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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 | 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 | 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! | 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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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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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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OOPS! | Chick Pea Pizza

By on July 25, 2011 in OOPS!

La Cecina

Sometimes the pros DON’T know best.  Ya just gotta make a recipe your own–and that is half the fun!

The Meal:  Chick Pea Pizza alla David Rocco, Mediterranean salad with chopped cucumber, tomato, hearts of romaine & lemon.

The Details: chick pea pizza, aka “la cecina”,  is allegedly a very common dish in Italy.  It is made from chick pea flour, a naturally gluten-free flour, olive oil, salt & pepper.

What Went Wrong + TIPS:

Tony and I watch one of Cooking Channel’s programs called La Dolce Vita with David Rocco and have really enjoyed the journey David and his wife Nina take us on. They always end up filming exciting narratives in the exact places or scenarios Tony and I yearn for (i.e. a remote seaside picnic, a relative’s apartment in Florence, a lakehouse barbeque). Without a doubt, the narrative is the strong suit of the program (along with the frisky soundtrack). David Rocco tells a great story, but when it comes to recipes, stick to the other guys.  Sorry, David -  we love ya and definitely wanna be friends :) .  Come to our house and we’ll show YOU some “La Cecina”

  1. FALSE ADVERTISING: The recipe he shared on the TV program didn’t match the details found in the actual recipe on the website. Not really a big deal, unless you weren’t planning to look up the recipe online….which we weren’t.  I mean, how hard could it be? What he showed us on the tele was a piece of cake (well, pie).  We were curious about the portion size, so ended up looking at the recipe and learned a key STEP that was missing from the TV program.  The chick pea batter has to sit for nearly an hour before placed into the oven. We definitely weren’t expecting that.
  2. FLAVORLESS: The recipe could use a little SEASONING LOVE.  Be sure to the follow the recipe and then toss in your favorite seasonings like rosemary or thyme. Whatever you like.  And definitely, a little more salt.
  3. COOL DOWN: if you try to take the pizza out of the pan immediately (like we did), you are going to end up with flaky broken mess.  Let is rest for about 15 minutes or so.  It will regain some of it’s form and elasticity, making it easier to slide out of the pain and cut into the shape you like.

 

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COTFN | Chicken Cutlet Arugula & Parm

By on July 21, 2011 in COTFN - Clean Out the Fridge Night

Chicken Cotoletto

Sometimes glorious meals come from the scrap you have in the ‘fridge.  And that is what happened here.

The Meal: Chicken Cutlet, aka “Cotoletto” topped with fresh arugula and shaved parmigiano reggiano.

The Details: thinly sliced (or butterflied) chicken breast, pounded out as thin as you can get it (while still being chicken and not mush), dipped in flour, then egg, then panko bread  crumbs (for the crunch) and pan fried.  Top with a handful of fresh arugula and squeeze with lemon.  Shave slices of parmigiano reggiano for intense flavor by the bite.

The Verdict:

  • 5 stars
  • Don’t you feel like crap when somebody asks “What’s for Dinner?” and the immediate response in your mind is “Well, hell if I know!”.  I feel like that a lot. Tonight was one of the nights I looked in the fridge and thought….”Ok, what do I have in here that I can piece together?  And what ingredients do I NEED to use before they go bad?”.
  • The chicken breasts I had bought for a meal that never happened were about to expire and the arugula looked like it had about 1-2 days of life left in it.  Soooo, chicken and arugula it was.  I also realized that I had just enough panko left for 2 cutlets.  I would make the sacrifice (though reluctantly) to have a cutlet dipped in regular breadcrumbs :( EEE—OR  Weber and Tony–that right there is L-O-V-E.
  • Because we had nothing else in the house besides some rouge boxed “Pasta Sides” that have been in there for 2 years (they are shelf stable, right?), I decided I’d pound out the chicken extra extra thin, so it took up the full circumference of the plate and seemed like a huge portion.  We eat with our eyes, right?
  • Weber and Tony didn’t even realize or complain that their wasn’t a starch with dinner and both were stuff, satisfied and happy gents.
  • Would You Eat It Again?: Yes, in a heartbeat.  How about tomorrow?
  • What Would You Change? Really try to have  a spare box of panko, because I’m tell you that stuff really takes it to a whole new level.  Also, having 3 frying pans that can fit a full cutlet would be awesome.  That way, in my house of three, each would be finished at the same time, instead of intermittently.
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mmm! | Copycat Trulucks

By on June 10, 2011 in mmm! - mini mangia memoir

Ever eat something at a restaurant that was so damn good, you had to try to make it yourself the next day? I have.

The Meal: Buttermilk Chicken Tenders & Truluck’s Hot House Tomato Salad

The Details: chicken tenders marinated in seasoned buttermilk, breaded in panko bread crumbs and pan fried to crispy perfection.  Whole tomato (sliced in half) covered in buttermilk dill dressing, topped with thick-cut bacon and thinly sliced onion.

The Verdict:

  • 5 stars
  • All parties agree, it was delicious.  The copycat Truluck’s salad wasn’t exact, but damn close! We have a lifetime to perfect it. Because the chicken was thinly sliced tenders and dipped in panko, rather than regular breadcrumbs, they crisped up reeeaaal nice.
  • Would You Eat It Again?:  Unanimous, hell yes.
  • What Would You Change?:  When making chicken tenders, always make more.  For some reason, people chow down on them a lot faster, and in way bigger quantities. Continue Reading →
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MMM! | 2011 Italian Easter

By on April 24, 2011 in MMM! - Major Mangia Memoir!

Easter ravioli and angolotti

What’s better than keeping TRADITION alive and  prepping food for 3 days to share with 25 of your closest friends?  Nuttin’

Major Mangia! Memoir: 2011 Italian Easter Celebration with 25+ friends at our apartment in Miami.

Over the years, I think Easter has really started to make it’s way to the top of my list of favorite holidays. The preparation leading up to Easter (in the Catholic church) is filled with a lot of drama, sacrifice and I think the stories are some of my favorite. I also think that Easter is the start of something new for a lot of people–a rebirth, the start of spring and nice weather, and of course, Easter bonnets!

For me, I think it was all of those things! I wanted to gather all of our “transplant” Miami friends/co-workers to celebrate together, Italian-style! Continue Reading →

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