Auger's Profile
Lemon Verbena sources?
I just bought one at the HD at us1 and 32 ave in Miami, but be gentle with the leaves. I went to pull off a leaf that something was eating at and pulled off the top 2" of the plant. So next time i'd use scissors when cutting off leaves.
Lemon Verbena sources?
Home depot. The one I saw it at was the one by the Falls Mall in Pinecrest. Us1 and sw 134st. I went to one up in sunrise on university and they didn't have any there.
Squash Blossoms in Miami?
Roots in the city has squash now. I don't know if their farmers market is open yet but you can see if they can sell you some. Also you can buy a squash plant for HD. It was $5-$6 and about 1' x 1'. They were starting to throw off some flowers. I'm guessing you probably get 1 flower every 3-4 days per plant since its still young. Only thing is when I pushed the leaves around they were some flying bugs hanging around the plant.
Lemon Verbena sources?
If your still looking, I just went to HD and they they had some small cuttings there. I think I may buy one since it seems hard to find. So if you don't buy one, just ask again and if I don't kill it, I may have some for you in a couple of months.
Fresh lotus paste for mooncakes
Just to update my post for the lurkers, I'd skip Maxim bakery mooncakes in Tamarac. They didn't tase good and let's just say the paste was chunky. But the vietnamese store a few doors down has a slighty larger selection of canned paste. Like 4-5 kinds compared to 1-2 at most stores
Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood
I was going to stop by, but after running late and a wrong turn, I just said forget it. Does anyone have a update on the place? Is it worth stopping by, or do they only have stuff that you can find at any farmers market?
Gourmet Cheese Steak Food Truck Just launched
I find about 85% of the food trucks are unimpressive, but I'll still give them a chance. I missed them last week when they were close to me.
After Michael's, She Must Have Been Paid Off
Please, The Feast isn't a serious site. They put any bs up there and hope to get advertising dollars. I wouldn't be surprised if they were paid to put a restaurant on the list.
Squash Blossoms in Miami?
You should be able to find some. I'd think that zucchini and yellow squash are almost grown year round and Fall is coming so people should start growing butternuts or pumpkins growing soon. I'd first try contacting Farm to Kitchen (http://blog.farmtokitchenmiami.com/). Its supposed to be an off shoot business, run by the forager for Michael's Genuine, but they haven't updated their FB page since May, so I don't know if the business is still up.
2nd, you can contact Glaser Farms. I saw some last year (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/708495)
3rd, talk to people at the farmers market and see if they can bring some for you the next week.
4th, ask for some in a Miami Gardening website. The closest I could find was for Florida http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/flgard/. .
"...you're no Danny Meyer, Mr. Manero."
You should check out Milk Burger in NY. They basically just changed the color of the font from a Shake Shack Menu. They even put a photo of a Shake Shack burger on their website.
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/07/milk-burger-review-spanish-east-harlem-manhattan-nyc.html
Early Lychee season
Just went to T.K. market on 8st in Miami $3.50.
Also Farm to Kitchen said they're working on a way for consumers to place orders with them, but most likely you'll have to pick up your order around the design district. You can follow them on their facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Farm-To-Kitchen-Miami/173476732699010?sk=wall
Early Lychee season
It looks like my lychees are going to be ripe 2 weeks earlier then normal, so I wanted to give you people a heads up that the season may be early. The drought hit the production of fruit for the backyard growers in my area. I don't know how commercial growers faired.
Below are links to the location lychees have been sold over the years.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/711816
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/527990
Freeloading Food Trucks?
Maybe freeloading isn't the right word, since trucks have to pay for a space. But it seems a majority of food trucks only come out for the food truck rallys. Short Order put a blog post. A couple of weeks ago the for a Friday round up 40 trucks were attending and 33 were put on a waiting list. Did the other 33 trucks spread out across Miami and open? No. Do most of the trucks go out if there isn't a rally? No. Are food trucks making money hands over fist at these rallys so they only have to work 2-4 days a week?
Now I know there are problems with parking. In a twitter post BurgerBeast said the South Miami and Coral Gables are off limits. I'm going to assume South Beach is off limits too. But what about the places other people have found. Shell lumber (not on saturdays, that's the big 3's day), behind the dryclean usa on coral way and 12 or behind the publix on biscanye and 48 (of course not when ms cheesious is there). Behind the mayfair. Are the "Only rally truckers" even looking for new spaces. Many haven't gone out onto the streets by themselves. Its disappointing that for sucha mobile fleet of food trucks they seem to be stuck at the same places.
Dumpling Machine
I tried searching online for one, but only found the ones that you have to order from China. Does anyone know where to buy one in the States?
Fresh lotus paste for mooncakes
Does anyone know a source for fresh lotus paste in Miami. I know its a long shot, but I'm going to try and make snow skin mooncakes, and this is probably the only time a store might carry fresh lotus paste. Tia
Chocolates Delivered to Bal Harbour
The Chuao Chocolatier shop in Coral Gables always got their chocolate shipped from their California Store. Even though Chuao is in its name, their chocolate, doesn't come from Chuao, Venezuela (thought to be the best place for cacao), just from Venezuela. Marketing ploy.
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Chuao Chocolatier
70 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables - Miami, FL 33134
Chocolates Delivered to Bal Harbour
I've been out of the chocolate game for a while, so my info may be out of date. Closest will be Romanico's Chocolate in Miami, www.romanicoschocolate.com. Stick with the truffles the chocolate assortments aren't that good even though they they look nice. But bottoms are too hard and thick and the inside the flavors are muted. No local delivery. Usually delivers thru Fedex cause their trucks are white so the insides wont be as hot as a brown truck. Plain gift box.
There is also Norman Love Confections on the West Coast of Florida in Fort Myers. http://www.normanloveconfections.com. Beautiful looking chocolates and gift box. But Romanicos has a slight advantage on taste, but Romanicos has only a limited selection of flavors. Norman ships in insulated boxes, before you could select ground shipping for Florida and it'd get there the next day. But the last time I ordered they only had Overnight shipping available on their website.
If your willing to pay overnight shipping, you might want to consider Christopher Elbow http://www.elbowchocolates.com/ . The gift box isn't as pretty as Normans but their chocolates are a little better than Normans. They also ship in insulated boxes.
Where are the chocolate to be delivered? If its an office next day shipping usualy will be delivered in the morning, if its a house, it could be in the afternoon. Once I ordered from Madame Chocolat in Beverley Hills, got to my house in an unisulated box around noon, and were 1/4 melted. On average expect overnight shipping to be around $30.
If shipping is an issue, there is also L.A. Burdick in MA/NH http://www.burdickchocolate.com/ . The have cheap shipping. Overnight shipping is around $16, Priority overnight shipping before 10am. is like 3-4 extra. they don't ship in insulated boxes, but throw in some ice pack. I've gotten my box at 9am at my house and the ice pack is still 3/4 frozen.
Lychee sightings - 2010
Well its that time of the year. We've had a cold winter for that helped with flower production, but we didn't have that much spring rain, so about 40% of the pinnacle on my trees, dried up and turned brown. Lycheesonline has Mauritius for $8/lb, so you can probably find them and Hak Yip for about $5/lb from a side of the road vendor.
humanely bred chickens
Bo Bo Chicken, It's not organic, and its frozen. But no growth hormones, only fed soy beans and corn, free roaming, less breast meat, more thigh meat, killed around 12 weeks (factory chickens are around 4-6 weeks). Also its sold with the head and feet on, so if your squeamish, I'd skip it. You can try finding them in Asian markets.
Why does chicken need to be cooked more then beef?
In Japan, a few izakaya serves raw chicken. Of course the chicken has to be freshly killed, and not a factory farmed chicken.
Zucchini Blossoms in Miami?
Saw some this past Saturday at the Glaser Farmers Market in the Grove.
Sakaya Kitchen - Midtown Miami
I went to try the new “Banh Mi” Buns a couple of weeks ago, they were ok, and the regular pork buns, were just meh this time. But to be fair the people who were cooking didn't seem to know what they were doing. One thing I've never really liked were the buns themselves, they seemed a little heavy, and sometimes they have a toast marks as if they reheat them in an over, or on the stove, instead of steaming. But when I went there the last time, I saw on the counter that they used frozen buns. They were in a green and clear package. I think David Chang, buys his buns from someone, so this isn't a criticism. But you can buy a different brand from Luckys, but they're twice as big, so you have to cut them in half. And the PK market in North Miami, doesn't carry any.
Good Pastrami/ Corned Beef in Broward/Dade
From Newtimes blog
"There used to be hot dogs, popcorn and burgers. Now it's a beautiful Stadium with lots of new flair: Latin cuisine, open flame grills, carving stations, pulled pork smoked in-house at Everglades BBQ, CARNEGIE DELI, a more open feel and new POS system and flat screen menu boards to better our speed of service"
I think its supposed to be across from box 236, its nestled in a corner, you wont see it just walking by, and the sandwich is $19
Local source for specialty herbs--looking for chive flowers
The chives the sell at Asian markets are unopened, and the tops still green. You can buy some, stick them in some water (change daily) and hope that the flowers mature. But I'd keep on looking for another source.
Lung Gong: Amazingly Good Chinese in Miami
I thought their "authentic Chinese menu" was only in Chinese, or thats what I heard when it opened a couple of years ago, guess they changed it
Who's trying out for MasterChef America this weekend?
Any Chowhounders going to try out? Last year I saw the Australian version and became hooked. There was no backstabbing, yelling, and the judges were supportive. But with Gordan Ramsey, I'm sure its gonna be more like Hell's Kitchen. Good luck to whoever is going to try out.
Good Pastrami/ Corned Beef in Broward/Dade
Its there just do a search for Carnegie Deli and Landshark stadium, and you'll get some articles. But I just re-listened to some podcasts and its supposed to be across from box 236, its nestled in a corner, you wont see it just walking by, and the sandwich is $19. Hope this helps.
Good Pastrami/ Corned Beef in Broward/Dade
Well North Miami, is the part between Ft lauderdale and Miami, Its about 125th street to About 190 St. The Costco is on 145th St and Biscanyne Blvd. The stadium is around 200th St. Now if you going to the game, I heard on a local radio show that supposedly there was a NY deli inside the stadium that flies down their ingredients from NY, cant remember which one, could be Carnegie Deli. But its supposed to be tucked in a corner in the 100 Club Level, Section maybe 104 , or 140, but I cant remember the exact section #. I think the guy said it was $20 bucks for a sandwich. But ask around, maybe someone can confirm.
Mr Yum - Little Havana, Miami - Anyone had a good meal?
A couple of months ago I tried Mr. Yum and had the same experience of Frod.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/637384#4947653 . I did a to go order, the 3 Japanese items I had where edible, but common, the rice was terrible. I also ordered a Pad Thai for my daughter, now I live 5 mins away, and when I opened the box, the noodles were undercooked to the point where it was still hard. Now I know you just have to soak the noodles in warm water to cook them, but if they cant even cook the noodle, so I just written Mr Yum off as a bad sushi place and maybe an average/ below average Thai place. But every time I pass by the place is usually full of people.
Has anyone had a good meal? Should I give it another chance? Or is it just for the mayo and cream cheese in their sushi crowd?
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Mr Yum
1945 SW 8th St, Miami, FL
