Slightly hidden, cute spot.

Had a Living Social coupon to try out the Backyard Bar in West Palm. It's a cute spot and has a good amount of outdoor seating, but in S Florida...I wouldn't count on it not raining. If it is raining, there is bar seating but it is very limited. We went on a Tuesday and it had Happy Hour all day but when using a coupon like this, they charge you regular prices.

We had their spareribs with a garlic bbq sauce, stuffed mushrooms, charcuterie plate and a cheese plate. If you are looking for a strong garlic flavor I would recommend tempering your expectafions on the bbq sauce but overall it was a good flavor. The charcuterie plate was good, the salami had good flavor and the ham was decent...although the little biscuits they provided with the crackers didn't really work.

Overall, it's a great little spot to try something different from the rest of West Palm but if you are looking for a decent wait when ordering your food...you may want to go somewhere else. Their kitchen is tiny and if they have over 10-15 ppl ordering, your wait will seem like years. Remember, it is also a bed n breakfast that hosts wine parties as well.

Best Reuben in Palm Beach County.

The Corned Beef Reuben at Dixie Bar and Grill in Palm Beach County is delicious. Their Rye bread is firm, they have a double layer of sauerkraut, fantastic flavor to their corned beef and a thin layer of 1000 Island Dressing.

Check it out! The only thing I dont fully endorse is the coleslaw, it is a little on the bland side.

Spaghetti Squash Pizza.

So during one of my frequent daydreaming sessions, I came up with the idea for spaghetti squash pizza. I didn't want to make it on dough or use my typical whole wheat pita bread so I wanted to use the squash as a substitute.

It was truly a labor of love and almost 2.5 hrs, a few re-starts, and a few glasses of white wine...we had our (almost there) desired result.

To recap, we cooked the squash like normal, flattened it out on a plate and after many attempts at drying it out, we put it in the freezer to make it hold its shape. We then added egg and some breadcrumbs in and put it into the skillet...cooked it on both sides and put it on the stone. (This is where I would, for the next time, cook it a 3rd time for awhile)...but we added the toppings on and baked it like a regular pizza.

For toppings we added: peperoncini, onions, green Spanish olives, black olives, meatless crumbles, mushrooms, cheese, sauce, cherry bomb peppers, and serrano peppers.

Overall, it was amazing and will take less time once the recipe gets perfected.

Prime Rib Dinner at The Living Room.

So continuing with my attempt to try everything on the menu, I had the nightly special: Prime Rib, (and yes I came off my no starches diet for the night) mashed potatoes, and I substituted a salad for the veggies.

Now let me preface, this review is not an indictment on the menu as a whole, so here goes. I ordered the Prime Rib in the way it should be done, Medium Rare. But, word from the kitchen was it had to be done Medium-Medium Well, which from my experience, means it will err on the side of Medium Well-Well...so I relented. True enough, it was thinner than I was used to and also was more on the Well side. The saving grace for me was the horseradish I asked for. The mashed potatoes were good as well as the gravy that covered the potatoes and the undercarriage of the meat. The salad had cherry tomatoes that were halved, as well as some cheese and a nice in-house vinegrette.

Overall, I am a steak lover (Ribeye being my favorite and yes Medium Rare), and this came up short, especially for $16.95. I would stick with some of my favorites thus far; the Tomato Bisque Cheese Breadbowl, the Havarti Cheese and Pear Flatbread, the Duck Drummies, and the Shepherds Pie, among other things.

My take on Chicken Parm.

Took chicken breast and seasoned them and cooked them on the stove for about 5 mins on each side.

Chopped up garlic, sliced onions, put in mushrooms, and chopped up yellow squash...put in crockpot with the chicken and chopped tomatoes. Cooked on high for an hr., added tomato paste.

Cooked on low for 5 hrs., although, I would recommend cooking for 4-4.5 instead...it was still moist but I would take it out a bit earlier.

Rather than cooking pasta, I cooked up spaghetti squash. Cut it in half, put rind side up in a bed of water...cooked at 375 degrees for 45 mins-1 hr. Take it out when it is soft to touch and is not firm. Use a fork and spoon to pull out strands. It is a great alternative to pasta.

Homemade Crab Cakes.

Homemade crab cakes on a portabello mushroom with lemon beurre blanc and roasted cauliflower with pine nuts.

Street Painting Festival '12

Every year the city of Lake Worth has this event referred to as the Street Painting Festival where they rope off sections of downtown. Local and national artists come and use chalk and draw in a square. They are either sponsored or pay their own way. The art is always great and the vibe fits Lake Worth perfectly. And the bonus this year, I had friends who had a square.

Brief overview: Emily had a dream about a Roseate Spoonbill and between her, Rosanna, and a friend, they translated it onto the street with chalk. It was amazing, and without seeming biased, it may be one of the top squares at this years showing.

And of course you have your typical festival type food: Fried Oreos, Curly Fries, (my personal festival fave) Arepas, Beer Battered Burgers, Hotdogs, Lemonade, etc. The key is to try not to have a wandering eye otherwise you may be a glutton for punishment.

http://streetpaintingfestivalinc.org/?mobile=0