The Buckeye goes to Puerto Vallarta

Cafe d'Ollo
Puerto Vallarta
Mexico
July 20, 2010
2ish pm

For our summer vacation this year we decided to sample some more authentic versions of our favorite foods and head south of the border to Puerto Vallarta.  We had heard this was a Mexican foodie destination and with the bonus of a great beach and our dollar stretching far, we felt we couldn't go wrong. 

We arrived in Mexico in the afternoon of July 19th and immediately headed to our pool bar (we were staying at the Westin Resort and Spa-Puerto Vallarta) to relax from our flight and try some amazing margaritas, chips, and guacamole!  The bartender was happy to oblige.

The colorful chips were great and the guacamole was flavorful.  However, I wasn't a big fan of the Cohita cheese (similar to a Parmesan) on top.  However, the star of this snack was definitely the margaritas!  The tequila is of higher quality than many made here and fresh lime juice is the norm.  A special bonus was that we arrived during happy hour where the special was buy one get one free.  However, this bonus quickly became a negative as I didn't quite realize how much stronger a Mexican margarita would be as compared to the usual at home.  I soon needed a nap! 

After vegging out the first evening in town we headed off to explore the next day.  We walked around and explored the vendors along the Rio Quale and then stopped for lunch at Cafe de Olla.  We had heard this was a must stop restaurant for many people.  The restaurant was quaint and the owner greeted us as if he knew us.

We loved how many restaurants had outdoor grills in an effort to minimize the heat of a kitchen in a very HOT locale.  We also loved the tree growing up through the roof on the inside!

As we sat down we were immediately brought bread and fresh salsas.  The chopped salsa was fresh with cilantro, cucumber, tomato, and onion.  It was my favorite due to the freshness. 

The darker one was a smoky sauce of chipotle, tomato, and some heat.  This one was great over rice and beans. 

We ordered 2 chicken tamales and the Mexican plate to share. 

The tamales were wrapped in banana leaves.  The chicken was plentiful and fall off the bone tender.  Overall, the dish was good, but I would have preferred some more spice. 

The Mexican plate came with a chile relleno, a chicken enchilada, a strip steak, and rice and beans.  We definitely weren't hungry after this lunch!  The chile relleno was a-ma-zing!  By far, the best one I've ever had.  The pepper was roasted, stuffed with masa, and then topped with melted cheese.  I don't think there was any one thing that made it better than chile rellenos here, but a combination of the ingredients available being fresher, more traditional, and higher quality ingredients than are typically available here.  It was exactly the way a chile relleno should be. 

I also liked the addition of peas and carrots to the rice and may try that at home.  The refried beans were great and somehow had a more "beany" flavor (like the sophisticated descriptor?) flavor than refried beans I'm used to.  Unfortunately, the strip steak and chicken enchilada were totally average. 

Overall, this was quite a filling lunch!  We'd definitely come back here for the hospitality and chile rellenos, but I'd want to try some other dishes before I'd feel the food was all it was cracked up to be.  The prices seemed to be more in the "tourist" range and I felt we could get similar food at places a little more off the beaten path for a better price. 

Total Price:  1 Coke, 1 beer, Mexican plate, 2 chicken tamales, and tip = somewhere between $20-25   

Sweet Granville

Victoria's Parlour
134 Broadway E
Granville, Ohio 43023
June 12, 2010
2ish pm

On a fresh and warm Saturday in June we decided to go for a drive and explore a little outside our familiar city.  I had read an article not too long ago in Ohio Magazine about Granville and we decided to check it out.  As we drove through town we were struck by the quaintness of the houses in the village and the great shops and restaurants along the main street.  We went a little farther and loved the rolling green hills and beauty of Denison's campus.  It was the picture of a great small American town. 

We spent a bit meandering down and around East Broadway enjoying the shops, admiring the houses, and trying to decide where we wanted to stop for a bite to eat.  There were many great choices, but finally we picked a cute old-fashioned ice cream parlor.  When you walk in you feel like you're walking back in time, complete with servers dressed in Victorian era garb!  We loved the classic black and white checkered floor and heart shaped, white iron soda fountain chairs.  We could just imagine a high school couple from long ago sitting, talking, and sharing a Coke with 2 straws!  There could not be a better picture of Americana. 

As we looked over the menu we saw classic soda fountain drinks with the flavor added in store.  I decided I had to try a blackberry Coke.  Alas, it was a bit too sweet for my preference; but Erik's cherry Coke was great! 

For lunch Erik went with a grilled cheese with roasted red pepper.  The bread was nicely grilled and had a great butter flavor.  The cheese and red pepper were a great combination!  This was a great sandwich. 

I went with a classic Caesar chicken salad.  It was exactly what you would expect with  expertly grilled chicken, fresh romaine, a sprinkling of cheese, and a good flavored Caesar dressing. 

After lunch we were stuffed, but figured we couldn't leave without actually trying the ice cream.  We decided to share a pistachio gelato and walk a little more around Granville (in a vain attempt to walk off some of those extra calories)!  The ice cream had a great flavor with nice chunks of pistachio in it, but it definitely had the texture of an ice cream rather than a gelato.  However, we're not complaining. 

What a sweet ending to a quaint village stroll and a sweet time!

Bill total:  2 flavored Cokes, a grilled cheese, a chicken Caesar salad, gelato, and a tip = $21

Overall Rating:  3 1/2 buckeyes

Giorgio's for Mother's Day

Giorgio Italian Restaurant
Clintonville
May 8, 2010
7ish pm

We had heard a few murmurrings of a good Italian restaurant in Clintonville and decided to give it a shot for our small family combination celebration dinner of Mother's Day and my birthday.  Italian was sounding like it would hit the spot! 

We arrived to a softly lit and intimately quiet restaurant.  The owner, I presume, warmly greated us and insisted we take the only open table (large enough for 6 or more, even though there were only 3 of us) rather than saving it for a potentially larger group.  We were thankful we didn't have to wait. 

The decor of the restaurant was Tuscan simplicity and I loved the solid wood furniture pieces used for service.

For an appetizer we decided to share the caprese salad which was standardly prepared with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozarella, a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinegar, and a chiffonade of fresh basil.  I was surprised with how high the quality the tomatoes were with it being so early in the spring.  It made me look forward to what my garden would have to offer later in the summer. 

Bread was brought out that had a crusty and flaky outside, but light and warm in the center.  This was served with a great herbed butter. 

Service was quick and just as we finished our salad our entrees were ready.  Erik went with the chicken parmesan.  Overall, this was a very good dish.  The breading was not too heavy, but not too light.  It was well browned and nicely coated with cheese.  The red sauce was light and not overpowering or sweet, but gave just enough bite to temper the heaviness of the chicken. 

My mother ordered the baked penne, which was a very good dish.  There were chunks of mushroom that added meaty flavor and chunks of fennel that gave the dish a different, but very good spin.  And of course you can never go wrong with an ooey, gooey cheese topping of mozarella, provolone, and romano. 

I ordered the pesto penne and I wish I would have gone with a more traditional baked pasta dish.  I ordered the penne without chicken (trying to save a few calories), but it came out with chicken anyway.  Our waitress quickly caught the mistake and brought me another penne fairly quickly.  The penne was cooked to a wonderful al dente and overall the sauce and pasta toss was nice.  I really enjoyed the roasted red peppers and spinach leaves in with the pasta, but the pesto was heavy on the olive oil and light on the basil.  I would have preferred the opposite for a lighter and more herby flavor.

Overall, we loved the atmosphere and friendliness of the staff.  The majority of our dishes were wonderful.

Total Price:  1 martini, 1 glass of wine, 1 Coke, 3 entrees, and tip = $60

Overall Rating:  3 1/2 buckeyes

Our Last Cuban Bite out of Miami

David's Cafe (If you click this link be prepared to be blasted with some loud Latin music.  Don't say I didn't warn you)
South Beach, Florida
April 7, 2010
10ish pm

Well, I definitely couldn't leave Miami without having a Cubano sandwich!  We heard David's had a great one as well as some other classic home style Cuban foods.  Also on the positive, it was open 24 hours!  So on our last evening in Miami we took our final leisurely walk down Ocean Drive stopping to people watch and having the occasional drink before deciding it was time for a later dinner.  Here's a quick shot of me after a drink at the famous Clevelander. 

As we walked over to David's we immediately noted the traditional South Beach decor.  Since it was later in the evening, but not yet time for the clubbers to be piling in, the restaurant was fairly deserted.  But we were warmly welcomed and took a seat at the counter. 

I already knew what I wanted, but Erik took some time to decide which Cuban delicacy to try.  While he poured over the menu we were served some Cuban bread to nibble on.  It was lusciously buttered. 

Erik decided on the albondigas catalana (meatballs) with yuca frita (cassava) and frijoles negros (black beans).  This dish was simply amazing!  The meatballs were light and tender and the sauce had an interesting mildly spiced flavor. There was just a hint of cinnamon and possibly cayenne that made for an interesting spin on what we are used to as the typical meatball dish.  We had never had fried yuca before and were pleasantly surprised by the tender, warm center and crispy fried outside.  This could easily be a great alternative to the french fry.  The black beans and rice were also nicely spiced and flavorful. 

I, as was aforementioned, ordered the sandwich cubano.  I must say I was a little underwhelmed.  It was not a bad sandwich by any stretch, but it also wasn't much more than a ham sandwich I might make myself for lunch when trying to conserve some calories by not adding too many fillings.  To me, the sandwich was heavy on the bread and light on the fillings.  The Cuban bread was fresh and good.  The ham and pork were also good, and the traditional additions of pickles and yellow mustard make for a good ham sandwich.  I just wanted more of it all!  I also was not a huge fan of David's style of fries.  They were julienned and very crispy, almost to the point of being more of a potato chip's texture than a french fry.  I missed the tender inside of a thicker cut fry. 

But honestly the highlight of the place, was the cook of the evening.  I have never been able to watch a cook who seemed so simply happy to be doing his job.  He took such care in assembling each dish, was truly interested in what we thought of things, and almost seemed to be whistling and dancing as he worked!  He just seemed to have a contagious positive zest for life that made dinner at David's that much more enjoyable.  And this was how he was at 10 o'clock at night!  Here's a glimpse as he puts another sandwich together (too bad I didn't get a shot from the front). 

Overall, we enjoyed David's.  The meatballs were fantastic, but the Cubano was just so so for me.  We'd definitely go back, but probably stay with the home style dishes and fried yuca! 

Total Price:  Not sure again, but things were very reasonable.  The albondigas were about $10 and the Cubano was about $9. 

Overall Rating:  3 1/2 buckeyes

A Miami Institution

Joe's Stone Crab
South Beach, Florida
April 6, 2010
5:30ish pm

Le Sigh.  I've been avoiding writing this review; because I hate writing negative reviews and I'm so disappointed about how this restaurant experience turned out.  I really wanted to love this place.  I really wanted this to be my favorite meal in Miami, as it is a classic after all. 

Joe's Stone Crab is even celebrating their 97th season, for goodness sake.  People wait for hours and tip the maitre d' over $40 just to get seated.  How could I not love it?  However, I have to admit my experience was just ho hum.  Maybe it was the day, maybe it was what we ordered; but I just wasn't that impressed with the food.  The place was beautiful and full of history, the service was superb; but the food was just okay. 

According to Joe's website, Joe's Stone Crab is one of the oldest restaurant in South Beach and opened in 1913 as a lunch counter serving fresh fish.  They didn't start serving stone crabs until 1921 when they discovered they were edible, and quite tasty!  This is now the dish they are famous for.  Al Capone, Amelia Earhart, Will Rogers, etc. etc all frequented Joe's.  It's the kind of story Americans love, and with this kind of history how could expectations not be high and be fulfilled?

Joe's is only opened during stone crab season, mid-October through the end of July, so after reading so much about this restaurant we were pleased our visit would fall during the open window.  We had also heard the wait was always horrendous, at least 1-2 hours.  Because of this it was best to go early or be prepared to slip the maitre'd $40 ($20 tips were rumored to be rebuked and it is also rumored the maitre'd makes over 6 figures due to all these high tips).  With this in mind we arrived just after opening at 5:30ish and to our astonishment were able to be seated right away.  This was definitely a great start to our evening.  However, we wouldn't have minded to wait a little while and enjoy a drink in their beautiful courtyard. 

As we were seated I looked around at the enormity of the restaurant which can server over 400.  It was bustling, but not overly crowded and everyone seemed to have that ease of dining out while on vacation.  The dining room does not have your typical South Beach feel, but I didn't mind because it seemed to exude Old World elegance and have stories to tell.  The ceilings were high and airy, the floors were black and white tiled, white table cloths were everwhere, and I loved the dark wood accents and furniture.  I loved the feeling of the place and the people watching! People from all socio-economic backgrounds seem to want to dine at Joe's. 

But before I could ponder my surrounds too long bread service came which was a mix of all kinds of different breads.  My favorite was the white roll in the foreground of the picture, topped with cooked chopped onions!  But they were all good.  The bread was served with a luscious and airy butter.  This was one of the better bread services I have had.  Another promising start to our meal.  Unfortunately the greatness stopped here. 

Next, we decided to try the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer.  In Ohio we don't often run into this dish on a menu and we both love it.  Also, knowing that are own garden tomatoes were many months away from being able to be fried we really wanted a bite of Ohio's season to come.  The serving was very generous and overall the fried tomatoes were good, but not great.  They were too greasy and heavy for my preference and I hate to say it, but I liked the ones from the old chain restaurant Cooker with their amazing spicy "tiger" sauce much better.  Ugh, why did that chain have to close, if there is such a thing as good chains, this was one of them! 

But back to Joe's.  There was no dipping sauce for these (definitely a dining foul in my condiment loving world).  I would have thought some type of sauce would have cut through the greasiness of the dish a bit better and made it more palatable. 

For our entrees we probably made a mistake by not going with the classic stone crabs, but we had read where a stone crab is a stone crab and Joe's were exceedingly expensive.  Additionally, while I like crab in general, I do have a slight aversion to cracking the claws to get the meat out.  Because of this I decided to go with the crab cakes.  Now crab cakes are one of my favorite meals and I was excited to see what Joe would do with the famous dish.  However, perhaps my expectations were set a bit too high.  I like my crab cakes meaty and lightly breaded on the outside to allow the delicate flavors of the crab and fillings to come through.  However, these would have been more aptly named fried crab balls.  While again the portions were generous and there was a good bit of crab meat in the balls, the coating was very greasy and heavy.  Similar to the tomato dish, the greasy and fried outside became the focus of the dish and overshadowed the crab flavor rather than accentuating it with a crisp crunch.  Since these fried balls followed the fried tomatoes I could only stomach half of a cake before my stomach was revolting from too much grease (possibly an ordering mistake on my part, but I didn't think either dish would be as heavy as it was). 

Erik opted for the sea scallops which were well cooked, but served in a very heavy buttery cream sauce.  Again, while the scallops were cooked well the heavy sauce's flavor seemed to take precedence and a few bites were quite filling.  The toasts dipped in the sauce gave a nice flavor and contrast in textures.  However, for our preference, the sauce was just too heavy for the light flavor of scallops. 

Alas, due to the heaviness of dinner we were too full to sample some of the Key Lime pie we have heard Joe's is famous for.  However, maybe that's not so bad after all since so far our expectations had been too high. 

Overall, the food was not bad, but just too heavy for my preferences.  There was a time in my life that I would have thought all the fried food and butter sauces were great.  However, over time I have come to appreciate lighter seasonings that allow the flavors of the main event to shine through rather than being covered up with the flavor of fats (Not that flavor from fat is all bad, mind you.  I would definitely never say that!). 

But on a positive note, the service throughout the evening was outstanding and we truly felt taken care of.  Additionally, I ended up leaving my camera at the restaurant that evening and didn't end up noticing until the next day.  When we returned to the restaurant the maitre'd personally took me in the back to recover it and it was good as new and even with the $20 bill we keep inside for emergencies still in place.  However, I guess from what we've heard $20 is chump change when you work at Joe's.  ;)

Total Price: 1 beer, 1 ice tea, 1 order of fried green tomatoes, 1 order of scallops, 1 order of crab cakes and tip= $75

Overall Rating:  3 buckeyes

Latin American Bakery Love

Charlotte Bakery
South Beach, Florida
April 6, 2010
9ish am

I hate to say it again, but research pays off.  Part of my vacation planning always involves spending some time researching what the locals eat and jotting down some possibilities in different areas of town to help guide us when we're out sightseeing and begin to get a bit hungry.  I know some of you will say that finding that hidden gem on your own is part of the vacation experience.  However, from my experience, you don't often find that gem; and in more cases than not you find a dirty rock. 

Charlotte Bakery is definitely a case of research helping me to find somewhere I would have never gotten to on my own.  Charlotte Bakery was quite aways away from our hotel and took some dedication to locate.  It happens to be on a more "adult" South Beach street with a few liquor stores and adult clothing stores.  I'm pretty sure my typical travels and sightseeing would not have brought me by it and even if they did I doubt my curiosity  would have been piqued enough to actually enter and try it.  But I'm so glad tripadvisor.com and urbanspoon.com (my two go to vacation restaurant advice sites) did not steer me wrong.  So on one beautiful Miami morning Erik and I decided to allow our morning run to end sweetly.  We decided to take advantage of the distance Charlotte Bakery was from our hotel by incorporating the trip into our run, enjoying some breakfast pastries, and then walking back while exploring various South Beach neighborhoods. 

When we finally stumbled up to their doorstep panting, sweaty, and out of breath (I'm sure they wondered if they actually wanted to serve us); we were immediately impressed with the bounty of interesting and new (to us) baked goods that were before us.  Charlotte Bakery focuses on Latin American baked goods and we had heard it was reminiscent of bakeries in Buenos Aires.  We were politely asked if we could be helped, but I told them it would take some time for us to decide which delicacies to try (and to catch our breath).  After many minutes of indecision I decided to go with this light and airy pastry that was filled with a smooth and velvety vanilla cream, fried, and rolled in sugar.  It was similar to a doughnut, but much lighter and fluffier on the inside.  It was heaven. 

Erik went with a palmera or palmier, which is a drier pastry that is almost cookie like.  It is made out of puff pastry, rolled so the ends meet, baked, and then rolled in sugar.  It was flaky, but on the drier side.  However, it was still pretty good.

We had also heard the empanadas and arepas (corn cakes) were to die for, so even though it was barely 8 in the morning we felt we had to try at least one.  We went with a shredded beef arepa and had it bagged up to share later for lunch.  We had a feeling it was going to be good as we noticed grease starting to soak through the paper bag as we walked back to the hotel!  And the grease did not tell a lie.  The arepa was thick, buttery, and heavy.  The filling was a wonderfully spiced beef slow cooked with peppers.  It was so good I could have easily eaten a whole one, but I would have been stuffed.  My bathing suit body was thankful I only brought one back to share. 

On Charlotte Bakery's website they state that they hope that the experience of their bakery is so special that you have to tell a friend, "In South Beach, you have to go to Charlotte Bakery." 

Well there wish has been fulfilled,  I have no qualms about telling you all this.  "If you're in South Beach, Charlotte Bakery is a must!"

Total price:  Ummm, are you beginning to pick up on a trend?  I have no idea what the price was, but it was reasonable for bakery pastries. 

Overall Rating:  4 buckeyes

Our First Cuban Bite of Miami

Puerto Sagua
700 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida
April 5, 2010
7ish pm

Now I know many Miami-ites will argue that you can't get good Cuban in South Beach.  For that you need to venture to Little Havana, and believe me I would have loved to make the trip and judged for myself.  But the fact of the matter was that our trip time was short and we chose not to rent a car.  Therefore, we had to localize our eating adventures to places quickly accessible from our hotel, which centered us around South Beach food.  We had also heard that if you want traditional Cuban in South Beach, Puerto Sagua was the place to go.

Puerto Sagua ended up being one of these lovely mom and pop restaurants that have so much character because haven't changed there decor since they opened and they know there popularity isn't based on a restaurant "concept" as we call it now, but is simply based on comfort and good food.  I'm also fairly sure some patriarch in the family (likely the guy who nodded us to our seats) also has the mantra "if it aint' broke don't fix it".  This place is definitely not one of the uber-trendy, see and be seen restaurants that generally gets featured when writing about South Beach.  In fact, it's just the opposite.  As you walk up to the restaurant it looks a little dingy on the outside and the lower wall is covered in these "colorful" tiles reminiscent of the 1960's.  If I hadn't done my research, I'm pretty sure I would have missed this great experience. 

From my research, I found  out that this place has been open since 1968 and was one of the first Cuban restaurants to open in the Miami area.  Currently, this place is popular with locals and tourists alike and is generally pretty busy when entering.  It would best be described as a Cuban diner.  Locals tend to sit at the counter and talk over a great cup of Cuban coffee, while tourists tend to come in groups and gravitate more towards the tables.  Spanish is the first language spoken, but there is always enough English to get an order in or get your point across. 

Now that I reflect back, I think this language piece was one of my favorite things about Miami.  Throughout our stay I definitely heard more Spanish than English, which gave a feel of being in another country and often in another culture without the international vacation price tag! 

Anyway, back to Puerto Sagua.  As we entered we saw the place was packed and wondered if we'd get a spot anytime soon.  As we were looking around the man behind the corner (who looked like he was likely in charge of the place) gave us a curt nod towards two spots at the counter.  His mannerisms reminded us very much of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.  Because of this we quickly and obediently sat down and took a no nonsense approach to looking over the menu. 

Because of our counter seats we got a good view of how the kitchen worked around us.  The sandwich press was right in front of us and it seemed to have a non-stop 1-2 Cuban sandwiches crisping up in it.  I would love to know how much Cuban bread they go through in a day.  They keep long loves of the bread in a trash can beside the press and just pull it out as they need it.  It was funny to see this because, at first glance, we thought they were taking bread out of the trash for the sandwich!  But just in the short time it took us to order and eat our dinner the bread can needed to be refilled.  I would have taken a picture of this process, but I was slightly afraid (likely an unfounded fear, but a fear nonetheless) that the man behind the counter might take my camera.  :)

Another lady came around to serve us and she seemed to speak more English and was a bit more hospitable.  She likely had spent many years at Puerto Sagua and was no stranger to the non-Spanish speaking tourist.  For once, Erik and I ordered the same thing.  We shared a tamale and both went with the roasted half chicken, rice and beans, and sweet fried plantains. 

Honestly, I could have done without the tamale.  It was okay, but nothing spectacular.  It was a little dry in the center and the flavors a little bland for my taste.  It did look pretty good though.  But in this case, unfortunately, looks were deceiving. 

However, the chicken dish was very good.  Now I must say that this chicken is not unique in any way; but it is your classic moist, fall of the bone, roast chicken that is surprisingly hard to find done well.  And oh was this one done well!  The rice and beans were also flavorful and perfectly spiced with garlic and other traditional Cuban ingredients.  The plantains were buttery sweet with a wonderful caramelized coating. 

Overall, I loved the familiar diner feel of the place, but at the same time feeling a bit like I was in another country.  The food was heartily good. 

Bill Total:  Again, so sorry.  We paid cash and I can't find the receipt.  I definitely need to get better organized for this blog!  For South Beach, the prices were very reasonable.  I'm thinking it was around $10 for the chicken, but that's only a guess. 

Overall Rating: 3 1/2 buckeyes

Welcome to Miami

Eleventh Street Diner
South Beach, Florida
April 4, 2010
8ish pm

For spring break this year my husband and I debated a number of places, but ended up picking the one with great food, a great beach, and the cheapest airfare from Columbus!  Miami, South Beach, in particular was the winner.  I had been reading for years about the wonderful food scene in South Beach, but really Miami's Cuban vibe (in addition to a great beach, of course) was what really sold me on the spot. 

We landed late in the afternoon and after checking into our hotel we immediately ran out to the beach to allow our pasty white, Ohio winter ridden and chapped skin to feel the early evening sun.  After we were sure we had exposed ourselves to the last ray of the day we headed back to our hotel to enjoy a happy hour drink and debate where we should head for dinner.  I ordered a mojito from the Mariott South Beach's outside bar, Deco Blue, and while it was expensive at $11 a drink, it was the best mojito I have ever had!  The mint was freshly muddled and there was lots of it.  It had just the right mix of rum to simple syrup.  But the best part was the raw sugar cane swizzle stick garnish (like this).  After I had finished my drink I loved chewing on this and getting an extra bite of sweetness. 

I wish I would have thought to take a good picture of this drink, but my description will just have to do.  If it's any indication of how much I enjoyed this drink, despite it's price, I made this drink a daily addition to my vacation menu.

After a brief happy hour we decided to head to the Eleventh Street Diner for dinner.  At first I was going to try and make this trip exclusively Cuban since we don't have many opportunities in Columbus to have authentic Cuban food and our stay in Miami was relatively short.  But then I read so much about how good this place was, it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and Erik and I had always wanted to eat in an authentic old-school dining car.  So how could we pass it up?

We arrived in South Beach on Easter and were missing our home style family Easter dinner.  Because of this we opted for diner fair for our dinner this evening instead of running straight to a Cuban joint. 

Now this diner is definitely hip and happening with some history.  As was mentioned on the restaurant's web site, the dining car was originally built in 1948 in New Jersey in the typical art deco style of its time.  After the construction in New Jersey it then served diners for 44 years in Pennsylvania before being dismantled and brought to South Beach in the early 1990's.  Its this art deco style allows it to now blend seamlessly into the current South Beach architecture.   It then opened for business in South Beach in 1992 and has been serving South beach late night partiers and early risers alike since.  Their menu is extensive, features your typical American fare, and has a full bar to boot (my guess is that the bar set up was not a part of the original design)! 

Inside, the car has retained its classic look with chrome and red vinyl seats.  You can sit at the counter, but the place also opens up to the sides with booths. 

Since I was missing my family's traditional Honeybaked Ham I opted for the ham with a sweet cherry-pineapple glaze served with a vegetable medley of yellow squash and green beans and mashed potatoes.  This was a very good and filling dish (and definitely did not help me fit into my bathing suit the next day).  The ham was sweet and flavorful, the veggies were well cooked, and the mashed potatoes had homemade lumps and flavor.  I ate every single bite!

Erik went with the French Dip Sub and French fries.  The roast beef was shaved thin, just like Erik likes it.  There was also lots of gooey Swiss cheese and the au jus was flavorful.  Erik was also happy he could enjoy his sub with a Yuengling, his favorite beer that is unable to be had in Ohio. 

The serving of fries was generous and they were cooked perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. 

Overall, we were pleased with the diner and its food! 

Bill Total:  Not sure.  We paid cash and I can't find the receipt.  However, most sandwiches are in the $8-9 range and home style dinners are in the $13-15 range. 

Overall Rating:  3 buckeyes

Dine Originals Week Fail

Tutto Vino
Dublin, Ohio
March 12, 2010
8:30ish

Some of my most favorite eating out experiences have been through Dine Original's version of Restaurant Week (or Dine Originals Week, as they call it).  Dine Originals is a wonderful group of independently owned and operated (i.e. non-chain) Columbus area restaurants.  They're all about celebrating what is local and what makes Columbus unique.  This is a group I can definitely get behind.   

Each time this week comes up throughout the year I eagerly anticipate the menus the different restaurants will offer and spend quite some time perusing through them and debating with my husband which one sounds like the best fit for what we're after.  This week was no different and we finally decided on trying out Tutto Vino.  This was not a restaurant that we'd heard a lot about, but the menu looked great and the place is featured as a wine bar.  How could we go wrong? 

As we drove over to the restaurant we debated what the cheese plate would be like and which one of us would get the pork tenderloin and which one would get the scallops (see Tutto Vino's Dine Originals Week menu here).  We often try to order different things and then share so we can experience more flavors.  We both had had a long day at work and were very hungry.  By the time we got to Dublin we were salivating! 

When we entered the restaurant we saw that there was a small wine store set up to the right and then a small restaurant and bar area to the left.  It looked very cute.  The hostess immediately gave us a warm welcome and quickly seated us.  We noticed that the ambiance was much louder and rowdier than what we had expected.  It kind of had more of a neighborhood bar feel rather than your typical low key and relaxing wine bar experience.  Some guy was playing terrible 80's music on his electric keyboard and it was so loud that I had a hard time having a conversation with Erik (No joke and no exaggeration.  I even like 80's music; but this is the type of 80's music that should die).  Then I also couldn't keep from staring at this diner sitting at the table in front of me.  He was on the burly side and was curiously wearing a heavy leather jacket a la James Dean and had 70's style side burns.  Definitely not your typical wine bar patron.  And oh how I wish I had the nerve to take a picture of him to share with you all, because he became much more important later in the evening!

Service was on the slow side, which gave us some time to contemplate what we wanted to do about dinner.  Given the fact that we had both had long and exhausting days at work, this was not turning out to be the relaxing fine dining evening we had envisioned.  We debated going to another restaurant, but ultimately decided we were too hungry to take the time to go elsewhere.  However, the music was so loud we also couldn't fathom staying there for a 3 course dinner.  We decided a pizza would be the quickest way we could get out of there with a full stomach. 

Since our dining objective had changed from leisurely dinner with wine to fast food we opted not to try any wine flights.  But the neighboring tables did and they looked like good and generous pours.  I went for a glass of a 2007 South Australian Shiraz called Snake Charmer and have to say that this was a very good glass of wine (and almost made me forget the synthesized music around me, but only almost)!  It was smooth, sultry, and elegant with dark berry flavors and cherry with some spice.  Had the atmosphere been different, I surely would have gotten another glass.  But instead I bought a bottle to take home and enjoy later!

Erik was impressed with the "beer cooler" which allowed him to easily peruse his options and then serve himself.  To go with our drinks we ordered the "Diavalo" pizza which came topped with banana peppers, red pepper, red onion, green pepper, and capicola ham.  This was truly a great pizza made up of good, fresh toppings and a crispy crust.  Delish.

About mid-way through the pizza the electronic 80's music had stopped, the mood quieted down, and I actually started to enjoy my meal.  However, just about five minutes after this I saw my neighbor with the side burns and leather jacket get up and move towards the "stage".  With closer inspection we realized he was an Elvis impersonator!  We couldn't believe our luck.  Check please!!

Overall, the wine and food were great.  However, the service was slow and the atmosphere was much too like an experience from Night at the Roxbury for me to enjoy a nice, relaxing glass of wine.  Because of this I don't expect to go back, which saddens me because I was really impressed with the food and wine selections.

Here's to a better Dine Originals Week experience next time around. 

Bill Total: 1 beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 pizza, and tip:  $22

Overall Rating:  2 1/2 buckeyes (bumped up from a 2 due to the good food and wine). 

Stella 12 Beech Revisited for Dinner

Stella 12 Beech
Oxford, Ohio
February 20, 2010

This year for my mother's birthday I asked her if she knew where she wanted to go for dinner.  After pausing to think for a few seconds she replied, "How about we try out that restaurant that Stella's family owns?"  Knowing that I had wanted to try more than their alcoholic beverages for awhile now, I thought that was a fabulous idea. 

So in the spirit of full disclosure, I am acquainted with the family of the owners of this restaurant.  However, I'm also sure they didn't recognize me as we dined and therefore we received no partial service or treatment. 

As I've mentioned before (see An Oxford Night Out) the restaurant has a cosmopolitan feel, especially for the quaint Oxford, Ohio.  However, the welcome is always warm when you arrive.  The restaurant is on the small side and therefore reservations are recommended.  As we were seated I was impressed by the fresh and bright magenta flower on the table.  Such fresh color is a rarity in late February and had me thinking of the upcoming spring. 

We immediately started with drinks and my mother ordered a white wine (not sure exactly which one), Erik opted to try a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and I went with a vodka martini.  The majority of our drinks were what you would expect, but the Kentucky Bourbon Ale does deserve some special attention. 

I am not a big fan of darker beers and I was sure I would not like this one.  However, once it was brought out in its own special snifter glass it just looked impressive and gave off this warm spicy bourbon aroma.  I knew I had to at least give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised, and Erik absolutely loved it.  It was the perfect drink to accompany a cold winter's dinner.  The bourbon aroma gave it a good start and then the beer had a very smooth finish.  Erik liked this beer so much he looked up the website when we got home and was disappointed to discover it was not distributed to any store around us (However, we later were pleasantly surprised to find it in May at the Grandview Carryout.  But I warn you, the drink is really not a warm weather drink and tastes much better out of the tap.  At first Erik was ecstatic to find it so close to home, but a few bottles still sit in our fridge.  From the bottle the sweet bourbon aroma was lost, but I'm hoping that maybe in October it will taste good again and we'll have to try it in a snifter glass and hope to replicate the restaurant effect). 

Bread service came out next and was composed of a few pieces of white and wheat that came out warmed.  The bread had a nice softness and just a slight chew to the crust.  This was served with a wonderful fresh herbed butter.  I know there were chives added into the butter, but I couldn't pull out the exact other herbs and our server wasn't sure either.  However, whatever herbs they chose the result was a wonderful herbaceous and buttery blend. 

For our entrees both my mother and Erik ordered the spinach and artichoke stuffed ravioli topped with a marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.  The ravioli pasta was well cooked and the fillings had a nice texture.  However, I would have preferred more artichoke flavor.  The marinara sauce was very good with traditional Italian spices and nice chunks of tomato. 

I went with the Stella mixed salad and a seared crab cake.  The salad was very fresh and crisp with spring mixed greens and generous toppings of red onion, green and yellow pepper, and spiced pecans.  I chose a balsamic vinaigrette dressing which was lightly mixed in and allowed the fresh green flavors to shine through. 

The crab cake was huge and contained plenty of crab flavor.  It was nicely seared and served over a cold mix of a cucumber and carrot salad which added a nice crunch to the dish.  I especially enjoyed the spiciness of the chipotle remoulade that was presented on the plate for dipping.  This was definitely a solid dish. 

I had brought my mother a cake from the Suisse Shop for dessert, so we didn't get to sample Stella 12's delicacies.  Perhaps another time.  The cake from the Suisse Shop, however, was delicious! 

Bill Total:  1 Kentucky Bourbon Ale, 1 glass of white wine, 1 vodka martini, 2 spinach and artichoke ravioli, 1 Stella mixed salad, 1 crab cake, and tip= $86

Overall Rating:  3 1/2 buckeyes