dharma's Profile
10/31 it has to be the best meal EVER
Best meal ever in South Florida.....Eduardo de San Angel.
Crystal River Suggestions?
Terrible! Nothing was fresh. This is a place for people who think that seafood is Mrs. Pauls or Gortons. The portions were small, the fish was frozen, the shrimp were greasy, and the fries and baked potato were soggy. How do you make a baked potato soggy? Close to inedible. Honestly I had a fish sandwich at Wendy's the next day that was twice as good as this place. Never again.
Where is the best no frills Seafood in all of Florida?
Charlies Fish House is good for fish, if you like Mrs. Pauls or Gortons. Nothing was fresh, the deep fry was greasy, and the portions were tiny. Never again.
Excellent hamburgers
Charm City Burger in Del Rey Beach is a great choice on the East Coast. It's worth a drive of 30 or 40 miles to eat a burger this good. Slow cooked, lots of choices, but perfect every time. Real Onion Rings, crisp fries, and shakes. I'm going back soon.
Excellent lunch in Arcadia
We ate breakfast at Wheeler's Cafe in Arcadia. Great food, friendly people. This place looks like small town diner from the 1920's, which it is. The food was quick and perfect. Omelets, egg sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, grits, etc. Folks say the fried chicken is great but we didn't try it. However, we went back later for piece of their chocolate peanut butter pie, and it was AMAZING! We tried to get out of town, but actually turned around and went back for a second piece.
Do all farmers markets in Florida stink?
The best produce market in Fort Lauderdale is Lucky Market on Dixie Highway just south of Commercial Blvd. Its run by a Mexican family and they have all kinds of specialty vegetables as well as fruit and a small butcher shop. Prices are great, service is friendly, and you can buy bags of stuff for less than $20. Nothing is "organic" but then, nothing is organic anywhere else.
Alright Ft. Lauderdale, lets hear about some cheap(er) eats!
CRByrne: Whats especially good at Calypso. We will try it.
Other recs:
Tamarindo on State Rd 84. Inexpensive and excellent
Hong Kong Barbecue on 441 north of commercial. Excellent Dim Sum and soups
My Market on SE 17th St. Very good sandwiches
Riverside Market, Sailboat Bend. Sandwiches
Zona Fresca, Best fresh Mexican. Two locations
Lemongrass Asian, lunch sushi.
Sushi-Ko Express in Parking Garage near Main Library
etc, etc, etc
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Zona Fresca
1095 S University Dr, Plantation, FL 33324
Sushi-Ko Express
100 SE 1st Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
One perfect dinner in Ft. Lauderdale
We ate at Market 17 recently. Not impressed at all. While the entrees were well prepared, the rest of tthe experience was unacceptable. Service was slow, many people showed up, but not available. Couldn't get a spoon for the soup to save my life! They brought the appetizers before our drinks, and never brought bread, although it was announced. The place was not crowded, and there seemed to be a lot of waitstaff, but no one running the show or no one who knew what the were doing. The food was uninspiring, the vegetables far from fresh, and way overcooked. Not terribly expensive but not worth it anyway.
Looking for 2 places for dinner spots that I can't miss and 2 for lunch??
Tried Blue Jay after reading a positive review in the Citylink. Must have been a paid review. This place claims to be Southwestern, but there was nothing southwestern about it. Terrible tacos, a barely cooked tamale with tomato spaghetti sauce which they called "red chile" and chicken wings with Franks Hot sauce on them. Nothing special, nothing original, nothing tasty. The burger was good, but the green chile came from a can and has a metallic taste. Very dissapointing.
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Blue Jay Lounge
301 SW 15th Ave, Pompano Beach, FL 33069
Alright Ft. Lauderdale, lets hear about some cheap(er) eats!
Best Tacos: Tortilleria Mexicana on Dixie Highway between Oakland and Commerical. It's a little hard to find, but its the best. Fresh Tortilla's from the machine, great Tacos.
Jamaican. Jerk Machine on Broward (just off it)
Thai Spice on Commerical, but everybody knows it.
Pomperdale Deli
Hot Dog Heaven on Sunrise. Real Chicago dogs. With the Works.
etc.
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Hot Dog Heaven
101 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
North bay
Ate breakfast twice at the Magic Kettle on Ferguson in North Bay. Great breakfast, friendly folks. A good deal too.
Weber's Burgers
Ate a great burger at Webers in August of 2009. Double Cheeseburger, with crispy fries, and a malted shake. Can't beat that!
Need a good restaurant in Andover for a group dinner
Looking for a very good restaurant in Andover for a group dinner for important occasion. Any suggestions? Any kind of cuisine is ok, as long as it's very good.
fort lauderdale- inexpensive restaurants
Bistro Mezza Luna on 17th street is often good, although I ate there recently and it wasn't as good as in the past. I dont know if they changed chef's. Five guys burgers in the Publix shopping plaza is a good cheap burger. Coco's is very good for Thai food, but a little bit more expensive than it should be.
Authentic Mexican Food in Broward?
Best taqueria I have found is the Tortilleria Mexicana on Dixie Highway south of Commercial. It's on the west side of the street. Sign is small, but it's next to Lucarella's which is easy to spot. The food is excellent, Taco's al Pastor, Lengua, Cabeza, etc. Also chile verde y roja. They make Tortillas for all over. You can buy a hot stack of 50 and take them home. Put them in the freezer and heat them in the microwave when you need a calientita or a quesadilla.
Do all farmers markets in Florida stink?
I shop at Lucky Farmers market all the time. Prices are good, selection is ok. The owner is a very nice Mexican family, They have a good carneceria inside as well. On weekends you can get fresh tamales if you ask.
4 Nights in Beijing
Green T House living.
Is this the finest dining experience in the World?
We ate at the Green T House LIving, not the downtown restaurant, but the one out near the airport. It has to rank right up there with some of the greatest dining experiences I have ever had, e.g. Lutece in New York, Four Seasons in the sixties, Le Bernardin, Tour D'Argent, etc.
Everything about this restaurant is nothing like you have ever experienced, or can imagine. Starting in the parking couryard, and extending into the huge plaza in front of the pavillion, the creators of this restaurant have re-imagined what it was like for an emperor to dine. The huge glass pavillion is beautiful, the interior is all white, and rearranged frequently, from what I hear. The tables are cut marble, the chairs are sculpture thrones. The wait staff is affable, informative, and imaginatively dressed, and the food is absolutely unique. Nothing on the menu can be found anywhere else. Every dish is arranged like a sculpture or artisitic presentation. The theme of green tea is very subtle and amusing in most of the dishes. Each flavor was unique. When we were there, there were only two parties dining. It is expensive for Beijing, but no more than an upscale priced dinner in the US. The desert of chocolate leaves inserted into an ice mound with fruit was magnificent. Truly memorable tastes, images, and pleasures.
(be sure to use the bathrooms)
Have Fun.
Vermont-looking for inn with great food
Update on Echo Lake Inn. We had dinner for six there in late December. The owner and wait staff are warm, welcoming, just as chatty as you like, but the service and setting are like a small European inn. World class food. Amazing fresh salmon chowder. delicious entrees, and a warm dark chocolate dessert that is the most amazing flavor you can imagine. I can't remember what they call it, but, it was rich without being too sweet and tasted like wine. A wonderful evening. The rooms are charming, but we havn't stayed there. Dont miss it.
Need Hip Restaurant in Okemo/Ludlow VT
Hip place for Pizza: Goodman's American Pie, in Ludlow. Real Pizza, thin crust, fresh flavorings, wood fired crust. Easily better than the Wicked Place across the street. Great for lunch or dinner. A few tables, nice folks. Like most of Vermont
Springfield Vt and surrounding area...What to eat?
The Phoenix Cafe, in the same building as Baba a Louie's bakery in Chester serves great lunches. Soups, Sandwiches, and a killer Quesadilla. Lunch for six people was $40. Don't forget to buy bread while you are there. THE BEST BREAD IN VERMONT!
TOP WINGS IN FLA
Yep, Wing n Things in Wilton Manors is no more. The place sold, and another Thai diner is going up. One more Thai diner in Wilton Manors, what are they thinking? Anyway, Wilton Wings is a good attempt at resurrecting the old place. Some of the same crew, and the same menu. Wings are good to very good, and come in a dozen variations. Love those livers! Still small, fast, friendly.
Best Food in Miami/Ft Lauderdale Area
Johnnie V's, come on, give me a break. It's a meet and greet place, with ordinary food. Outstanding? I don't think so. Maybe someone bought her a drink
Mexico City Quandary
A quick update on Restaurants in the Centro Historico/Alameda area.
Hosteria Santo Domingo was disappointing. Everything we ordered was deep fried and breaded. The Chiles en Nogada was tasty, but very rich. Share it among four or five people as an appetizer.
Las Girasoles was very good. Good service, excellent food, lovely atmosphere. More like a country in than a city restaurant, but only one block from the Bellas Artes.
Cafe Tacuba was also very good for traditional Mexican food. Lovely room, strolling musicians, and very pretty waitresses in colonial dress.
Had breakfast at VIPS on Cinco de Mayo. What a great formula! Too bad Walmart doesn't bring this to the US. The food was very fresh, tasted like home made. Reasonable prices and very good service. This one was in a very pretty art nouveau room.
Sanborns at Casa Azulejo. Mob scene. Food was ok, but I felt like I was one of 1000 diners.
Hot Dogs in Ft Lauderdale
Dogma...New gourmet Hot Dog place on South Federal in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. It's part of a Miami chain. Very clever hot dogs, lots of fresh ingrediants, but...the hot dogs aren't great. Don't know what kind they use, but they lack flavor. That may be intentional, since they put so many flavorings on top.
Best, still is Hot Dog Heaven, on East Sunrise Blvd. Tiny, hard to find, but impossible to beat. The real thing. Chicago style hot dogs with THE WORKS. Best pickles in town. Great people,. The same family has been working there for decades.
For Chili Dogs, Skyline is great, on North Federal. Also the chili is "real" Cincinnati chili.
Another great dog is the $1.50 dog and soda special at Costco. Big, flavorful, and cheap.
Bistro Mezzaluna (Flauderdale)
Have been there many times. Have never had a bad meal. Sometimes, excellent. Service is good. It gets very crowded after 7 pm so go early if you dont want to wait. Specials are always good, veal is excellent. It's expensive, but not nearly as expensive as Las Olas, and the food is just as good. As a place to celebrate, or for a special date, its tops.
top three in Ft. Lauderdale
Not only the best in Ft. Lauderdale, but one of the best restaurants in North America. Every dish, every dinner is something new and special. It's very expensive, but worth every penny. You will remember it always. Try the cuatlacoche crepes. "Food of the Gods" indeed!
3 nights in Fort L. and Miami -- suggestions?
Best Mexican in Ft Lauderdale? There are two:
For the best Mexican cuisine in North American, outside of Mexico City, it's Eduardo de San Angel, Very expensive. If you can afford it, you've got to experience it.
For the best traditional Mexican food, very reasonable, very fresh, everyone eats at Zona Fresca on Federal Highway (US 1) between Sunrise and Oakland Park.
Good sushi in Ft. Lauderdale?
Great sushi downtown at KoKo in the concrete plaza across from the Main Library.
