New Orleans Cajun Seafood – Pine Hills – Orlando

Located in sunny Pine Hills, a community also known affectionately as “Crime Hills”, New Orleans Cajun Seafood stands in a small shack on West Colonial Drive between Kirkman Road and Pine Hills road. A huge American flag sign flys up above the establishment and the exterior is decorated with fishing nets and various sea memorabilia, giving it hints of a harbor scene.

Inside, you order at the counter. Written on sheets of blue and white paper in what appears to be blue marker are the daily specials and menu for New Orleans Cajun Seafood. From Shrimp po boys to king crab legs to boiled crawfish and more, New Orleans Cajun Seafood pretty much does it all. The decor is minimal, like a rustic school cafeteria, however they did have a pretty cool instructional guide on how to eat crawfish.

How to Eat Crawfish Guide
1. Find the Biggest Crawfish
2. Break it in Half
3. Suck the Head
4. Peel back the Shell
5. Pinch the Tail
6. Bite the Meat
7. Savor the Spices
8. Sip a Cold Beer

The establishment is actually owned by a Vietnamese family who immigrated here from the New Orleans area. Even half way around the world, Vietnamese families who immigrated as boat refugees to the American Southeast over 30 years ago after the fall of Saigon, found their way to survival by fishing and shrimping along the gulf coast, especially along the bayou of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama where still today there are sizeable Vietnamese populations. There were even bouts with the KKK back in the 1980s when they first arrived when they were attacked and intimidated, but luckily they were defeated in the courts . It also helped that the Vietnamese fishermen were trained in warfare and usage of AK-47s as a result of the decades of war in Vietnam.

Anywho back to New Orleans Cajun Seafood, I was here to meet up with some old friends, fellow blogger ( HelloOrganics.blogspot.com ) as well as Justin, An, and Johnny. They arrived first and were already chomping down on their crawfish, boiled and served steaming hot with their cajun spices and the garlic butter sauce. Justin and Uyen had ordered the King crab legs so it took a little while longer than the other items to come out.

I ordered some of the crawfish as well as some of the jumbo shrimp. The crawfish was fresh and juicy with each spicy bite, however I would caution from getting the garlic butter sauce as there was a lot of garlic in it if you don’t like garlic too much. It was a bit overpowering but still enjoyable.

The jumbo shrimp were the size of my head, literally jumbo sized. They were good and similarly fresh and delicious, but I think it may have resulted in unwanted bowel movements later in the evening, c’est la vie. It’s bound to happen with me and seafood.

Overall, I enjoyed New Orleans Cajun Seafood and wouldn’t mind coming here with some buds and beer and enjoying some crawfish cooked on the premises for $4.99 a lb.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!
3 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!

Lee’s Bakery – uNAVSA conference – Atlanta

The uNAVSA conference in Atlanta this past summer was one of the best conferences that I have been to in a while. Well organized, well thought out, and all in all well received. The speakers were inspiring, from the young man who’s life changed forever when his father died when he was 11, forcing him to grow up to eventually become a successful entrepreneur, to the program director at CNN whose grandmother, unbeknown-st to her at the time, was one of the first women to start a newspaper back in Vietnam years ago, and paid dearly for it when the Communists took over. The Vietnamese air force pilot who had to start his life all over again in America, from nothing to now owning the largest Vietnamese media based company in the US and whose daughter makes over $700,000 as a doctor. Follow your passions, pursue your dreams they all tell us.

The organizations throughout the US came together to also join in fundraising for one community based non-profit each year and had to decide between three organizations vying for the spot. The Hue Foundation and the Sunflower Mission were both great contenders and had admirable missions in bettering the society in Vietnam, focusing on school children and the poor. The winner this year however was the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation, which aims to bring together the histories of a people who have no voice even today, who is forgotten in the American history books and steadily losing their stories every day.

This emotional video is more about the VAHF and its goals for your viewing:

http://www.viddler.com/player/4fa54929/

Well, as it is being a Vietnamese students conference, of course there will be Vietnamese food right? And what better lunch item than the Vietnamese submarine sandwich the Banh Mi? From Lee’s Bakery down the street on Buford Highway, these little bad boys were delivered in each lunch time for our meals. They were great, though a bit too much mayo sauce for my tastes, as it can over power the tastes of everything else. But overall they were pretty good.

Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches from Lee’s Bakery

Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches from Lee’s Bakery

Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches from Lee’s Bakery

Eat mi! (mi is vietnamese for noodles, sometimes)

Late night Karaoke-ing in Atlanta, actually a tragic place

Late night Karaoke-ing in Atlanta, grilled squid, not so good

Late night Karaoke-ing in Atlanta, actually a tragic place


Some of the handsome men at uNAVSA

University of South Florida Vietnamese Student Association <3 Tasty Chomps
University of South Florida Vietnamese Student Association <3 Tasty Chomps


University of Central Florida Vietnamese American Student Association <3>

Banquet!!

how lovely

chocolate cake to end the meal

bon apetit

Pho Dai Loi 2 – Buford Highway – Atlanta – Vietnamese

Hello Vietnamese squatters in front of Vietnamese restaurant Pho Dai Loi 2

Pho Dai Loi 2 is located on Buford Highway in northwestern Atlanta where a large, predominantly Vietnamese community has sprung up alongside Mexican and Korean communities interspersed with each other. Remarkably, there is even a 24 hour Korean restaurant in the area. The Vietnamese area along Buford Highway is, according to estimates, about 10 times larger than the Vietnamese area in Orlando along Colonial Drive and Mills Avenue.

With so many cultural influences in abundance, coupled with a sizeable ethnic population, the food here at Pho Dai Loi 2 is destined to be some very authentic Vietnamese tasty chomps. Indeed it is. The owners of Pho Dai Loi must have been doing something right at their first location to open up a 2nd shop here on Buford Highway.

Inside, the restaurant is brimming with patrons, predominantly Vietnamese families out on the weekend as well as a few escapees from the conference nearby, trying to sneak away from the banh mi sandwiches and seeking a bite elsewhere outside of the hotel walls. The decor is minimal and you feel like you just stepped into a restaurant half way across the world in Vietnam, as you listen to plates and utensils clattering, people chattering on about their past week, slurps of the noodle soup. One thing is for sure, no matter where you go in the world, Vietnamese people love being loud for no reason.

The service is very fast here and like most Vietnamese places, quite abrupt but friendly at the same time. We begin with some spring rolls, (sometimes called summer rolls) but I just go by the Vietnamese name, goi cuon, cause that name never changes. Rice vermicelli noodles, shrimp, and herbs wrapped in a clear rice paper. A delicious start.

Goi cuon, or spring roll at Pho Dai Loi 2

We also have the Vietnamese egg rolls, called cha gio, crispy and fried and filled with pork filling mixed with carrots and black eared mushrooms. Just like mom would make at home.

Cha gio, the Vietnamese egg roll at Pho Dai Loi 2

We are here at Pho Dai Loi so we must order some of their namesake: the Pho Dac biet, I order the smaller bowl knowing that if I ordered the super large bowl I may just explode. The pho comes steaming hot, the broth is delicious and aromatic and the noodles are cooked just right. The meat toppings are pretty good too, so all in all this is a great bowl of Pho similar to those that may be found in the best of the Vietnamese establishments in Orlando.

Additionally one of our brothers order the com dac biet, rice with egg casserole, pork chops, tomato and lettuce topped with fish sauce dip.

Pho Dai Loi is for seriously good and all for a seriously cheap price.

Tasty Chomps rating!!!
4 out of 5 tasty chomps!!!!

Waffle House – Atlanta – Breakfast

“Waffle House” seemed to be the buzz word the weekend of the uNAVSA conference in Atlanta. Here as Vietnamese American students assembled from across the nation to the cultural capital of the Dirty South, everyone was mentioning how they “gotta try Waffle House”, blah blah blah.

Waffle House, a place my friend Emery once described as your “typical greasy spoon” joint, and added along an advisory “don’t go there, man”. I should have taken his advice. I’ve had Waffle House before and was not very impressed from my previous encounters with the uniformly hole-in-the-wall establishment, though noting that they do have some good cheap hash brown dishes. But other than that, not much would make me want to go back there into that yellow topped hole to the netherworld of late night eats.

But something intrigued me about it here in Atlanta, maybe since this city was the birthplace for the whole Waffle House franchise and I felt the need to pay my respects on my visit here to the home of the Waffle House. Maybe I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Maybe I just wanted to sober up after a late night out at the club and Waffle House was the only thing open near the hotel.

Whatever the case may have been, there we were inside the Waffle House, sitting on the cramped counter looking over our laminated menus. On this late night all around us, all sorts of drunken walks of life stumbled clumsily around us, stammering their orders with their drunken slurs. The place felt slightly dirty, greasy smoke from the griddles perfuming the air, confusing your senses and making it feel even more surreal than it already is in this ugly, ugly place.

Inside the wondrous caverns of the Waffle House

Minh isn’t feeling too well at this point in the night

The waitress who came to us was brisk but kindly. We gave her our orders and soon enough they arrived.

I ordered a hash brown with cheese as well as strawberry waffles. Both were okay but indeed the grease was overwhelming for my tastes, causing me to not enjoy them as much as I could have. But we were hungry.

Hash browns at Waffle House

Bacon strips nom nom nom

Waffle with strawberry goo

Waffle a la Waffle House

My brother Phil from the University of Florida chowing down

Regretful chomp.

I think it made me feel a little sick and maybe made me feel more drunk afterwards than before coming in to the place. C’est la vie, this is what you risk when you gamble away your night at the Waffle House.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!
2 out of 5 regretful chomps

La Granja – Pollos y Carnes a la Brasa – Chicken and Meat rotisserie – Orlando

La Granja a La Brasa

La Granja, Spanish for the Farm or the Grange, serves tasty Peruvian fare from its location on the southwest corner of Semoran Blvd (SR 436) and Aloma Avenue (SR 426)in Winter Park, Florida. Founded in 1993 on the Caribbean island of Aruba, it is actual a international franchise specializing in Peruvian style rotisserie chicken, with additional locations throughout Latino-centric communities in South Florida.

A Wall of Locations for La Granja throughout Florida and the Caribbean

La Granja is a place that may appear very sketchy on the outside/inside, but rest assured the food here is great. The place is a bit intimidating, a bit dirty, a bit run down of a hole in a wall, but its busy with people coming in and out for orders of their Peruvian style chicken.

Order at the front at La Granja

People in line for food at La Granja

Magical sauces at La Granja

Decoding the sauces by colors at La Granja

Inside, there are rows upon rows of chicken rotating on rotisseries in La Granja, roasting to a succulent perfection. I love looking at them spinning in the fire, with the metal squeaking as it turns around and around. The chicken at La Granja here in Orlando is juicy and flavorful, and also at a pretty good/cheap price. There is a great lunch combination of 1/4 chicken, yellow rice and a side for $4.25. In addition to fries, they have yuca, fried banana, and salad among other options. Basically, to quote my friend Mike, “it is what Pollo Tropical tries to be, but more authentic”. Not to diss Pollo Tropical’s chicken as it is pretty good, but La Granja’s chicken just has that extra kick of flavor not found in the more mainstream fast food establishments.

Chicken on the metal box rotisserie, spinning

Twirl, over the open flame, you wonderful chicken

They also have a sizeable seafood selection from grilled and fried fish to a seafood soup, a hearty tomato based soup filled with calamari, shrimp, and mussels.

The 1/4 chicken meal with rice and fried bananas at La Granja

The 1/4 chicken meal for $4.25

Tasty Chomps rating!!!
4 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!!

Vortex – Atlanta – Burgers

I heard about Vortex Bar and Grill from one of my brother Vince from the University of Florida. He had been working in Atlanta for some time and recommended it to me as having one of the best burgers in Atlanta, and naturally, I was curious to see how delicious these burgers were.

We traveled down the winding, hilly roads of Atlanta to just outside of Emory University at the “Five Points.” The atmosphere in the area is very off-beat and that is no different for Vortex. Outside of Vortex, a huge skull gapes at you at the doorway with his mouth open, his eyes crazed and wild with a hypnotizing spiral, beckoning you to enter with caution for what lays within. This is different, I thought.

Vortex’ entrance: the wild crazy eyed stare of the skull entices you inward…

Vortex: Best Burgers in Atlanta?

The scene above at the Vortex

We sit down and are ready to order. After a long day of driving from Orlando, the food would be a welcomed respite.

For starters, we order the “bad ass buffalo wings” ($7.95), dipped in original buffalo sauce and definitely delicious, as is hoped. Also, we ordered the “vortex tater-tots fondue” ($4.95), not really a fondue but more of a hot gooey cheese dip on the side. I haven’t seen tater-tots like this since grade school, triggering complex simultaneous mixed emotions of childhood happiness and angst. They taste great of course and hit just the spot.

Deliciously bad ass buffalo wings

The tatertots fondue – bon apetit

Vortex’ tatertots fondue

Vince’ girlfriend Lisa enjoys a tater!

Vince enjoys a stray fry!

Vortex is known for their burgers as stated previously, and not just for having good burgers, but also for their quirky, creative and altogether decadent types of burgers served here. Burgers such as the Spanish Fly burger ($7.95), With a spicy serving of ground chorizo topping, green chilis and pepperjack cheese, and the Elvis burger ($7.95), slathered with a King-sized helping of smooth peanut butter, bacon and fried bananas.

My brother Phil and I share a Coronary Bypass Burger ($8.25), which kind of scared us at first with its name, as we are not fond of a visit to the emergency room any time soon. The burger is made sirloin patty topped with a fried egg, three slices of American cheese, four slices of bacon, and a big fat side of mayo. My arteries clog just from typing about this unspeakable combination, this curse to good health. We stayed away from the Double Coronary Bypass Burger, which is topped with two fried eggs, four slices of American cheese, and 5 slices of bacon, with two grilled cheese sandwiches replacing the buns. @_@

Our hugee burger was delicious indeed, ignoring the fact it may have taken a few years off of my lifespan…

The Vortex Coronary Bypass burger awaits

The Vortex Coronary Bypass burger

The Vortex Coronary Bypass burger

The Vortex Coronary Bypass burger

The Vortex Coronary Bypass burger dissected

Farewell Vortex, see you in my nightmares…

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!!
4.5 out of 5 Tasty chomps!!!!

Bojangles – Famous Chicken and Biscuits

One of the tastiest – yet probably one of the unhealthiest – culinary inventions out there must be the fried chicken. I love fried chicken, succulent juicy inside yet crispy and spiced on the outside. Some of my favorites include the 20 piece fried spicy chicken wing special at Publix for around $8.00 as well as the fried chicken from Popeye’s. To my great delight, the creators of Bojangles Famous Chicken and Biscuits decided to expand the crispy empire to Central Florida this past year.

Located right across from the Wal-mart on Colonial Drive near the intersection at Alafaya Trail, Bojangles sits in a relatively high traffic volume area, perfect for some grab and go while you’re heading out on the congested state road. Luckily for Central Florida residents, Colonial Dr will be finished by the summer of next year hopefully alleviating its status as one of the top 10 deadliest roads in the US.

This is probably one of the reasons why it took so long for me to get to Bojangles, I just had no need to head down that way towards Wal-Mart or Colonial since its all so FUBAR.

The interior of Bojangles is much like every other fast food joint in the nation, bright lights and small stalls. You order in the front and they often have their items out for display right there.

Overall, I would have to say Bojangles is pretty good but not as good as my favorite reigning champion Popeyes. It is fresh and succulent, reminiscent of a cross between Popeyes and Maryland Fried Chicken. The key lies in the breading I believe. Bojangles breading is pretty standard, better than KFC but not as flavorful and fun to eat as Popeye’s crispy spiced goodness. I also enjoy Popeye’s biscuits better as they are fluffy and buttery while Bojangle’s biscuits are pretty average good buscuits, nothing wrong with that. For my meal I also get their fries and cajun rice which are both pretty good, accompanied by a delicious sweet tea.

On a second visit, after a long morning of picking up trash for the nearby adopt a road, my friends and I were able to get some breakfast here at Bojangles. I had the Bo rounds, which were similar to hash browns, but circular disc shaped, and also the cajun chicken biscuit which was actually quite delicious. The chicken is much different than that from Chic Fil A, which pretty much started the whole chicken biscuit breakfast craze. Bojangle’s chicken biscuit is juicy and the slab of chicken that they give is huge, practically half a breast slabbed between two biscuits. Divine.

My favorite fried chicken rankings are as follows:
1. Popeyes
2. Bojangles
3. Maryland Fried Chicken
4. Kentucky Fried Chicken

I’m pretty glad that Bojangles has arrived here in Orlando !

Tasty Chomps Rating
4 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS!!!!

Bojangle’s Chicken! and Biscuits!

Jigga, Jigga….call that chick Bojangles!

Dirty Cajun Rice! at Bojangles on Colonial Dr

Bojangles Fries

Bojangle’s Sweet tea

Yummy chicken

Bojangles Bo Rounds for breakfast!

Bojangles Cajun Chicken Biscuit

http://www.orlandoinfo.com/magicaldining/results.cfm

Satisfy your craving for affordable cuisine during Orlando Magical Dining Month, a culinary celebration sure to please your palate and your wallet. Throughout September, select Central Florida restaurants will offer three-course, prix fixe dinners for $20 or $30. Indulge your inner gourmet with an appetizer, entrée and dessert at a variety of casual bistros and upscale dining destinations. Try a different eatery every week. Or every day!

Restaurants will donate $1 from each meal to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children

This runs September 1-30.

Upscale dining – $30

310 Lakeside – Downtown, American Cuisine

310 Park South – Winter Park, American Cuisine

A Land Remembered – Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Steak & Seafood

Bice Ristorante at Portofino Bay Hotel – Northern Italian Cuisine

The Boheme – Grand Bohemian Hotel, Contemporary American Cuisine

Cala Bella – Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Italian Cuisine

Chatham’s Place – Sand Lake Road Area, Continental Cuisine

Chez Vincent – Winter Park, French Cuisine

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar – Pointe Orlando, Latin Cuisine

Emeril’s Orlando – Universal CityWalk®, Cajun/Creole Cuisine

Emeril’s Tchoup Chop – Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®, Asian Polynesian Cuisine

Everglades Restaurant – Rosen Centre Hotel, American Cuisine

Fiorella’s Cucina Toscana – Westin Imagine Hotel, Italian Cuisine

Fulton’s Crab House – Downtown Disney, Seafood

Islands Dining Room – Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®, Pacific Casual Cuisine

Juliana’s Restaurant & Bar – College Park, Italian Cuisine

K Restaurant Wine Bar – College Park, American Cuisine

The Kitchen – Hard Rock Hotel® at Universal Orlando®, New American Cuisine

Lago – Baldwin Park, Italian Cuisine

Le Coq Au Vin – Orange Avenue Area, French Cuisine

Luma on Park – Winter Park, American Cuisine

Mama Della’s Ristorante – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando®, Italian Cuisine

Morton’s The Steakhouse – Sand Lake Road Area, Steak & Seafood

Nelore Churrascaria – International Drive Area, Brazilian Cuisine

NORMAN’S – The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, New World Cuisine

Ocean Prime – Sand Lake Road Area, Steak & Seafood

The Oceanaire Seafood Room – Pointe Orlando, Seafood

The Palm Restaurant – Hard Rock Hotel® at Universal Orlando®, Steak & Seafood

Park Plaza Gardens – Winter Park, Steak & Seafood

Pisces Rising – Mount Dora, Seafood

Portobello Trattoria – Downtown Disney , Italian Cuisine

Ran-Getsu of Tokyo – International Drive Area, Asian Cuisine

The Ravenous Pig – Winter Park, American Cuisine

Redrock Canyon Grill – Pointe Orlando, Regional American Cuisine

Rocco’s Italian Grille & Bar – Winter Park, Italian Cuisine

Roy’s Restaurant – Sand Lake Road Area, Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

Salt Island Chophouse & Fish Market – International Drive Area, Steak & Seafood

Samba Room by E-Brand Restaurants – Sand Lake Road Area, Latin Cuisine

Seasons 52 – Sand Lake Road Area, American Cuisine

Seasons 52 – Altamonte Springs, American Cuisine

Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar by E-Brand Restaurants – Sand Lake Road Area, Italian Cuisine

Tommy Bahama Tropical Restaurant and Bar – Pointe Orlando, Island Inspired Cuisine

Vines Grille & Wine Bar – Sand Lake Road Area, American Cuisine

Zenzi – Orange Avenue Area, American Cuisine

Casual dining – $20

BB King’s Blues Club – Pointe Orlando, Southern Cuisine

Bob Marley – A Tribute to FreedomSM – Universal CityWalk®, Jamaican Influenced Cuisine

BRAVO! Cucina Italian Restaurant – Sand Lake Road Area, Italian Cuisine

Brio Tuscan Grille – Italian Cuisine

Brio Tuscan Grille – Winter Park – Italian Cuisine

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant – Universal CityWalk®, Seafood

Cantina Laredo – Sand Lake Road Area, Mexican Cuisine

Elephant Bar Restaurant – Mall at Millenia, American Cuisine

Elephant Bar Restaurant – Altamonte Springs, American Cuisine

Fresco Cucina Italiana – Sand Lake Road Area, Italian Cuisine

Funky Monkey Wine Company – Mills Avenue Area, Fusion Cuisine

Hannibal’s On The Square – Winter Park, American Cuisine

Highland Manor – American Cuisine

Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Café – Sanford, German Cuisine

J. Alexander’s Restaurant – Sand Lake Road Area, American Cuisine

Jack’s Place – Rosen Plaza Hotel, Steak & Seafood

Latin Quarter™ – Universal CityWalk®, Latin Cuisine

Los Generales Mexican Grill – Hunter’s Creek Area, Mexican Cuisine

Ming Court – The Art of Oriental Cuisine – International Drive Area, Asian Cuisine

NBA City – Universal CityWalk®, American Cuisine

New Punjab Indian Restaurant – International Drive Area, Indian Cuisine

Nonna Wine Bar – College Park, Italian Cuisine

PastamoreSM – Universal CityWalk®, Italian Cuisine

Pat O’Brien’s® – Universal CityWalk®, Cajun Cuisine

Taverna Opa – Pointe Orlando, Greek Cuisine

Tolla’s Italian Restaurant – Winter Park, Italian Cuisine

Tony Roma’s – International Drive Area, Steak & Seafood

Urban Flats – Downtown – American Cuisine

Urban Flats – Waterford Lakes – American Cuisine

Urban Flats – Winter Garden – American Cuisine

Urban Flats – Winter Park – American Cuisine

As any respectable foodie knows, this past month was the release of the film Julie & Julia about the story of a blogger named Julie Powell and the iconic chef Julia Child. Amy Adams is a fine actress but she is overshadowed by the multi-Emmy nominated (and for good reason too) Meryl Streep. She shines as the quirky, classy Julia Child even in her defeats, where Julie Powell often wallows over spilt milk. Overall, I enjoyed the film and was inspired thereafter to try some of the dishes out in the famed Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julie Child. Recently, the cookbook placed first on the New York Times Best Sellers List after 48 years: New York Times article – After 48 years, Julia Child has a big best seller, butter and all.

I got the book set for a steal compared to the brand new reprinting at $40 for each book in the set, finding an older 40th anniversary edition of the 2-book set on sale at $20.00 and with my Borders discount I got it all down to around $9.50! After bringing it home, I set out to conquer a few of the dishes in the book. The book is surprisingly detailed and provides a great step-by-carefully-guided-step by Julia Child and you can almost feel her presence in the kitchen making sure you are generous with the butter 😉 I definitely recommend it to those who want to upgrade their cooking skillset in the near future.

My first recipe conquered was the roasted chicken casserole with tarragon

by Julia Child

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

Vegetable and Wine Suggestions
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

Ingredients:
Serves 6

Kitchen Supplies:

* 9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep
* Slotted spoon

Boeuf Bourguignon:

* 6 ounces bacon
* 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
* 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
* 1 sliced carrot
* 1 sliced onion
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. pepper
* 2 Tbsp. flour
* 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
* 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
* 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
* 2 cloves mashed garlic
* 1/2 tsp. thyme
* Crumbled bay leaf
* Blanched bacon rind
* 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
* 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
* Parsley sprigs

Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Bon Apetit!

Our friends stumbled upon this place when asking a department store clerk about any good places to go for sushi in Atlanta. He remarked that Ra, on Peachtree, had an excellent happy hour and so we headed there for our late afternoon snack.

The air was cool and crisp with a slight breeze on this day, perfect for outdoor seating. We sat outside and ordered a few items and enjoyed our view. The place was bustling with patrons and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

The clerk at the store was right about the happy hour: with half off appetizers, 4$ sushi rolls, and 4$ drinks, it was a steal. I ordered a refreshing margarita and sipped it as I snacked on the tootsy maki roll, a simple yet delicious roll with Crab mMix, shrimp & cucumber, rolled & topped with crunchy tempura bits & drizzled with a sweet eel sauce. I particularly enjoyed the scallop dynamite, a mixture of scallops in a spicy sauce. Our friends also ordered the calamari tempura, spring rolls, gyoza dumplings, and chicken yakitori, all to their pleasure. They should bring this place to Orlando, as I see it is a franchise from their website.

A few notes though is that their service was a bit slow and hectic / disorganized, but maybe because it was so busy?

Our friends enjoying the outdoor seating

Chicken Yakitori

A glass of wine, mon cheri?

something is amiss

Freshly fried Gyoza dumplings

Calamari Tempura

Spring rolls

Delicious scallop dynamite

Shumai in a unique presentation

Margarita, esta linda la mar

tasty Tootsy Maki Roll

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!
4 out of 5 TASTY CHOMPS

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant
1080 Peachtree Street, Suite 8
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 267-0114
www.rasushi.com

J Alexander’s Restaurant
Dr Phillips Area -Restaurant Row / Sand Turkey – Orlando FL

J Alexander’s Restaurant is a relatively new, higher end American style dining restaurant chain in the Rialto plaza on Sand Lake Road at Turkey Lake Road also known as Restaurant Row / Sand Turkey District in the Dr Phillips area.

Stepping into J Alexander’s, I could feel money just exuding, permeating from the place (at least, I could feel it exuding out of my wallet). Inside, J Alexander’s is a darkly lit, very modern, almost romantic place. The design is sophisticated and sleek with the centerpiece being a tower of a wine glass display. You can also see the kitchen working away in the back. Our server is very friendly and very accommodating.

Inside J Alexander’s

A Look towards The Kitchen of J Alexander’s

For the price of it though, this place is all bark and very little bite. Its like meeting a pretty model only to realize there is nothing inside but the shiny exterior. The food wasn’t bad by all means, but definitely not worth the price for it all, with many of the dishes ranging from the mid to upper $20s.

For starters, we ordered the overpriced creamy chicken-pasta soup ($6), with very littly chicken and very little pasta. The soup itself tasted like it came from a can, with processed cheese added in. Not a good start to the meal.

J Alexander’s creamy chicken-pasta soup…blaise blaise

Crystal ordered the Rotisserie Chicken ($16), one-half of a seasoned chicken with a heaping of “smashed potatoes”. The chicken was spiced pretty well, but I found it to be a bit dry. The mashed potatoes were ridiculously portioned, the size was basically larger than my head. Is it over compensation? I think so. The presentation wasn’t all the great either as it looked like the chicken was getting eaten by the mashed potato monster.

J Alexander’s Rotisserie Chicken

My partner and I shared the extra thick 16 oz cut of the slow roasted Prime Rib ($28). The prime rib was actually pretty decent, tender, juicy and savory. Yummy.

J Alexander’s Slow Roasted Prime Rib

Overall, the meal was okay but with the prices and all the pomp, it was just so-so. I would skip everything and just go straight for the prime rib or steaks!

Tasty Chomps
Rating 3 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!

WHAT: First Watch recently opened its sixth Orlando location and they’re celebrating in a huge way. On the early morning of the first day of Fall 2009 classes — Monday, August 24 — First Watch’s new UCF-area restaurant will offer one lucky customer the chance to win free breakfast for one year. Students will literally be camping outside for a chance to win big!

WHEN: Monday, August 24, 2009

Beginning at 6:00 a.m.

Grand prize drawing to be held at 7:00 a.m.

WHERE: First Watch Restaurant at UCF
UCF Foundation Shopping Center
3402 Technological Avenue
Orlando, FL 32817

– First Watch had a soft opening a few weeks ago, and is open now! if you go, check out their grand opening this Monday!

Millie’s Jamaican Cafe sits in a global village of a strip mall right in front of UCF’s main entrance on the Northeast corner of University Blvd and Alafaya Trail, sharing the plaza with neighbors purveying Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Italian cuisines among the prerequisite college pubs/bars. It seems cheap food, global tastes, and college students go hand in hand all over the United States, and to that extent, the UCF area is no exception.

Millie’s is the owner,a happy, grandma-like lady from Jamaica who tells it as it is. Inside, posters from Jamaica line the walls as well as wise sayings from the old country. The service here is absolutely no frills and you order up at the counter. The food here however, is pretty good for the price you pay.

I actually love their Jamaican beef patties, filled to the max with spicy beef filling. Sadly on this day at Millie’s Jamaican Cafe, they had run out and only had curry chicken beef patties left. I took one of those anyway.

I also ordered the jerk chicken with peas and rice to go as well as some coconut juice. Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats are dry-rubbed or marinated with a hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. All in all the meal at Millie’s Jamaican Cafe came around $8 and it was delicious.

I brought the food back to a chapter meeting on campus and munched on it while I listened to the talks and plans for the coming school year.

Inside Millie’s Jamaican Cafe

Millie’s Jamaican Cafe: The curry chicken patty, up close and personal

Tasty chicken filling

Millie’s Jamaican Cafe: coconut water/ juice: the ultimate thirst quencher

Millie’s Jamaican Cafe: the jerk chicken over rice: spicy and tasty

you’re a jerk! you’re a jerk, jerk, jerk…chicken.

Tasty Chomps Rating!!!
3.5 out of 5 Tasty Chomps!!!!

Pars Mediterranean Cuisine – Oviedo Florida

Pars Mediterranean Cuisine located in sunny Oviedo, Florida on Aloma Ave just northeast of Dean Road, sits on the corner of a tiny, if-you-blink-you’ll-miss-it, strip mall and housed in an old Chinese takeout place. They recently opened up and still are putting the place together, with some of typical signs from the Chinese take out menu still inside, taped over with theirown menu items.

Pars is not really a Mediterranean restaurant, they actually are more of Persian / Iranian cuisine, but Mediterranean is a more popularly known cuisine. They serve the typical dishes that come from that region in the Near East including gyros and shish kabob platters atop of yellow Persian basmati-like rice. The first time I had this type of food was when I lived in Washington DC for an internship and nearby our apartment was Kabob Palace, a 24 hour restaurant that served some of the best kabob meat and rice dishes I have ever had.

The owner, a kind, short Persian lady, is the hostess, as well as waitress and cashier at Pars. She walks around to each table with genuine care to check up on us as we dine throughout the visit. Despite being located in a hole-in-the-wall joint, they have tried modestly to spiffy the place up with a few touches from their native Iran, from paintings to traditional garb on the walls, making the place all in all quite quaint.

For lunch, they bring out a tasty bread similar to the Indian naan with an intoxicatingly delicious and sweet garlic butter spread. I really liked the butter dip, so sweet and creamy and perfect with the soft fluffy bread.

Bread and butter dip

After looking through the menu, I decided on the beef and chicken kabob platter on mixed rice, replete with fire roasted tomatoes and a salad of my choice. I chose to have the small, slightly bitter rice-stuffed grape leaves for my salad choice. I enjoyed the beef and chicken in the dish as they were fresh and also had that hot, fire grill taste to them, going quite well on the soft pillowy grains of the yellow and white mixed rice.

Combo Number 1: Beef and Chicken Kabob platter on yellow basmati rice and stuffed grape leaves

For dessert, I tried their own home made Persian ice cream made right here at Pars. It is a unique tasting ice cream made with vanilla bean, saffron, rosewater (used heavily in Iranian cuisine for sweets), pistachios and other various Persian spices. It had a yellow color to it and tasted just wonderful.

Sweet Persian Ice Cream with rosemary, saffron, and pistachios

Overall I had a great experience at Pars and enjoyed their cuisine and would definitely be back for more. I now know where to go when I am in the mood for good kabobs and Persian cuisine here in Orlando.

Note: the chef also makes chocolate cake, key lime pie, and sweet baklava home made and fresh on the premises for desserts.

Tasty Chomps rating
4.5 out of 5 tasty chomps!!!

Pars Mediterranean Cuisine
(407) 657-2357
2960 W State Road 426
Oviedo, FL 32765

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, Orlando
Sand Turkey District and/or Dr Phillips Area and/or Restaurant Row

I was in the area recently for dinner and my partner and I decided to head over to Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt for dessert in Orlando. Located in the newly built Rialto Plaza on the northwest corner of Sand Lake Road and Turkey Lake Road (henceforth named Sand Turkey District via Mark Baratalli and The Daily City LOL, previously Dr Phillips Area and/or Restaurant Row). Menchie’s is among good company in a plaza with classy Ocean Prime, J Alexanders, and quick-casual Bento Red next door.

Open only 4 weeks ago, Menchie’s business is booming. When we first arrived, there was literally a crowd of local prepubescent teenage girls chattering outside, no doubt there to idle away the last days of summer. I think there was a pop star or something there because in the crowd was one scrawny, tall teenage boy (I found out who it is! Joey Page from Radio Disney, he twittered about meeting up there all day on Monday, wow) , surrounded by adoring fans taking pictures with him and chatting. It was kind of a hassle to work our way through the throngs of fawning teens, but it was worth it.

Inside, Menchie’s is bright purply-pink and green colors with a long wall of yogurt flavors and toppings in the back with the register in the middle. There were a few seats indoor and outdoors.

Based out of California, this franchise here in Orlando offers 12 different types of yogurts, changing about 3 of them every week with new flavors. On this visit they recently came out with Pineapple Dole Whip, a flavor from Hawaii, Irish mist, and New York Cheesecake.

According to the friendly owner Rod, there are four popular flavors that never change: chocolate, vanilla, cake batter, and original tart.

The first step is to take a cup or waffle bowl, then bring them to the yogurt bar to dispense your desired frozen yogurt flavors. After that, you head to the toppings area which includes chocolates, candies, cereal, and a entire fruit bar with mango, kiwi, pineapple, raspberries, and more. If you so choose, you can top it all off with some syrup as well.

After you are finished with your frozen yogurt concoction, you bring it to the register where they charge you depending on its weight. The heavier it is the more it costs. Ours was a pretty medium filled cup and only cost us around $3.50. Score!

I think the appeal of Menchie’s lies within the great variety and choices for the consumer. At most places, like Cefiore’s in college park, the employees make the frozen yogurts for you and there’s probably like 4 flavors to choose from. On top of that, the employees usually are really light on the fruits and toppings. At Menchie’s, you can choose how much or how little you want each of the toppings, adding your own individuality to each cup. It doesn’t hurt that there are so many flavors and toppings to make combinations from either!

If you are in the area, I definitely would recommend you to drop by and check it out, just make sure to keep an eye out for the herd of teenagers in the midst. (They need to find a place to go, like the library to read the latest Twilight book or something LOL)

Note: all the flavors at Menchie’s are also kosher!

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
(407) 601-7792
7339 W. Sand Lake Rd., Suite #406
Orlando, FL 32819
www.menchies.com

Holy Crapsicles, Batman! its packed here at Menchies!

Choose your destiny at the yogurt bar

Butterfingers, nerds, cereal and more candy toppings!

Chocolate and Fruit toppings!! so fresh

Chocolate syrup, and more!

Weigh it and then pay it

enjoy!

farewell crowd! you can see Joey Page (visit his myspace) in the hat towards the back

A shot of the ugly Mcdonald’s across the street in the Sand Turkey district, By Night
its not any prettier at night…looks like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland lol
or a devil…

Tasty Chomps RATING!!
4.5 out of 5 variety packed chomps!

As part of the new downtown arts initiatives, the City of Orlando has decided to plop a movie theater in the middle of downtown via The Plaza Cinema Cafe. My partner and I decided to drop by especially since there was a 50% of ticket deal with the Buy Local Orlando (get your free card here at http://www.buylocalorlando.net/) and brought my little sister as well to check it out.

This place is located right above the Bento cafe restaurant and we actually enjoyed a meal there before heading upstairs. Thankfully both Bento and Plaza Cinema offer parking validation for the attached garage.

We headed up the escalator and stood in line for our tickets. I noticed that students and seniors were the same price at $4.75 per ticket! What a deal compared to the $8.00 and up rip offs the other movie theaters dish out for student pricing, I thought.

I think the Plaza Cinema Cafe needs to look at their management here as the staff looks really untrained. There are no roped off area for collecting tickets, just one of their guys in black standing inside in the middle. I can imagine it can get frustrating when there’s a rush.

The cafe line is right in the front of the theater inside. The lines are a bit confusing and the employees are even more confused. They seem like they just got off from school or something. The place is brand new and really classy but it sucks the whole experience when the staff has no concept of service. I think they need to get new management and leadership here to train everyone.

I ordered a chocolate brownie sundae for our dessert and it was actually pretty huge. The ice cream was similar to ice cream from the grocery store and so was the brownie but that was fine.

The hallways inside the theatre are elegant and modern, similar to a 21st century hotel hallway or office hallway. There is a special art gallery exhibit area as well featuring spotlighted artists.

The seats at the theatre are big and the arm rests are huge! The theatre filled up pretty quick and we were lucky to be there early because some people had to leave since they couldn’t find enough seats for their party. At first I thought the sound was going to be horrible from the pre-preview commercials, but as the movie started it wasn’t bad.

Overall this theatre is pretty sweet, located downtown for a quick movie and clubbing night afterwards. There is even a bar towards the back near theatre 10 with beer and liquor for our adult friends.

I really want to see it succeed but they need to step up on their management and staff training and things will be fine. They also need a better website.

They also serve sandwiches in addition to the standard movie theatre popcorn and candy fare but I don’t know if I am ready to trust them with sandwiches yet.

The Plaza Cinema Cafe – Downtown Orlando
(321) 558-2878
155 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
http://www.plazacinemacafe.com/