A lot's changed, I've taken a dream and am trying to make it a reality...I'm a budding chef now. My feelings on food are still alive and well, and am looking forward to wherever this path leads. So buckle up and let's hit the road.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Date Night with the Roommie.
http://trystdelray.com/
They have a good selection of craft beers and if you tell them what beers you typically fancy, the guys/girls at the bar will help you out with a sample or two of whatever they recommend and you can take it from there. I told the guy I liked Blue Moon and he recommended their Funky Buddha, which is a locally brewed beer...so we both ordered it. They come in a few sizes, and naturally, I ordered the larger one. (No jabs here please). I wanted to order some apps with Pork Belly but sadly Pork Belly wasn't even on the menu at all, so you definitely want to call ahead if you are craving something in particular. So we ordered their Bone Marrow that comes with fig jelly and some toasted baguettes, and we also ordered their Chinese Pork Ribs that came with a sauce of hoisin and toasted sesame and cilantro.
The beer was delicious! The Bone Marrow was good as well, I mean, you can't really go wrong with grease and fat and a bone...if you think you can, then you clearly don't know what life is all about (kind of kidding). I'm not one who enjoys figs but the jam was a good compliment to the heaviness of the marrow. The Pork Ribs...a little tough to be honest. I think somewhere in the early cooking process they were cooked to perfection, but then when dinner service rolled around they were cooked too long. The sauce saved the dish in my opinion, without it, the dish would have been rough to finish.
For main entrees, I ordered their Bolognese and the roommie ordered their Sea Bass. I ordered the Bolognese for the pork and beef mixture and because I enjoy a good Bolognese (usually minus the peas, but in this case, they were done perfect). Next time I go, I will probably avoid the Bolognese...let me explain, it had a little too much cream and I don't handle cream well to begin with. It was extremely heavy and even though I am a big eater, I couldn't even get through half. The Sea Bass was great, it was cooked to perfection and was tender yet firm. The Bass sat on a tomato coulis (which is basically a thin tomato pureed sauce) and some greens.
Overall, food was good, and service was great but we did sit at the bar so I can't speak for the service on the floor or outside for that matter. Would definitely recommend it, but like I said, call ahead to confirm any specials or particular dishes, reservations if you want to sit at a table, and if you have a coupon such as a Groupon or Living Social, then use it...it's not the cheapest place but has good food and beers.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Dinner at Gratify.
Took Mama, Miss Sylvia, Eva, and Emily to my West Palm spot, Gratify. A great thing to do here is to order a bunch of small plates and share amongst the group, and seeing as how we had 5 people with 5 different ideas...it was a perfect way to dine.
We had the Risotto Balls, Veggie Burgers, Palm Cakes, Bacon Mac n Cheese, and Chicken Meatballs. The Risotto Balls are delicious--Risotto with cheese and it's coated and deep fried with a nice Aioli on the side. I would recommend if you want the Veggie Burgers and the Palm Cakes...pick 1. The only difference is the Veggie Burgers have buns and the Palm Cakes are just the cakes. The Chicken Meatballs were good, although I think out of everything, they may have been my least favorite...but not by much. We also had the Bacon Truffle Mac n Cheese, although I didn't partake. (They are known for their homemade bacon).
Overall, it was delicious and they are also well known for their eclectic beer selections. Check them out! Plus, afterwards you can go check out the new pier on the water.




