madtheswine's Profile
Baby-friendly special occasion restaurant
I'd say most places are very accomodating if you go relatively early. I went to Michy's with my 5 month-old son at the time and they were very cool. We had a 630 rez and we sat outside. I agree with Frod's recs, though I will say that if you sit outside at Sugarcane, the music from Mercadito can get pretty loud. I'm not sure if it's blaring that early, but just an FYI.
Broken Shaker - Miami Beach
I finally hit the broken shaker. I've been trying to find a bar in the tri-county area where I could give the bartender free reign and give me their best shot and this is it. My wife had three different rum beverages. I had 3 gin drinks and kindly asked the tatooed lady tending bar to make me a drink with gin and basil. She nailed it, adding ginger that gave the drink a spiciness and lemongrass that played in the background. Really good stuff. The ambience was interesting because it has that hole in the wall feel, but people walking in and out in their bathing trunks makes you feel like you're on vacation.
Bombay Sapphire East?
I'm not sure if it blows it away, but I do appreciate it more in a martini and in a bee's knees. Very good stuff.
Best Argentinian Parilladas and Facturas in Miami?
I'll second the Graziano's rec. Specifically the one on Bird Rd. I've heard Patagonia is good, but never been. The Knife is good if you're more into quantity than quality.
Broken Shaker - Miami Beach
Anyone been? If so, how are the drinks and the ambience?
Park Avenue - Winter Park
I'm looking for a good place to eat around Park Avenue in Winter Park. My wife and I went to 310 Park South last year and loved the area, but would like to try a new place on that strip. I see that there are many options. Are there any places worth mentioning?
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310 Park South
310 Park Ave. South, Winter Park, FL 32789
Aioli in Rice
I made a lemon aioli last night and I have some leftover. I'm making some rice today and was thinking about mixing it in once the rice was cooked. Are there any health repercussions to doing this? I know you shouldn't leave aioli out in the hot sun, but I'm guessing it's ok to mix in with hot food for flavor. If not, how long does aioli keep in the fridge?
Miami Spice
So far I've hit Sugarcane and the Forge. Sugarcane was great as usual. The stars of their menu were the local fish crudo (excellent acidity) and the head cheese. The slices of head cheese were very thin and worked well with the cherries. Some of the items we ordered are regularly on the menu, so I won't dig too much into it. The duck confit and the mousse parfait were good, but not great. Both of those dishes had textural issues and felt kind of clumsy, in my opinion. The flavor was there on all dishes though.
My visit to the Forge was my first. Though I liked nearly everything that I and my companions ordered, nothing wowed me. We had the salmon croquettes (meh, barely tasted like salmon), liver crostini (good, bread was nice and crusty, chicken liver pate was tasty), mushroom risotto (damn good in both texture and flavor), Salmon (meh, tasted fishy), Burger and Bourdeaux (meh, the burger itself was crumbly, short rib topping was tasty but mushy). Both desserts were good. The best items of the night were the bread and the libations...and that mushroom risotto.
Your Culinary Rosebud
Le Festival in Coral Gables, FL would be it for me. I will be forever grateful to Le Festival for the introduction to french cuisine. My memory of their souffle is still the pinnacle and the standard upon which I compare all other souffles. Unfortunately, they closed many years ago. Their escaloppes de veau vennoise will be my "last supper" choice. Vive Le Festival!!!
What is your favorite home-cooked meal, that you make yourself? (started 3/25/2011)
Anything braised, but especially short ribs and duck confit. Oxtails are also up there.
Dutch Oven: Onion Caramelizing Problem / Questions / Chemistry
I'm guessing the acidity of the onions may be the culprit. You can add a pinch of baking soda at the beginning of the process and it might reduce the acidity of the onions. It also helps with the browning process.
Pembroke Pines area recommendations? (also The Keys)
Capriccio's is excellent. I would also recommend Elle's which is in Miramar.
Grinding tough cuts for meatballs
I recently got a meat grinder. I was thinking about grinding tougher cuts that are usually meant for braising and making them into meatballs. Instead of frying or baking the meatballs, I would braise them in the tomato sauce. Has anyone tried this? Would the meatballs hold their shape or would they disintegrate?
Suggestions for Gruyere Substitute?
if your local market doesn't have gruyere, they probably won't have an aged emmanteler. But in the case that they do, I'd use that as a sub. Asiago is also a fine sub. However, there is no true substitute for a well aged gruyere.
Breakfast in Pembroke Pines
Elle's on Flamingo and Miramar is an excellent spot for brunch. I believe they open up around 11am, so if you're looking for an early breakfast it may not fit the bill.
Pubs near Waterloo Station - London
I'm looking for a decent pub around the Waterloo stop. The quality of the food is more important than the quality of the beer, although I would like a good selection of brew. Any solid pubs in that area?
London - Fireworks on New Year's Eve
I was looking for a relatively quiet atmosphere with a moderate budget. Definitely not 225/pp, tho. From the research I've done, it looks like I'll probably dine early and hang out close to the river somewhere.
Make ahead desserts
I've made Pot de Cremes that held up pretty well after a few days in the fridge. Just cover with plastic wrap and add a dollop of whip cream right before serving.
London - Fireworks on New Year's Eve
Hi All,
Is there a quality place to dine on New Year's where I can watch the fireworks?
Authentically San Franciscan
I'll be visiting San Francisco soon and would like to know any places that must be tried in a four day trip. I have scoured thru dim sum recs on the board and we will be visiting one or more of the places, but is there any place that typifies San Franciscan cuisine? If not, are there any quality restaurants that are into cooking local ingredients?
Coffee and Pastries by Park Plaza Westminster Bridge
I'll be staying at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and was wondering what is the best local place to have a pastry and a coffee each morning. It would be great if there's one in walking distance, but I'm definitely looking for one that's decently close.
I'll be making a trip to Maison Bertaux to try some of theirs, but I feel it's far enough so that I won't make a daily trip each morning.
shrimp & grits
Thanks for the reply and I will probably try those when making cornbread, but I was talking about grits. Has anybody tried this method before?
shrimp & grits
How crazy is it to saute the cornmeal in the pan before adding the hot liquid? Wouldn't this decrease clumps? Would it hinder the cornmeal's ability to soak up the liquid significantly?
Shrimp and Grits
Would white wine be considered a good 'flavorful liquid' in your formula? I've made cheesy grits using all milk before, but I want to step it up a bit and I wanted to know if wine would be a good idea.
Happy Miami Spice 2010 (2 U) !!!
Went to Scarpetta Friday night. Showed up on time for my reservation but was still sent to the bar for about 25 minutes until my table was ready. I wanted to try out some drinks from the bar anyway, but I feel this is a tacky move. When we were seated at the dining room, there was more than a handful of empty tables, so I feel this was just an attempt to squeeze a few more bucks out of the patrons. They did immediately validate my parking ticket which was appreciated.
The miami spice menu is prominently displayed. Got the same apps as mrmagee and agree that they were both winners. For entrees, we had the spaghetti and the prime filet of beef. The spaghetti was very good, perhaps the best I've ever had, but I felt a bit let down. Maybe it was built up to the point that I didn't appreciate it as much as I would have without the fanfare. The beef entree was very tasty, cooked perfectly medium rare. It was smaller than what I would consider an entree size, but somehow I was full before dessert came along.
For dessert, I had the ameidi chocolate cake which had good chocolate flavor, but the toasted almond gelato sitting on top of the chocolate crunchies (don't know the term for this item) stole the show. It seemed like an homage to a carvel ice cream cake. The mocha swirl cheesecake was very creamy and tasty, but I only had one bite of it as the wife scarfed it down in quick fashion.
The service was fantastic and if not for the banishment to the bar, it would have been one of the best restaurant experiences in the last couple years. I still would definitely go back during non-miami spice time.
Fried Garlic
I bought a bottle of fried garlic from my local asian mart because it looked good and the ingredient list was simply garlic and palm oil. Is there a traditional dish that's made with this? I was thinking of working it into some gambas al ajillo, but there's quite a bit and I can maybe stretch it into two different dishes. Any ideas?
Best Tapas in Miami area
Pimento's a solid tapas place. Never had a bad tapas platter there though I would say their garlic shrimp tapa is just okay. Cod croquettes are outstanding as are their tostones rellenos with shrimp. Their chairs are a bit uncomfortable but it is definitely worth the trip.
Happy Miami Spice 2010 (2 U) !!!
went to Sra. Martinez last night. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable, but he was barely around.
As far as the food goes, everything we had was good, but we also had to order an item off the normal menu just to fill up. Though I knew the dishes would be tapas size, I was hoping they'd be a bit more filling. The standout was the roasted bone marrow. The bone marrow itself was good, but the slaw and brisket that came with it were outstanding. Another great dish was the tortilla espanola. The tortilla itself was good, but the aioli it came with was spectacular. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the mojo marinated wings, which I agree were very good. The only somewhat disappointing dish was the mussels which were good, but the broth was not worthy of being sopped up with bread.
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Sra. Martinez
4000 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33137
Thomas Keller's Fried Chicken
I need to thaw my chicken. Is it unwise to put the frozen chicken in a cold brine to kill two birds with one stone?
Mojitos- Dolphin Mall
I haven't been in a while, but I judge all cuban restaurants by how well they execute a bistec empanizado (breaded steak) and they made it very well. If I recall, the drinks were pretty decent also.
