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REVIEW | Meatball Shop

By on April 29, 2012 in Reviews, Travel Eats

Meatball Smash

Mangia Memoirs has transferred to the Big Apple and our first stop was to The Meatball Shop in Williamsburg.  A restaurant where the meatball is King. Different meat / non-meat varieties, as well as a spectrum of sauces, make this joint a place that all can enjoy.  Meatballs make people happy.

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember):  

After a whirlwind week of moving from Miami to NYC (like some real crazy fast shit), Weber and I took a break from the cardboard box graveyard known as our apartment, and ventured to Williamsburg for a St. Patty’s day celebration at the apartment of a friend of a friend (Have we lost you yet?).

Anyways, after knocking back a couple of green beers, meeting some new folks and dealing with the shocked expressions of everyone as we explained  “Oh, we just moved here….Ummm, yea about 3 days ago”, we could use a little comfort food. And what better comfort food than rolled up balls of meat?  Clearly, nothing.  As we walked back to the subway stop, The Meatball Shop lured us in.  I have  a feeling it won’t be the last time we go there!

Meat Grinder wall decor

My personal decor favorites:

  1. Meat grinders as wall art = legit
  2. Dry-erase menus that let you check the box to build your feast.  Brilliant.
  3. T-shirts with a giant cow/bull looking thing that says “We Make Balls” –classy and sassy
Dry Erase Menu
The Verdict:
4 out of 5 stars
  • FOOD: overall, the food was pretty good. The Meatball Shop let’s the meatball be king, where in most other restaurants they play a supporting role, usually to pasta.  The meatballs could have been a little warmer, but all of the flavors were good and the presentation was unpretentious.
  • SERVICE: They were definitely busy, but our server was friendly and on top of her stuff. Waters right away, answered questions, order in, bada-bing, bada-boom.
  • AMBIANCE: surprisingly pretty cool, in spite of an unassuming name like The Meatball Shop.  Meat grinders, old photos and warm lighting make the restaurant have a “feel”.
Items ordered:
  • Chicken Meatball Smash with Mushroom sauce: a solid choice.  Good texture on the chicken meatball, even though that’s not always the case and a flavorful robust mushroom sauce that can stand up to the meat. Balls could have been warmer.
  • Spicy Pork Meatball Hero with Classic tomato sauce: not as spicy as I thought or hoped it would be, but still pretty darn good.  Could also have been warmer.
  • Collard greens: no frou frou stuff here, just some good ‘ol collard greens.  Delicious. Could have eaten another plate.
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REVIEW | Sushi Cafe & Shilla Korean Restaurant

By on November 15, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Reviews
Korean BBQ Table

Grilling it Up!

Don’t let the sushi name fool ya! – it’s Korean grub!

What is more fun than sitting around a table of fiery flames grilling your own meat?  I mean, seriously….not much. Knowing our love for culinary adventures, Kelvin found Shilla Korean Restaurant that offers a Korean BBQ table that you get to man yourself!

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember): 

Driving our asses to Doral in the rain was well worth it for this meaty treat! Dan and his bf Andrew, Vince, Kelvin and Adam and I went back to our caveman roots, conquered fire and grilled our own meats. So much fun!  (Aside from being worried about cross-contamination of chicken juice into the beef and pork).    Did we mention they have Karaoke with a full band?!?  When we asked our waitress when they have karaoke, her response was “Karaoke? Oh we have Karaoke any time. You want to Karaoke?”.   Dreams really do come true.  Unfortunately, our crew was ill-prepared, but we WILL be back to dominate!

The Verdict:

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • FOOD: awesome. We got the Korean BBQ table and a Dolsot Bibimbab (traditional Korean dish).  The meat was seasoned well and our caveman instincts allowed us to cook the meat to perfection.
  • SERVICE: our waitress was the bomb.  She was prompt, made great recommendations and had an awesome sense of humor. We loved her.  Wish we took her name, so we could give her a “shout out”.
  • AMBIANCE:  has a very laid back, cafe feel.  Not pretentious at all. The decor is Asian themed, but there is sports paraphernalia in the  bathrooms, remnant of probably a former sports bar.  Definitely gave it some character!

Items Ordered: 

The BBQ table is meant to be shared, so we ordered a bunch of meat items and got grilled, forking out meat onto each other’s plates as it was finished.

  • Bibimbab: stone pot creation with fresh vegetables, rice, meat and a fried egg on top.  Very delicious and our waitress was kind enough to mix it all together for us table-side.
  • Korean BBQ items:
  • Daiji Bulgoki: shredded marinated pork
  • Bulgoki: shredded marinated beef
  • Another Beef Dish which happened to be our favorite!!  I wish we remembered the name.
  • Dak Gui: marinated chicken
  • Fried Dumplings
  • Complimentary Sides – include a lot of veggies, like kimchi, marinated mushrooms, sprouts, broccoli, etc.

 

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REVIEW | Area 31 in Epic Hotel

By on November 14, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Reviews, Uncategorized
Area 31 - Tuna Tartare

1st Course - Tuna Tartare

Quite possibly, our worst restaurant experience in a LONG time. 

If you’ve been reading this food blog, you’ve probably noticed that the overall ratings tend to be pretty “above average”.  Is it because I’m nice… eh maybe.  Is it because I try to find the positive in each dining experience…perhaps.  Is it because I don’t want to ruin a restaurants’ reputation based on my one experience…probably.  For instance,  what if I went on bad night, ordered the wrong thing, or just happened to get the only cranky waitress? No need to have a foul review living on the internet for all eternity, right?   Yes, in most cases…but my friends, this is NOT one of them!

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember):

Our pal Irmaliz was celebrating her birthday and her handsome boyfriend, Ignacio, planned a small gathering at a local restaurant on the water, for his beloved.  Very thoughtful and well orchestrated by Iggy.   He even negotiated a group discount and bringing in some of her favorite wine. Irmz was surrounded by close pals and a promising menu of delightful food.  Unfortunately, the menu did not stand up to the good company.  ALLLLL ABOARD!  There is a trainwreck-a coming!

The Verdict:

  • 1 out of 5
  • FOOD: Tasting Menu specifically – probably the tiniest portions ever.  It was almost comical. After 5 courses, we left hungry. Needed a double-cheese burger from Mickey-D’s.  “A for effort” in terms of creativity, but c’mon… yes, we know what a “tasting menu” is, but it was taken waaay too literally here.  We came to eat.  Sorry chef – food was good, but increase the portions, please!
  • SERVICE:  started off bad and got progressively worse.  Remember that “group discount” Iggy organized? Yea, well that took 45 minutes to figure out.
  • AMBIANCE:  standard attempt at a luxury Miami restaurant. Probably would have had a different feel if the experience wasn’t so bad.
  • Would We Go Back?:  NOOOOOOOOOO
Items Ordered (5 course Tasting Menu):
  1. Tuna Tartare – with jalapeno, thinly sliced onion: good flavor, but not even a bites worth
  2. Duck Confit Soup – full flavored broth, and shredded duck was a nice addition.  Unfortunately, portion left you wanting more….way more.
  3. Cobia “Rueben”: basically a creative “take” on a deconstructed Rueben sandwich.  Fun idea, good flavors, but the sushi grade fish with the Rueben flavor kinda wigged me out a little.  It was good, but was the one portion I could have done less with.
  4. Steak & Veal Cheeks:  Really delicious, perfectly cooked meats.  They should have left the steak knife in the kitchen because there wasn’t enough meat to even cut.
  5. Tomato Foam Ice Cream:  nice try on creativity and don’t remember all the ingredients, but nobody finished it.
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REVIEW | Democratic Republic of Beer (DRB)

By on October 25, 2011 in Reviews
DRB - Democratic Republic of Beer "La Chouffe"

La Chouffe Beer (aka Gnome)

With a name like this, it HAS to be good.

The DRB touts 500 beers from around the planet.  How could you possible contest that? You can’t and that’s why on one perfect summer Saturday evening, Tony, Adam and I decided to venture in to downtown to try it out.

Alisa & Adam

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember):

Saturday night is a big night at DRB, but we got lucky.  Ad

am and I “did a lap” around the block, while Tony hopped out and snagged a table.  We sat outside at one of their sidewalk tables, directly across from the Adrienne Arsht Center, which happened to just let out a show.  We were greeted by all of the acrobats of Cirque Eloize.  How amazingly fit those guys were.  Kinda makes you feel like shit, when you are slammin’ a gallon of beer and plate full of sliders!

The Verdict:

  • 4 out of 5
  • FOOD: The food was surprisingly good. My expectations were pretty low, because it’s a “beer joint”, but we really enjoyed everything we ordered.  They have a very diverse menu to compliment the variety of beers.  It’s nothing hoity toity, but definitely a solid menu.
  • SERVICE: despite being completely packed, our server somewhat attentive.  He was nice enough, not over the top oozing with joy, but did what he had to do.  I was expecting a little more assistance with beer selection, since they have…well….500 beers to choose from.
  • AMBIANCE: we sat outside and never even saw the inside, so we’re probably not a great judge for ambiance. The sidewalk seats were fine for us, but could be annoying if you weren’t in the mood for a high traffic spot.

    Sliders & DWNTWN Miami fries from DRB

    Beef Sliders & DWNTWN Miami fries

Items Ordered:

  • Volcano Shrimp: they’ve got a little heat on them, but a really great flavor. I’d definitely order this again.
  • DWNTWN Miami Fries:  cheese sauce and I don’t get along, but these were still pretty good. I liked the addition of tomato
  • Beef sliders: who doesn’t love sliders of any kind? These were flavorful and so yummy, Tony ordered round 2.
  • Chicken sliders: the breaded chicken version of the beef sliders and equally as delish.
  • La Chouffe (beer): 8% alcohol and served in basically a chalice. Enjoyed.
  • Peroni (beer):  Peroni, Peroni, the Italian beer. Tony’s go-to.
  • Leffe

Tony & Alisa

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REVIEW | Betta’s Italian Oven

By on October 23, 2011 in Reviews, Travel Eats

 

Betta's Italian Oven Margherita Pizza

Margherita Pizza

Rated #1 Pizza – Cincinnati Magazine!

If you love pizza, Betta’s Italian Oven is a must-visit.  And you don’t just have to take my word on it…they got a very well-deserved award from Cincinnati Magazine – Best Pizza in the Queen City.

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember)

Now…I have a very special place in my heart for this hometown pizzeria.  And in the practice of full-disclosure – I was the first waitress at Betta’s Italian Oven.  Yes, the first waitress. Ask Will, the owner, he’ll vouch for me.

I went to Xavier University, just down the street, and would stop by every few

Will DeLuca of Betta's Italian Oven

Will DeLuca, owner

weeks after class (while Willie was still prepping the restaurant to open).  I bugged the living hell out of that poor man, reminding him that I’d love to work there and to call me when the restaurant was ready.  I suppose my persistence paid off, because I was rewarded with a job and access to the best pizza outside of Italy!

Betta’s is the type of Italian restaurant that you WANT to go to.  Family owned. Family operated. Family recipes. Catching a theme?  Yes, FAMILY.  There are even little kiddos running around.  It’s the way a family owned Italian restaurant should be.

Betta's Italian Oven logo

Tile Mosaic

I have fond memories of my time working at Bettas –  constantly busting Willie’s chops, listening to the Italian CDs on repeat, laughing with Cheryl (Will’s wife) and sneaking back to kitchen to chat with my girl, Clara (Will’s sister).  I even got my best pal, Tony, a job there as a “pizzaiolo”, where he learned the craft of making amazing wood-fired pizza.  It really is an art-form and Tony will tell you any day of that week, that maneuvering that pizza peel is a GIANT. PAIN. IN. THE. ASS.

My family has come to love this place.  It’s a go-to spot for a relaxing night with good food.  Uncle Joe and Jane had out-of-town guests (their old neighbors that moved to Canada), so decided to have some folks up to Willie’s to enjoy some pizza pie and a few good laughs.

The Verdict

  • 5 out of 5
  • FOOD: Wood-fired pizzas are what speak to my soul, but they also have a wide variety of Italian favorites like homemade lasagna, Chicken cutlet Milanese and a signature Chicken Filo.  If you go though, you gotta get a pizza, at least to try.
  • SERVICE:  this night, our waitress was personable and assertive – 2 things that are nice to haves when trying to herd cats…also known as waiting on the Pitocco family.
  • AMBIANCE:  Filled with Italian paraphernalia. Kitsch with class. My favorite is the Betta’s logo woven throughout the restaurant. It’s carved into the back of each chair and I adore the tile mosaic on the pillar.  The logo is inspired by the town from which the DeLuca family is from in Italy – Pietramelara   

Items Ordered:

  • Margherita pizza: Perfect in it’s imperfection – the way a good pizza should be. A non-uniform shape, some “burnt” edges and a flavorful crispy crust. The simplicity of the fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato is beautiful.  I order this every time.
  • Councilman’s Favorite pizza: Sausage, pepperoni, green olives and onion.  Satisfies those meat cravings, while still allowing the wood-fired char to shine.
  • Betta’s Super Sub (baked): Mix of Italian cold cuts and cheese. Can be accompanied by hot relish, Italian dressing, mayo.  Order it the “Pitocco” way, with Betta’s marinara and get it baked.  This was my standard order.

 

 

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REVIEW | Mr. Yum on Calle Ocho

By on October 18, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Reviews
Lobster Pad Thai at Mr. Yum (Miami)

Lobster Pad Thai

A yummy good time at Mr. Yum

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember)

Well, for this “date night”, I think we were looking to get the Senior Citizen Discount, because we definitely got to Mr. Yum for the early bird special.  There was not a single other person beside the staff in the restaurant, when we arrived.  We wanted to hit the new Woody Allen movie “Midnight in Paris” (which we loved), at the Tower Theatre down the street.  By the time we completed our meals, all the “cool kids” had arrived in their swanky attire.  Glad we missed that.

Dragon Roll from Mr. Yum

The Verdict:

3.5 out of 5

  • FOOD: The menu is fun, the food is perfectly designed – almost too beautiful to eat.   They implemented a modern twist on a lot of classic Asian fare, mostly via the actual dish construction & plating.  Overall, this was effective, but there were a few instances where the “twist” actually interfered with the overall taste of the dish.
  • SERVICE: our waitress was very personable, attentive and even went out of her way to find out where they bought their wine glasses.  If you are interested, they are from IKEA ;)  (I was shocked…they looked pretty classy).
  • AMBIANCE: very put together. great lighting and attention to detail, but not over the top.

Items Ordered:

  • Tuna Tartar: Tuna mixed with Toro sauce topped with Avocado and Cucumber.   This was my favorite thing we ordered.  It was light, fresh and very very flavorful. Adam and I were having a chopstick war over the last few bits of this.  I would definitely order this again.

    Tuna Tartar from Mr. Yum

    Tuna Tartar

  • Dragon Roll: Tempura Shrimp and Masago topped with Avocado and Eel Sauce.  The plate was beautiful and the tempura shrimp was perfectly battered and crispy.
  • Lobster Pad Thai: Crispy Lobster Tail Sautéed Rice Noodles with Scallions, Bean Sprouts covered with Egg.  I enjoyed it over all, but the “deconstructed” way it was presented, kinda messed with the traditional flavor of Pad Thai. For instance, you might not be able to tell from the photo, but the egg is actually the container for the rice noodles.  Pretty cool as far as visual appeal, but I do enjoy the flavor of the egg in Pad Thai and this set up made it kind of difficult.  I’m glad I ordered this though.  It was pretty cool.
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RECIPE | Spicy Chicken Cannelloni

By on October 11, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes

Spicy Chicken Cannelloni

Happy Birthday to Tony! This was made with L-O-V-E!

I don’t know if it was like this in your house growing up, but when your birthday rolled around, that meant you got to pick your “Birthday Meal”.  I can tell you my husband’s —pork chops, apple sauce, Mrs. Weber’s famous Mac & Cheese, and baked beans. BAM! And who says I don’t listen!

Well, I’ve also heard Tony’s.  And Tony’s is a pain in the ass.  He always wanted either homemade spaghetti and meatballs (nothing like rolling raw meat for a good 2 hours) OR he wanted stuffed cannelloni (nothing like trying to fill a tubed pasta and having the damn pasta break).

I decided it was worth the hassle for my dear friend, especially since I will be out of town on his actual birthday.

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember):Irmaliz kneading homemade dough

Tony was closing at JCrew and Adam was out of town, so Irmaliz and I decided to have a little girls night in.  I mentioned that I wanted to surprise Tony with a pre-birthday meal and she was down for some fun in prepping it.

I made the spicy marinara before Irmaliz got here, so we could concentrate on making the homemade pasta.  Yes, the old way. We did the infamous dough “well” and used a pasta crank that is older than God. Irmaliz was quite the kneader too.  She even managed to look super fine while grinding the hell out of dough.

It was fun to make everything from scratch.  I’d never made fresh pasta sheets (like lasagna size) before. We usually just make the dough and it turns immediately in to ravioli.  It was pretty scary.  The sheets just kind of undulate in the water, folding and unfolding –almost dancing.  Beautiful.  But beware, when you take those things out, they are hotter than hell, especially when you are trying to get them to lay flat on the paper towels.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb cannelloni store bought or homemade
  • Spicy Marinara sauce store bought or homemade with addition of red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb shredded chicken
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1 tsp cayenne
    • black pepper to taste
    • salt to taste
  • small container of ricotta cheese
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    • 1/2 cup parmigiano
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • black pepper to taste
    • salt to taste

Directions

  1. Have the sauce pre-prepared and simmering.  Take the cooked shredded chicken and add to the simmering sauce, so it soaks up the flavor.
  2. If you are making homemade pasta, prep the dough and let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
  3. In the meantime, prep your ricotta cheese with the seasoning above. Be sure to mix well.  Let sit for half hour.
  4. If making homemade dough, roll out the dough into lasagna style sheets.
  5. Strain chicken from the marinara sauce (be sure to reserve the sauce), then add the seasoning above and mix well.
  6. If using homemade pasta sheets, cook in boiling water for about 30 seconds or until al dente.  If using, store bought, follow box instructions.
  7. Line the pasta sheets out on to damp paper towels and start assembling the cannelloni.
  8. Add the spoon full of chicken, followed by ricotta and roll the lasagna sheet 1-2 times to create a tube shape, then cut the tube from the rest of the dough sheet. Place tube into casserole pan seam side down and repeat for remaining.
  9. When casserole in filled with tubes, laddle spicy marinara over the top and shred a layer of parmigiano on top.
  10. Bake in over 350 for approximately 30 minutes.

 

 

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REVIEW | Gourmet Hot Dogs at Senate

By on October 10, 2011 in Reviews, Travel Eats, Uncategorized

gourmet hot dog and beer at Senate

The All-American food goes “fancy” and super delicious at Senate

Having been absent from the Cincinnati-scene for over 2 years, it was inspiring to see some of the unique new restaurants that are now available in historical neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine.

Our Mangia Memoirs (what we’ll remember):

Zack, my awesome brother in-law, and I decided to meet for lunch.  The day was absolutely GORGEOUS. Perfect late-summer, early autumn weather…the sun was shining (yes, I’m sure we were in Cincinnati). We popped in to Senate , had a pretty damn awesome meal and then decided, since the day was so perfect to scope out Findlay Market just for fun.

Their menu changes often and they have “daily dogs” so be sure to become a fan of Senate on Facebook for all the latest and greatest.

The Verdict:

  • 4.5 out of 5
  • FOOD: Everything I put in to my mouth was mischievous, but in a very delicious way.  My only complaint would be that I looked like a damn savage when I was done eating.  The hot dogs are served on these  tiny wooden cutting boards (super cute), but they aren’t very large, so I had Hello Kitty remnants all over the place
  • SERVICE: we were greeted with warmth (which is the polar opposite of Miami restaurants, so that was refreshing).  Our waiter was acceptable.  Not overly friendly, but knew his stuff and did a solid job.
  • AMBIANCE: exposed brick, no nonsense. chill.  Zack wanted a decorative mirror or something to add a little pizazz.  The place is small, with one row of tables along the wall, with an open kitchen and bar area.

Items Ordered:Duck Fat Fries & Truffle Fries

  • Hello Kitty (hot dog) – all beef frank, with wasabi mayo, crushed wasabi peas, wasabi slaw and slab of smoked bacon.
    • It was hot, sexy and delicious.  The combination of all the wasabi toppings definitely cleared out my sinuses, but the sweetness of the slaw helped counter it.  You’ll never hear me complain about too much bacon, but honestly this dog didn’t even need it.  Would have been fine without.  WARNING – it’s messy, like reeeeal messy, so if you are trying to impress that sexy man/woman across the table from you, they better like the look of destruction.
  • Lindsay Lohan  - arugula, caramelized onion and bacon.
  • Duck Fat Fries – yes and yes please.  Crispy, crunchy, just enough salt and how damn cute do they look in their little frie containers?
  • Truffle Fries – double yes and yes please.  If I had to choose to only get one order of fries, I’d get the truffle fries. There is something about the aromatic POW!!! of truffle that really gets me going.

 

 

 

 

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RECIPE | Mango Basil Bellini

By on October 6, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes

Looking  for a new Happy Hour concoction? Look no further.

Mango Basil BelliniTony’s Lip Smackin’ Mango Basil Bellini

  • 1 extra ripe mango
  • 1 bottle Prosecco
  • 6 basil leaves
  • pinch salt
  • Cut mango into small, manageable pieces. Place a pinch of salt, along with 4 torn basil leaves and mango into container and muddle to a fine puree.  Pour puree into serving glasses and top with chilled Prosecco. Garnish with basil leaf.

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

It’s 4:00p on a Friday. Tony and I both happen to be home.  We sadly look at the mango that Kelvin bought us from a local farmers market and realize we didn’t eat it in time. It’s gone to mush.  But do we fret…NO! When life gives you lemons, errrr….too ripe mangos…make lemonade…I mean…Mango Basil Bellini!  We step outside to our balcony garden, pinch a few basil leaves, turned on some Adele on Pandora and got to work.  We waited for hubby to get home to toast to the weekend!

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REVIEW | Yardbird Southern Table

By on October 5, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Reviews

boiled peanuts and fried green tomato blt from yardbird

Southern-style cooking finally hit South Beach at Yardbird

Yardbird Southern Table & Bar just opened on South Beach.  This is something we had long anticipated.  For months, they’d had their storefront windows covered with brown paper — teasing phrases like “Run Chicken Run” and Southern lingo.  Miami can get to be a bore, so seeing something on it’s way that looked “different” than the usual swanky ultra lounge was exciting.

Our Mangia Memoir (what we’ll remember):"run passion run" cocktail at yardbird

Tony and I arrived (without a reservation) and waited at the bar until Jillian arrived.  Luckily, we weren’t in any hurry, because we waited well over 2 hours.  Goes to show everyone wants t o be the first to try a new spot!  This little blessing of extra time at the bar allowed us to try out their signature cocktails –one of the highlights of the evening.  Each is rooted in Bourbon…a nice change from the usual “mojito” flare of Miami.

The bartender, Joshua, was super friendly and obviously very “in” to what he does.  You could sense the passion he had for what and how he created the signature drinks on the menu.  He even offered to make us something “off the menu”, something he called “Run Passion Run” (omg, delicious…ask for it!)  Tony and I merrily sipped our cocktails, as our eyes moved from one piece of their Southern decor to the next.  It was like being kids in a candy store.  Every single glass, light fixture, tables-cape was part of their intricately designed creative staging for the restaurant.   Kudos to the peeps that implemented that. All of the attention to detail really created an atmosphere, rather than just decor.

My personal decor favorites:

  1. The bar tap handles.  J’adore!  They were rustic items like a fork, knife, hammer, etc.
  2. The lightbulbs covered with glass jars
  3. The chicken-wire in the storage cabinets by the bar
  4. The tiny flip-top glass containers and glasses they used to store their fresh herbs at the bar
  5. The canning jars filled with actual fruits and veggies along the walls
  6. BONUS – try to find the bathroom… there is no door handle, just a blank wall (see photo)
For detailed descriptions of menu items, check out their drink menu & food menu.
The Verdict:
4.5 out of 5 stars
  • FOOD: awesome flavors, lots of options, great menu.  Now the UGLY – though this mama loooves the whole concept of “Family Style/Southern style sharing”, their take at this time is very misleading.  The portions, both the “small shares” and the “big shares”  were way too small (especially for the price).  Upon recommendation of the waitstaff and explanation of the menu, we definitely didn’t order enough for our hearty appetites.  May just be because we have roots in Ohio and have lived in the South, but when a restaurant says “fit for sharing”, we expect sharing size portions and not tapas styles “sharing”.  I think we would have been fine with it, if our expectations weren’t BIG.
  • SERVICE: bar service was great! waiter was fine. chef came out and apologized for the wait on our brussels sprouts, and gave us the cracklins which was a super plus.  hostess was courteous, but something was off — we waited well over 2 hours, while other people that came in after us (without reservations) got seated before us.  Luckily we weren’t in a rush and not in a pissy mood.
  • AMBIANCE: perfect. Rustic atmosphere, but still clean and put together.
Items Ordered: 
(get comfortable, this is gonna take a while!)
Drinks
  • Run Passion Run – AMAZING if you like savory/salty. Still a nice amount of sweet, but it has a kick (Sriracha hot sauce in it!)
  • Smoked Pear – smoky little piece of heaven
  • Porkchop – good, but way sweeter than I was expecting.  With a name like Porkchop, I was expecting something heartier
  • Southern Peach – light & refreshing
Food
  • Fried Green Tomato BLT – delicious, wish there was more.
  • Brussels Sprout Leaves – to die for. give them to me now.
  • Shrimp ‘N Grits – creamy, savory, perfect texture and shrimp with a nice bite to them – not overcooked
  • Mama’s Chicken Biscuits – we loved you, but there wasn’t enough!
  • Farmhouse Casserole – good flavor, but if I had to choose, this would be my least fave.  Probably because there is no meat!
Other
  • Boiled peanuts (on the house) – a nice touch.  very meaty and well flavored.
  • Pork cracklin’s (on the house) – naughty and amazing. we tried to figure out what the distinct citrusy/vinegary flavor was on top, but to no avail.
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REVIEW | All-You-Can Eat Argentinean

By on October 3, 2011 in Reviews

For meatlovers, dreams really do come true at Lo De Lea Argentinean Grill

Our bud, Dan, introduced us to Lo De Lea Argentinean Grill in Mimo.  For $15 (on Monday nights only) you can indulge in an unlimited amount of traditional Argentinean food. Sounds amazing, right?

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember) 

Adam (my husband) and I vacationed in Argentina for our honeymoon.  It was a truly beautiful country, comprised of so many surprises, different terrains and most importantly, the best meat we’ve ever had in our lives…in copious amounts.

How Argentines live past 30 and don’t need colon cleansing monthly is beyond me, because these gauchos are crazy with the amount of meat they eat.   Dan at All-You-Can-Eat Argentinean RestaurantNeedless to say, Adam and I took full advantage of this while on our honeymoon, each bringing home a pretty beautiful souvenir — a “meat gut”.   It took me quite a while to lose the “meat gut” and also to revitalize my craving for meat, but after about 8 months when Kelvin and Dan asked me to accompany them on their meat adventure, I gladly accepted.

Upon reaching the entrance to the restaurant, I asked Dan to get in a photo near that sign and as you can see, Dan was a happy man.  He was happy because he knew what glory we were in store for.

We started out dining on their terrace, but Dan and Kelvin were getting the shit bit out of them by mosquitoes, so we transferred inside, where they oh so conveniently had paper tablecloths and crayons, making it ever so easy for me to “tag” their restaurant with a Mangia! Memoirs call-out.

The meal itself was pretty quiet… I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that we were stuffing our faces the entire time.  When we started the meal, we thought “Yeah, man!  We are gonna order like 3 rounds of this stuff… keep it coming!”, but honestly, it was soooo filling, we only had 1 round.  Can you believe that?!  One round at an All-You-Can-Eat meat fest!  Sounds pathetic, but you check it out and let me know how far you get!

Items Ordered:

  • 3 All-You-Can-Eats for $15 each, which consists of:
    • Starter plate of traditional sausage, morcilla (blood sausage) and chorizo
    • Salad with house dressing
    • Main Course of Bife de Lomo, Ribs and Chicken
    • Roasted Potatoes

Morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo and traditional sausageThe Verdict:

  • 4.5 stars
  • FOOD: succulent, perfectly cooked meats of great quality and beautifully al dente seasoned potatoes.  Felt like being back in Argentina.
  • SERVICE: above average service for Miami.  Friendly waitstaff.  Being a Spanish-speaker would definitely be a plus. Some things seemed to get lost in translation, but everyone had a smile.
  • AMBIANCE: dining “al fresco” started out well.  Their terrace is a small sectioned-off area with about 4 tables, right on the side walk.  There are plants surrounding the tables and it was fun to see the basil and rosemary plants they use for the food right there next to us.  Downfall would be the mosquitoes, unfortunately.  The inside of the restaurant is perfect for what you’d want from an Argentinean restaurant – exposed brick, wine bottles, quaint but inviting and dark, but not too dark.  If you are looking for a quite evening, get their early.  As Monday night progresses, larger parties of boisterous Argentines arrive and the restaurant really gets lively.
  • Would You Go Back?  Definitely!! And I can’t wait to bring my husband.  Maybe make an anniversary date out of it!

 

 

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In Honor Of…Nat’l Coffee Day

By on September 29, 2011 in In Honor Of..., Recipes

Affogato with nutella gelato and espresso

We wish every day was National Coffee day, so we could enjoy this treat — Affogato!

Affogato is an indulgent, super fun way to get your coffee kick.  And it’s a great “quick dessert” when you have unexpected guests.

Affogato with Nutella gelato, chopped Hazelnuts and grated cocoa

  • 2 scoops of gelato
  • 1 shot of espresso
  • chopped hazelnuts
  • bar of dark chocolate for grating
  • Scoop gelato into serving glass, slowing pour the espresso around the sides of the ice cream, top with chopped hazelnuts and grate chocolate over the top.   I topped mine with a little bit of cinnamon just for fun :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MMM! | Jungle Jim’s International Market

By on September 29, 2011 in MMM! - Major Mangia Memoir!

Jungle Jim's International Market highway sign

Like a beacon in the sky, Jungle Jim’s is a Foodie’s Paradise!

I’m sure you are like this too. Whenever you travel back home or to a city that you love, you always have a “hitlist” of local spots you have to visit before you leave.   For me, Jungle Jim’s International Market is always on the “list”.  Think about the craziest thing you would ever want to buy….duck feet? a whole pig’s head? the favorite chocolate you ate every day during your study abroad in Europe? Hot sauce called “sphincter shrinker”?  Yep, they have it at Jungle Jim’s.

Jungle Jim’s is the perfect blend of:

  1. Function (they have everything)
  2. Quirk (their decorations are eclectic to say the least – check out their website for photos),
  3. Adventure (there is a surprise at every corner and you WILL lose track of time exploring the expansive selection)

Our “Mangia Memior”  (what we’ll remember)

To set the scene appropriately, my father and I are both insane.  We go into a trance the moment we walk through the doors.  My mom loves food andloves the adventure, but she is along for the ride.  And poor Anthony…ahh poor Anthony.  He loves to eat, loves to cook and is definitely an adventure seeker, but unfortunately, just had jaw surgery.  This means that he can’t eat for 6 weeks.  My worst nightmare.  But Anthony is a saint and doesn’t even complain.

My dad and I wove through aisle after aisle, while mom and Ant trailed us with the cart.After an initial scattered quest, we aligned on what our “weird” menu item would be -  “cinghiale” (aka wild boar). Cincinnati was kind of chilly and a wild boar ragu would be a nice hearty meal.

To our dismay, the meat department was fresh out of cinghiale.  Said he just sold the last one and was surprised about it.  I guess all the Italians in greater Cincy had a hankerin’ for some wild boar ragu.

No wild boar, no problem.  Guanciale (pork cheek).  We could make a nice Amatriciana instead- a traditional Italian pasta sauce based on guanciale, pecorino cheese and tomato, originating from the town of Amatrice. We also purchased some baby octopus, cerignola and castelvetrano olives and rosemary bread.

For our Amatriciana recipe, click here Recipe for Amatriciana

Top 5 “MUST SEES” at Jungle JimsJungle Jim's bathroom

  1. Visit the Bathroom.  The facade is a Port-a-Potty. Hilarious. Check out this video for a real view.
  2. Scope out the Seafood section.  Tons of life fish, whole fish, shellfish. Awesome.
  3. Check out the Hot Sauce area.  The names alone, will cure depression.  You will laugh out loud.
  4. Look Up. Look Left. Look Right.  Amazing decorations EVERYWHERE.  An Amish carriage.  A bear dressed as a singing Elvis.  A talking Campbell’s soup can.  Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest.  Where do they get this stuff?
  5. Check out the produce. Bring your iPhone.  You will see fruits/veggies you’ve never heard of.  Look them up and see how to eat them.

 

 

 

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RECIPE | Amatriciana with Tagliatelle Pasta

By on September 26, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes, Travel Eats, Uncategorized

Amatriciana Sauce with Tagliatelle Pasta

While living in Rome, I used to go to this little familypiece of guanciale owned restaurant near my friend’s apartment at the Policlinico stop on the blue line.  Money was tight, so we ate a lot of pasta.  One of my favorite meals was Sugo all’amatriciana.  They usually served it with beautifully al dente spaghetti or bucatini.  I thought it was time to bring this dish back to the states.

My family and I visited Jungle Jim’s International market and were able to find the number 1 ingredient for Amatriciana… Guanciale (aka pork cheek).  To read more about the Jungle Jim’s adventure, click here Jungle Jim’s Post

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

I know why my dad took us to Jungle Jims.  It’s because he knew I’d loooove it. And then we’d get to come home and cook together.  In the kitchen where I grew up.  At the dining room table where we’ve had so many meals.  Nostalgia.  Food brings people together. And in my family, cooking brings you even closer.  My dad and I busted each others chops all night.  “You are doing it wrong”.  “Move over, you’re hogging the counter”.  “When’s the pasta gonna be done?!”  “What are we gonna make Jaclyn?” (Jaclyn is my brother Nick’s lady friend that is a vegetarian.  I guess pork jowl would be considered meat.)  But, busting’ chops in my family is a sign of love.  I cherish these moments.

Ingredients for AmatricianaAmatriciana with Tagliatelle Pasta

  • ¾ pound guanciale sliced thin and in pieces.
    • If you can’t find guanciale, you can use pancetta
  • 4 garlic cloves sliced super thin.
    • I like it garlicky, so you can add/subtract to your taste
    • I sliced the garlic with a razor blade. Yes, alla Goodfellas.
  • 1 red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick.
    •  Some recipes say to do it 1/2 thick, but I prefer thinner.
  • 1 ½ teaspoons hot red pepper flakes.
    • Obviously add/subtract based on how hot you and your guests like it.
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 cups chunky tomato sauce
  • 1 pound Tagliatelle or whatever long pasta you prefer
  • 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
  • Pecorino Romano, for grating

thinly sliced garlic using a razor blade (alla Goodfellas)

Directions

  1. Start a pot of water to boil for the pasta.
  2. After cutting the guanciale into small pieces, put into a skillet (no extra oil) and begin to sautee.  Cook until it loses about half of it’s fat.  Do not overcook it, because it will turn into crispy pork bits.  Delicious, but not what we are looking for.
  3. Remove guanciale from skillet and place onto plate with paper towels.  Pour almost all of the fat out of the pan. Reserve enough to sautee garlic and onions.
  4. Add in onion and sautee until translucent. They should not have a “bite” or “crunch” to them.
  5. Throw in thinly sliced garlic.  It will basically melt away into the pan. Thanks Paulie from Goodfellas.
  6. Toss in the tomato sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  7. Add in the reserved guanciale and parsley and simmer for 5-8 minutes.
  8. Add in cooked Tagliatelle pasta and let it set in the sauce for a few moments to soak up the flavor
  9. Place into serving dish and grate cheese over top

The Verdict

  • 4 stars
  • Would You Eat It Again? Yes, for sure, but will most likely have to use pancetta instead of guanciale, since I probably won’t be able to find it in Miami, unless Laurenzo’s Italian Market has it.
  • What Would You Change?  I committed a terrible offense and overcooked the pasta.  Was trying to do too many things at once.  Also, I left the guanciale in the skillet for too long and ended up with those pork bits I mentioned we don’t want.  So next time, I’d be sure to remedy these things.

 

 

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mmm! | Welcome Home Cocktails

By on September 22, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes

 

Negroni Cocktails

Find out what a Negroni is.  It might just be your new favorite cocktail!

Our favorite Italian friend, the infamous Vincenzo Gregorio Modugno (say that 3 times fast) has been working in Sante Fe for the summer, so when he finally resurfaced in Miami for a cameo appearance before heading home for a visit to Chicago, we threw an impromptu dinner to celebrate.  Gracious as ever, Vince came equipped with his own little surprise… a new signature cocktail.

Negroni Sbagliato by Vince ModugnoVince’s World Famous Negroni Sbagliato

  • 4 parts Prosecco
  • 1 part Campari (Italian bitters)
  • 1 orange slice
  • 2 Cerignola olives skewered
  • Pour prosecco over rocks, add Campari and stir gently.  Squeeze a splash of orange in, then rim glass and garnish.  Add skewered olives and serve

Negronis in general can be an acquired taste.   Campari (Italian bitters) are, well… quite bitter, so having the squeeze of orange is great, especially for beginners.  You can also substitute Campari, for it’s cousin Aperol, a sweeter version.

For  other variations of the Negroni cocktails, including the original version that has gin and sweet vermouth, check out this very informational blog post.

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)Welcome Home to Vince

Vince walked in the door, with that beautiful hair of his, all smiles.  Hugs were had and moments later, it felt like he had never been gone.  Everyone resumed their  spots and did the usual -  ate, drank, laughed and told stories.  Welcome Home Vince!

The Meal: Rosemary/Lemon Chicken Quarters and Homemade Pesto

The Details: We seasoned the chicken with garlic powder, salt, black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, then oven-baked. We also placed a sprig of our garden rosemary beneath the chicken before placing it onto the baking pan, in order to infuse the rosemary flavor through the chicken while cooking.  We garnished with a lemon slice for individuals to add at their liking.  Pesto was just some of the frozen walnut pesto we made a while back.

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

The Verdict:

  • 4 stars
  • It was nothing “special” but definitely a solid meal. One of those meals that you plan and execute in a matter of minutes that turns out to be pretty darn good.
  • Chicken quarters are so much less expensive than chicken breasts and maintain so much more flavor, so if you have a crowd that is willing to do a little work cutting, they are perfect.
  • Would You Eat It Again?: Yep.  We didn’t have any leftovers, so we’ll take that as a good sign.
  • What Would You Change? Nada.  It turned out just fine!
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MMM! Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

By on September 20, 2011 in MMM! - Major Mangia Memoir!, Reviews, Travel Eats

"Bahama Mama" sausage with sauerkraut at Oktoberfest Zinzinnati

You don’t need a passport to party at a damn good Oktoberfest!

Dust off your lederhosen, empty your stomach and get your alcohol tolerance up.  It’s that time of year…Oktoberfest time!  Sausage, Beer and awesome outfits, here we come!

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati is a tradition that has been going on for ages, and for as long as I remember, we’ve always gone.  The festival in and of itself is pretty amazing.  It’s the largest Oktoberfest outside of Munich, Germany and combines old traditions with some hilarious new favorites.  Check out some of the footage from this year’s Weiner Dog Race, Barrell Rolling, Stein Carrying Contest, Chicken Dance and even Brat Eating Contest with the World Famous, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, crushing 35 brats in 10 minutes. Yum.  Also, this year, quite a few booths had signs about Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food visiting their restaurants, so we’ll have to be on the lookout for the Cincinnati episodes.

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

Our Pitocco family tradition is to meet the whole crew at Schmidt’s booth on Sunday at 11:00am (yes, my family is insane) and kick off the day with a giant “Bahama Mama” (in photo above). It’s a smoked mett with quite a spicy kick to it.  Really cleans out the sinuses and gets ya going for a long day of eating!  Mr. and Mrs. Weber (my husband’s parents) joined us this year and Mr. Weber sported a fantastic Oktoberfest hat with countless number of pins he’s collected over the years.

This is the one day of the year where we Pitocco kids actually acknowledge and embrace our German heritage.  Our mom, Kathy (nee Doerger…nice little German name) frolicks from block to block singing along with the German bands — old favorites like “Roll Out the Barrell” and the song they used to sing to me as a child “She’s Too Fat for Me” (Yes, I was a slightly overweight toddler.  My pediatrician even put me on a pediatric diet. Lardass).

Booth upon booth we gorged ourselves, stopping to chat with folks we haven’t seen in ages,  while watching fellow festival goers devour brats, sauerkraut balls and steins of beer. We even stopped to get our photo taken with little wooden German folk cutouts.

Oktoberfest Cincinnati cutouts

Embracing our German Heritage

One not-so-pleasant, but definitely memorable moment, occurred on our trot back to our car, where we all stood dumbfounded at what we saw -  A  homeless woman (who sadly also had some obvious mental issues as well) lifted up her shirt to expose her belly in order to gain the attention of a homeless man in a wheelchair, then thrusted her pelvis forward and pointed to her lady parts. Yikes!  It’s kind of embarrassing even writing it and believe me, it was even worse in person.

Besides that treachery, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2011 was a great.  I’m happy we were in town for it and happy we can spend time with our families, keeping fun traditions alive.  I’m already looking forward to next year!

Items Ordered:

  • Bahama Mama mettwurst
  • Goetta Sandwich on Rye (Goetta is a German-American breakfast meat comprised of sausage, steel-cut oats and spices.  It is specific to the German-American population of the Greater Cincinnati area)
  • Sauerkraut Balls
  • Goetta Nachos
  • Goetta Mac & Cheese
  • Brat with sauerkraut on pretzel bread
  • Fried pickles
  • Izzy’s Potatoe pancake [MUST EAT]
  • Izzy’s Corned Beef & Swiss on Rye Bun [MUST EAT]

The Verdict:

  • 5 stars overall
  • FOOD: I’m  not complaining, because everything was pretty darn delicious.  I do find myself gravitating to the more traditional Oktoberfest items like brats, metts, sauerkraut, potato pancakes and ruebens/corned beef.  The new twists on old favorites like Goetta nachos and Goetta Mac & Cheese are great to try, but my heart belongs to the traditional fare.
  • SERVICE: all of the vendors are in the Oktoberfest spirit, cordial and super helpful if you don’t know what something is.
  • AMBIANCE: this is reason enough to go even if you don’t like German food. Great tradition, fun music and awesome people watching.  Friday and Saturday are more of the party days, with huge crowds and tons of debauchery.  Sunday is a little more tamed (at least in the AM), so great for families or folks looking to really sample the food without getting trampled by drunken bafoons.

 

 

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MMM! | Finally, an Italian Market!

By on September 8, 2011 in MMM! - Major Mangia Memoir!, Reviews

Laurenzo's Italian Market Miami

Life without an Italian Market, is a life not worth living!

It’s been nearly 2 years.  2 years without the joy of having immediate access to fine Italian delectables.  Paper-thin salty prosciutto, milky fresh mozzarella, spicy “gabagool” (capicola) and guilt-ridden mortadella with pistachios.  Mama Mia!!!  I could go on FOR-EV-ER!  It’s sick, the amount of pure and utter pleasure I find from smoked meats (and don’t be gross!).

Sweet baby Jesus answered our prayers and alerted us to Laurenzo’s Italian Market in North Miami Beach.  For all of you Italians/Italian-Americans in South Florida, fret no more….this is your spot!  Maybe check it out this weekend?

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

We drove 30 minutes in Tony’s HOT. AS. HELL. car without air conditioning, obnoxiously singing to the soundtrack of In the Heights the Musical, just to keep our minds off the fact that our flesh was melting off. But when we got there….GLORY!

Skip the Laurenzo’s Produce Market.  There is not much there that you can’t find elsewhere.  Head directly to the market with the deli and plan to stay for hours.  We did.

Literally prancing through the aisles, with devilish grins on our faces, we terrorized this poor place.  We purchased roughly 10 gallons of olive oil, 6 pounds of really fun artisan pasta, a pound of fresh mozzarella, mortadella and prosciutto, fresh baguettes, calamari… ok, I could go on forever, but you would just think I was disgusting. Tony even found a bottle of wine, “Castranova” that was the same as his grandma’s maiden name, so of course, a couple of bottles of that were added.

We heard the workers speaking Italian, heard the butcher screaming over to the seafood guy who was bantering with the market guy.  It was pure bliss and it just felt so right.  Not pretentious.  A real “family” feel.   We grabbed a deli sandwich to share and some fried smelts and calamari.  Seriously, who has smelts?!  It was like being home for the Christmas Seven Fish Dinner (what the hell is that?  Well, that’s an entirely different post, but this site is pretty funny and video might give you a flavor for what it is for Italian-Americans).

Thank you, Laurenzo’s Italian Market for lighting up our lives and also providing the ingredients for us to make this glorious meal.

bruschetta with prosciutto fresh mozzarella and fresh basilhouse-made tomato pasta with spinach shrimp garlic 

The Meal: Bruschetta with prosciutto, fresh mozz and fresh basil.  Tomato pasta with spicy lemon garlic shrimp & spinach

The Details: We toasted the bruschetta, then rubbed garlic cloves over it, added the fresh mozz and put it under the broiler for a second. Then, added the prosciutto—it will melt right on to the mozz, but not dry out in doing it this way.  The tomato pasta was house-made at Laurenzo’s and the rest of the sauce was a one-pan creation.

The Verdict

  • Bruschetta: 5 stars
  • Pasta with Shrimp: 3 stars
  • Would You Eat It Again?  Bruschetta, definitely.  Pasta, maybe with some tweaks.
  • What Would You Change?  While we loved the “idea” of the tomato-flavored pasta, it wasn’t what we were hoping for.  I think the texture was a little gummy and the flavor wasn’t intense enough.  Also, from a visual standpoint, it was “off”, because the spaghetti sort of looked like carrots, creating a disconnect between what you were seeing and what you were tasting.  Next time, I’d probably opt for a traditional non-flavored pasta and throw in some tomatoes instead.

 

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COTFN | Leftover Bolognese = Great Spaghetti Pie

By on September 4, 2011 in COTFN - Clean Out the Fridge Night, mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes

spaghetti pie with leftover bolognese

Leftover bolognese meat sauce can be a perfect “spaghetti pie” in NO time!

The bolognese meat sauce you made turned out alright, huh?  But now you are stuck with a mound of leftovers and don’t really want to eat pasta for the next week straight…so whattya do?  Do what I did and turn it into a “spaghetti pie” and impress your friends!

I never really understood the fascination with “spaghetti pie”.  To me, it just sounds like a huge pain in the ass and a lot of work– Make the sauce, make the pasta, mix the the pasta and sauce, let it cool….blah blah blah.  All for a damn “pie” that I’m going to cut into that will probably fall back in to looking like a plate of regular ‘ol spaghetti anyway?  Eh, not for me.   BUT, if I’ve already served a meal and have leftovers, well, that is a different story!

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

At 11:00pm, while dumping our leftover bolognese and linguine into a pie-pan and pouring eggs over it….

Husband: “what the hell are you doing?”

Me: “making spaghetti pie, duh.”

Husband:  “Interesting.”

The Meal: “Spaghetti Pie”

The Details: We tossed in our bolognese and pasta leftovers. Instead of just a couple eggs, we added about 8 to make it  like a frittata, so it could be eaten morning, noon or night. And it was.  It never appeared on the dining room table, but it disappeared over the course of the week, devoured by little creatures that quietly snacked late-night after a couple brewskies, or first thing in the morning before any one would notice.  Naughty.

The Verdict:

  • 4 stars
  • I think it was a little difficult for some to get over the “frittata” factor.  The extra dose of eggs helped to keep the pie shape and you literally could eat it with your hands. No plate necessary, which was convenient! But, I could see where normal folks might find it weird to eat this for breakfast.
  • Would You Eat It Again:  2 votes yes, 1 vote “I guess”
  • What Would You Change: I’d love to own a spring-form pan.  It would make it a LOT easier to get this little puppy out. This time, I had to let it cool and then give it a hearty WHACK! to get it out. Also, I’d add more parmigiano into the sauce prior, then still add the cheese layer to the top as a final crust.
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RECIPE | Bolognese Meat Sauce

By on September 1, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes

Bolognese meat sauce over linguine

Bolognese meat sauce is the perfect Sunday Night meal. Maybe this weekend?

The Meal: homemade bolognese meat sauce over linguine. Shared with friends on a Sunday evening to unwind from a busy weekend and get charged up for Monday morning.

The Details: combination of pancetta, various ground meats, “soffritto”, fresh bay leaves and a slow 3 hour cooking time.

The Verdict:

  • 5 stars
  • Everyone joined the “clean plate club” this night and we purposely made extra so we’d have enough for “to-go” containers for lunch the next day.  Bolognese is the gift that keeps on giving.
  • Would You Eat It Again?:  Everyone agreed, yes!
  • What Would You Change?:  serve a nice light salad with this dish. Between the meat and pasta, it is quite a hearty dish and it’s nice to something light between bites.

bolognese meat sauce clean platesOur “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember):

Gathering around a table for dinner with friends on a Sunday night, makes it feel like family. It’s nice to have this Miami “family” to be able to relax, unwind and just feel at ease.   Kelvin smiled from ear to ear the whole night (because Bolognese is his favorite), while there was a silence over the table as everyone devoured their food. Sometimes, words aren’t really needed to feel completely content.

The Recipe: (inspired by Williams-Sonoma Pasta Cookbook)

What I changed from recipe below: substituted additional pork/beef instead of using veal because it can be pricey. I use half/half instead of heavy cream and totally skip on the veal demi-glace. I feel like there is enough going on this sauce, that for a normal night, we don’t need to spend another billion dollars or add another million calories.

Ingredients:

  •  4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 thin slices pancetta, finely chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
  • 1 celery stalk, cut into small dice
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 1/2 lb. ground veal
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups unsalted beef stock or canned broth
  • 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
  • 5 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup veal demi-glace
  • 1 lb. homemade tagliatelle (see related recipe at left) or purchased fresh fettuccine
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy flameproof casserole dish over medium-low heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter with the olive oil. Add the pancetta and sauté until just starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until aromatic and very lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground beef, pork and veal, stir to break up, season with salt and pepper, and add a generous pinch of nutmeg. Increase the heat to medium and sauté until the meat is lightly browned. Add the wine and simmer until it is almost evaporated.

Add the stock and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, sage and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 hours. If the sauce seems thin, cook it, uncovered, until thick and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Skim the surface of excess fat. Add the cream and demi-glace. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the freshness of the pasta. Drain and transfer the pasta to a warmed large, shallow bowl. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. butter and 2 Tbs. of the cheese. Toss until the butter melts. Add the sauce and toss gently. Serve immediately. Pass the remaining cheese at the table. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Pasta, by Erica De Mane (Simon & Schuster, 2001)

 

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mmm! | Let’s make Rellenos de Papa

By on August 29, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes, Travel Eats

papa de relleno

I might not be a Latina, but my SOUL is. Rellenos de Papa are AMAZING!

When we visited Puerto Rico, our friend’s Irmaliz and Ignacio gave us the local tour. They introduced us to this roadside restaurant called “Donde Olga”. We relaxed and drank local beer called Medalla and had some Puerto Rican noshes. While dining outside, we enjoyed the cool breezes and scents of smoked meat and fried treats. We had tons of things we’d never heard of before… alcapurrias, chicken and beef pinchos, bacalaitos(salted cod fritters) and our favorite Rellenos de Papa (basically a stuffed and fried mashed potato, usually has beef).

Since, then I’ve heard the constant yearning from both of the gentlemen in the house for rellenos de papa.  So, on one random weeknight as a little surprise, I finally tried to make these things. And let me tell ya, it really was a pain in the A$$.   There are a lot of steps involved, but it was an adventure and I”m glad we tried.

This YouTube video from “Elba” is what I watched to get the jist of it.

The Meal: Rellenos de Papa

The Details: mashed potatoes stuffed with seasoned beef, rolled in to balls and fried.  We served over a nice light salad.  These little guys are a standalone meal.

The Verdict:

  • 2-3 stars
  • Given that is was our first time making these, I think we were did alright.  Were they as good as the ones we got in Puerto Rico?  Not even close.
  • Would You Eat It Again? Yea, but would prefer eating them in Puerto Rico or a restaurant that has them down pat.
  • What Would You Change? Ours were not as crispy as they needed to be and were a little dense, so we’d need to figure out how to get that nice crunch.  Probably use corn starch and a little more oil so they were submerged more and we didn’t have to roll them as much.

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

The smells that were taking over the house kinda took us back to that weekend we had in Puerto Rico.  And gathering around the kitchen, rolling, stuffing and frying these bad boys was really a group effort.  I think it made us appreciate these meat filled treasures a little more.

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mmm! | Skyline Chili in South Florida

By on August 25, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Reviews

skyline chili 3-way cheese and cheese coney

Whenever you’re feeling good and hungry, it’s Skyline Time!!

Living in Miami means not having immediate access to our favorite casual restaurant from back in Cincinnati. For those of you who have never enjoyed Skyline Chili or even heard of it, well, it’s a Cincinnati hometown tradition comprised of menu items like “3ways”, “4ways”, “5ways” and “cheese coneys”.  Sounds quite odd from an outsiders perspective! Skyline can only be found in Cincinnati (and a few satellite locations in other cities).  I’m not even going to get into the rivalry and debate over which chili is better, Skyline or Goldstar chili, because I’ll never get to tell you about the BEST SUNDAY EVER!

My husband, best friend and I had to take a trek to IKEA in Sunrise, FL (about 30ish minutes from us) and learned that there was a Skyline Chili just minutes from IKEA (we found a satellite location!!! God is great!) . All three of us were craving Skyline since we haven’t been home in while and had planned to have a gluttonous adventure.  Needless to say, we did NOT disappoint!

Restaurant: Skyline Chili in Sunrise – They have their own website and Facebook page, so check them out and give them some love

Cuisine: Cincinnati-style chili

Items Ordered:

  • (2) 4-ways –spaghetti topped with Skyline chili, onion or bean and shredded cheese (we got onion)
  • (6) cheese coneys – hot dog topped with Skyline chili, mustard, onion and shredded cheese
  • (3) chilitos – flour tortilla filled with Skyline chili and shredded cheese. They boys opted to add onion AND spaghetti (because another pound of cards is TOTALLY necessary)

The Verdict:

  • 5 stars (bright and shiny stars!!)
  • FOOD: just like in Cincinnati, which is exactly what we wanted! Full-flavored chili, perfect thinly shredded cheese. Yum!
  • SERVICE: speedy AND polite!  A real pleasure.
  • AMBIANCE: relaxed, filled with Skyline memorabilia, sports memorabilia with a local South Florida flare that made it have the “hometown feel” for the people that live here.

Skyline cheese coneyOur “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

The anticipation of going to Skyline in Florida was crazy, so when we finally had that first bite, it was seriously pure happiness.  Gluttony ensued and we actually re-ordered more food after Round 1.  Kind of embarrassing, I guess, but definitely memorable!  We also found out they have a “Coney Cave”, which is a private dining room for large parties.  Guess where our next birthday celebration will be housed?!?!

And additional key component that will NEVER be forgotten is riding home in the back seat of the Jeep lounging on the IKEA couch we just got fixed, because there was nowhere else to sit and thinking about how I should have gotten a cheese coney for the road!

Ikea couch in back seat of carIkea couch in base seat of car

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RECIPE | Homemade Walnut Pesto

By on August 23, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir, Recipes

homemade walnut pesto ingredients

Basil harvest, means homemade pesto time!

This year, we decided to plant a little urban garden on our skyscraper balcony.  We have flourishing basil, parsley and dill.  Unfortunately, the cilantro died a frightful death.  It was not a fan of these Italian fingertips.  I should have had my Puerto Rican friend Irmaliz nurture that little plant! Better luck next time.

So, our flourishing basil quickly turned into a jungle tree, so we need to make pesto, stat!

The Meal: Homemade walnut pesto over thin spaghetti, topped with shaved parmigiano, served with a savory Malbec wine

The Details: ever notice how expensive pine nuts can be? Ever realize how restaurants substitute walnut for pine nuts and we all think it’s to make it “fancier”?  Well, it might be that, but it might also be because walnuts are cheaper and they go a lot further. Walnut, basil, parmigiano blended in a food processor, streamed in with olive oil and salt/pepper to taste

The Verdict

  • 4 stars
  • For our first basil harvest of the year, it turned out great.
  • Would You Eat It Again?: yes, for sure. It’s the perfect quick meal. Plus pesto is easy to freeze and defrost for a weeknight meal when you don’t feel like cooking.
  • What Would You Change?: I think I went a little crazy on the garlic this time, so next time I’d pay attention to the number of cloves I was throwing in the food processor

Our “Mangia Memoir” (what we’ll remember)

It’s kind of an awesome feeling when you sit down to eat and realize that the tasty meal you are about to enjoy has come from the fruits of your labor.  One Saturday, on the 11th floor of our skyscraper, we got our hands dirty and planted these basil seeds, then watched them grow into this monster of a plant that is now feeding our family.  I think it made it taste that much better :)

The Recipe

  • 1 cup toasted walnuts (helps get the oil out and more flavorful)
  • 2-3 cups of packed basil (if you wash it, let it dry on some paper towels before putting into the food processor)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 cup or so of extra virgin olive oil (I usually eye-ball this based on the texture I want. Some people like their basil chunky and others smooth)
  • 1/2  cup or so of parmigiano reggiano cheese (this can also be to taste, but keep in mind that the cheese changes the texture as well)
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • Secret Ingredient (Optional) – couple flecks of lemon zest and juice of 1/2 – 1 lemon.  It can really brighten up the flavor and be a nice unexpected twist
  • Blend walnuts, basil and garlic in food processor. Add cheese and blend.  Stream in olive oil while blending until desired consistency is achieved.  Salt/pepper to taste.  If adding lemon zest, include in the initial blend and juice at the end.
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MMM! | Blog Launch Party with Crazy Creations

By on August 23, 2011 in MMM! - Major Mangia Memoir!, Recipes

red snapper

Adventure anyone? What better way to celebrate the launch of a food blog than with fresh whole fish, a raw meat concoction and great friends? I don’t thing anything!

My loving husband decided that we needed to have a “launch party” for the birth of Mangia! Memoirs because of the hard work that went into it.  I believe that to be true, but I also think he may have been looking for a good excuse to have friends over, eat some food and down some wine.  Regardless, the impromptu launch party took place and let me tell you, we went on a culinary adventure joy ride!

beef carpaccioWe were thinking to go big or go home, so ended up creating food items that we had never ever made before and honestly, really had no idea how to.  First up, beef carpaccio.  For those not familiar with carpaccio, I’ve included a link, but it’s basically very very thinly sliced raw “something”.  There are seafood carpacci, beef carpacci, vegetable carpacci – you get the point. We’ve had these many times in restaurants, but the real kick here is that it is 100% RAW and I was serving it IN MY HOME.Blog Launch Party

I’d tried to do all the gruesome meat pounding before everyone got here, in order to salvage their appetites, but I’d have to say my favorite quote of the evening from our pal Kelvin, (as I lay delicate slices of meat on a plate), was “Soooo, uhh…that was marinated like ceviche, right?”  NOPE! Sorry, buddy, when I said raw, I meant RAW.  I honestly got a little nervous after that point, thinking “Alisa, what the hell are you doing serving raw meat to your friends?!  But the show must go on.  We served up the beef carpaccio with fresh arugula and shaved parmigiano, olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.  Overall, a HIT.

The “sleeper” favorite of the evening ended up being the pasta.  I really just made this as a “filler-up” dish from things we had lying around. Fusilli lunghi (long spirally pasta that looks the way someone’s hair would look if they got electrocuted)  pasta in a mildly spicy artichoke heart, tomato, garlic and white wine sauce.

Next up was the MAIN EVENT.  I’d been wanting to cook a whole fish for sometime (just to see if I could do it), and this ended up being the perfect night for it.  My husband and I went to the local fish market, Garcia’s Seafood, and purchased two jumbo red snapper and decided to follow the directions of 2 awesome ladies from Florida that demonstrated an ancient technique for baking fish.  Naturally, we found this on YouTube.  You can stuff the fish with any herbs you like (I chose lemon, rosemary and thyme), then pack the fish in course sea salt, creating a salt cast that develops over the fish and keeps it moist while baking.  The craziest part, is that the salt becomes hard like concrete and you have to literally CRACK the mold to get the fish out.  It was totally wild and so much fun! I used my grandma’s rolling pin for extra drama – thanks Gram.

The Verdict:

  • 5 stars!
  • Would You Eat It Again?: Heck, yea with multiple exclamation points
  • Would Would You Change? Buy more fish.  For a party of 6, two fish was a bit of  stretch as a main course.

Our “Mangia! Memoir” (what we’ll remember):

This was a food event worth remembering and I definitely recommend it.  The fish was moist and fell right off the bone.  The herbs that we had stuffed within the fish cavity infused the fish with flavor. And surprisingly, even though the fish was encased in salt, it wasn’t salty (Heads up, though – there were a few salty areas, mostly around the edges where the fish was right up against the salt cast).  Since this was a new technique for everyone, the whole party was centered around seeing this come to life, which ended up being pretty darn cool.

Every one watched in anticipation as the fish was stuffed, packed in salt and then put into the oven.  We then held our breath as the rolling pin smacked open the cast and inside lie the fully in tact and cooked fish.  Once we slid the fish from the bones, everyone, as if on on queue, starting picking at the remnant pieces.

I mentioned that the fish cheek is supposed to be very succulent and instantly everyone started going for it!  Then conversation shifted to how if you are ever stranded, you should eat fish eyes, because there is water in them.  Next thing I know,  people are going for the EYES!!  It was like be shot back to caveman era – everyone was so primal!

 

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