Tasting Journal

Playing Catch-Up

Oh my gosh! Can you believe it’s already August?! My summer is just flying right by, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve hardly paid any attention at all to my blog! The funny thing is though, every time I’m out and encounter some sort of gastronomic epiphany, or something that’s just food-blog worthy, I usually remember to take notes, grab a card and takeout menu, or snap a few pictures. But then I get home and all my notes, menus, and photos get stored away for later – when I have free moment to spare.

Well, I’m about to play some catch up right now… But I’m just going to give you the brief version of everything…

Chinatown, NYC

Last month we took Grandma and the French cousins to New York’s Chinatown. We ate at one of the first Chinese restaurant we came across, called Hon Won Restaurant Inc, on Canal Street. The place was disgustingly dirty. Our waitress brought us water, but when we told her we didn’t want any water and that we wanted tea instead, she proceeded to pour each glass of water back into the pitcher right there at our table. The silverware and chopsticks were dirty, but at least they matched the rest of the restaurant. The food came out in spurts of about 15-minute intervals. When our bill came, it had a few Chinese characters written on it, and a number that seemed higher than it should have been. My father disputed the bill, and asked our waitress to recalculate it. She did. The check came out to be $25.00 less. Despite all that, however, the quality of the food was actually not as bad as you would think.

Before we left, Grandma bought some lychee and cherries at a fruit stand in Chinatown.

Miami Beach, Florida

The girls and I went down to Miami last week and stayed at Katherine’s boss’s beautiful condo! The view from the balcony was amazing! Our days were filled with sunbathing at the pool and wiggling our toes in the ocean. And after dusk, we spent our nights romping around the city that was filled with delicious temptations.

Novecento
1080 Alton Road; (305) 531-0900

We celebrated our first evening in the sexy city with dinner at Novecento on Alton Road in Miami Beach. The cuisine is Argentine and Mediterranean. There is a laid back, yet stylish type of atmosphere. Items worth mentioning include the beef empanadas and calamares fritos to start off with. Tasty entrées consists of the ensalade de atun (seared Ahi tuna salad); ravioles quatro quesos (four cheese ravioli), and ojo de bife (grilled ribeye steak).

Clevelander
1020 Ocean Drive; (786) 276-1414

Clevelander was our last stop after a night of roaming the city bar hopping. After a few rounds of cocktails we decided to order a juicy bacon cheeseburger (with fries, of course) and beef kabobs. The atmosphere was lively and fun. At that point in night however, I was just glad to be sitting down because my feet were so sore from walking all over town.

Larios on the Beach
820 Ocean Drive; (305) 532-9577

We were hungry and in search of some delicious Cuban food. We decided on Larios, Gloria Estefan’s trendy Cuban restaurant. I loved the décor and atmosphere. There’s a small stage and dance floor inside for those who love to salsa. The food was decent, and the portions were large. Not only did we satisfy our Cuban craving there, but Kim spotted Pharrell dining al fresco as we entered the restaurant. Unfortunately by the time she reapplied her makeup and got up the courage to ask him for a picture, he was already gone. Poor Kim...

Nikki Beach
1 Ocean Drive; (305) 538-1111

Once you hear the music thumping, you know that you are near. The stylish beachside nightclub boasts teepees, bamboo beds, and scantily dressed people dancing to world music. We ordered a couple pitchers of mojitos that took forever to come. The service sucked, but the drinks were good (when they finally arrived). We had fun sitting back, sipping drinks and people watching. There’s a Mediterranean-style menu, but by the time we got there, the kitchen already was closed.

travel, restaurants, Miami, Chinatown, New York City, Tasting Journal