Bacon Explosion

What is the Bacon Explosion, you may ask? For those as out of the know as I am, the Bacon Explosion is “about $20 worth of bacon and Italian sausage from a local meat market. As it lay on the counter, he thought of weaving strips of raw bacon into a mat. The two spackled the bacon mat with a layer of sausage, covered that with a crunchy layer of cooked bacon, and rolled it up tight” – quoted from the New York Times.

Aaron Chronister, a co-inventor of this culinary coronary-unfriendly creation, was whipping up one of these mega meatloafs at a IMSpringBreak dinner, weaving his bacon and sausage masterpiece.

This smoking mound of meat has been quite the culinary buzz, exploding throughout the internet, making its way onto NYTimes, CNN, Fox, Good Morning America and Telegraph.co.uk, just to name a few…

So gear up, pop your lipitor, and claim your carnivorous title with the infamous Bacon Explosion!

Joes Stone Crab - Outside

Joe's Stone Crabs

The stone crabs are served pre-cracked with a piquant mustard-mayonnaise sauce, complementing the cool, fresh stone crabs with a lively kick. I found a recipe for the mustard sauce on Epicurious.com, however I have yet to try it out, so do not take my word for it.

* 1 tablespoon Colman’s dry mustard, or more to taste,
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
* 1 teaspoon A-1 sauce
* 2 tablespoons light cream
* salt

Joe's Stone Crabs - Soft Shell Crabs in Oats

Joes Stone Crab - Key Lime Pie

For the sides, we ordered the spinach sauteed in garlic (very garlicy) and the hash browns… Both fantastic. The hash browns were seasoned with salt and pepper and had crispy outer crust. Our waiter informed us that these were the two staple side dishes… rightfully so.

And of course, had to order the Key Lime Pie for dessert… This was key lime pie done right… Yellow, creamy, not too tart but just enough, with a thick crumbling pie crust. Beautiful.

As much as I rave, the only way to fully experience these world famous stone crabs is to try them yourself… Be prepared to be impressed.

Crab House Miami - Alaskan King Crab

The Crab House Miami\’s giant red neon crab illuminates from a half a mile away, which could deter you from expecting THE quality food that is actually served.

One Saturday afternoon, my friends and I stopped in, craving fresh crab… and that was exactly what we got… times 10! We ordered the Crab Trio – heaping portions of Pacific Coast Dungeness Crab, Alaskan King Crab, and Snow Crab. This dish was ample enough for two people. When the dishes were delivered, we dug right in, uttering words of \”look how this huge chunk (of crabmeat) this chunk is!\”…. \”oh thats a good one\”…. By the end of my first visit, I was sold, and continued to sell this place to all of my fellow seafood lovers. However, we noticed a noticeable decrease in portions on our Saturday night return trip… it could have been an off night, or they didn\’t order enough seafood for larger crowds. Nevertheless, the quality of seafood was still superb.

Crab House Miami - Salmon

My mother had ordered the crab cakes, which were far from disappointing – Spiced with a slight kick, these colossal crab cakes overflowed with real lump crab and spiced seafoody goodness – I trust their award winning status.

However, I do recommend steering away from the all you can eat buffet (the quality of the seafood is just not to par with the menu ordered meals) and skip the Cedar Planked Salmon, as the Salmon, as well as the accompanying side dishes, are simply bland.

Oh! And for 6.99, grab the unlimited salad bar… it beats ordering salad from the menu… man it up and make it yourself!!

Overall MiamiFoodie Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

The Crab House
1551 79th St Causeway
Miami, FL 33141
(305) 868-7085

Mix in a 6 inch deep, small baking dish:

- 1/4 cup of light soy sauce
- 5 chopped garlic cloves
- 5 chopped thin slices of ginger
- Chili powder to taste
- 2 teaspoons of honey

After well mixed, place 6 thinly sliced pieces of pork in the dish, mix well, and let sit for as long as possible, up to a day. This dish works just as well if you are as impatient as I am and don’t have time to marinade… another reason I love it…

Place baking dish with pork in the oven at 400 degrees until cooked thoroughly.

I love serving this dish with basmati rice and peas…

Again, I don’t measure… ever. Continually taste the sauce until it is salty, sweet, and spicy enough for your taste! This dish is basic to the point of being idiot-proof.

Enjoy =)

Cheen-huaye offers Southern Mexican cuisine particular to the Yucatan, and actually means “Only Here” in Mayan. I have been there several times, and the tacos and tostadas were always moist, seasoned perfectly, and just the right amount of food.

The red wine

Sangria - Cheen-Hauye

My favorite dish is the

Cochinita Pibil - Cheen-Huaye

The flautas are moist, intricately seasoned and authentically flavored.

Tacos Mexicanos - Cheen Huaye

Miami Foodie Rating: 4 of 5 Stars!!

Cheen-huaye
15400 Biscayne Blvd #118
North Miami, FL 33160

a

Mortons - North Miami Beach

The atmosphere is fine dining, a classic New York/Chicago steakhouse with the down-to-earth New York neighborhood feel and pictures of famous clientele displayed on the walls.

One waiter came to our table with a cart of beautifully displayed raw cuts of meat offered that evening, as well as featured vegetables and a live lobster. The presentation geared us up for a grand meal, cooked to perfection… unfortunately we were all disappointed by the actual meal.

Perhaps it was an off night, being a Monday at 8:00, but each of our steaks were overcooked. My one friend ordered the Petite Filet with Bourdais sauce, cooked medium… she was embarrassed and did not want to offend the chef, but had to order steak sauce because the steak was brown to the center, and quite dry.

I had ordered the Chicago cut, medium rare, which was brought out medium. The steak was juicy in the center, but so charred on the outside that I felt like I was biting into Charcoal. Little crumbles of charred steak would get caught in the back of my throat… i had to cut around the char in order to enjoy the moist, juicy inside, which was also grainy, and somewhat dry for medium rare.

My other friend ordered the porterhouse, and had the same experience. He said that it was super charred on the outside, and several cuts in were more enjoyable, but not cooked to perfection the way we were expecting. Don’t expect Peter Lugers…

The sides are a la cart, and tasty. I think the appetizers were the best part of the meal. I had the lobster bisque, which was good, not as sweet and creamy as I like, but the large chunks of lobster made up for it. Very Tasty.

The Tuna Tartar.. this was BY FAR the best dish of the evening. Absolutely delicious. It was a thin tortilla topped with evenly chopped tomatoes, small cubed avocado, and topped with an ample portion of diced sushi quality tuna, then drizzled with a light sweet soy sauce.

Overall, I was disappointed by our steaks. The service was great, but the steaks were just not cooked to perfection, and I feel that the cuts could have been better as well… especially for the price. If you are in the area and craving a good steak, I would recommend Houstons.

MIAMI FOODIE RATING: 2 of 5 Stars

Mortons North Miami Beach
17399 Biscayne Blvd.
North Miami Beach, FL 33160

Padma Seduces a Carl Jr. Burger

Padma Lakshmi, my secret girl crush, seductively rips into a Carl Jr. burger, making a strip of bacon look like a strawberry in a champagne glass… LOVE her!

This beats Anthony Bourdain’s episode of Food Porn =)

I found this on TheFoodSection.com… I dig their sense of humor and fresh content…

Sushi Samba Dromo Miami Bar - From Sushi Samba Website

I was not exaggerating when I said that EVERYTHING on the menu is fantastic… The tempura is light, crispy, properly done and presented beautifully, and served with several dipping sauces, including a Miso, a Chimichurri and the classic tempura. Tasty, but personally, when I visit Sushi Samba, I try to stay away from the basic dishes, leaning towards culinary concoctions that cannot be found in local sushi joints. However, do try the Green Bean Tempura!

Outside of Sushi Samba Miami, *Image Sushi Samba Website

My favorite dish of the evening was the Yellowtail Seviche… fresh, cool yellowtail tossed in ginger, garlic and soy, topped with shredded radish. Thankfully, the shredded radish soaks up the remaining soy/ginger marinade, because it was so delicious I was tempted to drink it with a straw! (IM KIDDING! I only do that at home…)

The Seabass Miso Anticucho is INSANE! Soft, tender, perfectly cooked seabass in a tangy miso sauce… There are several layers of flavor in this dish, subtle and smooth in the beginning, and then a slightly tart, almost tangy but also smooth layer enters second with the miso. This is what I love about Sushi Samba, each dish has multiple layers of flavor that compliment each other perfectly, but in an unfamiliar way.

sushi samba pan steamed pork gyozas

My favorite roll was the bobo Brazil… “seared kobe beef, avocado, kaiware, shiso, red onion and chimichurri ponzu”…. Complicated, flavorful, tender, multi-layered and delicious, just like a self-empowered woman, the bobo Brazil reminded me of a Beef Negamaki/California roll with chimichurri sauce. The roll was filling, but not too heavy or dense. Delish!

MIAMI FOODIE RATING: 5 OF 5 STARS

Sushi Samba Dromo
600 Lincoln Road
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 305.673.5337

Rusty Pelican - Key Biscayne, FL

The Rusty Pelican View

Our bellyaching ceased once we entered the main dining room… we were immediately enthralled by the sparkling panoramic view of Miami. The Rusty Pelican is to Miami what the Waters Edge is to Manhattan, an amazing restaurant located adjacent to the city skyline.

When not eating, we were captivated by the shimmering neon skyline backdrop. The city felt grand, a perspective of Miami that I had not experienced before.

After ordering our drinks, the waiter brought us the most addicting breadbasket ever: thinly sliced pieces of Italian bread, toasted with butter and sprinkled with melted cheddar cheese, flavors perfectly melding together. Just like Pringles, “once you pop, you can’t stop”… and we didn’t… until the fried calamari appetizer was served.

The fried calamari was cooked PERFECTLY… tender, not chewy, the batter crisp and light, and served with a chipotle mayo, slightly spicy and beautifully complementing. My only suggestion would be to make the dip spicier, but that is a personal preference. Needless to say, we had already nominated this restaurant our favorite before the main courses had even arrived.

The wine was flowing when our main courses made it to the scene… I admit that I expected lower quality than what was served. Many restaurants in New York with great locations skimp on quality, but this was not the case. My two friends ordered Lobster Tails stuffed with crab meat… perfectly cooked, ample portions, deliciously seasoned, there was not one complaint about the dish from any of us… Perfect!

I ordered the Spicy Lobster and Crab Pasta – Lobster and Crab sauteed in a spicy lobster brandy sauce with prosciutto and parmesan cheese, over penne rigate. The dish was delicious as well, topped with shredded real crab meat, chunks of lobster blended into the pasta. Enticing, spiced beautifully, and again an oversized portion.

My other friend, who ached for scallops the entire weekend, satisfied her craving with the Shrimp and Scallop Scampi, served over a bed of fettuccine. A basic dish that is somewhat difficult to ruin, the scallops and shrimp were a good size and seasoned well.

This restaurant was truly amazing, the ambiance unparalleled. For the hours we were there, we felt like we were in a different world. There is nothing I appreciate more in a dining experience than feeling like I am on a journey, far from the everyday norm. The Rusty Pelican is definitely in my top 5 favorites of Miami restaurants.

MIAMI FOODIE RATING: 5 of 5 Stars!!

Rusty Pelican
3201 Rickenbacker Cswy
Key Biscayne, FL 33149
(305) 361-3818

Bacon, Asparagus, & Tomato Rissoto

Rosinella serves classic, no-nonsense Italian basics, which will more than likely satisfy your pasta or pesce craving without breaking the bank. Pasta dishes range from $10 to $18, Appetizers from $5 to $18, and Meats and Fish from $12 to $38, depending on the daily specials.

Fettuccini with Arugula, Porcini Mushrooms, in Garlic and Olive Oil

MIAMI FOODIE RATING – 3 of 5 Stars

Rosinella
525 Lincoln Rd
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 672-8777