On the Road: Guayaquil, Ecuador

I have to say, I never imagined I would take a trip to South America, let alone Ecuador.  I guess Miami has kinda soured me a little on Latin culture.  That's a really dumb excuse though.  This year is all about new adventure for me, so just last week I found myself deplaning in Guayaquil, visiting a friend I'd made while traveling throughout the US. 

It was a little before midnight when I arrived and we stopped at my hotel before heading to a section of Guayaquil called Las Penas.  My friend and I walked around the hilly area and then she recommended we check out a bar called La Palleta.  This place was really cool, an artsy, funky bar that was cozy and fun.  We ordered a few mojitos and a few snacks - olives, bread, and some clams.  The clams were of the canned variety from what I remember and they were pretty good.  The only thing I didnt like was that they were kinda sandy and gritty.

The next day, we drove to the town of Montanito, a tiny beach town about 3 hours from Guayaquil.  It was packed when we got there around 11am.  People get to the beach really early to enjoy the day.  This was a surf town and lots of surfers were walking about.  After picking up some supplies, including some much needed sunscreen for my gringo self, we headed over to a friend of my friend's house.  His place was recently purchased and being remodeled but it was really, really cool and really big.  It was also right on the beach which, in this area, was semi-private since it was a good way down from the main beach town area.  The beach was beautiful and we spent the day sitting in the sun, walking, and swimming.  The best part, however, was when her friends brought back some fresh ceviches for us to enjoy.  We had a fish ceviche that was very good and super fresh but my favorite was the shrimp ceviche.  The shrimps were cooked perfectly and full of flavor.  I regret not taking pics of these dishes!

Iguana w/ snapping turtles in the water @ Iguana Park

A few days later I was back in Guayaquil and on my own since my friend had a busy day and had to go to work.  I used my not-so-great-but-not-too-bad Spanish skills to get around, with a plan to hit up a few museums and parks and learn more about the local culture.  When I got to the first museum it was closed so I hit up a park called Iguana Park in the middle of the city.  You'll never believe this but lots of iguanas live there along with snapping turtles and a bunch of pigeons that were so big they looked like roosters.  The iguanas were extremely docile and kids would pull their tails which I thought was kinda funny, a little cute, and kinda cruel at the same time haha.

My taxi driver had told me that the Continental Hotel was a good spot to eat lunch and as I was leaving Iguana Park, I looked up and it was right in front of me.  The spot was called Cafeteria La Canoa.  I was pretty hungry so I stopped in for lunch.  Some fresh, soft bread appeared in front of me along with some spicy salsa.  I ordered Sango de choclo con camarones, knowing that I'd liked the shrimp here in Ecuador so far and also knowing that choclo meant "corn" which is another one of my favorite things to eat.  The dish came out hot, a bunch of shrimp cooked and hidden amongst a bowl of what amounted to corn porridge.  A side of rice was served on the side and I sat at the counter, fishing out a shrimp from the corn porridge and topping it on the rice, then adding a little of the spicy salsa before wolfing it down.  It was a good dish even if it was a tad on the heavy side for lunch. 

 Sango de choclo con camarones

Two younger people came in and were looking for a seat at the bar since the restaurant was packed for lunch.  There were vacant seats to each side of me so I moved over so they could sit together.  They were appreciative and a few minutes later they spoke to me in English, asking where I was from.  They were students at the university and we chatted for a bit, me speaking as best I could in Spanish and them letting me know it was ok to speak English if I wanted to.  Their English was very good, especially the girl who happened to have the same name as my friend that I was visiting.  She had lived in Atlanta for a bit and when she spoke English she had little to no accent.  After chatting with them, I headed back out to explore more of the city of Guayaquil.

I hit up another museum and once again found it was closed.  I later would learn that all museums are closed on Monday.  Just my luck.  With no museums to teach me more about the city, I walked around observing the architecture while I made my way to the Malecon, a long boardwalk down by the river that had shopping and other things to see.  The architecture and art in Ecuador was really cool.  As I walked the Malecon, I eventually came across an artisan market where they had a lot of handmade goods.  I walked the shops and didn't see much that caught my eye.  As I was about to leave, a man invited me into his shop and I took him up on his offer since he seemed like a nice guy.  As I walked through the shop, I noticed a boy playing a guitar.  It was the man's son.  I asked how long he had been playing and he answered a little over a year and asked if I played.  I said that I did and he invited me to play, which I was happy to do as I'd missed my guitar since I'd left Miami.  I played a few tunes and then bought a shirt and a pair of pants from the man as a show of thanks.  It was a good day.

That night I met up with my friend for a Valentine's Day dinner date.  Her father is a member at a place called the Bankers Club (he is not a banker, that's just a name of the place I think) and they had a selection of 2 pre-fixe menus to choose from.  Both of us chose the 2nd option which started with spiny lobster presented beautifully with some mashed potatoes and what seemed to be something similar to a green goddess dressing.  It was fresh, light, and tasty.  The next dish was a soup.  I forget what the vegetable in the soup was (I want to say squash blossom but I'm pretty sure that's wrong.  It was something similar to that though) but it was stuffed with foie gras which I really enjoyed.  After a palate cleanser sorbet, our main course of lamb medallions came out.  It was ok.  I found it to be overly salty but my friend said she enjoyed hers.  We ate dessert while the live band played on.  The lead singer had a beautiful voice, even when belting out a few "happy birthday" tunes to some attendees.  I had an early flight the next morning so after finishing our glasses of wine we headed on our way.

I really enjoyed my trip to Ecuador.  I must admit, I have always been a bit intimidated by South America.  Going to Ecuador really helped me get over that.  I met lots of really cool people and even learned that my Spanish isn't all that bad when I'm forced to use it.  I plan to practice more and hope to visit Ecuador again someday to check out Quito and the other mountainous areas.  Maybe even visit with other friends when they go to places like Columbia too, since I hear I have some fans there hehe ;)

Sol Kitchen - Sol Sundays Menu - NFL Week 10

The kick is up...AND IT'S GOOD!  Week 1 of Sol Sundays kicked off this past weekend and boy was it exciting.  Feedback was extremely positive and food comas were reported in the greater Miami area.  We are working on an official Sol Kitchen website but until then, stay tuned here and on Chadzilla's site for weekly menu postings and updates.  We also encourage you to follow us on Twitter (@SolKitchen) to keep up with the latest news.

Check out the menu Chef K & Chadzilla put together for NFL Week 10 and write us at solkitchenmiami@hotmail.com to get in the game!  Each 'gameplan' is designed to feed 6 players.

Kickoff

Dark n’ Stormy Gel-O Shot

“Charred Scallion Dip” with Kettle Chips

Homefield “Cracka’jax” – kettle korn, wasabi peas, ginger, soy caramel

1^st & 10

Deep South Brisket ‘Po-Boys’

Peruvian Wings – inca cola-miso brine, tossed in aji panca bbq sauce

Crawfish ‘Griddled’ Cheese Sandwich – sourdough, fontina, Louisiana crawfish

Sidelines

Huancaina Country Potato Salad

Brussel Sprouts with Grilled Chorizo

2-Minute Warning!

Smoked Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Contracts!

$150 includes all Kickoff, Sidelines, and 2-Minute Warning items plus choice of 2 '1st & 10' items or MAN UP! for $180 and get all 3 '1st & 10' items!

Put some Sol into your NFL Sundays!

Let's face it, there are some things that just pair well together - peanut butter and jelly, wine and cheese, lobstah and buttah.  On my weekends it's football, beer, and good food.  Unfortunately, meeting up with buddies at the local watering hole to catch a day of NFL action can be quite costly at times.  I mean, most of the time I can head to the liquor store and buy a 12-pack for what will get me 2 beers at a bar.  That and bar food never really provides much flavor and is more relied on for sustenance and it's sopping-up-the-beer qualities.

Enter Sol Kitchen, a new way to enjoy great food in the friendly confines of your own home field without having to do much more than turn on your oven.  Chefs Chad Galiano & Kurtis Jantz (of Paradigm & Cobaya fame) have crafted a gameday packages with food that focuses on flavor while allowing you to focus on the game.  This isn't tail-gating the way you did back in the day... this is Sol food delivered to your door before the first kick on Game Day.  Supplies will be limited the first week, so jump in early.


This is how it will work... email solkitchenmiami@hotmail.com to place an order.  Be sure to include your address with your order.  All orders must be in by Thursday at 5pm.  Payment will be through PayPal (details will be given via email).  Sol Kitchen is currently only offering a 6-man package but more choices may be possible in the upcoming weeks.  You will receive the food packed up on Sunday late morning (Miami and surrounding area only at Sol Kitchen's discretion) along with a Play Book (just a set of instructions on how to set your oven and hold the grub throughout the game).

The 1st menu (NFL Week 9)
'Jock'tail- Bloody "Hail Mary" gello shots

Cracka-Jax- our home-made version with brown sugar kettle corn, Mexican japones, and pumpkin spice
Chips & Dip- charred scallion & kettle chips

Touchdown!!! (or some more substantial grub)
Grid-Iron Wings- root beer marinated, grilled with onions and poblanos
Sol Roll- chilled shrimp salad, buttered potato roll, Maine-influence (that means lobstah roll-style)
Korean BBQ Pork- on a bun, kimchee slaw

2 Minute Warning ~ 1 Timeout Remaining...
Bourbon Brownies- smoked pecans, dulce de leche 

Sign the 1 Day contract today!   $150 feeds 6 with a choice of 2 touchdowns (wings, sol roll, or pork)... or Man Up! and get all 3 touchdowns for $180 (again for 6, but more chance of having left-overs for the Monday night game at home after work).

Follow Sol Kitchen on Twitter (@solkitchen).

Local Love - El Mago de la Frita, Miami, FL

 There's magic inside...

I think it was about a year ago that I received an email from the Burger Beast inviting me to join up with him and a few other people for lunch at El Mago de la Frita.  I work further North and don't really have much of a lunch break, so I had to decline.  Well, it just so happened that the night before that day, I came down with a 24-hour cold that was bad enough to keep me home from work feeling like crap the following morning.  As a kid, sometimes when I stayed home sick from school my Dad would come home on his lunch break with a burger and fries from McDonald's.  I'm not sure if it was the grease from the food or just the spiritual boost a kid gets from Dad bringing home some McD's but it always made me feel better.  So, I decided that a burger would get me back on track and went out to meet the Burger Beast and his band of merry men and women at El Mago.

I'd never been to El Mago before.  Actually, I'd never even heard of it.  I certainly didn't know what the hell a "frita" was either but I remembered "Best Frita" being a category at last year's "Burgie Awards" so I figured it was something I'd have to try.  El Mago de la Frita is located just West of Red Road on Calle Ocho.  I arrived on that first visit to find a counter lined with friends: Paula, Jackie, Gagit, and The Beast himself were ready to scarf down some fritas.  An older Cuban gentleman dressed in a white shirt and apron paced behind the counter cooking fritas to order.  This was El Mago "the magician" himself and he was in the zone, flipping patties with his magical spatula.  A frita, I learned, is a Cuban burger where the patty contains some ground beef, a little onion, and a bit of ground chorizo.  Sounds kinda awesome, right?  It is topped with crispy shoestring potatoes, some magical sauce which I believe is ketchup, and you can add can add a slice of cheese too which I'm told is "for the gringos".  Using Paula as my translator, I placed my order gringo style and added a fried egg for good measure.  Yeah, this gringo came to party.  Once the patty has been grilled on the flat top, it is placed on top of a bun made from Cuban bread and then the toppings are added.  The frita then heads to the panini press for a few minutes to toast the bun and warm the awesomeness inside it. 

My frita arrived and I quickly dug in.  To my surprise, I really liked the Cuban bread bun.  Normally I am not a fan of Cuban bread but this worked and held the frita together without getting soggy.  The flavor of the patty was awesome.  The chorizo adds a nice savory flavor with a little spice.  The fried egg was also a winner of a decision, it's yolk adding a creamy texture to each bite.  I think my favorite part was the shoestring potatoes though.  They were so tiny and crispy and added nice crunch to each bite.  I think my frita lasted about four minutes on my plate.  It was so good that I immediately forgot about my cold and started feeling better.

There was a frita from El Mago here but it magically disappeared

into my belly faster than my iPhone's shutter speed could capture it

I sat at the counter and chatted for a bit before saying "adios" and heading back to my place to veg out on the couch and get some rest.  Since then, I've been back to El Mago a few times and even visited El Rey de la Frita for a comparison.  What I learned is that El Mago es El Rey!! 

See footage of the Burger Beast annihilating some fritas at multiple locations but declaring El Mago the best here.

Check it out:

El Mago de la Frita
5828 Southwest 8th Street
West Miami, FL 33144
 (305) 266-8486 ()

Fried From Being Un-Fried

For the month of June, I set out on a quest to remove fried food from my diet.  Why?  Well, I don't really have any health related issues as a result of my diet.  Last checkup said my cholesterol levels were normal, as was blood pressure and virtually everything else.  Part of it was to see what kind of effect it would have on me.  Would I lose weight?  Would I not get heartburn as frequently as I do?  The main reason, however, was due to the fact that I have what one might call, "a french fry problem". 

Simply put, I love french fries.  Steak fries, skinny fries, crinkle cut, truffled fries, duck fat fries, pommes frites, Belgian fries, "chips", curly fries, frrrrrrriiiiasdklfj;alsdjf...  Excuse me, I just had to wipe drool off of my keyboard.  According to Wikipedia, Belgium, France, and Spain are possible origins of the french fry, with history stating that fries were made as early as 1680 in a region known as the "Spanish Netherlands" which was controlled by Spain, Austria, and annexed by France before eventually becoming modern day Belgium.  I'll just thank all 3 regions for inventing this glorious item for consumption, you know, to prevent war and stuff. 

I like my fries extra crispy, even well done.  You know those fries that become somewhat translucent because they've been chillin' out in hot oil for awhile?  Then they crunch when you bite into them?  Yeah, those are awesome fries.  Those are the treasures of a fry batch though.  To eat a whole batch like that would be a little much.  Add some salt too.  You gotta have salt.  Condiments for dipping aren't 100% necessary as sometimes they just get in the way, kinda like clothing during sex.  Occasionally I will dip in some ketchup and/or mayo, or add a little malt if I'm doing the fish n' chips thing.  Just don't give me soggy fries.  It seriously ruins my day.  I get really depressed about soggy fries because I often won't eat them and then have to stare at the little buggers on a plate, watching them cry little oily tears because they realized they weren't good enough for me.  That's a main reason why I don't do cheese fries or "loaded" fries or any of those other silly concoctions.  All that crap makes the fries soggy and ruins the whole experience.

Wow, I've managed to ramble on about french fries for 3 paragraphs now and this was supposed to be about fried food in general.  Can you see what I mean by "french fry problem"?  It's not that loving fries is a problem.  This is America after all.  The problem is that I find myself ordering food just because it comes with fries.  On business trips, I'll pass up a sub for lunch and head to a TGIFriday's or something like that just to get something that comes with fries.  It also causes McDonald's runs, strictly because they have awesome fries.  McDonald's is not what I associate with healthy.

Knowing I didn't have any health problems from eating fries or other fried food was good news but I think I started to take it for granted and decided to curb my fried intake for a month.  No fried oysters, no fried clams, no crispy chicken sandwiches, no fried calamari, no french fries.  That was the plan.  Was it successful for the full 30 days?  Sadly, no. 

I gave into temptation four times, two of those being unavoidable and one that was influenced by alcohol.  The first was at Podzilla, where Chef Mike was rockin' his fried chicken again.  Chef Mike has, pound for pound, the best fried chicken in the country.  I can say that because I've been to a lot of the "best" spots around the country in my travels.  Some come close but none can match the flavor, crisp outer texture, and moist flesh of Chef Mike's chickenlaksjdfl;kajs;d.  Sorry, there's that drool again.  The second was on the road in Buffalo, NY where I ordered a burger WITHOUT fries and got them anyways.  They sat there looking so good that I had to eat them.  My third breakdown came in Chicago where I sat with friends at Castaways on the North Beach of Lake Michigan drinking beers all day and just had to indulge in a shrimp po' boy (fried shrimp) with fries.  I didn't break down because I was drunk, I broke down to avoid becoming drunk.  I needed the base and it worked.  The final breakdown was at Shake Shack, the new burger joint on Lincoln Road that everyone and their grandmother hyped like crazy the day it arrived.  I'd had their burger before but never tried the fries.  The fries were incredibly awesome, quite possibly the best in Miami. 

All that said, 26-4 is a pretty good record in any sport.  I was surprised that I was able to make it through June with that high of a record, actually.  There were lots of temptations, most notably a happy hour at Area 31 where I had to resist croquetas AND a killer fritto misto.  It was a hard challenge and I missed eating fries a lot.  But, I made it without giving in too much.  I noticed that my heartburn was decreased, especially when sleeping on my right side which I normally can't do without getting heartburn.  That was pretty cool.  I also lost a few pounds, three to be exact.  Not exactly stellar for a month but, then again, I was still eating everything but fried food and didn't change any exercise habits.  Hey, with beach trips increasing now that we're in the midst of a hot summer, I'll take what I can get.

A Taste of Area 31

A few weeks ago, I heard from Chef Critchley, head chef at Area 31 at Brickell's Epic Hotel, that he was revamping the Sustainable Seafood Tasting Menu.  So, I gave a call to my good friend Jackie (@ktchntrvwr) and foodie power couple David (@djkmia) and Paula (@mango_lime) and suggested we check it out.  It had been quite some time since we all got together and I was looking forward to catching up over a good meal.

I've dined at Area 31 a few times and have always liked what the kitchen puts out.  Fresh seafood enhanced with flavorful components and sauces is what they do best though they recently have added some new dishes for the landlubbers out there.  We all decided to stick with the aforementioned seafood tasting menu ($55) and also decided to go with the wine pairing for an additional $35, choosing the sommelier's option to "step outside the box" with pairing selections.

We started out with a refreshing tuna and escolar dish, the fish served raw with citrus that had a bit of a spicy kick to it.  It was a great way to start the meal and also allowed me to share my funny fact about escolar.  This dish was paired with a Japanese Tozai Junmai Daiginjo Sake* which was a perfect compliment to the clean tastes of the dish.

Next up were some clams sourced from our state of Florida (I forget exactly what kind they were and didn't make note of it either) that were fried crisp and served with fresh tomatoes and a Tabasco crunch.  At first I was worried that the small clams would lack flavor after being fried or that they would get tough but I came around after my first bite.  The chef did a great job showcasing the flavor of the whole clam even if it wasn't like the big belly fried clams I'm used to in New England.  The Tabasco crunch was a nice element, starting off sweet and then finishing spicy.  We enjoyed a 2005 Schramsberg Brut Rose, a sparkling wine that was ok but I say that because I'm not really a sparkling wine fan.

A pasta mirepox dish was placed before us as the third dish, it's flavor and nose reminding me of a chicken soup or a Thanksgiving dinner.  I thought this was very light for a pasta dish and appreciated that with the understanding that we had three dishes to go.  The sommelier paired this dish with a wonderful 2006 Bodegas Mauro Crianza, Tudela del Duero (Tempranillo, Syrah.  I love tempranillo and this one was big and bold but smooth without being overly fruity or acidic.

Our fourth course of the sustainable seafood dinner was a seared cobia with chestnut puree, roasted chestnut, and caperberries.  This was my favorite dish of the night.  Simply incredible flavor in this dish.  The fish was cooked perfectly and I liked the crunch of the roasted chestnuts countering the moist flesh of the fish.  The chestnut puree was a huge hit at the table as well, so much so that Jackie asked for some extra on the side.  This dish was paired with a 2003 Jacques Puffeney Melon Queue Rogue, a variety of chardonnay that I loved.  It was my second favorite wine of the night, even better than the tempranillo we had tasted with the previous dish and I'm not really a chardonnay fan.


Our final dish before dessert came in the form of a dorade plated with lentils.  The dish seemed to have an anise flavor to it along with a little pepper zest which helped offset it's fishiness a bit.  While this dish was not my favorite, the wine certainly was.  A 2008 Flowers Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast proved to be a stellar finish to the meal and the sommelier left us to have our way with the rest of the bottle because we all enjoyed it so much.

Dessert was a similar dish to the one Chef Critchley prepared at the Dinner In Paradise that I attended earlier in the year.  A flexible chocolate sprinkled with a little sea salt and paired with a mango sorbet.  It was a nice way to end a fantastic meal.

I'm glad I finally made it over to Area 31 to try the tasting menu and I'm happy to report my streak of good-to-great meals at the restaurant is still alive.  It was nice to see the restaurant fairly busy, with service attentive and knowledgeable without being intrusive.  Between their happy hour offerings, the view of the bay from their outdoor terrace, and their incredible seafood dishes (I'll have to return for some of the new landlubber fare but that will be tough because I really like their seafood dishes), Area 31 really is a terrfic spot.


*I'm not sure about this as I couldn't find any listing online for "Tozai Junmai Daiginjo".  This might've been incorrectly transcribed by the sommelier when he wrote down our winelist as a favor post-dinner as I'd like to think the internet has all the answers...

A New Club In North Miami Beach

Miami Beach is no stranger to clubs but most are classified as dance clubs or country clubs.  Enter The Water Club, a new player on the club scene providing edible beats to those arriving by land, sea, or maybe even air (there was actually a helicopter taking flight from a patch of grass at the Intercoastal Mall when I arrived to visit).

After a multi-million dollar renovation to the old "Miami Shooters" location, Chefs Frank Randazzo and Andrea Curto-Randazzo of Miami Beach's Talula were brought in to renovate the menu with flavor.  I've had some fantastic, more-than-memorable meals at Talula, so I was excited to see what the chefs had in store for The Water Club.  I sampled a few things on my visit, most notably a pulled pork slider topped with pickled onion and sliced chili peppers.  Savory with a nice spicy kick.  I also tried some steak skewers and a bit of roasted chicken salad on a crostini that was studded with dried cranberry.  The chicken salad was very light on the mayo and had nice flavor.  All that said, the winner of the night for me came in the form of a bite-sized potato croquette.  Well, I'm not sure if that's what it's called but that's what I'm calling it, dammit.  A little disc with a fried-slightly-crisp exterior gave way to a creamy explosion of potato flavor with a hint of salt that reminded me of the orignal flavor Pringles.  I managed to eat two and then gave the server specific instructions to stay away from me to ensure more than just I would sample their awesomeness.  I'm not sure if these items will be on the regular menu as this was a preview night but hopefully those potato croquettes and pork sliders will be there.

The space itself is massive.  That's probably the only word to describe it.  Two separate dining areas indoors and an enormous outdoor space fully covered by an awning, making it perfect for staying dry during our rainy season.  There are two large bars, one inside and one outside, both with a team of flatscreen TVs hanging above them.  I especially enjoyed this as my Celtics were battling the Magic that night (the C's got their asses handed to them in this game but then rebounded and destroyed the Magic in the following game to head to the NBA Finals).

The Water Club also features a dock for boaters to tie up to and head in for a bite and some drinks.  The dock space can accommodate up to 50 boats with a full time dockmaster so bring your friends.  They also have a nice sundeck and a swimming pool!  Check it out sometime for yourself.  Methinks it'll be hard not to enjoy.

The Water Club
3969 NE 163 St.
North Miami Beach, FL 33160

More Tastes of the Internet

I am a huge fan of the Internet and the ability to shop for things online that I normally would not have the opportunity to buy locally.  I was surfing the Internet a few weeks ago and came upon the site Cafepress and noticed that they have a lot of food-related t-shirts.  I ended up making a few purchases...

Being a lover of all things bacon-related, this was a natural purchase.  They actually have many bacon t-shirts on the Cafepress website but this one made me actually go out and purchase some bacon to cook it up along with some scrambled eggs right after I bought it.  The three strips just look like they want to be devoured and the exclamation point made me want to devour them as soon as possible.

I was browsing through the food t-shirt section when I came across this one.  I looked at it for a second and then it hit me and I burst out in laughter for a good 10 minutes.  Uncontrollable laughter.  Food humor is funny but when it's combined with poo humor?  That's tear-inducing hilarious!  Ah, the mystical powers of corn.  

The gang at Cafepress have a lot to offer if you're looking for a good t-shirt and their customer service is top notch.  Check them out sometime!

See you tomorrow!  Hahahaha!

Dinner In Paradise

My mother is a vegetable eater.  If she didn't like the occasional protein, I'm quite sure she would eat nothing but vegetables.  As a result, I grew up hearing, "eat your veggies" quite a bit.  So, when I first experienced Dinner In Paradise as part of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in 2009, I knew it would be a perfect gift to fly her down and take her to one.

On April 11th, my Mum and I made the drive from Coconut Grove down to Paradise Farms, an organic farm located in Homestead, Florida, far removed from the bright lights of the city.  The weather was not cooperative at first, with blinding rain pouring down on us as we drove South.  A recorded voicemail message let us know that the dinner area was under shelter and that the show would go on.  Luckily, the rain ceased just as we pulled in to park outside Paradise Farms.  A simple sign greets each visitor - Welcome to Paradise Farms - No Meat - No Cigarettes.

The concept of Dinner In Paradise is simple.  Chefs from the Miami area are called upon to create a six-course meal using local organic products.  Each course is paired with wine, courtesy of Shari Gherman, President of American Fine Wine Competiton & Gold Medal Wine Tour.  This dinner featured Jeff McInnis of The Dilido at Ritz Carlton South Beach, Marco Ferraro of Wish at The Hotel, and John Critchley of Area 31 at the Epic Hotel.  After a cocktail hour with passed hors d' ouevres, guests are treated to a tour of the farm.  Mum loved the tour and was happy to hear that all but one of the flowers that bloomed all over the farm were edible and could be plucked and tasted as we walked the grounds.

Oyster mushrooms growing @ Paradise Farms

The grounds @ Paradise Farms

At the end of the tour we were seated at communal tables of ten for dinner.  After exchanging hellos with the rest of our table, we sat silent as Gabrielle gave an introduction to the dinner and the first course made its way to the table.  Chef McInnis had prepared fried green tomatoes with local goat cheese cherry tomato jam, seared sheep's milk cheese with chilled watermelon, and farm cheese with roasted beets and honeycomb.  Chef McInnis talked of being raised in Florida and gave a shoutout to his brother who was in attendance and also sporting a kickass handlebar 'stache.  I love a good cheese course and this one was a great way to start a meal.  My favorite was the seared sheep's milk cheese with watermelon.  It was incredibly refreshing.

Chef McInnis introduces his first dish

C

Chef Ferraro's chilled corn soup being plated

Chef Ferraro provided the second dish, a chilled corn soup with corn hash, toasted pine nuts, corn shoots, basil oil, and lemongrass foam.  He explained that no cream was added to the soup.  Instead, the soup relied on the natural "milk" from the corn along with a minimal amount of butter.  The result was absolutely fantastic.  I could have devoured an entire swimming pool of this soup.  I loved how the textures of the corn and pine nuts worked in this dish.  A truly awesome soup.

Course three brought Chef McInnis back to provide us with a coconut crab salad with avocado, grapefruit ginger, and cashew oil (pictured at the beginning of this post).  I liked the flavor of this dish when I was able to get a bit of the grapefruit on my fork along with the crab.  Chef Critchley came out with the fourth course which was meant as a palate cleanser.  A lychee "sponge" with lychee, curry leaf, a farro crisp, and some bee pollen was plated before us.  The most interesting thing was the use of the curry leaf, something I'd never had before.  This dish was also paired with a 2009 Il Poggio Sangiovese that was my favorite wine of the night.

I think we were all a bit puzzled looking at the menu and not seeing any proteins listed.  That was a minor gaffe.  The fifth course wasn't just cherry tomato, easter egg radishes, charred green beans, baby carrots, and mixed herbs with tomato dressing.  Chef Ferraro informed us that there was also a nice piece of skate involved that somehow got left off of the menu description.  The skate was light and flaky and soaked up the flavor of the veggies and dressing nicely.  My favorite part of this dish, however, was the cherry tomato.  These tiny tomatoes grow on the farm and are so incredibly flavorful.  I remembered them from my last Dinner In Paradise and I hope to find out how I can obtain some for home use.

 Gabrielle presents the chefs with hats and knives

Chef Critchley finished the meal with a dessert consisting of a rich bittersweet chocolate seasoned with flecks of sea salt and local mango.  Wine flowed freely as things began to wind down and Gabrielle thanked everyone for attending and supporting the farm.  She also presented the chefs with a Paradise Farms hat and a knife that I forget what the brand was.  One lucky guest also won a knife.  Though the night got off to a rough start with some rain that had me shaking my fist towards the sky in frustration, it ended up being just perfect.  The skies ceased their crying and we got to experience all of what Paradise Farms' Dinner In Paradise has to offer.  The dishes were incredibly fresh and filling and the company was great too.  Best of all was that I got to spend some nice quality time with my Mum which is something I don't get to do too often (and kudos to her for all of the great pics!).  I recommend that anyone who is looking for a different kind of dinner experience to check out next year's Dinner In Paradise series.

On the Road: Southern BBQ

A few weeks back, my work travels took me to Charlotte, NC followed by a nice couple of days in Memphis, TN with a quick jaunt up to Jonesboro, AR thrown in between.  Naturally, I did what any man who loves southern food would do - I ate BBQ.  Every.  Single.  Day.

I arrived in Charlotte on a Saturday morning to help one of my customers prepare for a trade show.  I had worked this same show last year and remembered it was a good 20 minutes outside the city.  Without a car, I was limited for eating options but I remembered having some decent 'cue at a chain called Smoky Bones that was right across the street from my hotel.  An industry buddy of mine that I'd met the year before at this show was there again so we decided to head over to Smoky Bones for lunch and then made a return visit on Sunday for dinner.  The ribs at Smoky Bones are pretty good but not awe inspiring.  They give you a choice of BBQ sauces on the side, one being a sweet BBQ sauce and the other a mustard based sauce.  I love mustard based BBQ sauce and this sauce was pretty good and made a tender, moist pulled pork that much better.  They do a nice side of grilled corn at Smoky Bones with char marks on the kernels and a little mesquite flavor added.  It was nice to have a BBQ option close by, made even better with good, friendly service and decent pricing.

After surviving a scary but surprisingly tame car accident involving my cab and an 18-wheeler, I was on my way to Memphis.  I rented a car and drove up to Jonesboro, AR to see some good customers.  Did you know Arkansas is responsible for 48% of rice production in the United States?  Rice paddies are strewn throughout the land as I observed on my drive North from Memphis to Jonesboro.  Yup, lots of farmland there.  After meeting with a few customers, I was starving.  That's when I looked up and saw this sign...

 Bar-B-Que + Pig = Awesome

The word "Bar-B-Que" and a picture of a pig was all I needed to know that I'd probably be in good hands at Couch's Bar-B-Que.  I was a little surprised to find a lone woman inside setting tables when I walked in around 4pm (very late lunch).  She said it was just about to get busy and she was right.  I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and went with her recommendation on getting it piled with slaw.

Pulled Pork sandwich @ Couch's, Paragould, AR

The pork wasn't smothered in BBQ sauce, rather lightly spritzed with a somewhat spicy vinegar based sauce like one might expect to find in North Carolina.  I liked it.  A lot.  It really allowed the flavor of the pork to shine.  The slaw was a great call too, providing a nice crunchy texture and a contrasting cool to the spicy sauce that I was now squirting onto each bite.  After downing some unsweetened tea (I can't do sweet tea, regardless of how prevalent it is in the South.  It's just too sweet for me.) and a side of fried zucchini that was pretty good for being previously frozen, I headed on my way back to Memphis.

I had told my Dad I was looking forward to BBQ and live blues in Memphis and, being the great Dad that he is, he did some research for me.  He found out that Corky's BBQ had won best BBQ ribs in Memphis for the past 21 years!  Naturally, I had to check it out.

The location on Poplar Ave in Memphis is the original Corky's location, with additional locations that have taken root in Cordova and Collierville.  It was a Monday night around 8pm when I walked through the door and the place was packed!  "This must be some good 'cue", I thought to myself.  As luck would have it, a bar seat opened up immediately at the packed bar and I capitalized on my good fortune by hopping in the saddle and ordering a Sam Adams Nobel Pils.  Latty, the Bartender, was friendly as hell.  He offered me a menu and let me browse a minute before asking if it was my first visit to Corky's.  When I replied that it indeed was my first visit, he pointed to the pulled pork and ribs combo and said, "That is what you're having and you're getting the ribs with the rub.  No sauce."  I loved the confidence and went with it.

While I waited for my dinner at the bar, Latty pointed out to me and some other bar folk that there was a birthday in the dining room and that meant that Kelly would be singing Happy Birthday.  Sure enough, a waitress named Kelly asked for the crowd to say "Happy Birthday" and then be quiet so she could sing it.  Everyone got a kick out of that.  We said our part and then Kelly belted out a killer version of the Happy Birthday song.  Latty remarked that one of the great things about working at Corky's was that they encourage everyone to be themselves.  It was clear this was no problem for Kelly the waitress.

The birthday song was a nice prelude to the tasty notes that would soon be doing a jig on my palate.  My plate arrived with a 1/2 rack of ribs, pulled pork smothered in Corky's BBQ sauce, slaw, and corn on the cob.  I attacked the ribs first and immediately noticed the smoky aroma of the meat along with the spices of the dry rub.  The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender but not sloppy at all and your could really taste the flavor of the pork itself.  The dry rub added an awesome punch of flavor, enhancing every bite.  After mowing down about half of my ribs, I noticed that the pulled pork was a little lonely and gave it a try.  The pork was super tender but I didn't like the sauce.  For one, there was too much of it and it overpowered the flavor of the pork.  Second, the sauce was just too sweet for me.  Next time, I'd order it sans sauce and maybe add some of Corky's Spicy BBQ sauce which seemed less sweet.  Overall, it was a kickass meal and the ribs really blew me away.  Having eaten a fair share of ribs in my life, I feel confident saying that Corky's BBQ ribs are the best I've ever had.

 photo courtesy: "zeller" on Panoramio

Latty had made me promise that if I had time for a lunch stop on Tuesday, that I would try Gus' Famous Fried Chicken, claiming it to be the best fried chicken in the world.  When my 1pm meeting was moved to 3pm, I made good on that promise.

Lots of people waiting 30+ minutes for a table says something...

Latty had warned that I'd better have a substantial amount of time for lunch since the popularity of Gus' sometimes meant a 30+ minute wait for a table to open up and then another 30 minutes for your food to arrive.  He also advised that service can be somewhat non-existent but I didn't have a problem with it at all.  I checked in with the guy at the counter and he said I was lucky for two reasons: they had just sat a bunch and I was next on the list and he and I shared the same name so he wouldn't forget who was up next.  A few tables opened up and I grabbed one.  I ordered an unsweetened iced tea, the best I'd had yet on my trip, and then ordered the fried chicken breast along with sides of slaw and baked beans.  Twenty minutes and an iced tea later, my fried chicken plate arrived.

Crappy iPhone pic of a slightly dominated fried chicken plate @ Gus' Famous Fried Chicken

The chicken was fortified by a crisp exterior that held together nicely (rather than crumbling like some fried chicken can) and the meat was tender, releasing a little steam with each bite.  The breading mix was slightly spicy with the flavor of the spice gaining heat as I continued to eat but I don't think it was spicy enough to scare off a person who doesn't like spicy food.  I liked the baked beans.  They were smokey and not too sweet.  The slaw had an incredibly fresh flavor and texture.  I loved it even if it was a bit runnier than I usually prefer.  All of this food came at a price tag of around $10 and I'm pretty sure that included tip.  It was a great lunch.

Later that night I ventured down to historic Beale Street to check out Blues City Cafe which is down by the Mississippi River that divides Tennessee and Arkansas.  Lots of blues history on this street and lots of blues bars.  Even B.B. King is in on the action with a blues bar bearing his name.  I met some local guys at the bar and we talked as they demolished some ribs.  When I asked if the ribs were any good, one guy said, "Maaaan, did you see how fast we just demolished that plate?"  So, my decision was made.  Ribs.  Again.  The ribs were covered in a sweet sauce that, once again, I found a little too sweet.  The slaw and corn was pretty good though.

(A brief sidebar here...  The two dudes I met at the bar were the 5th and 6th locals to tell me that, while Corky's had won best BBQ ribs for the past 21 years, they favored Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous.  In fact, every local I asked said to go there.  Mr. Vergos passed away as a barbecue legend a few days after I left town.  This is a must try on my next visit.  For what it's worth, both ship their famous ribs all over the country, to which Latty at Corky's attested that they keep their awesomeness even when cooked at home.  I'd rather be there though.)

After dinner, I headed over to The Band Box part of Blues City Cafe where a band was covering Johnny Cash and Elvis on stage.  That's not what I was looking for so I strolled down Beale in search of some down and dirty blues.  About 2 joints down is where I heard the wail of a harmonica coming from Blues Hall Juke Joint and I knew I'd found my spot for the night.  The lead singer cranked on the harmonica and a guy who was in the audience got up and melted my face off with a killer solo during one of the tunes.  I now understood why they call Memphis the "home of the blues and the birthplace of rock n' roll".

As I made my way to the airport the following morning, I thought about the great time I'd had in Memphis.  It's a fun city with a lot of American history and spirit, especially when it comes to food and music.  I also really enjoyed seeing the diversity of the city.  Memphis was definitely my favorite stop.  It was a productive work trip and a nice time away from Miami.  I sampled some great barbecue and met a lot of really cool people while learning about each city and it's history.  I'm hopeful that my travels will take me back to Memphis someday to explore and taste more of what the city has to offer.

An Evening at Altamare, Miami Beach

I have lived in Miami for almost nine years now and have always heard that "Altamar" was a great spot for fresh seafood that had a nice local following on Miami Beach.  Unfortunately, I never made it there before the temporarily closed down.  When the restaurant moved to a larger space on the west side of Lincoln Road and added Michael's Genuine alum, Simon Stojanovic, along with an "e" at the end of it's name, I figured it was high time I gave it a shot.  Friday night, I did just that.


Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by two hostesses and a man who I believe was the owner, Claudio Giordano.  The restaurant apparently has expanded though it's still somewhat small.  The main dining room off to the left of the door features many two and four tops, a long banquette against the westernmost wall, and an elevated section of seating that offers looks into an open kitchen.  To the right of the door there is a small bar with two hi-def TVs and a little dining room to the North that looked a little more private.  The restaurant also has outdoor seating on the sidewalk of Lincoln Road.  


It was a nice night out but a little on the chilly side so we opted for a table in the main dining room against the back wall.  Our server brought over some water and bread and gave us a few minutes to sift through the menu.  The menu is comprised of four sections, broken down into ceviches/crudos, starters, mains, and sides.  The raw selections and the starters had a lot of interesting options so we opted to share a bunch rather than go with main courses.  We started with a bay scallop ceviche and a local Spanish mackerel crudo.  Both dishes were delicious.  The crudo consisted of Spanish mackerel, bottarga, meyer lemon, maldon sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil.  The fish was silky smooth and brightened by the meyer lemon and sea salt.  The bay scallops arrived in a little bowl that also contained blood orange, chives, and tiny julienne red pepper.  I loved the flavor combos of this dish.  We were off to a refreshingly good start.

Our next round of plates were more hearty.  A large bowl arrived with homemade mushroom ravioli bathing in a cream sauce.  Our server, Jean Marco, took the time to serve a few ravioli on our plates. The ravioli had a velvety texture and the cream sauce was surprisingly light.  Shaved black truffles added another dynamic to the dish that I wasn't expecting.  This was our favorite dish of the night. Next up was a seared snapper topped with saffron aioli and served on top of warm farro spiked with bits of cured chorizo and grilled meyer lemon.  I imagine this dish was inspired by the chef's days at Michael's Genuine as I'd previously enjoyed this preparation there with both local kingfish and local snapper.  This dish came up a bit short.  The fish was bland and the aioli was somewhat flavorless and more like a glop of mayo.  The farro, however, was awesome.  The texture of the farro had a slight chew to it that I loved.  I was surprised at the use of cured chorizo rather than fresh grilled but it worked really well with the texture of the farro.  I feel like I could eat a gigantic bowl of this stuff.

On Jean Marco's recommendation, we ended our meal with Altamare's house salad which consisted of heirloom tomatoes, toasted pumpkin seed, shaved fennel, and a pear balsamic vinaigrette.  It was a nice ending to a nice meal.  I found the food on this first visit was impressive and the portion sizes were larger than I expected.  We had shared five "starters" between the two of us and both left pretty full.  The best part of the night, outside of the food, was the service.  Jean Marco was the man.  The guy made recommendations for wine, food, and the progress of the meal.  He came by often enough to make sure our wine glasses were always full and plates were cleared without being intrusive.  He even took the time to personally serve us a few of our dishes.  I know we always expect service to suck in Miami and then get excited when our waiter or waitress actually gets the order correct but this was phenomenal service in any city, any town.

I'm glad I finally made the effort to try Altamare.  The quality of the food and service was great and the value was there too.  It is a nice option to have in the Lincoln Road area and I look forward to future visits.

Tweet Me In Miami

Andrew Nelson, a writer for National Geographic Traveler, recently came to visit Miami.  He used Twitter as his guide to the city, soliciting suggestions on sites to see, hotels to rest his head, and places to get his grub on.  I was one of about a dozen people who assisted him with recommendations on his trip and I had the chance to meet up with him before he skipped town.  Andrew is a real nice guy and wrote about his experience with Twitter and the city of Miami here.  It's really cool to see technology involved in enhancing one's travel experience.  Andrew got to see Miami in a way that most visitors do not, beyond the sexiness of South Beach and into the worldly neighborhoods that make up this city.  Check it out sometime. It's a great read.

On the Road: Tacos El Gordo, National City, CA

I've been meaning to start an "On the Road" series on this blog for awhile now.  My travels have led me to some great cities and even better spots to grab a bite to eat.  Just yesterday, I made the drive from LA to San Diego and met up with my friend, Ann, who I know from my days at UMass.  Fortunately for me, Ann knows some great spots in San Diego to satiate oneself and, like me, she enjoys offal.

After a not-so-great couple of small plates at a Japanese tapas-style joint called Tajima, we headed to Tacos El Gordo to fill our bellies properly.  Ann had told me about Tacos El Gordo on my last visit to San Diego but I was busy with appointements and couldn't make it there for lunch.  She had said that they have the best tacos and that they have various offal tacos like lengua (tongue), tripa (tripe), and cabeza (cow's head).  I was pumped.

The menu and counter where the magic happens @ Tacos El Gordo

Those of you looking for ambiance need not visit Tacos El Gordo.  The restaurant's design is simple - red tables and chairs, white walls, an order counter, fountain drink counter, fixins counter, and payment counter.  Oh, and there are a couple of stuffed cow heads mounted on two corners of the front wall, on of which was donning a sombrero that read "MEXICO" on it on this particular night.  Awesome.  There are three spots to order from, depending on what you want.  One guy makes "normal" tacos like pork adobada, where the meat is shaved like it is for a gyro, and carne asada.  Another station is where fresh quesadillas are prepared and the final station is where the offal tacos are prepared.  

Clockwise from bottom left: grilled onions/peppers, taco de tripa, tostada adobada, 3 tacos de adobada, taco de cabeza, taco de tripa (spicy)

We went with the spread shown above consisting of tacos de tripa, tacos de cabeza, and tacos de adobada along with some grilled green onions and peppers.  The tortillas for each taco were as fresh as can be.  The tacos de adobada consisted of shaved pork topped with chopped onion, tomato, and a cilantro crema.  These are Ann's favorite and I thought they were very good.  The tacos de tripa were my favorite, with the rich flavor of the tripe pairing well with the flavor of the fresh tortilla and the kick of the spicy sauce while the crunch of diced onion added a nice texture.  The taco de cabeza was a close runner up.  The meat was very tender and the cook's suggestion to squeeze a little lime over it was a good one.  I washed it all down with a "Horchata Ole!" from the fountain station that was surprisingly refreshing.

After we noshed, I approached the counter and asked how the meat for the tacos de cabeza is cooked.  The cook admitted his English wasn't too great and I admitted my Spanish was equally meager but we both knew enough of each language for me to figure it out.  Apparently they take all the offal (which today consisted of tongue, brains (cesos), beef shoulder (suadero), pork belly (buche), cow's eyes (ojos!!!), cow's head, and tripe) and boil it for 3 hours.  After that, they place it on a steaming tray where it sits until it's ordered.  At that point, it gets roughly chopped with a cleaver and thrown on the grill for a few minutes before being tossed into a tortilla and topped with diced veggies and sauces.

We left full and satisfied and all for about $10 each which included a couple of bucks in tips for the cooks.  It was a great experience, made even more amusing by the fact that we were the only gringos in the joint.  I can't imagine many are fired up to eat tacos made from cow's head meat but that's fine.  They're missing out.  These people are taking parts that are usually tossed in the garbage and making some great tasting food at very affordable prices, all of which is made fresh daily.  If you're in the San Diego area and in the mooooooooood for an adventurously good taco, head about 10 minutes South to National City and check out Tacos El Gordo.

"Who's in the mooooooood for tacos?"

Tastes of the Internet

I will admit - I love the internet.  It has all the answers.  What is sous vide?  When are pomegranates in season?  How can I make my own Bacon Explosion?  It also has a lot of cool stuff available to buy and I am no stranger to the "buy it now" button.  Over the past few weeks, I picked up these cool new items:

• Hamburger T-shirt - When the Burger Beast invited me to take part in his first Miami Burger Tour, it didn't take much convincing for me to hop in on the action.  That said, you can't go on a Burger Tour without proper apparel and it just so happened that Threadless reprinted a t-shirt I had on my watch list just in time for the event.  

 

This burger skips the small talk and gets straight to the point 

•  Bourbon Chocolate Bar - You know that look a dog gets when you say, "Wanna go outside?"  Head raised, ears perked, tail wagging with excitement.  That's the same look I had when I was reading through a bourbon forum post and came across a rumor of a chocolate bar made with George T. Stagg bourbon, the very bourbon I had recently given 2009 top honors to.  Nina Wanat, the founder over at Bon Bon Bar managed to pack in the awesomeness of bourbon into little bite sized chocolate bars made up of bourbon ganache, chewy caramel, dark chocolate, maldon salt, black pepper, and corn wafer.  I found the bourbon flavor to be noticeable enough though not too prominent in each bite.  The maldon salt enhances the flavor of the chocolate in a good way and the black pepper provides a nice spice.  It was an ok purchase influenced by the fact that it had bourbon in it.

 Bourbon loves Chocolate 4eva

• Japanese Ice Ball Molds - I find that good bourbon is best enjoyed neat or with minimal ice to keep it cool without watering it down.  Here in Miami, ice tends to melt quick.  Luckily, the Japanese have found that ice in a spherical shape melts a lot slower due to its' smaller surface area.  Thus, it has the ability to keep a drink cool without diluting it too much.  Previously, I'd only been able to find these advanced ice ball makers that look really cool but come with a hefty price tag.  One day, I stumbled upon a link to the MoMA Store where they were selling a plastic mold for a decent price so I figured I'd give 'em a shot.  While they certainly don't look as cool as the expensive molds, they get the job done and I think they are a lot easier to use.  The package came with two of the 2-ball molds you see below so you can make four ice balls at a time.  This is great for stocking up the ice bucket.  I tested the first ice ball with a glass of Woodford Reserve and it worked great with the ice ball keeping its' shape and lasting for about 90 minutes!  If you like your spirits on the rocks but don't like them getting watered down, this is the inexpensive way to do it.

 

 

 

Domo arigato, MoMA-san

SBWFF - The Best of the Best

I am a pretty lucky guy when it comes to having kickass friends and this past week my luck peaked when I was offered a ticket to the South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Best of the Best event.  I was told that there was a ticket available for me right before I left for a NY-Boston business trip and I was beyond excited.  I'd never been to one of these big SBWFF events for the masses so I was eager to see what it was like.  I was so excited, in fact, that I left nothing to chance after 4 days of nasty rain and snow in the Northeast and elected to take a 6am flight back to Ft. Lauderdale to guarantee that I would be back for this event!

Rallying after two hours of sleep, I met up with my friends Paula and D and we headed over to the Fontainebleau.  After a sort of awkward "champagne reception" where a singer belted out both the French and US national anthems, the doors opened and the crowd moved into the main ballroom.  The first stop was the main table where each received a wine glass along with a little holster that allowed you to carry your wine around your neck so your hands were free to chow down.  This was key because most, if not all, eating was done standing up by the booths that served the food.  It was also extremely emasculating to be standing there with a wine glass necklace on.

We made our way to the back and, after a bite of braised shortrib with a creamy, parmesan-laden polenta, found ourselves staring at Miami Beach's own Andrea Curto-Randazzo of Talula plating up some meatball sliders with ricotta and "Sunday Sauce".  At first I was a little surprised that they went so simple with a slider.  After all, they were a local restaurant with a chance to impress and draw in customers.  The slider was a winner though, with the subtle coolness of the fresh ricotta and chiffonade of basil taming the warm ball of meat and sauce.  Apparently others thought it was a winner too as I saw many a guest walking around the ballroom with one in their hands.

I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of most of the dishes that we tried and even more surprised to see that many of the exhibiting restaurants were plating offal in the likes of trotters, livers, tongues, and even head cheese.  The crispy pig trotter from Fig in Charleston, SC was an early favorite of mine.  It was served in a paper cone with some microgreens and a beet mustard that had a beautiful fuchsia color to it and an even more beautiful flavor.  I trotted my way back to that booth for seconds.  A dish I found surprisingly good was the kimchi stew with bbq Korean kogi and tofu from Chicago's Urbanbelly.  The stew was piping hot and loaded with flavor from the kimchi and bbq kogi.  Another favorite of mine came from another Chicago restaurant.  Charlie Trotter's booth served a 72hr braised oxtail ravioli with umeboshi, curried squash, and shaved bonito.  Delicious!

Charlie Trotter's 72hr braised oxtail ravioli with umeboshi, curried squash, and shaved bonito - photo by Paula of Mango & Lime

 Morimoto's Pork Belly w/ congee - photo by Paula of Mango & Lime

We eventually made the decision to attempt to get a dish from Masaharu Morimoto's booth where the only real line in the entire ballroom had formed.  The Iron Chef made sure to plate every dish himself and did so with a smile and a little banter for each guest.  Morimoto is just a class act all around.  His dish was very good and the pork belly stood out to me for being extremely tender and minimally fatty.  We ran into Sara from All Purpose Dark who told us that the foie gras bon bons from Naomi Pomeroy of Beast in Portland, OR were a must try so we sauntered over for a taste.  Dozens of little foie gras bon bons sitting atop cracked pepper shortbread and topped with a quince-champagne gelee looked like royalties on a plate.  The cool, rich flavor of the foie played nicely with the quince and sweetness of the shortbread.  We went back for another round that we called "dessert" and were able to score the last two available.  Sweet, indeed.

 

Beast's foie gras bon bons w/ quince-champagne gelee and cracked pepper shortbread - photo by Paula of Mango & Lime

I was determined to find the booth for Boston's own O Ya, owned by Tim Cushman and named one of Boston's best year after year.  I had just had dinner there Thursday night with my mum and it was a fantastic meal.  I found the booth serving a hamachi sashimi with viet mignonette, fried shallots and basil and walked up to grab a bite and introduce myself.  Tim and I spoke for a second before he motioned to one of his employees and told him I'd been at the restaurant the night before.  Turns out it was the sushi chef who created many of my dishes right in front of me that night!  Funny stuff!  

McCready's Scallop & Pork Jowl w/ Sunchoke Pickle - photo by Paula of Mango & Lime

My favorite dish of the night, hands down, came from Sean Brock of McCrady's in Charleston, SC.  My buddies Chadzilla and Chef K have been telling me to visit Sean's joint next time my travel brings me to Charleston but after this dish I may have to make a special trip.  I also know he is a bourbon fan.  Sean had an immersion circulator at the back of his booth set to 69.2C with cryovac'd scallops taking a nice bath.  They were plated with a magnificent crispy hunk of pork jowl and sunchoke pickle that provided a refreshing crunch.  I cannot for the life of me remember the sauce that was on the plate but I remember it being salty and awesome.  This was an incredible dish.  After we finished, D spotted Rev Run of Run DMC and went over to compare Adidas kicks.  A woman in a skinny white dress looked familiar to me.  Turns out it was Real Housewife of NY, Kelly Bensimon, who I had seen recently for the first time sans clothing on the pages of the latest issue of Playboy magazine.  Let's just say the airbrush guys deserve a raise...

Overall, I thought the Best of the Best showcased many dishes that were worthy of the title.  I was happy that it wasn't too crowded and we were able to try many dishes without having to wait in long lines.  Perhaps the $350 ticket price had something to do with that?  I enjoyed the event and left weathered, weary, and tired.  I think I managed to try about 15-20 plates (including those I went for seconds).   We headed to Scarpetta for a bourbon nightcap before heading out so we could avoid the mob scene at the valet stand.  People have asked if I would do this event again.  For $350?  Not likely.  The event showcased some fantastic dishes and top shelf wines and bubbly but $350 is about $100-$150 too much for a stand-and-eat-dinner if you ask me.

An Offal Meal

After an afternoon of wandering from tent to tent, booth to booth, at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, I felt like I accomplished something.  It had nothing to do with anything I did at any of the booths, rather it was what I didn't do - over eat and/or get bombed from boozin' like a madman.  Why?  I had a reservation for dinner with friends at Talula where they were offering a special 7-course offal-themed tasting menu.

 

After getting off to a rough start with wine, vodka, bourbon, and beer at the Festival, I reminded myself that I needed to stay sober so I could drive home to Coconut Grove and back to the beach before dinner.  I had just heard about this menu and was interested in giving it a shot.   At Cobaya Dinner #1, I got a taste of what the team at Talula can do when given the chance to be creative and it ended up being my favorite meal of the year.  

I was a little late arriving but I already knew what I'd be ordering so we were able to get going pretty quickly.  Three out of 5 of us got the offal tasting menu while the others ordered the ceviche, tomato soup w/ lobster, grouper, and the aged spinalis which was one of my favorite dishes from last year.  The tasting menu started off with a confit of beef heart salad that I really enjoyed.  The heart was sliced very thin which kept the dish light.  It was a nice start to the meal.  The sweetbreads that followed were a tad heavier and had a fantastic contrast of flavors and textures.  

The ceviche and soup apps for the others arrived during the third course, the braised pig ear risotto.  I had really only had pig ear in crispy fried form before so this one was interesting.  I liked the somewhat gelatinous texture of the pig ear along with the slight chew of its' cartilage but I thought the risotto was a little dense.  The sauteed duck hearts that followed were my second favorite dish of the night.  The hearts were tender with a nice meaty flavor and the smoked grapes were delicious.  The flavor of the grapes triggered some sort of memory for me but I ran out of grapes before I could place what it was.  I had been looking forward to the tripe cassoulet but it fell a little short for me because my portion was lacking in the tripe department.  I also thought it was a bit heavy for the 5th course of a seven course meal.  

 

photo by @djkmia

Our final dinner course was absolutely phenomenal.  A combo of chicken liver pate and house cured pastrami along with some pickled onions and honey mustard had a multitude of flavors singing in harmony.  The textures and sweetness of the mustard reminded me of a bbq pulled pork sandwich with an added earthiness provided by the livers.  A great final savory flavor to the meal.

 

photo by @djkmia

Dessert came in the form of foie gras doughnuts with a blackberry-chile jam.  I really don't have much of a sweet tooth but I practically licked the plate clean.  The doughnut was light, airy, and fresh.  When I put my knife to it, the foie gras filling oozed out onto the plate.  I used slices of doughnut to sop up this sugary rich gob of awesomeness.  The tartness of the blackberry-chile jam was a nice contrast of flavor.

We finished up the meal right around closing time and Talula's Sous Chef, Kyle Foster, came out and chatted with us for awhile.  One of the servers had mentioned that Kyle had put a lot of thought into creating the offal tasting menu and it showed.  I appreciated the skill involved in making some delicious dishes out of things that usually elicit a "Ewww, gross!" response from people.  There are few chefs who dare to do so in Miami and Talula has executed it well on two out of two occasions for me.  I need to make a solid effort to hit up Talula more often when I'm on Miami Beach and I encourage all to do the same.  Great food and friendly, attentive service make for a great dining experience. 

Check out Talula's dinner menu here.