Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Setting the groundwork

Now that you know what I’ll be writing about, let me share some additional details. Since I live in Doral, Florida, the majority of restaurants I’ll be reviewing will likely be located in the southeast coast of Florida. This can be as far north as West Palm Beach all the way down to Islamorada in the Florida Keys. However, I’ll definitely include any restaurant I visit anywhere in the world while traveling – which can be anywhere between 2 to 6 times per year. For instance, in 2008, I visited Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Tampa, Florida (yeah, I know, a slow year.)

In Brazil, I dinned at Dona Lucinha, one of my favorite restaurants in Sao Paulo, specializing in colonial cuisine from Minas Gerais. I usually travel to Brazil once a year, so if things remain the same – and I hope they do – you can expect to see a review on this fantastic culinary delight sometime around November. I don’t know if I’ll be back to Tampa or Dominican Republic in 09, but I’ll probably visit the New England area some time during the early part of the year – hopefully I’ll get a chance to visit another one of my favorites, the Union Oyster House in Boston.

Link to Dona Lucinha:
http://www.donalucinha.com.br/
Link to Union Oyster House: http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/

Anyway, I seem to digress from my original intent – more details. The primary focus will be the quality and taste of the food I eat. This means I can’t possibly comment on all the items in the menu because it is simply cost prohibitive, not to mention that I want to keep my weight down. I will also comment on the service, which to me is one of the most important components of a pleasant meal experience. Have you ever been to a restaurant where your food is served exactly as you expect it, the water glass is always full, the waiters/waitresses know how the food is prepared in great detail, you’re not ignored by the staff, yet you hardly notice they are there? Well, that’s the kind of service I like.

Lastly, I’ll be looking at “bang for the buck” – that is to say, am I satisfied with what I received for the price paid. I understand that some place will cost more than others, but would any of us ever pay $20 for a Big Mac? Or what should we expect for a $10 lobster? It’s about expectations and outcome.

As for what I’ll be eating, I can tell you that I’m willing to try almost anything. I’ve enjoyed dining in 26 different countries, and I like all kinds of food with very few exceptions. I once had a bad experience with calamari, and as of this writing, I still can’t be sure if it was an allergic reaction or it was just a simple case of food poisoning. So barring any further squid, I’m willing to eat anything from a Singapore steamed frog legs porridge to a Texas style rattlesnake chili. I also enjoy most types of wines, beers and spirits with a meal, and for me, nothing beats an ice cold Michelada (beer with lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco in an ice filled mug – with salt on the rim of course) with a plate of hot Mexican Tacos al Pastor. Happy eating…

Porridge with steamed frog legs:
http://wokkingmum.blogspot.com/2007/08/porridge-with-steamed-frog-legs.html

Rattlesnake Chili:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Rattlesnake-Chili-Recipe

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Photo of the day



One of the many restaurants that line both sides of Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. A full review of this restaurant will follow later this year.

Out with the old, in with the new…

Okay, 2009 is a New Year, and like many folks around town, I’m going to give this New Year’s resolution a serious try. I tried blogging a few years back, but gave up after only a few entries, simply because I either didn’t have something to write about or didn’t have enough time to do it. So what makes this new attempt different? Well, this time, I think I have a good subject, along with a contingency plan in case available time becomes an issue. The idea came to mind during dinner last night. I met with a few friends and neighbors at a local Italian restaurant, and as we enjoyed our meal, we started discussing the large variety of restaurants we’ve collectively dined at during the year. As we continued talking about the restaurants and the wonderful diversity of tastes and experiences, I thought, how cool it would be to write about these places and give an average guy’s critique. So here’s my plan: I eat out often (there are many different reasons why, but I’ll leave that for another entry), so each time that happens, I’ll try to write a brief passage describing my experience – a review if you will. I’ll write about any place we eat a meal at outside our home; although, I reserve the right to write about meals at home if there’s a good reason to do so (e.g. catered events, special occasions, etc.) I’ll provide my opinion on food taste, presentation/service, ambiance, bang-for-the-buck, and maybe even add a rating scale. I’ll include links to the restaurants’ websites when available, and will also post a picture or two whenever possible. I know there are plenty of sites like this in the internet, but I don’t care, mine will have a personal touch. Exceptions: generally, I won’t be writing about fast food burger joints, as these don’t really provide a unique experience – let’s face it, a burger at one McDonalds is the same at every other McDonalds. And what about the contingency plan? Very simple, I’m also an amateur photographer, so when I don’t have a place/meal to write about, or I don’t have enough time to sit and write something interesting, I’ll simply post a “photo of the day” from my online gallery, along with a brief description of the post – I think I can do that. BTW, here’s the first link: Chef Sammy’s Italian Restaurant in Doral - http://www.chefsammysdoral.com/