Sunday - August 22, 2010

Beer and Burger Joint

305.523.2244

Mary Brickell Village

901 South Miami Ave

Miami, Fl 33130

Check out the Menu!

I discovered Beer and Burger Joint this past week, and I have already been three times! I attribute this both to my addictive personality and the incredible food that they serve. The concept is simple—massive burgers, with gourmet toppings, for a very reasonable price (average burger costing between $10 and $12). Of course there are also some specialty burgers on the menu that can get expensive, such as the Stairway to Heaven Burger, which costs about $39. But that burger comes loaded with 10 oz of kobe beef, 3 oz of foie gras, a black truffle demi, on a brioche bun, and is served with duck fat fries. It’s your 3 square meals for the day in just 1 sitting! My personal favorite however, is the vegetarian Dear Prudence burger, which is two thick portabella mushroom caps, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, arugala, tomato, and garlic parmesan cheese, served on a ciabatta roll. It is the largest portabella burger that I have ever seen, and I love it particularly for all the fun condiments that it is served with (I might have mentioned in former blog posts, that foodies like myself are condiment people by nature). It comes a side of walnut-basil pesto, a roasted garlic bulb, and zucchini fries that are accompanied by a creamy dill dipping sauce. The whole plate is just an assortment of deliciousness.

For the most part, each burger is paired with its own unique variation on the french fry. Options include: onion rings, mushroom fries, skinny fries, zucchini fries, duck fat fries, and sweet potato fries. The skinny fries are by far my favorite, and the duck fat fries confuse me and scare me a little, to be quite honest. If you’re not feeling called by any of the suggested burgers on the menu, then there is always the option to create your own custom burger. You get to build it from scratch, choosing your meat, bun, sauce, and toppings, but this is definitely not the cost friendly option because it does get expensive. And for those of you who wish that you could be Adam Richman from Man v. Food, you can challenge your stomachs with Beer and Burger’s Mother Burger. I believe that they describe it best on their menu:

"The Mother Of All Burgers! A Ginormous Beast The Size Of A Manhole Cover And Sandwiched In A Bun That Resembles A Couch Cushion! Order One For The Table Or Finish It Yourself Within 2 Hours And It's Free! Serious Eaters Only Need Apply..." 10 Lb. Of Our Natural Freshly Ground Angus Beef Choose One Cheese-Two Topping-One Sauce-Two Sides. Please Allow 25 Minutes to cook.”

If you do decide to take on this epic food challenge, make sure that you’re hungry because if you don’t finish the whole thing in 2 hours, then you are responsible for the bill, which is a staggering $75. However, if you do complete the challenge, then Beer and Burger will pay for your tremendous stomachache…isn’t that nice?

Saturday - August 21, 2010

La Sandwicherie

305.532.893

229 14th Street

Miami Beach, FL 33139

Check out the Menu!

I’m now a senior in college—a fact that was confirmed tonight when my friends and I walked into a frat party and realized that we wanted to leave after just five minutes. We were waiting in some crowded little room, clutching our solo cups, hoping just to catch a glimpse of the keg (let alone an ounce of beer), when we decided that this wasn’t our idea of fun anymore. There we were, a group of 21 year old girls in jean shorts and flip flops, surrounded by the new freshman that were decked out in high heels and whorish smelling perfumes…one of these things just doesn’t belong here. So we headed to Brickell to mourn the end of our “fresh meat” status, over a round of Blue Moon beers at the Irish Pub. After attaining our much-needed buzz, we decided to move on to its late night counterpart—FOOD! When I go out with my girlfriends, I would say that we spend ½ the night talking about the drunk food we want to eat, and the other ½ of the night actually consuming that food. As you can imagine, there was a great deal of debate as to where our fourth meal would be enjoyed, but eventually we decided to make the trip to South Beach for La Sandwicherie—who can resist the “secret sauce”? If you haven’t tried this secret sauce that I speak of, well then you haven’t fully experienced life. The secret sauce is a flavorful, homemade, Dijon mustard kind of dressing that can make anything taste incredible, especially the Proscuitto Mozzarella Sandwich that has made La Sandwicherie so famous here in South Florida. The sandwich comes with thinly sliced proscuitto, fresh sliced tomato, red onion slivers, lettuce, and creamy mozzarella all on a French baguette. The flavors and textures balance each other perfectly; the proscuitto adds the perfect amount of saltiness to the mozzarella, the lettuce and red onion are crisp against the soft roll, and the secret sauce adds just the right amount of tang to this enormous sandwich. I must confess that my roommates and I seriously debated the proper term to describe this inexplicably delicious sauce as we inhaled our sandwiches in my car, and tang was the best that we could come up with. I’m not sure if it’s the best adjective, but words cannot possibly capture the amazing-ness of this stuff anyways.

Ohh, and the best part about La Sandwhicherie is that it is guilt free drunk food, unlike Taco Bell or pizza. I mean, no one likes to wake up in the morning and find Taco Bell hot sauce packets scattered around their car (we’ve all been there), but to wake up and find a little container of secret sauce in your console…well, that is like finding a precious gem. Although I go to La Sandwicherie for late night dining usually, it is equally as delicious mid-day sober too. Please, please, please, go to La Sandwicherie…but caution: it may be habit forming!

Monday - August 16th, 2010

Chocolate Mascarpone Cupcakes

Well, tonight my boyfriend and I ended our relationship. Ohhh, who am I kidding?!?...thats just a nice way to say that WE BROKE UP and I am currently experiencing a pain greater than the removal of my wisdom teeth, which one week ago I could not imagine possible. This is my first heartbreak, and I am so sorry for anyone whose heart I have broken in my past because it is just a terrible feeling. But being a foodie, and now a rather depressed foodie, I am finding consolation in (drum roll, please) FOOD...and lots of it. But, before my ex gets excited that I'll let myself get obese over him, let me state that I will not let myself go into full binge eating, weight gaining, break-up mode--I'm just splurging tonight!....and possibly tomorrow. It's not like I can get into too much trouble with these four holes in my mouth anyways! But right now I am polishing off a little piece of heaven--a Cocosette bar, which is a Venezuelan cookie bar with chocolate and coconut cream. Its divine and apparently has some sort of healing power because I honestly feel better after savoring every last bite of it. Cocosette, it's Advil for the heart! And now I'm gathering the ingredients to make one of my other favorite desserts, which is a Chocolate Chip and Mascarpone Cupcake. If you love chocolate, then you will love these cupcakes. They are a chocolate cupcake with chocolate chips in the batter and a velvety chocolate ganache on top. They are very simple to make and always a great crowd pleaser, or therapy regiment in my case! Hopefully I'll have some more time to blog now that I'm single, and for those of you who "Yelpers" who have only been commenting on my physical appearance (I'm talking to you Mr. "like a piece of bacon on an open fire, you're sizzlin'"), well, now would be the time to make me feel good and leave more of those comments!! Anyways, heres the recipe for the incredibly delicious chocolate cupcakes!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup water

1/3 cup marscapone cheese, at room temp

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Ganache:

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the semisweetened chocolate and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted, about 2 min. Cool for 2 min. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until mixture is smooth.

Heat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl for 30 seconds. Stir in the mascarpone mixture. Which the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir until just blended.

Divide the batter among lined muffin pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely before dipping into ganache.

For the ganache:

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream and remove immediately to pour over the chocolate chips. Using a fork, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Dip the tops of the cupcakes into the mixture and transfer to baking sheet. Allow the cupcakes to set in refrigerator about 15 to 20 minutes to cool. Then allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Wednesday - August 5, 2010

Tomato Basil Soup

Tyler Florence

An all-liquid diet equates to hell for a serious foodie. It is even more miserable than I anticipated that it would be, if you can imagine that. For example, I went grocery shopping today and had to actually turn down free samples of food. I never turn down free things, let alone food! It was torture as these older women eagerly waved cubed of aged cheese and sliced salami on toothpicks at me. I had to say "no thank you," but I was thinking "I want to be fed. I want your samples, I really do, but I just physically cannot eat!" My mom can see my frustration (she caught me reading her cookbooks as literature earlier today) and she decided to make me a nice hearty soup for dinner--tomato basil.

I can't say that I helped, or even watched my mom make this soup because I was passed out from my pain killers, but it turned out great! She used fresh basil, thyme, and rosemary from our herb garden so the depth of flavor was intense and delicious. She then topped off the soup with some heavy cream and cracked black pepper, which balanced the acidity of the tomatoes perfectly. I ate this as a simple soup tonight, but I think it would also taste delicious over pasta as a faux vodka sauce (once I have teeth again, of course!). I will definitely be adding this to recipe to my own collection, hopefully you will enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of heirloom, cherry, wine, and plum)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 small yellow onions, sliced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 quart chicken stock

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

5 fresh sprigs of thyme

Fresh Parsley

3/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Preheat the over the 450 degrees F.

Wash, core, and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic, and onions onto a baking tray. Tie up the rosemary and parsley with twin and add onto the tray. Drizzle with a 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and onion from the onion and transfer to a large stock pot. Cut off the twin from herbs and add to the stock pot as well. Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutws or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves and add to stock pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken broth, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with drizzle of cream before serving.

Tuesday - August 4, 2010

Casa Larios

305.662.5656

5859 SW 73rd Street

South Miami, Fl 33143

Check out the Menu!

Today was the big day—my wisdom teeth have been removed and I have embarked on my depressing all-liquid diet, which equates to a permanent state of "fee-fi-fo-fum." But even doped up on Percocet, with swollen cheeks that resemble a chipmunk going into hibernation, I still managed to get my butt to the grocery store today. I'm a hardcore foodie. My dinner, consisting of plain vanilla yogurt (no granola, no fresh fruit, no nothing), has left me shockingly unsatisfied and so I'm hoping that blogging about delicious foods might help satiate my hunger!

So let's talk Cuban food! One of my favorite Cuban restaurants in Miami is called Casa Larios, which is located near Sunset Plaza. I'm usually the only English-speaking Gringa in the place, so its definitely authentic (and slightly intimidating, for me!). Look around the large indoor/outdoor restaurant and you will find tables of both older men and businessmen sitting around and smoking cigars over Corditos. As well as impeccably dressed women (most in pearls and sky high heels) sipping on white wine and gossiping with friends (it seems that no one in Miami works). You will also always undoubtedly find a group of Cuban policemen congregating around the door, drinking coffee and eating croquettas. It's a fun scene for people watching, but the food is also outrageous...in a good way!

I love to start my meal with a basket of Mariquitas and Mojo dipping sauce. For those of you who don't know, Mariquitas are fried plantain chips and mojo is a delicious blend of garlic, lemon, and vinegar (warning: be careful when consuming on date!). The combination of the sweet plantains with the contrasting acidic garlic sauce is perfection. And although it is not a low-cal appetizer, it's a totally pleasurable way to consume your calories. Ohhh, and I almost for about the bread that is brought to the table, which is absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It is warm, and light, and fluffy on the inside, yet flakey and golden on the outside. Put it this way, there are only two restaurants in Miami where I have been wowed by the bread, and those restaurants are: (1) Le Bouchon in the Grove, and (2) Casa Larios. The bread is really the highlight of the meal for me, and it is brought out in abundance with room-temperature butter packets that practically spread themselves on the heavenly dough. As author Elizabeth Gilbert might say, you need to go to Casa Larios with a "no carb left behind" kind of mentality--this is not the place to be tallying your Weight Watcher's points!

For my entree, I usually order either the Pechuga La Plancha (simple chicken breast) or theRopa Vieja (shredded beef in a light tomato sauce), which is a special on Mondays. The Ropa Vieja is so incredible in my opinion, because I had never tried anything like it before coming to Miami. The meat is stewed with onions and other herbs in a flavorful tomato-based wine sauce, and then it is shredded to serve. The result is a very tender meat and pleasing rich dish. I put the meat over a mound of white rice and mix in some velvety black beans with a dash of Tabasco....Ooooo, it is so good! And Cubans make the best white rice...the grain is larger than Jasmine rice, which makes it pillowy and then they add butter (which makes everything better) and salt so that the rice has flavor when tasted on its own. It is something that I cannot replicate on my own at home, so I look forward to it every time that I go. The Pechuga La Plancha is a very simple pan seared chicken breast, but they cook it with butter (like everything else at this place) so it tastes like delicious comfort food. I always wondered why my chicken never tasted as good at home, but then I realized that butter was the secret ingredient and I'm too health conscious to prepare mine that way on my own. I always order my chicken with a side of black beans and rice, and usually Maduros too (fried plantains). It is a simple but classic Cuban meal that I have come to love and crave on a weekly basis.

The only thing that I did not like at Casa Larios were the Papas Rellenas , which are stuffed and then fried potatoes. When I ordered them they were brought out below room temperature, which reminded me of like the frozen Costco party appetizers...ewe. I'm pretty sure that they aren't made to order and it was a bad experience that put me off to them completely. Everything else that I have tried has been great though. Go to Casa Larios...just don't try to order a Cuabn coffee to blend in if you're not used to drinking them! Benn there, done that, and I'm pretty sure that it was unleaded. I can actually compare my first Cuban coffee to my first shot of Limoncello...both made hair grow on my chest.

Monday - August 3, 2010

Dos Segundos

305.629.0500

931 N 2nd Street

Philadelphia, Pa 19123


Check out the Menu!

This afternoon, my family and I spent the day in center city Philadelphia viewing the Cleopatra exhibit at the Franklin Institute. The exhibit was really great, but in all honesty, I was just excited to eat at my favorite Philly restaurant, North Third, on our way home. You see, tonight was a “last supper” of sorts for me because I am having my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow. Thus, I have spent my entire day trying to enjoy all of my favorite foods before being sentenced to a week’s diet of apple sauce and ice cream...the very thought of which I find depressing. When I asked my friend Jennifer if she had any advice for my impending tooth extraction, she replied, “sure, if there is anything at all that you really want to eat…eat it, and eat it NOW!” So for my final meal, I knew that I wanted the succulent roasted chicken breast with rosemary jus and garlic mashed potatoes from North Third restaurant and bar. However, when we arrived at the eclectic gastropub located in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, we were told—much to my dismay—that the kitchen didn’t open until 5 O’clock. We had to come up with a new game plan for our early dinner, and so we headed down the block to a popular little Mexican spot my mom noticed on her last trip to Northern Liberties. For those of you who don’t regularly follow my blog (shame on you!), my plan B is always Mexican. I am just infatuated with the spicy and bold flavors that Mexican food has to offer, and I find that it is often a pretty safe bet. I mean, it’s rather difficult to screw up fried, spicy, cheesy, salty food…those adjectives alone make my mouth water.

We found our way to Cantina Dos Segundos and after just a brief look at the menu, I had completely forgot about my dreamy roast chicken dish and was now looking forward to some crispy nachos and salsa verde! To drink, we ordered a large pitcher of Red Sangria, which was only 5 dollars! That’s right, a pitcher of Sangria for a staggering $5. I guess the perk to eating dinner at senior hour, is that it is usually also still happy hour! The Sangria was so good that we actually asked for the recipe, which was sadly kept from us. We then ordered Chicken Nachos as an appetizer, which were served with roasted corn, pickled jalapenos, black beans, pico de gallo, crema, and melted cheese. I am not kidding when I say that these were the best nachos that I have ever tasted. The chicken, which was all white meat, was shredded and stewed in a spicy tomato sauce that had incredible flavor, and there was plenty of it on the nachos. One thing is for sure, Dos Segundos is not stingy on their nachos toppings, and every nacho has equal topping opportunity (a.k.a you don’t get 5 delicious topped nachos on top and then a bunch of plain, soggy, nachos underneath...is that not the worst?!). Best of all, this huge and beautiful nacho platter (elegantly drizzled with crema) is only $6 for a small and $10 for a large. You have the option to top it with chicken, steak, or vegan beef. I’m not really sure what vegan beef is—it sounds like an oxy moron in my opinion, but I highly recommend the chicken!!

For the main course, I ordered the Chicken Quesadilla, with achiote chicken, poblano peppers, roasted corn, queso fresco, and guacamole. It was a little salty for my liking, but none-the-less delicious and a perfect portion size. I topped it with the incredible Salsa Verde that was brought out at the beginning of the meal with the starter chips, and the flavor combinations were just awesome.

My father ordered the Puerco en Salsa Verde, which was braised pork shoulder, tomatillo, avocado leaf, and epazote salsa served with a side of pinto beans, white rice, and stewed zucchini topped with queso fresco. We all agreed that this unique dish was the best at the table. The pork was so tender and the zucchini tasted like it was stewed in the same amazing tomato sauce as the nacho chicken.

In fact, my mom loved the chicken nachos so much that she ordered them as her entrée too! My sister on-the-other-hand, ordered the Alas de Pollo, which were fried chicken wings coated in a red chile and bacon pipian salsa, served with celery sticks and a homemade blue cheese ranch dipping sauce! I’m not a big fan of wings because of the bones, but everyone seemed to enjoy them.

Overall, this place was fabulous and a great value. The appetizers were huge portions sizes that were suitable as entrees and all of the food was flavorful, fresh, and homemade. You can absolutely tell that there are Mexican’s cooking the food in the kitchen because it is so authentic. I wish that this place was in Miami so that I could enjoy it more often, but I will definitely be back when I am in the Philly area again. It is a must try place.

Wednesday - July 28, 2010

Taco Rico

305.663.3200

473 South Dixie Hwy

Coral Gables, FL 33146

Check out the Menu!

In my previous post I was pretty rough on La Taqueria Mexicano, and I mentioned the incredibly delicious Taco Rico as a better alternative for Mexican food. I think now would be a good time to tell you why Taco Rico is without doubt my favorite place for Mexican food, and there are several reasons including; the value, the portions, the simplicity, and the mouth-watering food, of course! The only thing Taco Rico doesn’t have is décor—but fine dining and Mexican food seem like a contradiction, so the vinyl table cloths don’t bother me one bit.

Taco Rico is nothing to look at from the road— in fact, I drove past it for 2 years without it ever catching my eye. It was my boyfriend who noticed the place one day (on our way to Chipotle) and suggested that we give it a try. But I had my sights set on a chicken burrito from Chipotle, and since I was in hungry monster mode (a.k.a. fee-fi-fo-fum) I contested the idea and put up a fight. However, he was driving and so he had the final say…you know how this ends. He swung a quick U-turn and told me that we needed to try something new for a change, and thus that was the day that I lost my Taco Rico virginity.

We walked in, placed our order, and then helped ourselves to a basket of homemade tortilla chips and the salsa bar. That’s right, a salsa bar! For those of you who don’t know, “foodies” are by nature condiment people—people who love to dip, spread, dallop, and drizzle their food with all sorts of sauces and toppings. I am a “foodie,” so when I saw this salsa bar, my heart literally skipped a beat. Of course, I felt the need to sample every salsa, but I sampled no further after discovering the Chipotle Salsa. One taste of this smoky, spicy, flavorful sauce and I was literally fantasizing about all of the things I could put it on. I kept thinking on burgers…on chicken…on steak…on veggies…on a spoon…heck, on anything!!! I was like a little kid who has just discovered ketchup and wants to put it on everything imaginable. This chipotle salsa is just ridiculous, and could make anything taste delicious in my opinion. As I was still moaning over the salsa, our appetizer was brought to the table—Loaded Chicken Nachos, which were topped with chicken, refried beans, jack cheese, guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos, and diced tomatoes. I poured some chipotle salsa over the top and got to work on the mountain of spicy, salty, bliss. About half way through the nachos (which were amazing), the waiter came over to our table and informed us that we had ordered more food than could fit on a two-top table. He suggested that my boyfriend and I move to a four-top table to accommodate all of the plates. In this situation, a normal person would feel embarrassed. I, on the other hand, got so excited for the feast that was apparently coming to our table! Within just a few minutes plates were piled up on our table. I had ordered the Chicken Fajitas and my boyfriend ordered the Steak Quesadilla. My chicken came out on a sizzling iron skillet with sautéed green peppers, caramelized onions, and tomatoes. I was also given a basket of warm flour tortillas and platter with all the fixin’s, which included; Spanish rice, refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and jack cheese. The chicken was all white meat and seasoned to perfection, not to mention sizzling hot! The fajitas are still my favorite thing on the menu so far. My boyfriend’s quesadilla took up the circumference of the entire plate, and was filled with not just meat and cheese, but veggies too. It was then topped with guacamole, sour cream, and tomatoes. It was toasted to perfection with crisp golden edges, and the cheese was smooth and melted.

The food at Taco Rico is delicious, not too oily, and a great value. You pay $10 for a super satisfying, made-to-order, meal. You must try this place, if you are not already a loyal customer. I must admit that my boyfriend and I pass on Chipotle for Taco Rico all the time now…and you will too!