round ... and this establishment had multiple choices ... an outdoor patio type set up out in an open mall courtyard environment, tables in the front near the bar, and a few privacy tables further back the hallway [which is what our party chose to advance our main goal of conversating] ... the feature of our area was a large floor to ceiling reproduction on the wall that kept us guessing throughout the meal as to its origin [the answer to which was that it was a still from the first bilingual seventies TV show 'Que Pasa', quite fitting for the Miami area])
FOOD:            10/10 (where to begin ... seeing as how every bite [and every sip] was delicious ... from the variety of additives in the honey-sweetened mead drinks [as pictured] to the sauced up ribs of the alligator [which our party ordered as an appetizer and shared, because the chalkboard countdown told us that there were still some available, what with only 15 being prepared daily] to the juicy burger with a surprisingly sweet combination of ingredients that came together like a gourmet applesauce as a condiment to the fries with their surprise secret coating [I promised not to tell -- but it *wasn't* ranch dressing mix, like the other entry in this series with a surprising fry taste] to that bananarific dessert ... note that I got to taste my tablemates' dishes of crab cakes and jumbalaya, so they are also pictured)
SERVICE:      10/10 (extra bubbly, super cheerful, and well informed -- for what more could one ask? ... we apparently managed to order just about everything that was also her favorite ... at one point in the process, the cynic in me did wonder if she was just practicing good server protocol in endorsing whatever decisions the guest made, but the final verdict as discussed by our group was that she was being sincere and it was just a coincidence ... PLUS every single employee who passed by the table did so with a smile and, as appropriate, with a polite request to clear any items)
BACON:         8/10 (bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon ... that's one mention for each of the *four* times my favorite ingredient was listed on the menu -- including on my burger ... that being said, it wasn't necessarily presented in any exciting or inventive ways, so this category will be the only one without a perfect score)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for the way those meads made me happy, +3 for that dessert of Mrs. McHugh's [purportedly shared, but I don't think anyone else at our table really had more than one forkful], +3 for urinal cakes with Justin Bieber's face on them [not pictured in this blog ... although they were posted on the FB the night of the meal] and +1 for being a place to which we will return the next time we venture toward Miami -- and by that time, this growing empire might just include more establishments than the three currently in existence)

TroyScore:  48 out of 50 -- aka 96, a high A

Random Taste for Thursday 11/17/16

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

WINNER BEST OF 2016 FOR SIDE

Establishment:  Temple Street Eatery
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  fountain Sproke (half Sprite, half Coke)
Appetizer:  Wonton Tacos
poached shrimp, guacamole, lettuce, gochujang cream, pineapple salsaAppetizer 2:  Buddha Mix (one of each dumpling)
ground chicken, onion, napa cabbage AND ground pork, napa cabbage AND minced shrimp, house seasoning AND edamame, carrot, vermicelli noodle, baby bok choy, tofu
Main:  Bibimbap Rice Bowl
choice of rice, inari, mushroom, pickled vegetables, scallion, marinated bean sprout, fried egg, gochujang sauce
Side(s):  Brussels Sprouts
(it was the special, so the menu description wasn't available, but there were apples and red onions mixed in)
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  the order taker's receipt says Jeff L, but I doubt that was *her* name
Website:  http://templestreeteatery.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TempleStEatery

The older I get, the more I love me a Buddha ... not for any religious reasons, but because there's something about the smiling bald big-eared round face that reminds me of ... ME!  This particular establishment offers up affordable options with Chinese, Vietnamese and Latin influences and is a companion to the well known long established Christina Wan's "four star" dining nearby.  To see how what is only the second Asian influenced taste fared in the Troy-score, see below:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (outdoor seating was an option [even if it was next to a busy parking lot], and the interior was clean and bright and welcoming and full of nice touches like the Buddha faces everywhere and the happy cat with the waving paw at the drink station ... and the best part may have been how busy it was [without a slowdown in service], because there's nothing more encouraging than knowing you are eating somewhere loved by many)
FOOD:            8/10 (the place has a mission statement of bringing "comfort foods ... with the affordability of street food" and every bite made me feel more and more comfortable at the choice we made for this particular taste ... and although there were little things that I wish would have been different [the edges of the brussels dish were cold, the dumplings were delicious but so small, the fried egg didn't ooze like we wanted], the flavors were so strong and tasty on each item that I'll lump my mini critiques all into representing just one point lost ... and a second point is lost because I was excited to eat my first bibimbap, but disappointed because I thought a key identifier was a crunchy crusty fried rice bottom that wasn't a part of this particular presentation) 
SERVICE:      9/10 (with it being a counter service location, there are usually limited opportunities to interact with staff, but I do believe we managed to see almost every employee ... from the order taker to the food deliverers [items came out as they were ready, so we had three rounds -- each from a different person], and every employee was happy and smiley and friendly and able to answer questions ... just a point lost because they use one of those modern ipad programs that pushes the tip a little too hard during the checkout process, which seemed out of place for a counter service style that had a giant tip jar right next to said machine -- which is where I tipped, btw)
BACON:         9/10 (even though the word bacon wasn't on the menu ... the next best thing *was* AND it's visible as items added on to the bibimbap in the main photo -- so there's three points a piece awarded for those delicious pork belly chunks)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for the variety of all the sauces, +3 for a quick turnaround from the kitchen despite it being busy, +3 for taking the time to present the food attractively and +1 for being a place to which we will return as there are more menu items to try and because everyone loves a little comfort every now and then)

TroyScore:  46 out of 50 -- aka 92, a low A

Random Taste for Thursday 11/10/16

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

Establishment:  Howie's Top Dog
Location:  Davie
Meal:  (celebration) Lunch
Drink:  bottle of Coke
Appetizer:  n/a
Main #1:  Chicago Dog
mustard, onion, relish, pickle, tomato, sport pepper and celery salt
Main #2:  Italian Beef
wet
Side(s):  Cheese Fries
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Howie himself
Website:  http://www.howiestopdog.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/HowiesTopDog

Remember when the Cubs won the World Series (a game we watched at last week's 43rd taste)?  Yeah, so the day after we decided that a perfect way to celebrate over lunch would be in a Floridian Chicago style eatery ... and that's how we ended up at this place.  (Note ... keep an eye out for the guy out on the main road holding the arrow sign, because the other signage is easily missed.)  Admittedly we were on a World Series win high, but this authentic eatery almost got itself the first ever perfect score in this countdown ... except for the fact that he's only open Mon - Sat from 10:08 AM - 3:57 PM (not a typo ... those are the actual official hours) and so we're limited in how frequently we can eat there ... take a look at the nearly perfect score (and count the number of times that the word "authentic" is used) below:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (don't let the parking lot and outer appearance of the mall scare you off ... because once you get inside, it's clean and bright and cozy ... sure, it's basic tables and chairs in front of a counter where you order, but this is all about the Chicago food, as the skyline on the wall lets you know ... sometimes simple is just the right fit for presenting something authentic representing classic midwest lack-of-attitude)
FOOD:            10/10 (everything tasted like home ... where home was defined as where we lived for a dozen years prior to the big move to Florida ... so of course it was delicious ... and that's because it was authentic, since Howie imports his foodstuff right down to the Vienna beef underneath all of those Chicago specific toppings [including the bright green relish] ... even the fries were perfectly crunchy with just the right amount of the melted sauce)
SERVICE:      10/10 (there may have been two ladies behind the counter, but we're not sure if they were in training because they did nothing other than handle the cash when we paid ... because Howie himself took over and kept the conversation going -- especially after we started talking all things Chicago ... AND he went out of his way to keep on chatting and to invite us back in an authentically friendly way)
BACON:         10/10 (just because it wasn't on the Chicago authentic sandwiches pictured doesn't mean it wasn't a choice to be added to burgers and such ... plus you can do EXTRA bacon for just a dollar [yes please] and you can get it wrapped around your hot dog and deep fried ... so yeah, they get it)
BONUS:         7/10 (+3 for all the Chicago vibes everywhere, +3 for a creative extra menu of "specials" for those who want to try something beyond the basic items, and +1 for being a place to which we will return because we appreciate authenticness and because we'll want to feel like we're "home" again sometime soon)

TroyScore:  47 out of 50 -- aka 94, a solid A

Random Taste for Thursday 10/20/16

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

Establishment:  Blue Willy's BBQ
Location:  Oakland Park
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  can of Coke
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  2 Two Plate Combos (shared)
pulled pork and chicken on one and brisket and sausage on the other)
Side(s):  Greens and Slaw PLUS Pit Smoked Beans and Mac N Cheese AND pickles and onions AND Aunt May's Corn Bread
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Keesha (sp?)
Website:  not applicable
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Blue-Willys-Bbq-411201845667321/

Who knew BBQ was a Ft. Lauderdale thing?  This is the *third* such spot in this series ... but there would be many more if the "rules" weren't that we have to eat at places where we haven't eaten before to be included.  Another note -- it's well documented that the only way to eat at a place like this is to take extra people so that you can sample (almost) every type of meat and (almost) every side, which explains the two full meals in the photos.  One last note -- this place is known for being in a pastrami war with another bbq place previously reviewed, but it's only offered once a week, and it wasn't on the night we were there.  To see how it fared in the overall bbq scheme of things, see below:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (this particular location is relatively new, and it still shows ... and I've previously stated that I'm a fan of the limitless paper towels right on your picnic bench concept [see photo below] ... the music playing on the loudspeaker was an Eagles-ish kind of band that fit the environment [sadly there was no shazam to know exactly who it was] ... also it was actually a nice touch to be able to see one of the workers in the back room making the sides as we ate, confirming that they are indeed fresh) 
FOOD:            8/10 (here's the way it often works for these bbq joints ... they have to work extra hard in order to win across the board with meats, sides AND sauces ... here, the sides were the stars, and the meats were worthy companions [with great portion sizes all around] -- with a special shout out to the chicken skin -- but the sauces were a bit 'meh', so a point lost ... and not to beat a bad sauce down, but there was a white one that just didn't quite make sense [a little watery and a little too vinegary]  -- which is a second point lost)
SERVICE:      8/10 (as a counter service place, there's not a lot of interaction, but what there was was direct and to the point ... although there is a point docked because rib tips were the special of the day but they weren't allowed to be chosen as a meat on the combo plate, which made me sad ... and a second point lost because they ran out of the original specialty soda that my meal partner ordered)
BACON:         7/10 (bbq places and bacon don't always go together, although several previous bbq places on this countdown have found ways to score points in this category ... I kind of wished the greens HAD had some bacon in them, but I don't think they did ... all that said, there's a lot of the pig represented on the menu in other ways, so there are some points to be awarded in this oh so important category)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for the design of mistmatched chairs all along the picnic tables instead of benches, +3 for a really delicious corn bread that wasn't too sweet and didn't crumble when you ate it [corn bread pet peeves of mine], +3 for how quickly the food was served, and +1 for being a place to which we will return, because we can't stay away from those bbq establishments!)

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

Random Taste for Thursday 8/18/16

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

Establishment:  Pincho Factory
Location:  Pembroke Pines
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  (Maybe) Cherry Flavored Orange Crush
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Toston Burger (Add Patty)
two fried plantains as the "buns", then topped with jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and homemade cilantro sauce
Side(s):  Bacon Cheddar Ranch Fries
topped with chopped bacon, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing 
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Kieja (counter service)
Website:  http://pinchofactory.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pinchofactory

I'm growing fonder of these unique to southern Florida chains (six locations down here and one up in Orlando) and I feel like I might be getting in on what may one day be franchised across the country.  And this business model was interesting.  There were parts that reminded me of a Noodles-n-Company style set-up (choose a specific protein kebob [steak, chicken or shrimp], choose what you'll place it on [wrap, rice or salad], and choose a flavoring [from seven different styles] ... but then they also had quality burger, chicken and hot dog choices.  If you've been following along, you know it's rare that I'd pass up a burger .. and so despite the fact that the restaurant is literally named for their kebobs, it was one of those quality burgers that was the base for this particular score:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (it was bright, clean, open and welcoming ... and the Olympics were on the many TV screens ... plus it was getting close to closing time, and yet there was no pressure to speed up the meal ... as a matter of fact, folks continued to arrive to place orders even in the last half hour ... so no complaints here)
FOOD:            7/10 (the fries were perfectly topped with ranch and cheese AND bacon and were skinny and crispy and the burger was definitely of high quality, which is something that the establishment heavily promotes on its menu/website ... and the use of fried plantains instead of "buns" was something different -- I don't know that it added that much to the taste, but it certainly didn't detract from it ... where there is a point lost is that by the end of the burger, those plantains were breaking up into pieces and making it more of a challenge to keep a hold it ... also a point is lost for having a make-your-own-*Pepsi* machine [you know I like my Coke] and a final one is lost for that same machine that professed to be adding a cherry flavoring to my drink but that lied, as near as I could tell)
SERVICE:      9/10 (this was another counter service place [provide your order, get a number, take a seat and wait for delivery], but everyone with whom we interacted was smiling and friendly and a special shout-out to Kieja who was extra helpful and took time to explain the various options in the menu ... there was a bit of a wait for the food -- but no points are being docked because the food was of a quality to make the wait worth it ... there is one point lost for the size of the drink glass, which was practically a courtesy cup in our mega-gulp world)
BACON:         10/10 (it doesn't get any more simple than this ... the customer can get bacon added to any of the menu items -- burgers, chicken, hot dogs, fries ... you simply can't beat that)
BONUS:         7/10 (+3 for having an award recognized burger worthy of my other series on the Facebook [my burger quest based on the Zagat top 25 in the country list from a few years back], +3 for a well defined mission statement that is so bold as to be called a "pincho movement" and +1 for being a place to which we will return ['cause we didn't even get to try the actual pinchos {kebobs} yet])

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

Random Taste for Thursday 8/4/16

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

WINNER (TIE) BEST OF 2016 FOR OVERALL
WINNER BEST OF 2016 FOR DESSERT

Establishment:  Bonefish Mac's Sports Grille
Location:  Lighthouse Point
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Guinness (and a water)
Appetizer:  Crab'cargot
button mushroom caps in garlic butter
white wine sauce stuffed with [our] famous
crabcake mixture and topped with melted
Havarti and Mozzarella cheeses.
Main:  Salmon BLT
blackened salmon fillet, bacon, lettuce, tomato and [our] tasty tarragon mayo on toasted foccacio bread
Side(s):  Fresh (homemade) Potato Chips 
Dessert:  S'more Sundae
layers of graham crackers, chocolate ice cream, warm marshmallow sauce and hot fudge topped with mini-marshmallows and a fudge graham cookie
Server:  Lori
Website:  http://www.bonefishmacs.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BonefishMacs/?ref=page_internal

Giving credit where credit is due, this week's choice came about because a repeat of PBS' 'Check Please' was on Monday night and featured this particular establishment.  And boy was that a gift to us.  It's another one of those "local Florida chains" with four in the area, and it's not to be confused with the national chain Bonefish Grill (which ironically is right around the corner).  To see how it's in the running for one of the best places in this series this year, take a look at how its score came together:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (according to the aforementioned episode, the owners wanted to offer a place for everyone -- a game room for kids, a healthy beer selection for the guys, and many many salad choices for the ladies -- and they succeeded ... it's a big open plan with different sections [including one outside] ... and, being a sports grille, it's full of TV screens and other signage [including the fact that it's a Steelers bar, and as someone who grew up in central PA, that made me feel right at home])
FOOD:            9/10 (when it's as good as it was, it's even better when the portion sizes are supersized because that means there's even more of the goodness to go around ... from the very flavorful appetizer to the perfectly cooked salmon BLT [with an amped up mayo] to the side of homemade chips [also with a tasty dipping sauce] to that dessert [oh my that dessert], everything was delicious ... and I spied on every dish that passed by our table being delivered to others, and each one looked as mouth-watering as the next ... if there's a point to be lost, it's for the excess "grease" from the garlic butter white wine sauce/melted cheeses on the appetizer mushrooms)
SERVICE:      10/10 (our server set a new standard for excellence, and here's why -- every time she stopped by the table to check in, from beginning to end, it was as if we were just picking up on our ongoing conversation ... so casual yet also so proficient ... and although it was clearly busy, we never felt any of that stress ... she was knowledgeable and friendly and made a person feel happy to be there the whole time)
BACON:         10/10 (the interwebs say that there are 31 references to bacon on their menu ... 31! ... and you might not be able to see it from the picture since the bacon and the salmon had the same hue, but there was certainly no stinginess about putting it on my BLT ... I counted at least three, maybe FOUR long pieces)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for having tables that were on individual swinging platforms [even inside!], +3 for that s'mores sundae, +3 for the size of the portions of all of their dishes and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return because, after all, there are dozens of other dishes to be tried)

TroyScore:  49 out of 50 -- aka 98, the highest score granted in this series (this being only the second time that happened)