Random Taste for Thursday 2/23/17

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

 here's the SEVENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  The Diner 
Location:  Boynton Beach
Meal:  Breakfast
Drink:  Hot Chocolate
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  The Lumberjack
3 eggs (I asked for scrambled), 3 slices bacon, 2 sausage links, home fries and your choice of 2 pancakes or 1 slice of French toast or 1/2 an order of biscuits and gravy (I chose French toast)
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   in an unfortunate trend for this year, her name wasn't recorded
Website:  http://www.dinerongateway.com/index.php
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Diner/553195471392059

This is the third diner already this year (which puts us on pace to beat last year's record of visiting six of them as a part of this series) -- but there's something extra special about this one because it has the confidence to be THE diner ... not A diner ... but THE diner [as if it were THE one and only diner in the world].  It's a bit farther out of the way from home base, but family was visiting and we were taking a little road trip so we ended up here.  With just a few tweaks, it could be one of the higher ranked diners on the list ... but to see where they need to improve, check out the Troy-score below:

AMBIANCE:   7/10 (it's a great big room, with an open kitchen off to the side, and it has the hustle and bustle of a place everyone wants to be ... although with the practice of pushing tables for two around to accommodate groups, I was frustrated that they handled our group of five by throwing a chair on the side of two tables instead of giving us the comfort of a six top [so a point lost] ... and there was an odd almost militaristic procedure where the cooks would yell that the order was up and the server had to yell back "heard!" which was a definite mood interrupter [so a second point lost] ... and I just can't forgive being sat at a table that hasn't been cleaned of its stickiness [which accounts for the third point lost])

FOOD:           8/10 (they were two relatively small "infractions" [each worth a half a point deduction] -- butter that wasn't thawed when served and home fries that were giant potato pieces so much so that they lost all the good flavoring because the middles were just all potato [see photo] ... and one big "infraction" [so a full point deduction] in that my hot chocolate apparently wasn't refillable ... but let me tell you that every other part of the lumberjack breakfast was delicious -- especially the bacon [see category below])

SERVICE:      7/10 (lookit -- a host or hostess needs to understand that it is his or her job to smile ... and this was the second week in a row where the employee in that role didn't do that one bit -- and that's worth a double point deduction [host/hostesses at future establishments:  consider yourself on notice] ... as for our regular server, things went efficiently but it took her until the end of the meal to loosen up and appear personable -- likely because she was busy with the rush at the onset or maybe because she was scared she might miss yelling "heard!" back to the kitchen -- so that's the other point deduction)

BACON:         10/10 (the menu count returns 19 hits for bacon so you know it's a pretty safe bet that this diner won't disappoint -- especially when the bacon they serve is of the thick cut variety ... breakfast, lunch, dinner or on the kiddie menu -- there's plenty of opportunity to "bacon up" at this place ... plus see the first bonus comment below)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for giving a breakfast option that serves sausage AND bacon instead of sausage OR bacon, +3 for an amazing burger [not pictured] that my nephew ordered that immediately made me rethink what I chose for breakfast, +3 for those all natural jelly choices from Smucker's and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return the next time we're in the area -- 'cause that burger is calling out my name!)

TroyScore:  42 out of 50 -- aka 84, a B

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 2/9/17

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

 here's the FIFTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  LaSpada's 
Location:  Lauderdale By The Sea
Meal:  Lunch
Drink:  Coke Zero in a bottle
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  12 inch Monster with double meatHam, Turkey, Roast Beef and Cheese Combo with all the toppings:  Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onions, Pickles, Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Oil & Vinegar, Oregano, Salt and Pepper
Side(s):  Salt and Vinegar kettle chips
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   there was the meat guy ... and the toppings guy ... and the money taker boy ... and it was such a production that we kind of missed all of their individual names, so maybe we'll just refer to them as if they were each a LaSpada
Website:  http://www.laspadashoagies.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/LaSpadas-Original-Hoagies/111764352193418


Were it not for a lack of bacon on the menu, this local chain of sandwich shops (six of them in the area) would have been the highest taste to date ... AND would have been the top scoring location ever.  As it is, it's going to be the new top DELI on the list ... and it's going to at least crack the highest scoring baker's dozen of all the tastes reviewed so far.  It's not *only* the fact that there was a meat tossing event (meats were sliced fresh and tossed down an assembly line to be caught by the other employer directly in the hoagie-in-progress) NOR is it *only* because they promote a Pennsylvania taste (admittedly, I might be biased).  For all of the reasons, check out the Troy-score tabulation below:

AMBIANCE:   9.5/10 (just a few blocks from the beach ... we were able to walk there *with* two seniors in tow ... this place was in a little strip mall [as everything in Florida seems to be] and was a-bustlin' with activity, which made us feel like we had definitely chosen a popular eatery ... the only problem is that it was sooo busy that the few seats up front at the tables were a little trashed [kind of the previous customers' faults, admittedly] that would normally be a point deducted, but an employee did come out and clean up as soon as the rush ended, so it's only [the rare] half a point that will be lost)

FOOD:           10/10 (with the meats sliced *as you order* to guarantee the "bestest" of tastes and then served up on on a freshly baked Italian roll [from a local authentically Italian bakery, according to their website], but only after first being stuffed full of a perfect combination of all the toppings [as captured in the photographic evidence], these are.  the.  most.  AMAZING.  sandwiches! ... I couldn't stop talking about them the whole time I was eating them, and as someone who usually gets scared of having to make decisions about what items to add or subtract in an assembly line setting like this, I was exceptionally happy to have made the decision to make no decisions and to take it all ... and I can report that, like I do when I report on a quality burger or quality bbq, this was a multi-napkin meal with all the right kind of messiness as we dove in to the quality sandwiches)

SERVICE:      10/10 (it was service with a smile ...from *everyone* on the assembly line .. PLUS a show [the aforementioned meat tossing incident] even though there was a line almost out the door so the pressure had to be on ... and you know what, you wouldn't have known that they were backed up because as you worked your way down the line, the employee on the other side of the counter [see photo] at each stage made you feel like he was yours and yours alone)

BACON:         6/10 (how can there not be a single reference to bacon on the menu?  how can bacon not be a bonus topping on the hoagies?  how can bacon not even be an option for the salads?  how can I not have even noticed that bacon wasn't a part of the experience until writing this post?  ... easy -- it's because the food was just that amazing, so I'm going to break precedent and split the difference and give half the points in this category anyway [what?  it's my rules, so I can bend them for the right reasons ... and I get to pick what the right reasons are] ... plus an extra point for all the ham that IS on the menu ... 'cause, you know, that's a pig product)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for the tossing [and the catching] of the meat, +3 for the call back to Pennsylvania eatin', +3 for having me in so much of a good food haze that we completely forgot to stop at the nearby ice cream store for dessert as we had originally intended and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return [we shall Subway no more!]

TroyScore:  45.5 out of 50 -- aka 91, an A

Random Taste for Thursday 2/2/17

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

 here's the FOURTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  Diner By-The-Sea
Location:  Lauderdale By The Sea
Meal:  Brunch
Drink:  Hot Chocolate
Appetizer:  English Muffin
Main:  Famous 2-2-2
2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon or sausage [I chose bacon, of course], 2 golden pancakes or toast [I chose pancakes]
Side(s):  Home Fries
Dessert:  Miniature slice of watermelon
Server:   unknown but completely my fault because I got her name (and made her say it twice because it was unique) yet I didn't add it to my notes
Website:  http://dinerbytheseainc.com/diner/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Diner-by-the-Sea-161662490517465/

It's the first diner of the new year ... and if the distribution is anything like last year, that means that more will be featured soon enough because a full 10% of the tastes from 2016 were in diners.  But first up is this little charmer (more about that below) within walking distance of the beach.  The good news is that they scored in the top half of the six diners featured ... and to see how it all came about on the Troy-score, check below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (let's put it this way -- if you are an employee at this place, you better get along with your co-workers, because it is tiny ... and by tiny, I mean four or five small booths and a dozen stools or so and that's about it ... that being said, cozy can be cute, and there's something about being so close to the grill that you can watch your food getting prepared to perform your own quality control check ... and when we were there, it quickly became clear that the majority of customers knew most of the guests in a Cheers-y kind of way ... just a point deducted for the stools being slightly too close to each other -- in a budget airlines kind of way)

FOOD:           8/10 (hot and fresh with crispy "pressed" bacon and well flavored [and textured] home fries perked up my breakfast [see a bonus shot of the corned beef hash morning meal that my tablemate ate] ... if there was an area for improvement, it would be the pancakes -- as you can see from the photo, my "2" were really one big one and one baby one [so a point lost] ... I also was disappointed that my hot chocolate wasn't creamed as happens at the other diners at which I've eaten [the second lost point])

SERVICE:      8/10 (here's the truth -- the end was better than the beginning ... because, as previously explained, this place is so tiny that you can't hide anything ... so on *our* visit, we knew that our server was frazzled because the other server who was working the booths wasn't moving fast enough that morning [so a point lost for us knowing all that diner drama in the first place] ... and eventually we were able to get her to smile and be personable enough to learn that she was selling all her things and moving to Canada, but the early going was just too painful for us to watch [which explains the second lost point])

BACON:         8/10 (as happy as I was to see bacon all over the breakfast menu [as it always should be], I was dissuaded from placing my usual order an extra side of of bacon by the price of $4.50 for three slices [a point dedcuted] ... which also means that my expectations were pretty high for the 2 slices that came with my 2-2-2 meal ... and while it was good and crispy, it wasn't as amazing as I had built it up to be, possibly from the "pressing" of it ... [the second point deducted]) 

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for squeezing us in on the last two open spots in the joint, +3 for there being absolutely NO wasted space in the place at all, +3 for getting to use the full bottle of syrup like a big boy, and +1 for being a place to which we will return -- although likely at lunch in order to try out *that* menu)

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

Random Taste for Thursday 1/26/17

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

 here's the THIRD of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

Establishment:  The Whole Enchilada
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Freestyle Sproke (half Sprite/half Coke)
Appetizer:  Guac and Chips
Main:  The Whole Enchilada Platter
corn tortillas stuffed with jack and cheddar cheese and meat [I chose steak], topped with melted cheese, "red" sauce and sour cream
Side(s):  Pinto Beans and Mexican Rice
Dessert:  n/a
Server:   name not provided (see below) for this counter service location
Website:  http://twefreshmex.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TWEfreshmex

Maybe it was the wrong location (they have three listed on their website).  Maybe it was the wrong employee.  Maybe it was the wrong night.  But whatever the case, finally choosing this taco joint that we've driven past many a time just didn't quite live up to the hype on the website about being "feisty", "fun and friendly" with a "'cutting edge' charisma".  The details as to how it scored on the Troy-scale follow:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (as you might be able to tell from the accompanying photo, this location is a converted gas station, which gives it a bit of a charm -- including a conversion of where the gas pumps were into an outdoor eating area with picnic tables and an ability to roll up the garage doors to give it all a very open vibe ... which is necessary because inside it's a little small and a little crowded, and a point is lost because that meant that our table by the freestyle soda machine was practically on top of the line of people waiting to self serve their drinks ... and a second point is lost for having sticky tables upon our arrival -- which, in retrospect, may be because of its proximity to said machine)

FOOD:           8/10 (with the disclaimer that Mexican is not necessarily my favorite of categories, everything was good for what it was and I was pleased that all the items weren't just mixed together on a plate, that the steak pieces in the enchiladas were large and meaty and that the guac was smooth and creamy ... my main disappointments were that the chips seemed old or stale [might they have been made fresh earlier that day?] and the freestyle Coke machine was out of cherry flavoring)

SERVICE:      8/10 (let me just say that it's a good thing the "food runner" was friendly, or else this score might have been lower than what it ended up as ... mind you, we've been to many a counter service location, so the bar is a little lowered knowing that the interactions are somewhat limited -- but this "order taker" didn't even seem to be present during the exchange [point lost], as evidenced by getting the order wrong of a tablemate [see second serving of nachos pictured, seeing as how the first ones did not arrive as ordered ... which explains the second point lost])

BACON:         5/10 (as often happens with Mexican restaurants and/or taco joints, I couldn't find a single reference to bacon on the menu ,,, so I'll say what I said before:  "it's a tricky category, as traditional authentic Mexican food is more about the fresh ingredients ... and although the menu includes many references to pork [13 according to the browser counter], the reality is that bacon was not to be found ... out of sensitivity to the culture, I'll put a few points on the board")

BONUS:         9/10 (+3 for having something called the "ex-wife challenge" [details provided from its website below], +3 for the retro pop playing [retro as in y2k music, which counts as "classic" nowadays] and +3 for the creative use of the renovated gas station space]) 

“Because it seemed like a good idea at the time…”
Those willing to take on the ex-wife challenge will have 45 minutes during one sitting to complete the entire burrito and all of its accompaniments. If successful ~ it ‘s free and you will receive a TWE shirt and a forever gift of remembrance at The Whole Enchilada Fresh Mexican Grill.
THE EX-WIFE

a combined 6 pounds of mexican rice, black or pinto beans, jack and cheddar cheese, salsa, guacamole, lettuce and sour cream with your choice of charbroiled chicken, ground beef, pork or tofu along with a healthy side of chips.

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

Random Taste for Thursday 1/19/17

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

 here's the SECOND of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

ADMIN NOTE:  This location is now closed.

Establishment:  Mellow Mushroom
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Coke
Appetizer 1:  Stuffed Portobello Mushroom
Portobello mushroom cap, basted with garlic butter, stuffed with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella. Baked and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Served on a bed of spring mix tossed with an herb vinaigrette dressing
Appetizer 2:  Garlic Butter and Parmesan Pretzels
Signature Mellow dough twisted into pretzels With a side of Mellow red sauce and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cheese
Main:  Funky Q. Chicken Special Pizza Pie
BBQ chicken, mozzarella and cheddar, caramelized onions and applewood smoked bacon. Finished with a bbq sauce swirl
Extra Main: (half) Meatball Sub (on French)
Seasoned meatballs in a Mellow red sauce topped with melted mozzarella
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  Half Baked Brownie Supreme
The name says it all. Our decadent triple chocolate brownie served with all-natural vanilla bean ice cream, dark chocolate truffle sauce and house made fresh whipped cream, topped with an all-natural bing cherry
Server:   Mike?  Tom?  Bill?  Insert vaguely frat boy sounding first name here -- but not Biff.  I know it wasn't Biff.  I just forgot to capture it off of the receipt.
Website:  http://mellowmushroom.com/store/fort-lauderdale
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mellowfortlauderdale

Let's get something out of the way right away -- I will admit that the pizza places/Italian restaurants that are a part of this series will always have a greater challenge because we tend to order a mini-feast when we visit an eating establishment in that category, which means there are more opportunities for something to go wrong because multiple items are sampled ... and indeed that was the case here at this newer entry in the locale of a chain that started in Atlanta long long ago (when I was just two years old aka 1974, according to the wiki).  To see how this franchise location performed on the Troy-scale, see below:

AMBIANCE:   9/10 (it's got kind of a warehouse vibe, with a very tall ceiling and funky art work hanging from it [see the giant fish in the photo below] and psychadelic mood lighting that throws off a subtle kaleidoscope of light -- so much so that I ended up taking multiple food pics, because each push of the button on the camera would result in a different colored glow on the menu items ... there was an outdoor patio and a section of nice sized booths with an open kitchen design ... I felt like, especially with the name, they might have been going for millennial stoner chic -- so a point lost 'cause it made me feel old to not be a millennial)

FOOD:            7/10 (without a doubt, the strongest dishes of the night were definitely the specialty pizza and the homemade pretzels [oh those pretzels!], although the beer cheese didn't quite do it for me [the consistency faded fast] ... that mushroom appetizer was practically a meal unto itself [it came, correctly, with its own steak knife], although it could have used some more time on the grill ... and the meatball sub had tasty balls but a touch too much oregano ... the biggest disappointment was the brownie, which looked amazing but also tasted suspiciously like too much oregano -- and that's not a veiled reference to it being "baked" with anything extra special, but a direct commentary on the flavors it seemed to have absorbed from maybe being stored too close to the kitchen action ;.. all in all, the presentation and the concept of the dishes helped to balance out some of the disappointments, so I won't dock a point for each and every "infraction")

SERVICE:      8/10 (things were a little laid back and casual  [again with the stoner vibe] which resulted in a bit of delay on the food items [so a point lost], but it should be stressed that the server was knowledgeable about the menu and was definitely friendly and attentive when he stopped by ... we're pretty sure the manager also paid a visit to the table to apologize for the lack of a crowd, letting us know they were all across the street at what we think might be a sister property, and a second point is docked because he didn't introduce himself as such, so it was an awkward conversation to have)

BACON:         10/10 (there can't be any points lost here because they "honor" bacon by referring to it as a "specialty protein" on their menu AND they include it as a ingredient in the majority of their own special pizza pie creations)

BONUS:         6/10 (+3 for an indoor/outdoor bar connected at the service area so the bartender can service both from the same vantage point and +3 for having a pizza boy back in the open kitchen throwing dough who looked authentically [capital] I-talian [even if he seemed like he might be 12 years old])

TroyScore:  40 out of 50 -- aka 80, a low B

Random Taste for Thursday 1/12/17

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

 here's the FIRST of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA 

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

ADMIN NOTE:  This location is now closed, but other ones in the area are open.
Establishment:  Rubio's Coastal Grill
Location:  Ft Lauderdale
Meal:  Dinner
Drink:  Fountain Sproke (half Sprite/half Coke)
Appetizer:  n/a
Main:  Rubio's Coastal Trio
The Original Fish Taco® - Our signature recipe that started it all in 1983.
Salsa Verde Shrimp Taco - Shrimp, pan-seared and topped with salsa verde.
Wild Mahi Mahi Taco - Grilled Wild Mahi Mahi topped with fire-roasted corn, creamy chipotle sauce, cilantro/onion mix, and cabbage.
Side(s):  n/a
Dessert:  Churro
Server:   Shad (although it was counter service)
Website:  https://www.rubios.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/RubiosFortLauderdale302/

It's a NEW year ... and a NEW set of tastes ... so why not start it all for 2017 with a brand NEW eating establishment?  Well, actually, if you're reading this and you're from the coast of California, then you already have heard of this company that just NEWly expanded into Florida by taking over the locations of the local Lime Mexican Grill that recently closed.  With a concept committed to fresh quality ingredients, they succeed in making healthier food taste great.  As for how they fared on the Troy-scale, see below:

AMBIANCE:   8/10 (it was indeed bright and clean and shiny ... which is to be expected for a location like this that is brand spanking new ... just a point lost because the table at which we sat was sticky and a second one lost because there was a homeless man wandering around talking to himself while the manager was out cleaning tables [sadly, he was too late for ours] and nothing was done [he said afterwards he thought he was with someone])

FOOD:            8/10 (they might still be working out the mahi mahi, what with it being a special add for the Florida menus, and a point is is being docked because it was the least successful of the tacos in my trio [and in my tablemate's option of a mahi-mahi bowl, also pictured below] and that may have been because it was the tiniest piece ... the signature fish taco had a much "meat"ier chunk of fish ... but the shrimp taco was clearly the star as it was packed with flavor and had toppings that heightened the taste of every bite ... the churro was hot and fresh and dusted liberally with good stuff ... just one additional point lost because it's a taco place that somehow doesn't serve guac on the side)

SERVICE:      8/10 (as a counter service location, it's all about that ordering interaction, and the employee taking our order was knowledgeable and right on top of the greeting as soon as we stepped up to the register ... corporate would also be happy to know that he was on top of the upselling opportunities and even found a way to bring it up multiple times without being too annoying, although his constant repetition of the customer's name was slightly off-putting, so a point lost ... and a second point is docked because it did seem to take a bit long to get the food after ordering [perhaps the price to pay for freshly cooked quality meals])

BACON:         8/10 (somehow the special featured plate I ordered didn't include bacon as any taco topping [how did I miss that?] ... but it was listed five times on the special Florida menu, so a point for each of those references and then another three bonus points because their website calls out [all natural] bacon in their mission statement)

BONUS:         10/10 (+3 for having an outdoor patio [even if it was too cool to sit outside that night], +3 for NOT having any tip pressure at a counter location [which is rare for Florida even thought the service interaction is limited at that type of establishment], +3 for a membership club that has already sent some free entree coupons our way and +1 for being a place to which we will most definitely return, especially to get some of that [all natural] bacon)

TroyScore:  42 out of 50 -- aka 84, a solid B

Random Taste for Thursday 1/5/17

In a week of change, some things will be staying the SAME in the new year.  Specifically, that which ran on consecutive Thursdays last year is returning for a 2017 edition.  Here's how it was introduced last year:

I could pretend that I want to try my hand at reviewing restaurants ... but really I just want an excuse to eat out at least once a week. Indeed, that is exactly the goal ... and although I promise that not every thing featured every week will be covered in bacon, I do hope to bring some delectable dishes to the weekly post ... and to offer up some "dish" about local eating establishments (and there may be a bacony thing or two ... in the vein of "know your brand").

The rules are simple ... one NEW place (at which I've never before eaten) each week, with a year end best-of wrap up on Dec [28th]. And although I expect that most places will be within the more immediate tri-county area (Broward, MiamiDade and PalmBeach), I am hoping to expand to other locations within the state as travel plans permit.

All that said, there will be a few changes for 2017.  For instance, the old "Random Thought for Thursday" is now officially retired (replaced by the now more accurate "Random Taste for Thursday") AND this too will have its own spin off dedicated blog -- going "live" next week with the first of fifty entries for 2017 (and with all of last year's entries uploaded to it).  One last thing -- that blog will be searchable by new topics (category, grade, location, overall Troy-score, plus1s, perfect 10s and year).  Be on the lookout for a special "redemption round" each quarter as well.

Here's to 50 more delicious meals at 50 exciting eating establishments!

Random Taste for Thursday 12/29/16

On the first Thursday of the year, I announced that I would be starting something new ... getting a taste of fifty different restaurants in the local area in Florida ... and on the last Thursday of the year, I can happily say that I was successful -- so much so that the whole thing will repeat in 2017 (but on its own dedicated site).  More to come on that next week ... for tonight it's time to award THE BEST OF 2016 with regards to the 50 Tastes of Florida.

First -- some numbers.  19 of the 50 got perfect scores for ambiance and 14 did the same for service and for bacon (because it can't be a score of mine without a separate category for pig candy).  70% of them earned the final +1 bonus point designating that we'd gladly return.  Almost half (23) of the eating establishments had a Ft. Lauderdale address ... and the most popular types were burger joints (7), diners (6) and sports bars (5).  Grades were awarded from a high of 98 (to 2 places ... more on that below) on down to 70, with a grade distribution as follows:  12 As, 23 Bs and 15 Cs.

And before we get to the specific categories, four entries earned perfect 10s in the food category, and deserve to be called out:  Howie's Top Dog, Smoke BBQ, The Spillover and Tequila Sunrise Mexican Grill.

Now ... the BEST OF 2016 (with what was said in the original post in the quotes):

BEST AMBIANCE ... The Alchemist:  "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". 

Honorable Mention ... World Famous Parrot Lounge: "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!)"

BEST SERVICE ... Linda at The Floridian:   "the server was excellent at her job, making every stop at the table seem like we all were just picking up a multi part conversation ... and, in many ways, we were, as we got to talk to her about her frequent trips to Chicago and other recent fun of hers".

Honorable Mention ... Annie at Grampa's Bakery and Restaurant:  "'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."

BEST DRINK ... deconstructed hot chocolate at The Alchemist:  "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)".

Honorable Mention ... the mead flight at The Spillover:  "every sip was delicious ... [including] the variety of additives in the honey-sweetened mead drinks".

BEST APPETIZER ... gator ribs at The Spillover:  "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".

Honorable Mention ... zucchini planks at Primanti Bros.:  "for putting those zucchinis in planks -- I've had sticks and circles and fries ... but never planks"!

BEST SIDE ... special brussels sprouts at Temple Street Eatery:   "the menu description wasn't available, but there were apples and red onions mixed in".

Honorable Mention ... fries at The Burning Oak BBQ:  "the special seasoning on those thick cut fries --  the secret was disclosed to me, but I'm not sure that I want to ruin the pleasant surprise for anyone visiting next".

BEST MAIN ... brunch sampler at BC Cafe:  "[one of] 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)".

Honorable Mention ... the tray of food at Smoke BBQ:  "from cornbread to meats to tater tots, everything was fresh and hot and tasty ... rubbed just right and cooked to perfection with straightforward sides that didn't try too hard to be something they weren't ... and the best part may have been the chicken, which had the extra taste of being quickly deep fried and was chopped up in just the right pieces ... plus, while walking to the car afterwards, I realized that I had a pleasant tingle on my lips from all the flavor".

BEST BACON ... the bacon chocolate manhattan at ROK BRGR:  "bacon infused makers, aztec chocolate bitters sweet vermouth and a splash of maple syrup served on the rocks". 

Honorable Mention ... the candied bacon at The Burning Oak BBQ:  "any non-breakfast place that is smart enough to put bacon as a side in the same spot on the menu as the vegetables is MY kind of place ... plus that candied bacon (that I got as dessert instead) was on my loaded chips and was also available for other dishes".

BEST DESSERT ... the s'more sundae at Bonefish Mac Sports Grille:  layers of graham crackers, chocolate ice cream, warm marshmallow sauce and hot fudge topped with mini-marshmallows and a fudge graham cookie

Honorable Mention ... Mrs. McHugh’s banana créme pie at The Spillover:  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

BEST OVERALL ... as previously mentioned, there were two locations that earned the highest scores of 98 ... Bonefish Mac Sports Grille and The Burning Oak BBQ.  Their complete reviews are provided in the links below/to follow;

Congratulations to all of the winners and a special thanks to all 50 of the Tastes for this inaugural year.  Here's to 50 more in the year to come!