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

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 6/9/16

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

Establishment:  Bull Market (American bar and kitchen)
Location:  downtown Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Sunday Brunch
Drink:  Bullberry Lemonade
smirnoff citrus, smirnoff blueberry, orange liqueor, lemon-lime soda
Round 1:  fried chicken, sausage and biscuits and breakfast meats
Round 2:  fried chicken, home-fried potatoes, bacon and eggs and fresh pineapple
Round 3:  wafles and syrup, bacon, fresh watermelon and s'mores doughnut
Round 4:  bonus s'mores doughnut
Server:  Me!  ('cause it was buffet style!)
Website:  https://www.bullmarketbar.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/bullmarketfl/

For the second time in this series, it's buffet time!  So it seemed only right to visit an award winner for Best Brunch 2015 (although my comments below suggest that I clearly wasn't on the committee handing those out).  It reminded me a lot of Duffy's in Chicago (my most recent hometown for the last dozen years) -- in both good and bad ways.  Don't be alarmed by all the rounds -- the plates were on the small side (the better to control the hungry masses, I'm sure).  And once we get the whole bathroom controversy around the country worked out, let's next tackle the sexist drink specials, as seen in the shot from the menu.  As for the score, here's how things shook out: 

AMBIANCE:   6/10 (it's a fun area, is that Himmarshee Village ... with lots of people-watching opportunities ... plus with an outdoor seating option, we could get up close to all the interesting types and colorful characters passing by [and their little dogs too] ... a point lost for that 'hood being so hot and hip that parking is a challenge ... a second point lost for the douche parade [a bunch of people on loud bikes who seemed to get joy out of setting off all of the car alarms on the street as they passed] ... a third point lost for having a wobbly table that we had to fix ourselves ... and a final point lost for having to fight through throngs of drunk girls to get to the buffet)
FOOD:            5/10 (I feel it a little harder to judge a buffet ... what with food sitting in chafing dishes and what not ... but the bottom line is that I don't feel like the offerings are going to win any awards [ironically, they DID win one of the best brunches in town] ... to be fair, I did not sample a whole row of seafood [I just couldn't agree with having mussels with my waffles] ... but the demerits are as follows:  two points lost for dry tasteless chicken [I tried it twice in hopes that I just had grabbed a bad piece], another one lost for a second drink that was delivered that was supposed to be a duplicate of the first but tasted like a really bad clone that was missing ingredients, a point lost for biscuits that didn't get the memo that they were to "flake", and a final point lost for the staff having never refilled the sausage ... the best option was the freshly made mini-waffles, which I found too late in the cycle)
SERVICE:      7/10 (it might be hard to work the buffet shift, and I can only guess that the person tasked with monitoring our table was brand new on the job, but a point lost for waiting too long to have our order taken in the first place, another one for him walking back to the kitchen multiple times without a dirty plate, and a third one for how scared he was of the reservationist)
BACON:         9/10 (lookit -- it's dangerous to have a buffet with bacon when someone like me comes to visit ... so thanks for that ... if only there could have been some crisp pieces in amidst the ones drowning in grease [hence the point lost despite me having bacon during each and every round])
BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for that doughnut, though [so good I had to have two], +3 for the customer who answered me when I accosted him about where he got his waffles [I had missed the waffle station], and +3 for the way that first drink tasted)

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

Random Taste for Thursday 6/2/16

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

HONORABLE MENTION BEST OF 2016 FOR SERVICE

Establishment:  Grampa's Bakery and Restaurant
Location:  Dania Beach
Meal:  Sunday Brunch
Drink:  Coke (in a can) that turned into Barq's Root Beer (in a can) instead
Appetizer:  "Heaven on a plate"
complimentary pastry
Main:  French Toast
Side(s):  Bacon
Dessert:  Homemade Oreo Cookie Cheesecake
Server:  Annie
Website:  http://www.grampasbakery.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/grampasbakery/?ref=page_internal

For starters, let's just say that this is yet another place that was featured on 'Diners, Drive-ins and Dives' and that it comes Guy Fieri approved (which I think has now happened thrice in this series).  For in-betweens, let's just say that it was a restaurant that instantly felt like home because it automatically reminded me of a place where family members would fit in perfectly -- as employees.  For finishers, here's how this high score was earned:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (it's a diner ... and it feels like one in every best sense of the word ... despite a line on a Sunday afternoon, it was a line placed by the baked goods counters [which got people excited] and a line that moved super-fast ... plus there were bonus rooms fully in use and staff running everywhere [but not in a too-rushed way] ... also everyone, including us, got a great tan because of the reflection off the bright red awning at the time of day we visited ... and as much as I want to deduct a point for the Maserati driver out front who couldn't figure out how to back into the space right outside the window, I decided it's not Grampa's fault that someone douchey came to eat at the same time as our party)
FOOD:            9/10 (the meal starts with a homemade pastry, and, when asked what it was, Annie said "heaven on a plate", which was a description that was on point ["warm cinnamon danish" would have also been accepted] ... then the french toast arrived and it was hot and fresh and plentiful and somehow soaked up all the syrup without getting soggy [I'm not the type of guy who normally takes home a doggie bag {unless it's actual bones for the doggies}, and even I couldn't finish it all] ... then there's bacon [see separate category] ... and a scrumptious hunk of cheesecake that also was taken home [and eaten over two nights] ... just a point lost for being a place that served the cola that shan't be named [and despite the fact that she *thought* she had a can of the good stuff {Coke} but could only find a can of root beer])
SERVICE:      9/10 ("hey guys" was the greeting by the kind of waitress you expected to see at a place named Grampa's ... personable and professional and so much on her game that she seemed to float past the tables in her section passing out things that you didn't even know you needed yet while she was infecting folks with smiles and her good attitude ... just a point lost because the busboys, who admittedly had a lot to do to keep the tables turning, were seen being rude to a family arriving at a table [rolling their eyes while pushing their cart and announcing "we're back here" in a less than friendly way])
BACON:         10/10 (after a few weeks in this series of eating establishments without any reference to bacon on the menus ... this was the opposite ... including a single "side" of bacon that was ordered by someone else at our table that arrived on the plate as seen in the photo -- putting to shame any place that considers a "side" of bacon to be a strip or two!)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for "accidentally" getting two sets of "heaven on a plate", +3 for server Annie taking the whole order in her head (and for finishing our sentences because she sensed what we were ordering), +3 for having a jelly container that included apple, orange, grape AND strawberry choices and +1 for being a place to which we'll for sure return to take the puppies' grandparents when they come to visit next year)

TroyScore:  48 out of 50 -- aka 96, the third time that highest score (so far) has been given

Random Taste for Thursday 5/26/16

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

WINNER BEST OF 2016 FOR AMBIANCE
WINNER BEST OF 2016 FOR DRINK

Establishment:  The Alchemist
Location:  in the Eucalyptus Gardens in Wilton Manors
Meal:  Sunday Brunch
Drink:  Hot Chocolate (deconstructed)
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Breakfast Croissant
turkey, egg and avocado 
Side(s):  Homemade Toast
with fresh strawberry jam
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  unknown (kind of counter style)
Website:  http://www.thealchemist.cafe/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Thealchemistcands/

Nestled in the corner of a compound ... which itself is tucked away behind a super old strip mall and a nondescript big parking lot ... sits The Alchemist -- just one of several businesses sharing space in what is called the Eucalyptus Gardens which includes a few other eateries, an antiques store, an "art walk" and a farmers' market (warning:  not all nooks and corners are open every day of the week).  It's a "coffee shop PLUS" kind of place known for its freshly ground coffees (and iced coffees replete with coffee ice cubes) ... and is cutesy and trendy (enough so that some elderly folks seemed confused by the concept) with a unique hot chocolate that I simply adored.  To whit ... here's the way it scored:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (it's telling that there are more pictures about the surroundings than there are of the food ... because one of the big reasons to find this little corner of the world is for the people-watching and the surroundings-watching -- where you can look every which way and see something new and interesting with every glance ... it's exactly what you want an outdoor brunch spot in sunny Ft. Lauderdale to be)
FOOD:            9/10 (who cares about the food when the hot chocolate arrives as steamed milk and a swiss roll type hunk of chocolate that you make yourself by dunking it into the mug while you wait for it to melt [the longer you wait, the more your patience is rewarded because the chocolatey-er it gets] ... but yes, the fresh strawberry jam is the perfect topping for the toasted homemade bread ... just one point lost for the croissant sandwich that could have used a bit more heft)
SERVICE:      8/10 (the person taking the order was very chatty and cheerful [although she didn't give her name] with a great line -- "take your number and go sit somewhere and look hungry" -- and every other employee along the way was similarly pleasant ... but a point lost for not providing paper receipts and a second one lost for not having a more manageable line for the rush [a good problem to have ... but one that could use a little attention])
BACON:         3/10 (not a single piece of bacon for breakfast?  I know that there's a preference toward the healthy side of things at this place, but really?  no bacon choices at all?  ... out of deference to the "crunchy" and "granola-esque" vibe, I'll grant just a few points)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for that deconstructed hot chocolate [which is already a contender for best drink of the year], +3 for being full with a line of people waiting but NOT moving the sleeping cat from his [or her] perch in the sun, +3 for the coolness factor and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return -- just maybe not at the height of Sunday brunch)

TroyScore:  40 out of 50 -- aka 80, a low B (but that hot chocolate gets its own 100!)

Random Taste for Thursday 5/19/16

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

Establishment:  Shinju Japanese Buffet
Location:  Coral Springs
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Sapporo!
Round 1:  Assorted Sushi
Round 2:  Soups
egg drop, wonton
Round 3:  Cold plate
seaweed salad, calimari, shrimp cocktail, raw oysters, raw wahoo and more
Round 4:  Hot plate 
mongolian beef, bbq ribs, teriyaki salmon, shrimp tempura and fried rice
Round 5:  Soup Reprise
wonton
Round 6:  Dessert
sugar free cookies and cream ice cream and assorted sweets
Round 7:  Sake!
Server:  Me!  ('cause it was buffet style!)
Website:  http://www.sjbuffet.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shinju-Japanese-Buffet/111742585529292

For the first time in this series, it's buffet time!  And yet again this location ended up being a bit of a happy accident (which, comes to think of it, sounds like it might be the name of one of the sushi creations), because the original Japanese buffet choice was closed for renovations  Luckily, there are multiple Japanese buffets within a few miles (who knew?)!  Lookit -- no judgement about the multi-course approach to this meal.  It's a buffet.  You're *supposed* to go back again (and again [and again {and again}])!  Here's how all those trips added up:

AMBIANCE:   10/10 (with plenty of seating and what seemed like endless rows of food in the middle of the space, the most amazing thing may just have been how sparkling clean the buffet area was ... and with it not being super crowded on the weeknight, it was perfect for being able to pause between rounds for conversation with good friends)
FOOD:            9/10 (admittedly, I'm not so sophisticated to truly appreciate the varieties of sushi [the plate I had was one of everything on just 1/3 of the line -- the other 2/3s went unsampled by me], but the soups were so delicious I actually went back for seconds just before dessert ... and I barely scratched the surface of all that was available ... a point lost for the cold plate [which may have been more about my choices and personal preferences about cold vs hot food])
SERVICE:      9/10 (those tasked with removing the plates so that passers-by didn't know [and judge] anyone who might have gone seven rounds in one evening were right on top of doing so ... and she who got the drinks was nice and friendly ... just a point lost for the hibachi man looking too intimidating for me to ask him to do anything [a missed opportunity for what could have been an EIGHTH round]) 
BACON:         5/10 (I have to stop going to these places that don't have a speck of bacon anywhere ... but I guess the pork in the dumplings will have to count for something)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for playing the extended dance remix of the happy birthday song on the audio for the poor customer celebrating, +3 for serving me Sapporo again [a drink from my youth that I liked because of how the "flavor used to disappear in my throat as I swallowed"], +3 for not making us feel rushed despite being one of the last tables still buffet-ing at closing time and +1 for being a place to which we will return, if only to get the hibachi action started on the next visit)

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

Random Taste for Thursday 5/12/16

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

Establishment:  Sage French Cafe
Location:  Ft. Lauderdale
Meal:  Sunday Brunch
Drink:  (Complimentary!) Mimosa
Appetizer:  Fresh Croissant
Main 1:  Le Steak Anglais
Grilled tenderloin, grilled tomato, mushrooms, poached eggs, potatoes
Main 2:  Crepe Languedoc 
Sausage, garlic, apples, tomatoes, cheese
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  n/a
Server:  Gregory B (but I will think of him as French Iain [sorry Iain M ... I didn't get a photo of him], because he looked like a former co-worker of mine)
Website:  http://www.sagecafe.net/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sagecafe.fortlauderdale

I know it's not usual to have multiple main dishes (although I did it recently for the Italian feast a few weeks ago), but at Sunday brunch, the rules can be loosened, aided on by the free mimosa -- which is good, because I actually liked the dish I'm calling the first main (and giving the primary photo slot) better even though I had officially ordered the second one.  Halfway through the meal, we switched plates so that I got a chance to taste half of each.  'Cause teamwork ... and Sunday brunch ... (and mimosas) ...  

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (I do like a place with the option for outdoor seating, but I also got a peek at the inside and this one [in a strip mall, as so many restaurants are in Florida] was very cute, with a piano in the corner inside that I'm sure adds a nice touch during the times when it is played ... and it was good for people watching, including an elderly gentleman customer who started doing tableside magic tricks for the staff ... however, a point has to be deducted for not changing out the dead potted plant that sat next to my seat during the whole meal [see photo below]) 
FOOD:            9/10 (the croissant was extremely flaky [although not quite as hot as I was warned it would be] ... and the crepe was clearly quality with a beefy tomato sauce that had a spicy kick as an aftertaste [which was excellent in its own right but not quite breakfasty enough for my taste] ... the steak and eggs dish was delicious and the roma tomato with pesto on top was deserving of high praise ... plus -- fresh fruit on the side ... there was not a doubt that care and pride went into each creation, and there's just one point lost for a lack of seasoning on the steak)
SERVICE:      8/10 (I often wonder if the servers at a restaurant of a certain cuisine are acting the accent the customers expect ... but this one seemed French enough, whether authentic or not ... that being said, a point is lost because I had to grab my own salt and pepper for the outside table midway through the meal [they didn't have enough for all of them], and because the server delivering the food asked our party if we were table five and, after all, as the customer, I had no way to answer her)
BACON:         3/10 (for a series of mine, you would think I'd be going to restaurants that featured more bacon dishes ... but this is yet another one where it was barely on the menu -- I'll give a few points for having Canadian Bacon on a dish I didn't order)
BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for having a nice quality pen to be used to sign the check, another +3 for being an establishment that, after you pay that check, you actually stop and think about how you got a really great deal when considering quality and cost, and a final +3 for the busboy who made the table stop wobbling before we even realized it was wobbly in the first place [despite me being tempted to penalize him for wearing a man-bun], and a +1 for being a place to which we would return -- if only to eat at its sister location Qbar next door, which DOES have lots of bacon on its menu)

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

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 ...)