Latin Cafe 2000 snapshots

Some food simply doesn’t need an atmosphere to improve it.

While hanging out in South Florida before and after a conference (held on the Carnival Imagination no less, which reminds me of that classic Dire Straits song lyric “that ain’t working. That’s the way you do it.”) I managed to stumble into two different groups of attendees who invited me to dinner … at a Cuban restaurant.

This Midwest meat-and-potatoes gal had images of chicken heads floating in the chicken noodle soup, mainly because that’s what the waitress put in front of my friend the last time we ate off the beaten cultural path in Miami. I’ve considered counseling to erase the image from my mind.

But when you’re the organizer for a 3-day group event, you go along to get along on these issues. So I said yes, and hoped I passed a drugstore to stock up on Snicker bars in my room back at the Doubletree Grand Biscayne.

In Miami, we pored over recommendations here at Uptake, and wound up choosing Latin Cafe 2000 local franchise — my friend because the concierge recommended it, and then I nodded yes because it was close. I dislike driving our SUV in the first place, and downtown Miami doesn’t do a thing to improve that attitude. And remember, I figured I was headed toward some kind of voodoo dinner to boot.

So I was pretty relieved to at least find myself seated at the outdoor dining patio where there was plenty of room to run screaming should I see something gross. Instead, I found myself engrossed in a list of foods that included black beans and rice and pork dishes, so suddenly everything was right in my world. It’s a great attitude to have in a laid-back atmosphere like Latin Cafe 2000, where English is definitely a second language. For instance, one of our party asked for a hurricane from the bar, and the waiter had to bring the manager over to the table to translate.

Padrino's: the other end of the scale

“Oh no, sir, it might rain but we’re not going to have a hurricane,” she assured him. After we quit whooping over this misunderstanding, we finally got through that we were talking about an alcoholic beverage. They ended up researching it on the Internet to determine the recipe, but brought it out with the little umbrella at least.

After that carefree visit, still happily stuffed with memories of my beans and plantains, I eagerly agreed to dine four nights later at Padrino’s Restaurant up in Hallendale with a family also hanging out at the Manta Ray Inn. This restaurant came complete with beautiful artwork, gift cards and a formal waiter who addressed me as “m’am.” But even though they are a visual opposite of Latin Cafe, I had the same wonderful experience: black beans and rice (which I managed to spill on the linen tablecloth as I mixed the two bowls), plantains, tilapia and good conversation.

Heck, under those circumstances, I could probably withstand another floating head at the table.

Latin Cafe 2000

2501 Biscayne Blvd.

Miami, FL 33137

(305) 576-3838

Padrino’s Bistro

2500 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd.

Hallendale, FL 33009

(954) 456-4550

Photography: Sue Poremba, Padrino’s Bistro

Buckhorn Grill in San Francisco

When you go to the movies, who doesn’t love a big bucket of popcorn, with all that sweet butter and salt? Nowadays though, the price of that popcorn is approaching ten bucks, especially if you add in a large drink to help wash it down. If you’re like me, sometimes you want more than the salty goodness of that popcorn. You want something meaty, like a good burger or a steak sandwich.

Here in San Francisco, there is a place where you can get that tasty sirloin with your movie ticket, at the Buckhorn Grill. In the Westfield Metreon Shopping Mall, besides its huge selection of movies, you will find a variety of delicious food options. Recently before our show time, I wanted to grab a bite of something substantial. Their tri-tip sandwich turned out to be one of the best reasons to skip the popcorn I have ever had.

The chicken and grilled tri-tip are delicious! The Buckhorn brand is all about being “The Best Tri-tip on the Planet” and they serve only certified Angus beef in all of their locations.  They have created a special marinade and hand rub the 21-day aged beef in a flavorful seasoning. Then their secret is to sear the meat over a wood fire before finishing it in a wood smoke oven.

For $10-15 you can get a huge platter of food that includes red mashed potatoes, fire roasted veggies, bread and butter. I like the $12 sirloin tri-tip that comes with a six ounce steak. If you want a sandwich they serve them on thick sweet French rolls for about $6-7. Maybe you still want to get a small popcorn, so skip the sandwich and instead “add on” chicken or tri-tip to any of their salads for $2.50. Yum and yum.

Besides the Metreon, there are two other convenient locations in San Francisco where you can find a Buckhorn Grill. If you are shopping there is one at the lower level of the Bloomingdale’s Shopping Center. If you like the holidays and ice skating, you will see their Embarcadero 4 location at Justin Herman Plaza with the Holiday Ice Rink in front.

San Francisco Metreon
101-4th Street and Mission
San Francisco, CA 94103-3003
(415) 369 6150

www.buckhorngrill.com

Photo by Sharon Castellanos

Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.

Next to myself and music, my husband Andy’s favorite things in the world are yummy pizza and tasty brews. So when the kind staff at the Grove Park Inn referred us to Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. during a recent visit to the area, I’m pretty sure Andy thought he was in heaven.

The place is located on a rather unassuming street away from the more touristy section of the city. It is set back from the street and if not for the UFO crashing through the roof it doesn’t really stand out. But then we walked through the front door and it was like awesomeness overload.

Funky, Fun & Fabulous

There are vibrant painted murals and movie poster tiles decorating the walls. Sirius Radio was spinning commercial free rock and funk. What a fun environment to walk into! Do you remember how Wendy’s used to have those tables with pictures of old-timey newspaper ads? Well, Asheville Pizza kicked it up a notch by plastering hysterical tabloid headlines and articles all over their tables which kept us devilishly entertained while waiting for our beers.

Tasty Brew

Speaking of the beer, after perusing their menu and getting some input from our server we decided upon the Rocket Girl Lager for me and the Shiva I.P.A. for Andy. The Lager was a Pale Ale that had a crisp bite that was subtle enough for my domestic palate. The I.P.A.’s bite was more bitter and really tasty too.

The movie themed menu drew me into ordering the Royale with Cheese simply because I couldn’t pass up the offer to say the words aloud in a restaurant in honor of Pulp Fiction. Andy decided that when in Rome, order the pizza. Although you can build your own, by the slice or by the pie, he went for the Mardi Gras gourmet option.

Mmmmmm

As you can see, this pizza loaded with cajun chicken, chorizo sausage and a rainbow of peppers did not disappoint. It was hot in temperature and not too spicy. The thin crust reached crispy/doughy balance perfection. The medium 12” size was plenty for Andy to have several slices, share some with me and still bring some home. It is typically sufficient for two to share and I should have stuck with that option. The Royale with Cheese wasn’t anything special, other than in name. The sweet potato fries were yummy though.

While finishing up my beer I explored beyond our table to find that in the back of the restaurant there is a full sized movie theater with 150 person capacity. While we were there they were showing Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince. Admission is $3 a person and there are showings throughout the afternoon and into the evening. They mix up the rotation throughout the week and sell out quickly for the evening showings. Advance purchases the day before are encouraged.

Dinner & A Movie

Near the center of the restaurant there is a board game center and children’s toys to keep the little ones and the young at heart happy. Up near the taps there is an ice cream sundae bar near a pizza topping station which I guess is for the build your own pizza option. We didn’t get all the details since we’d already finished so be sure to ask your server what the deal is with those.

Our lunch bill totaled about $35 for a cheeseburger with fries, three pints of beer and a 12” pizza that provided leftovers. That left plenty of room in the budget to reward our friendly and timely server with a good tip. There was even enough left over for a movie if we had the time.

Great pizza, deliciously brewed beer, terrific tunes and his wife for company. Now that’s what my husband should consider a grand slam.

Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co.
675 Merrimon Avenue
Asheville, NC 28804
(828) 254-1281
www.ashevillepizza.com

*Serving Lunch & Dinner here and at their Coxe Avenue location
*Movies show at 1PM, 4PM, 7PM and 10PM (no late flick on the weekend)
*All major credit cards accepted
*In addition to sponsoring a Children’s Film Festival and a Superhero 5K Run, they partner with native son and Allman Brothers Band/Govt. Mule guitarist Warren Haynes to brew a Christmas Jam White Ale (November – January) in conjunction with his music festival. All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity.

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

All photos credited to Molly G. @The Bumbles Blog

But I knew it was rainy before I even looked out the window.  How?  Because I’m dreaming of pizza again.  But not the pizza of my childhood from Rodolfo’s.  No, I’m guessing it’s just as blah and dreary in New Jersey this time of year.  I want to eat a slice of great pizza outside, with the sun shining on my face and a sweet beach nearby.  I want to fill my belly at the Pizza Garden in Saint Augustine, Florida.

Truth be told, I was thinking about Saint Augustine last week.  In my Halloween preparations, I was thinking about this old and supposedly haunted city.  The oldest city in the United States, you’ll hear a lot about the ghouls and ghosts that still reside in the area.  Many claim to Back in my life before kids, my husband and I would often head down to this town for the weekend, stay at a Bed and Breakfast and enjoy just walking around.  Never saw a ghost though.

But we did eat a lot of pizza.  A lot.

There’s just something about this great little pizza joint.  You grab a slice or two, get your Coke and then sit out and enjoy your lunch on a beautiful day.  It was not only economical but very, very tasty.  Though Saint Augustine has more than its share of fine restaurants, we could never resist the call of the Pizza Garden and would stop at least twice (if not more) on each trip.  Heck, we’d often stop there just on a drive back from other Florida destinations.  It’s that good.  And on a cold, wet November day, I’m wishing I could get back there again.

———-

Pizza Garden and Pastabilities
1824 A1A South
Saint Augustine, FL 32080
Tel:  904.471.9455

———-

Photo courtesy of callme_crochet.

Just the mere mention of the word and I start drooling like Pavlov’s proverbial dog.  I’m not sure what it is about that tasty, cured meat, but I am not ashamed to say I might just be a bacon addict.  In fact, just thinking about bacon, it’s all I can do right now not to turn into that little cartoon dog from the old Beg’ums commercial and start hollering, “Bacon!”

BACON!  Oh wait, I guess I just did yell.  What can I say?  I love it that much.  Stop me before I yell again.

Because of my addiction, I don’t keep much bacon in the house.  I’d probably weigh 300 lbs. and not care because I’d be sitting on my couch munching on some bacon.  But when I visit a good restaurant and see a creative dish that uses bacon as an ingredient, I am compelled to give it a try.  I just can’t resist.

So when I opened the menu at the Pegasus Brasserie in the Hotel Phoenicia and saw “Lasagne Bianca:  Baked lasagna with chicken, bacon and parmesan,” I knew I had to try it.  A favorite comfort food with my beloved bacon?  How could I say no?  I ordered it up immediately.

It was perfect.  Wonderful.  Delicious.  A tastebud orgasm, if you will.

The lasagne bianca isn’t an everyday item on the Pegasus menu.  This casual, contemporary Mediterranean bistro changes things up fairly often.  But like just about everything else in Malta, this Brasserie manages to take traditional, well-loved dishes and make them completely and utterly their own.  Even if the Shepherd’s Pie isn’t anything like the one your Momma made, you won’t mind.  It’s still darn good.

So next time you are visiting Malta’s capital city, stop in for some dinner at the Pegasus.  You may find a new take on an old dish (with some bacon, too!) that will keep you coming back for more.

———-

The Pegasus Brasserie
Hotel Phoenicia
The Mall Floriana
Valletta
FRN 1478 Malta
Tel:  +356 22911083

———–

Photo courtesy of Kayt Sukel.

The crouton makes it magic!

El Toreador in one sentence: Bright, cheery, always busy “sit down Mexican” place in West Portal, with bottomless bowls of chips, generous pitchers of Margaritas and big platters of comfort food.

Who you’ll see there: College students, families, couples before going to the movies.

Make sure to try: the sopa, the tasty tomato broth soup with one giant, yummy crouton floating in it. Also, the enchiladas will warm you up on the coldest, foggiest San Francisco night. Definitely go for the pitcher over the individual glasses of margaritas.

It’s okay to skip: the crispy taco plate. It’s a lot of fried, and they heat up the plate with the lettuce on it — not my favorite.

Service: The place is always busy, so they keep things moving. You’ll never have an empty plate sitting in front of you, and your water or soda will be refilled without you asking.

Average meal price:  Two people are in and out for $30 without booze, $45 if you get a pitcher.

Logistics:

• Be prepared for a line, you put your name on a list and wait
• No reservations
• It will be loud – it will not be romantic
• Kinda cramped, but in a friendly way
• Yes to credit cards

Parking:

On the street, can be tough to find, the smart move is to drop someone off to put your name on the list while you look for a spot

Location:

West Portal
50 W Portal Ave
(between Claremont Blvd & Portola Dr)
San Francisco, CA 94127
(415) 566-8104

Photos: Cat Lincoln

Mamacita's guacamole

A stranger named Jimmy is my new best friend.

Back in June, when I wrote about Cancun Mexican Grill in Hollywood, Florida, Jimmy suggested I also try Mamacita’s Mexican Bar & Grill on the Broadwalk. I agreed to stop in the next time I was in town.

I’m not a gal who takes such written commitments lightly, so finding this place was on my first night’s agenda. And since I had my husband along on this trip, he enthusiastically endorsed the idea after he heard the words “Mexican food” — even if I did have to talk him through how to drive a mile straight down Ocean Drive, turn right on Johnson Street and find a parking space with a meter. Duh.

I was excited to see the location: all tables at Mamacita’s have a wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean, and we were ahead of the crowd so we could take our pick. Chips, salsa and the sea are really all it takes to make my soul content. My husband, however, contained his excitement until they handed him a menu, and then his eyes bugged out of his head.

He started out with a strawberry margarita — the better to help him focus on his meal decision, I assume — took one sip and gave me an evil grin. “Want some?” he asked, which after 26 years of marriage I know means “Hey, this stuff is very potent and I’d like to get you drunk and take you back to the hotel to have my way with you in an hour.” I had plans of walking (not crawling) along the beach that night, so I wisely declined.

Burrito for two

The real challenge was figuring out what to order. Let’s be honest: A description that reads “large tortilla stuffed with beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and your choice of meat” isn’t especially original, is it? Same with “two tostadas (flat crispy tortilla) topped with beans, lettuce, cheese and your choice of meat.” And then there was “steak fajitas broiled and marinated strips of steak with a compliment of sauteed onions, tomatoes, and green peppers served with rice and beans.” But there’s something about the view and the salt air that makes ordinary words irresistible. While you are nodding off, we were in a veritable frenzy trying to make a good decision here.

We finally settled on splitting an order of guacamole that turned out to be a bit on the bland side until I dumped a half a shaker of salt over it and a burrito suizo. In Spanish that translates literally to Swiss burrito (?); in English it means “most worthy of paying an extra $1 to split, because you would never, ever eat a burrito this large by yourself, although you could probably see your way clear to pick out all the marvelous steak pieces because no one lets them go to waste.”

Back home again in Indiana, we have an independent Mexican fast-food joint that advertises its entrees as burritos as big as your head. After seeing this plate set in front of us, I’d say their heads are the ones on pins in Joann Fabric’s sewing section, and Mamacita’s has been modeling Mt. Rushmore. His share was certainly enough to offset my husband’s alcohol-indulgent margarita, because he managed to figure out how to exit the parking space and drive back to the hotel afterwards.

He even joined me on that walk along the beach. Talk about a classy aphrodisiac … thanks, Jimmy, for a perfect evening!

Mamacita’s Mexican Bar & Grill

591 N. Broadwalk

Hollywood, FL 33019

(954) 921-7988

Photography: Julie Sturgeon

To anyone who doesn’t believe that glory can be found in a well-made taco, then you haven’t eaten one from this taco truck.  The tricky thing is, it only parks for a 10-20 minute window in the spot near our office (a location I will keep disclosed for selfish reasons). You have to be on the ball to catch them. Luckily, our CEO and founder at UpTake, Yen Lee, is a man on the ball! He rallied the team and rushed us out the door at 10:55 on Friday in order to catch the hard-working ladies who run the truck. It was a well-executed assault. We rushed them just as they were closing down, grumbles in our stomachs and expectant looks on our faces. They were nice enough to open back up for us as well as to pose for a couple of photos.

friendly taco truck worker

taco truck delights

The selection on the truck is varied. You can get burgers and breakfast burritos in addition to tacos.  But, after tasting their tacos, I don’t know why you would order anything else. I chose one bean and cheese and one “al pastor“. The small corn tortillas are doubled up so that you avoid spilling your taco contents on the floor. These tortillas were freshly made and delightfully chewy with a hint of smokiness. My re-fried beans (the REAL kind, most likely made with lard) and cheese were wonderful and topped with a fresh salsa verde. The al pastor was juicy, smoky and flavorful with plenty of lime juice squeezed on top. I grabbed a couple of radishes and smoked jalapenos as garnish as well as a cold bottle of coke (the glass bottled kind made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup). Nothing could have made me happier except for the fact that these little wonder tacos were only $1.50 each!

The 10:50 am taco truck is definitely going to be a repeat experience.  If you find yourself in Palo Alto some morning around this time, check out the UpTake twitter account, we might just update you on the truck’s whereabouts!

Photo Credits to Heart of Oak, Alison Osborne and Yen Lee

San Francisco Landmark Tadich Grill

Another “must see and eat at” for any San Francisco visitors or new residents, is Tadich Grill in the Financial District.  I read somewhere that Tadich was referred to once as, “It’s kind of like the Peter Luger’s of Seafood”. Having eaten at both The Palm Restaurant on Second Avenue in New York and Peter Luger in Brooklyn, I have to agree.

When you dine at Tadich Grill be prepared to be served large portions by sometimes grumpy but always no-nonsense waiters. This is not your trendy super-friendly chain restaurant, this is a piece of San Francisco history that has survived a hundred trends. If you close your eyes, the atmosphere is a little Nick and Nora in The Thin Man, especially if you hear a cable car clang its bell on the up/down California Street outside the restaurant.

Now for lunch but especially for dinner, you have got to try the Cioppino, white bib around your neck and all. Cioppino is seafood stew that was developed in the late 1800’s by Italian fisherman living in San Francisco’s North Beach district. It’s essentially chopped leftovers from fishing all day.  For me Tadich Grill has one of the best versions with its Dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce. Yum and yum! Add fresh San Francisco sourdough bread for a taste of heaven.

Street parking is tough so I recommend grabbing a cab down the hill from your hotel or even better, catch a cable car for $5 and ride it all the way to the restaurant’s front door. This might be the oldest restaurant in the city, opening its doors in 1849, at the start of the Gold Rush. With this rich history, I recommend looking past the occasional problem with your order (i.e. overcooked calamari) and appreciate that they are still around – Tadich Grill just survived a small kitchen fire in late August.  They do charge for splitting an order so if you like to do that (which I do), don’t say anything and just go with someone who doesn’t mind trading plates.

240 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 391-1849
www.tadichgrill.com

Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sat. 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Sharon Castellanos

Popular Restaurant in Santa Monica

I grew up in the Northeast, and spent many summer beach days munching on the lobster rolls, Blue Point oysters, fried clams, snapper, and other seafood ubiquitous to the East Coast. Moving to Southern California has its foodie benefits, but I’ve sorely missed the East Coast summertime crab shack atmosphere. If you’ve been to one, you know what I mean: The real deal has plastic tablecloths (if any), the morning’s catch of crabs, lobsters or clams, amazingly fresh fish, and almost no dress code. Makes sense; the best seafood joints are right by the beach after all. I hadn’t found a place in Southern California to quite fit this niche. When The Blue Plate Oysterette opened on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, I was quite hopeful. The food is really good at this restaurant, its popularity is by and large deserved.

The original Blue Plate, also in Santa Monica but on tony Montana Avenue, does a great job emulating the “blue

Lobster Roll at Blue Plate Oysterette

plate special” type of casual restaurant with simple food like macaroni-and-cheese and all-day-breakfast. The same owners opened Blue Plate Oysterette, apparently with the idea of emulating an East Coast casual beachy crab shack. However, the owners also decided to bring the decor – and price point – up a notch. I can’t say I approve.

The food is really great, don’t get me wrong. The prawn cocktail is beautifully served, fresh and tasty. The steamers are served with grilled bread, perfect for sopping up the clam broth and melted butter. But after spending some time in Newport Rhode Island this past summer, I clearly remember what an authentic lobster roll is supposed to be. We had the lobster roll on brioche with sweet potato chips, and it simply didn’t compare. This staple of coastal

Oysters at Blue Plate Oysterette

New England cost $22 in Santa Monica! For twenty-two dollars, I’m expecting something more interesting than this uninspired rendition.

We absolutely loved the oysters on the half shell, and the ceviche style oysters as well. But the grilled oysters, at $28 for a dozen? Again, the price point is just too high for relatively uninteresting version of what I grew up summers in Long Island. I”m glad we got the half order.

The view is great – the Pacific Ocean is across the street, and the Santa Monica Pier, lit up at night, is a fun sight to see. Now, Ocean Avenue must be a very high rent district. This may explain the dinner’s bill, but if the Blue Plate Oysterette really intends to emulate a super-casual coastal East Coast crab shack, the prices and interior design should be adjusted downwards. Otherwise, just embrace the upscale setting, and forgo trying to foster the low-rent, just-off-the-beach ambiance.

Sunset at Santa Monica's Ocean Ave

Blue Plate Oysterette
1355 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 576-3474