Sunday, May 6, 2012
My Love of Beef Part Deux! @ 7:33 PM
It's been a while I know......you wouldn't believe how backed up I am with posts! I have tons of mouth watering pictures to share....just sitting in my camera. I literally say this every time I post....but I'm really going to try and post more often. I recently took a trip to New York, and I CANNOT wait to share my food experience with you. But......I want to first pick up where I left off and do Part 2 of My Love of Beef!
It's really nice to dine at a trendy restaurant like Steak 954 on the terrace eating steak while overlooking the beach .....and they have great steak...they really do....but when it comes to an overall foodgasm steakhouse experience, Capital Grille hands down will win your taste buds every time. As far as the scene, it's an upscale traditional steak house atmosphere.
For starters.....
I suggest the crab cakes. Can I just tell you that these aren't your ordinary crab cakes. This isn't some blended crab meat mixed with batter.....no ma'am....when you bite into these crab cakes.....legs pop out!
......and after you tackle the leg....there are chunks and chunks of crab meat. Now this my friends.....is a CRAB cake!
It's extremely challenging to describe why I believe these oysters were the best I've ever tasted. I mean all you do is swallow. Maybe it comes down to freshness.....but I would like to think all the oysters I've consumed were fresh. Soooo.....I guess all I can say is....the oysters are amazing.
As you've read from Part 1 of My Love of Beef.......I typically order the NY strip....but since I usually frequent Capital Grille during lunch time, I stick to the lunch menu options and order the bone in sirloin. The steak here is amazing....cooked and seasoned perfectly....and always served at the perfect temperature. I'm secretly obsessed with the baked potato also.... mainly because of the huge real bacon chunks they give you upon request. (my 2nd helping of bacon isn't pictured below) What can I say....I love me some bacon!
You also must try the truffle fries.....it's something about truffle oil that does a potato good ;)
Dessert! Creme Brulee is one of my FAVORITE desserts. I can seriously eat this every day. I even buy coffee creamer in creme brulee flavor. So you get it.....I love creme brulee. Well.....even though I'm on "assignment" when I'm eating out....and should always have my camera ready to snap a pic before the food is consumed.....I kinda forgot about this blog when they placed this on the table....oops! You get the idea though!
.....and this is some chocolate cake they also offer....which as you can see....is also good!
Ok....who's hungry?!?!?!?!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
My love for Beef Part 1 @ 7:08 PM
Whether you're a seafood fanatic, or Italian is your thing.....I think everyone can agree that we all love a nice piece of steak. (unless you don't eat red meat) I've tried several fine steak establishments in South Florida....Gotham, Prime 112, Morton's, Ruth's Chris, and STK (the one in NYC) just to name a few. All of these restaurants serve fabulous meats.....but there are two Steak spots that are my absolute FAVs: Steak 954 at the W hotel in Fort Lauderdale and Capital Grille with restaurants nationwide. Let's start with Steak 954......a luxury boutique oceanfront restaurant.
I know that a review about steak houses should mainly review the steak.....buuuuut what sets Steak 954 apart from the rest is the SIDES. Steak 954 gets real creative with their sides and they are just as delicious as they are unique.
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| Triple Potato Gratin - I didn't try this but I heard it was really good, rich, and creamy. |
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| Stuffed Hash browns - this is hands down my favorite side. It's hash browns stuffed with sour cream. |
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| Roasted Cauliflower.....best part about this side is that it has BACON! Everyone knows that bacon makes everything better! I'm also a big fan of cauliflower :) | | | | | | | | |
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Enough about the sides.....
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| Seafood Platter for two |
And to top off the evening......
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| Heirloom Apple Bread Pudding......Yum! |
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What about the steak you ask? It's good......I usually order the New York Strip. Definitely not the best NY Strip that I've had.....but there are so many things that make this dining experience a step above the rest. The service here is amazing. Most swanky and chic steak spots on South Beach can be quite snooty. If you're not a celebrity, forget about being treated good at Prime 112. (the secret is to go across the street to Prime Italian....same menu....better service) When I dined at Gotham Steakhouse for my birthday, they gave us a hard time about splitting the check. However, I've attended two large party birthday dinners at Steak 954 and they have always given everyone separate checks, with a smile.
The ambiance here is also amazing. They have deck seating outside with a beautiful view of the beach right across the street. The inside of the restaurant is equally amazing.
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| The pictures really don't capture the true ambiance. They also have semi private dining rooms |
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| That's a fish tank with jelly fish! |
People always ask me for birthday dinner recommendations.......this is always included on my list. Then after dinner you can go to the lounge upstairs and listen to music and have drinks :)
iluvmesum Steak 954!
Next up......Capital Grille
Labels: FLORIDA
Monday, January 23, 2012
Tapping into Tap 42..... @ 8:55 PM
I've passed by this swanky building structure a gazillion times in the past month and my thoughts have always been......"that place looks way too trendy to be smack dab in the middle of Andrews St.". I've been quite curious to try this place out.....but never seemed to be able to stray away from my usual happy hour scene aka.....Tarpon bend and Co. Soooo when I got an email that a fellow colleague, leaving the office, was having a farewell happy hour at Tap 42, I thought: (1) I love mid-week happy hours and (2) Yay, I finally get to try this new spot. What an awesome addition to the downtown Fort Laudy area! Wondering what the "42" stands for? Well.... they have beer dispensing from 42 taps.....along with a great selection of bourbon. I was totally in love with the scenery. It's like walking into a stylish garden, with outside covered and uncovered seating and standing areas. Trust me.....Tap 42 has much more in store when it comes to food than burgers and beer.....
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| Florida Rock Shrimp Mac and Cheese - I just can't put into words how good this was. |
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| Rouge River Skirt Steak salad......my friend loved! |
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| BBQ chicken salad.....with sliced apples, candied walnuts, and cherries. |
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| Garlic Parmesan wings - soo delish and didn't leave me with that long lasting garlic taste in my mouth. My favorite part of ordering these wings were.....I asked for all drumsticks.....and they said "no problem". I've had unfriendly responses elsewhere.....let's just say....the won't make "the blog". |
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| Me and one of the managers Ted :) What's great food and drinks without good service? Ted walked around making sure everyone was happy and enjoying themselves and even introduced me to one of the owners! I love great service! |
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| Spinach and Artichoke dip (bottom right corner) - my friend thought this was the best she had ever taste! |
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| The inside of my Mahi Mahi Club: Mahi, Country Ham, Pecan Smoked Bacon, Bibb lettuce, Roma Tomatoes, Pickled Red Onion, Lemon Aioli, Sour Dough.....sound good??? It was SOOOO good!!! I mean....how can it not be good with pecan smoked bacon?!?! |
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| The top of my Mahi Mahi Club.....and perfectly seasoned fries. |
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| Meat and Cheese Board |
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| On the patio |
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| Patio |
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| Inside the bar |
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| Cheers to my new FAV local spot!! |
So, I give Tap 42 five thumbs up. I loved the food, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the service, and I loved the drinks!
Starting this Saturday and every Sat/Sun they will be serving brunch on the patio featuring $5 Bellinis and $4 Bloody Marys.
Calling all my ladies.....every Wednesday is ladies night where we drink free from 9-11pm!
Read more about Tap 42 on their website -----------> http://www.tap42.com
Labels: FLORIDA
I'm a newly 30 (and I stress newly) year old attorney with a passion for good food. I guess I would fall under the category of "foodie" I love to eat.... sleep..... shop.... and eat! I find that my friends will often come to me for recommendations on restaurants for special occasions such as birthday dinners. The hardest question for me to answer is, "What is your favorite food"..... I really don't have "A" favorite food... because I truly enjoy eating a wide variety of cuisines. I decided to start this blog because I'm tired of hearing my facebook friends complain about me uploading food pictures every other week. Why not channel these pictures into a more effective mode of communication like a blog... and there you have it... the birth of Chow Bella! Enjoy!.... or should I say... Bon Appetite!
