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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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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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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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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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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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REVIEW | Miss Saigon Coral Gables

By on July 27, 2011 in Reviews

If you like Pho, it’s a place to go.  Not the best in the world, but a go-to for Miami.

Restaurant: Miss Saigon, Coral Gables

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Items Ordered:

  • Bo La Lot – Beef wraps
  • Pho Dac Biet (includes the thin beef, meatballs and  all the “nasty bits” like tripe, tendon and other delectables)

The Verdict:

  • 3-4 stars
  • FOOD: Flavorful, well-prepared
  • SERVICE: average
  • AMBIANCE:  Above average. Smaller-sized (15ish tables), but clean, with stereotypical Vietnamese decor.

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

  • I took the trek to the Gables with Kelvin, my Vietnamese friend, who happens to crave Pho on a weekly basis.  He has been on the “hunt” for the best place to get Pho in Miami, which has been a bit of a challenge to say the least.  I have (not so hesitantly, I might add) agreed to be his wingman (er, woman) on this quest.  Honestly, there are not a ton of options, especially when you come from a more diverse city, like Chicago, as he does. It seems that every place Americanizes the deliciousness and you have to specifically ask the waiter/waitress to beg the chef to prepare it in the authentic Vietnamese style. Miss Saigon was no exception here.  I get it…restaurants have to cater to their audience, but I wish there was a way to get the masses to really enjoy food the way it was MEANT to be enjoyed, not a dumbed down version because of silly Americans.
  • The waiter was our entertainment for the evening.  Kelvin ordered the appetizer and the waiter said, “do you know how that comes out? You do, oh ok, because you have to wrap them yourself, you know?”  As if my little Vietnamese amigo didn’t know that — Psha.  My favorite was when we ordered 2 bowls of Pho and he said “You know how big those are, right? You want 2?  You do?! Ok.” And when Kelvin asked for it “Vietnamese style”, the guy said “Yea, we can do it.  With all the fatty stuff, right?”  If I wasn’t a culinary adventure seeker, without an immediate care for my waistline, I probably would have passed on the “fatty stuff” because he really failed in making it sound even remotely appetizing.
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