9 December 2011 Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink – Upscale Comforting Food in Miami

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink – Upscale Comforting Food in Miami

December 9, 2011 By

Pork Belly

Michael’s Genuine, in Miami’s up-and-coming Design District, is a foodie’s paradise dressed down as a casual neighborhood bistro.  Chef Michael Schwartz excels at what should be three basic restaurant concepts: the space, the staff, the food and wine.

The bistro, opened in 2007, can accommodate up to 100 diners both indoors in a comfortable dining room and outdoors in a bustling courtyard area.  The ambiance is relaxed, even with a roomful of some of Miami’s most beautiful people.

The staff is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and its ingredients.  There is a palpable excitement amid the crew about the product being offered that is akin to being a kid in a candy store.

The food…is absolutely amazing.  Chef Schwartz masters New American cuisine and many of the ingredients used or served are housemade.  The pork belly over kimchee is succulent.  The short rib Panini is rich and delectable.  The beet, heirloom tomato and blue cheese salad is ultra-fresh and perfectly dressed.  A special of the day, the croque-madame sandwich is prepared with house-cured ham is comforting and completely old school perfect.  The restaurant’s wood fire oven also works miracles on the ultra-fresh fish sourced by Chef Schwartz and his team.

Croque-Madame

The wine list is eclectic, interesting and offers great value.  There are over twenty wines by the glass ranging from Austrian Gruner Veltliner to Krug Grande Cuvée and Piedmonte Barbera.  The list is smartly designed to be unintimidating to all fans of the grape.  The Chardonnays are categorized into ‘unoaked’, ‘light oak to moderate’ and ‘moderate to heavy oak’ and varietals are divided by region making it straight-forward to select the right wine for the occasion or dish.

Chef Michael Schwartz hits it out of the ballpark with this venue by offering unpretentious food in a casual atmosphere.  A must-try dining experience when in Miami.

130 N. 40th Street

Miami, FL 33137

305-573-5550

www.michaelsgenuine.com

Hours of operation:

Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:30AM – 3PM

Brunch: Sunday 11AM – 2:30PM

Dinner: Sunday 5:30PM – 10PM; Monday – Thursday 5:30PM – 11PM; Friday – Saturday 5:30PM – midnight

Happy hour: Monday – Friday 4:30PM – 6:30PM

Filed Under: Culinary Travel Tales, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , ,
28 November 2011 Prime Meridian at Omni Hotel at CNN Center – One Great Breakfast

Prime Meridian at Omni Hotel at CNN Center – One Great Breakfast

November 28, 2011 By

I recently attended a conference in Atlanta and stayed at Omni Hotel at CNN Center.  The hotel has a few dining options, and on the first morning of my stay, I decided to try Prime Meridian for early breakfast.

The space is well-adorned in dark woods and plush upholstery and has a welcoming feel.  The staff offers southern hospitality to each guest and made me feel pampered, even at 6:30AM while in my gym clothes.

The food isn’t your typical hotel restaurant fare.  The ingredients are high quality, the food is hot, even on the buffet, and the selection is outstanding.

I’m an oatmeal connoisseur and was thrilled to see and sample McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oats ($5) on the menu.  It was cooked to perfection – with a bit of texture and nuttiness.  The perfectly-pillowy pancakes ($10) are light, delicious and served with 100% pure maple syrup.

Besides the a la carte menu, there is the “Chef’s Art of Breakfast” buffet ($22) which features an extensive array of top-quality foods.  The buffet offers a choice of juice and Starbucks coffee.  The buffet is truly a great option with tremendous variety.

I highly recommend starting your day at Prime Meridian if staying in downtown Atlanta.  It offers quality food, prepared expertly and served by a cordial staff.

Cheers,

Veronique

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2 November 2011 Kyo Ya – A Sublime Japanese Experience in Manhattan

Kyo Ya – A Sublime Japanese Experience in Manhattan

November 2, 2011 By

Fresh fig with Japanese pear lemon vinegar sauce

I always plan a special dinner out for my guy’s birthday, typically in Manhattan.  He’s crazy about Asian food, particularly Japanese, so when it came time to book this year’s evening out, I polled my Twitter foodie followers for recommendations.  Kyo Ya in the East Village made the short list and I promptly called to reserve a table.

When I called Kyo Ya, the hostess asked which tasting menu I wanted to opt for.  I selected the 10-course menu at $120 and had to secure the reservation with a credit card.  I didn’t mind the credit card guarantee since the place is small and purchases the required fish daily based on client reservations.

To say the restaurant doesn’t do sidewalk advertising is a major understatement.  There are no visible signs outside; the place is located downstairs in what looks like a residential building.  Even with the address in hand and knowing Kyo Ya has a non-descript facade, I still had doubts about it being the correct venue when we arrived.  We asked the hostess if we had the right place and she softly giggled and confirmed that it was, apparently not the first time this question has been posed to her.

We were seated at what I’ll describe as a sushi bar.  My guy was sat on the end, and me facing the chef.  It turns out he had the best seat in the house as he could see not only our chef preparing food, but all the way into the bustling kitchen.  The space is cozy, extremely neat and inviting.  The staff is there to create an experience and is very knowledgeable about the food and preparations.

Grilled lobster, corn with shuto sauce in potato

The sushi / sashimi chef is incredibly talented.  He works with the freshest, purest and rarest fish in Manhattan and it shows.  He’s so proud of the fish varieties being flown in from all parts of the world, that he even offered us a side-by-side comparison of Portland, Maine sea urchin vs. rare Japanese sea urchin.  What a treat!  Here are details of the ten courses we enjoyed:

First course: Zatsuki – stuffed lotus root with fish cake

Second course: Sakizuke – grilled eggplant and Goma tofu with sea urchin sauce

Third course: Oshinogi – seared Hamo pike conger sushi with seasoned cucumber

Fourth course: Owan – snapper mousse ball and mushroom clear soup

Fifth course: Otsukuri – sashimi of the day, seared Bonito PLUS, assorted sashimi and sea urchin

Sixth course: Yakimono – grilled lobster, corn with Shuto sauce in potato simmered Sanma pike mackerel with Arima Sansho

Seventh course: Nimono – steamed Guji sweet snapper and togan squash with Sudachi citrus thick sauce

Eight course: Tomezakana – fresh fig with Japanese pear lemon vinegar sauce

Ninth course: Oshokuji – rice cooked with organic chicken and assorted autumn mushrooms in clay pot Nameko Akadashi soup and pickles

Tenth course: Sweet potato crème brulée with Shio whipped cream honey dew melon sorbet

This isn’t the place for you if you’re looking for a celebrity TV chef or for touristy sushi.  This place is a museum where fish is proudly displayed.  I highly recommend it to serious fish lovers.

Cheers,

Veronique

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27 October 2011 Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Introduces Small Plates Menu

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Introduces Small Plates Menu

October 27, 2011 By

Some news for my Chicago friends, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has a new small plates menu offering the following dishes that sound amazing:

  • Sliced Filet Mignon on shiitake risotto, chili oil, drizzled with porcini butter
  •  Jumbo Shrimp Scampi Skewers with Chimichurri dipping sauce and avocado citrus salad
  • New Zealand Petite Lamb Chops with pistachio-mint pesto, “F-17” sauce, and polenta fries
  • Ahi Tuna Skewers with wasabi aioli, sweet tomato vinaigrette, and homemade wonton chips
  • New Bedford Scallops with Meyer lemon-honey glaze, baby carrots, green beans, and asparagus
  • Filet Mignon Skewers with gorgonzola-bacon fondue, mozzarella and sweet tomato salad
  • Fleming’s Lobster Tempura with soy-ginger dipping sauce, arugula, jicama and apple salad

I love the idea of sharing multiple dishes with my friends.  It’s an affordable way to sample several dishes and Fleming’s small plate prices range from $15.50 to $22.95.

Fleming’s two Chicago-area locations can be found at: 25 E. Ohio St., Chicago; 312/ 329-9463 and 960 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, Ill.; 847/ 793-0333.

Cheers,

Veronique

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6 October 2011 End of Month Sunday Brunch at A Toute Heure

End of Month Sunday Brunch at A Toute Heure

October 6, 2011 By

I had heard from several foodie friends about the fabulous meals served at A Toute Heure, so when I had guests in town, I secured a reservation for the brunch, exclusively served on the last Sunday of the month.

A Toute Heure, which opened in May 2007, offers seasonal foods sourced locally to feature the freshest produce, meats, dairy and more.  The menu is ever-changing depending on what chef de cuisine Kara Decker is presented by co-owner Andrea Carbine from her market sourcing visits.

The cozy space seats 38 and is bright and inviting with its high ceilings and large windows.  The wait staff is young, informed and helpful about the menu and ingredients.  A Toute Heure is a BYOB which makes dining at this lovely bistro an affordable option.

For our party, brunch began with hot bowls of powdered sugar-coated beignets ($8).  Beignets can also be served coated in cinnamon sugar.  A Toute Heure’s version of the puffy, dough balls are light and addicting and were gone moments after being delivered to our table.  The coffee is strong and simply great.  It’s a special blend created for A Toute Heure by Small World Coffee of Princeton, NJ.

There were ten brunch entrées available when we visited and each was described in a way that made it extremely difficult to decide on.  We selected the breakfast tart ($9), the housemade jalapeno cornbread with spicy beef chili ($16), the egg-in-a-hole ($16) and the brunch burger ($16).  The breakfast tart begins with a hand-made puff pastry base that is topped with crispy pancetta, melted Manchego cheese and a barely set farm-fresh egg.  The combination of the buttery pastry with the tangy cheese and crispy ham is a must-try.  The cornbread topped with chili, cheese and two sunny side up eggs was flavorful, but a bit dense and heavy for one of my guests.  The egg-in-a-hole  consists of a thick slice of sourdough bread with two fried eggs baked in the center then served with crispy, high quality bacon.  My guest who ordered the brunch burger stated it might be the best he’d had.  The house-ground beef patty is stuffed with Gruyere cheese and topped with sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions then sandwiched between English muffin halves.  The burger is paired with uber thin house chips.

The vibe of the place is simply fantastic and I look forward to visiting for dinner very soon.

232 Centennial Avenue

Cranford, NJ 07016

908.276.6600

Lunch: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Dinner: Tuesday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.

Brunch: the last Sunday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Cheers,

Veronique

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23 September 2011 Volt – It’s Where to Dine in Maryland

Volt – It’s Where to Dine in Maryland

September 23, 2011 By

VOLT Open Kitchen

Last weekend, I was able to secure a kitchen table at Bryan Voltaggio’s VOLT in Frederick, MD.  I was excited to take my in-laws from The Netherlands to the Top Chef contender’s chic, hip place and to sample some of the creative food put forth by the staff.

First, the space is sleek and the open kitchen where our table was is hectic and efficient.  It was truly an amazing show to see every member of the kitchen staff move in such unison yet at such a frantic pace.

The food was creative, beautiful and above all, delicious.  Presentation is a top priority at VOLT and we were fascinated by the eclectic tableware, meticulous food displays and care of service by the wait team.  I’ve posted photos of our tasting menu dishes on Food and Wine Chickie’s Facebook Page for your perusal.

The wine list is extensive and many wines are served by the glass and the half bottles.  I love the half bottle concept with a tasting menu as I enjoy sampling a progression of wines as I make my way through the meal.  VOLT’s sommelier was attentive, yet understated.

Bryan Voltaggio shows he didn’t need to come out on top during Bravo’s Top Chef competition to be a real winner.  The proof’s in the foie gras macarons.

Cheers,

Veronique

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20 September 2011 Tony Luke’s – Porky Heaven

Tony Luke’s – Porky Heaven

September 20, 2011 By

Roast Pork & Broccoli Rabe Hoagie

I spent the day in Philadelphia yesterday and just had to make my pilgrimage to Tony Luke’s in South Philly for one of its juicy, succulent and overall perfect roast pork sandwiches.

Tony Luke’s cheesesteaks ($7.25) are amazing (I like mine with sautéed onions and white American cheese), but my all-time favorite is the roast pork sandwich with sharp Provolone cheese and sautéed broccoli rabe ($7.95).  First, the hoagie rolls are perfect – chewy yet crusty, the pork is slow roasted and juicy, the Provolone is just about as sharp as I’ve had and the broccoli rabe is sautéed long enough to mellow out the bitterness often found in the vegetable.  Porky juiciness at its very best.

Tony Luke’s has six locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, one in Bahrain and several upcoming locations across the USA.  You can also find Tony Luke’s Pronto, a line of Philly sandwiches available in grocery stores.

Stop by and grab a Philly hoagie on your next trip to the City of Brotherly Love – it’s a must-try.

Cheers,

Veronique

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My Review of David Todd’s City Tavern

August 15, 2011 By

Thanks to Jersey Bites for publishing my review of Morristown, NJ newcomer David Todd’s City Tavern: http://t.co/JTbqa7g

Veronique

 

 

 

 

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8 August 2011 Prairie Grass Café – Chicago North Shore Food by Award Winning Chefs

Prairie Grass Café – Chicago North Shore Food by Award Winning Chefs

August 8, 2011 By

Prairie Grass Cafe Foyer

Two-time James Beard award-winning chef and co-owner, Sarah Stegner, turns out inventive, high-quality food in the Chicago North Shore suburbs town of Northbrook, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to dine at her establishment, Prairie Grass Cafe.

Chef Stegner supports Green City Market and local sustainable farms.  She selects the freshest seasonal ingredients to create homemade products like her handcrafted sausages, outstanding salad dressings, rich ice creams and sinful desserts.

The space is large, friendly and warm with dark woods and exposed brick.  I immediately feel relaxed when I walked through the door.  The lounge area is large and features a horseshoe bar where mixologists pour sexy cocktails and many wines by the glass.

At Prairie Grass Café, the concept is to use fine dining cooking techniques to produce approachable, casual food.  Quality ingredients are front-and-center for Chef Stegner and co-chef / partner George Bumbaris and their team and it’s evident in all the dishes I’ve sampled during my many visits.

Amish Blue Cheese & Grape Salad

Some must-try starters are the Amish Blue Cheese and Grapes Mixed Green Salad and the Homemade Paté in a Crock.  The salad is tossed with tangy balsamic dressing and features a slice of grape-stuffed Amish blue cheese that’s then rolled in candied walnuts.  It’s to die for and beautifully presented.  The Paté is rich, velvety and served with an apple and Port balsamic reduction.  Amazing flavors.  Starters range from $6 for the vegetable spring rolls to $15 for the Peeky Toe crab cake.

Blue Cheese Crusted Sirloin Burger

Entrees that I’ve had an opportunity to sample are the handcrafted Mint Creek Farms lamb sausages, the crispy half duck from Maple Leaf Farm and the top sirloin burger with mild blue cheese topping.  The lamb sausages are juicy and served over perfectly creamy polenta.  The crispy duck is outstanding and some of the best I’ve had.  I crave it even after Peking duck dinner in Manhattan’s Chinatown.  The burger is fabulous and its blue cheese ‘crust’ is a perfect complement to the top quality meat.  Entrees ranged from $14 for the penne pasta with basil-tomato-meat sauce to $38 for the Niman Ranch New York strip steak.

Desserts, all priced at $7.50, aren’t an afterthought at Prairie Grass Café.  The seasonal pies are stellar, the chocolate chips cookie with homemade vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce is divine and the strawberry crepe with Grand Marnier sauce is decadent.  Don’t pass up dessert, no matter how satisfied you are by the fabulous starters and entrees.

The restaurant currently serves lunch, brunch and dinner. Lunch is served Monday through Friday; dinner is served Monday through Sunday.  Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday.

Prairie Grass Café and Chef Stegner are active on social media networks so “like” or follow them:

www.facebook.com/prairiegrasscafe

www.twitter.com/SarahStegner

601 Skokie Blvd

Northbrook, Illinois 60062
(847) 205-4433

www.prairiegrasscafe.com

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4 August 2011 Kosher Comfort Food at Ben’s Kosher Deli

Kosher Comfort Food at Ben’s Kosher Deli

August 4, 2011 By

Cole Slaw and Pickles

I must have had a Jewish grandma in a previous life because I love Jewish / Kosher comfort food.  My routine at Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen is to sit at the kitchen counter and watch the action behind the deli counter.  Four or five employees expertly work the slicers in the frenzied space.  Cases are filled with homemade pastries and desserts – Rugulach, Babka, strudels and pies.  All look delicious.  A special treat for everyone dining at Ben’s is the complimentary plate of creamy cole slaw and pickles.

Beef Brisket Sandwich

Ben’s has been serving delicious Eastern European food for nearly 40 years.  The menu is extensive and features client-favorites like chopped liver, beef tongue, stuffed cabbage, knishes and overstuffed sandwiches.  The chopped liver is rich, smooth as silk and delectable when served on Ben’s warm rye bread.  Of all the overstuffed sandwiches including pastrami, corned beef, chicken / egg / tuna fish salad, my favorite is the fatty (in a good way), tender, juicy beef brisket.  When paired with a house made soup, each sandwich can be served as a half, which is more than enough for most diners.

Matzo Ball Soup

I’ve sampled Matzo ball soup at many restaurants and enjoy Ben’s version very much.  The huge soup bowl is filled with tiny egg noodles and a giant Matzo ball.  The broth is rich and flavorful, the noodles ultra-soft (the one instance I want noodles not done al dente), and the Matzo ball is tender and light, like it should be.

For those looking for outstanding catering services, Ben’s an affordable, dependable and delectable option.

Ben’s opened its first location in Baldwin, NY in 1972 and has grown to six, full-service locations in Long Island, Queens, Manhattan and Boca Raton FL.  I feel fortunate to have a location right in the heart of midtown to visit for lunch.

209 West 38th Street

New York, NY 10018

http://www.bensdeli.net/

Ben’s delivers!

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