What a Weekend! Sea John Eat!

     It's 3:30 PM on Monday, and I am just starting to recover from this weekend. I definitely had some highs and lows. The highs however, turned out to be FOODGASMIC. Friday did not start out especially promising in that I was scrambling most of the day acquiring all the needed ingredients to prepare a churrasco steak dinner for 73 guests. For those unfamiliar with churrasco, it is the outside skirt steak. A truly delicious cut of meat that has a nice hearty chew. I wouldn't call it tender, but it has an outside layer of fat that adds to the flavor, and makes this one of my favorite cuts. So, after procuring enough meat for 73, it was time to get the rice and plantains ready. I also made chimichurri sauce from scratch. It was exhausting. If you haven't sampled chimichurri sauce, you need to try it. It's a topping for beef that originated in Argentina. If there is one thing Argentines know, it is beef, and what to put on it to make it even better.It consists of finely chopped flat leaf parsley, chopped garlic, onion, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. It is left overnight so that the flavors can marry. Put that tasty concoction on some beef, or poultry and you have yourself a gen-you-ine Gaucho delight. Guests arrive at 6PM. It is 4PM now. Crunch Time! Sides are ready and keeping warm in the oven. Chimichurri, check. Firing up the grills now to get the steak cooked. Got the first batch of steaks on the grill and it looks like smooth sailing from here on out. I should have known................I take the first batch of steaks off the grill and they look beautiful. I mean gorgeous. A slight char on the exterior, and the most perfectly pink center you can imagine. The first guests are arriving, so I direct my assistant to continue grilling the steaks, and take them off as soon as they looked like the first batch. Well........he he.......it so happens that my assistant is visually impaired, and night was falling outside. Gulp! I get on the serving line and start flinging the food. All is going according to plan. The guests are devouring the first batch of steak, smacking their lips and making MMMMMM MMMMMM sounds the whole time. I call out for batch # 2. I have a line of patrons that look like they haven't eaten since the Irish potato famine. They remind me of the zombies from Dawn of the Dead. With no time to spare the second batch of steak arrives! Whew! Uh-Oh..........The combination of poor lighting, and lack of vision caused my otherwise trusty assistant to produce steaks that resembled roofing tar. Oh shit. What am I gonna do now? All the meat is cooked and it's not pretty. I put on my best shyster grin, and tell the folks, "Is everybody ready for some delicious CHAR grilled meat"? I'm serving away hoping and praying that nobody chips a tooth on these charcoal briquettes. Well, slap me around and call me Shirley. Can you believe not one person complained? I hastily served dessert, and sent the horde of people home fat and satisfied. Whew!
    Saturday! Date night with my wonderful, amazing  girlfriend, Rosa. It had been a while since we dined out, so I decided we would enjoy a delicious seafood dinner with all the trimmings. Whenever we want to really splurge and have fresh, well prepared seafood, we head on out to Captains Tavern. http://www.captainstavernmiami.com/. Captains Tavern has been in business for 40 years serving diners in the Miami area. This means it has withstood the test of time. For oyster aficionados it is very hard to pass up the cold water oyster offerings here. They run $2 each. I know that seems rather pricey, but it is well worth it. Living in Florida, we usually only get to have Gulf oysters. These are the warm water variety, and although they are good, they do not hold a candle to their cold water cousins. So a dozen delicious Blue Point oysters it was for Rosa and I. Cold, crisp, briny, and tasting of the sea in the freshest and most yummy of ways. The dozen were gone in a flash. Thank God we had our entrees coming.

     The special for the evening was a 2 Lb. Maine Lobster for only $29.95. I knew right away what I was having. When I announced that I would be having the Maine Lobster, Rosa perked right up and asked, "Oh Baby, can I get that too?" She looked like a little kid in a candy store. Soon after, two perfectly prepared crustaceans were on the way to our table. Extra drawn butter, and extra lemon wedges are my only vices. As you get to work on the tail, your ravenous hunger starts to subside. Now that the tail is gone you can breathe. You are feeling better, you are in a state of Nirvana. On to the claws. The claw meat is succulent and tender. You savor every last morsel as you tip it into the decadent butter. At this point, your appetite is truly satiated. Ok, now you are just eating to eat this wonderful creature that gave its life to sustain you. You take each of the bottom feelers into your mouth after you have dipped them in the melted butter, (Thank you Paula Dean, you are a goddess). You work the tiny pieces of sweet meat out of the legs, and now you are almost done. Break open the chest of the lobster, and spoon out the delicious tomalley. Don't be grossed out at the fact that this is the lobsters pancreas. It is perfectly succulent. Dip it in the butter, and go to town. I know that Andrew Zimmerman would have no problem here. Alas, now its all gone. Don't be sad. You have just consumed what may be natures perfect food. I sat back, ripped off my bib, and let out a huge sigh of pleasure. We paid our bill, and drove home in a state of sheer bliss. I told Rosa I loved her, and she answered that she loved me.................Lobster brought us closer together. Captains Tavern, a solid 8.5 out of 10 on the FOODGASM meter.
     That's it for today guys. I hope you enjoy the post and leave tons of feedback! I will continue to stuff myself in the hopes that I can help you all attain FOODGASMS of your own.

Steak Houses Part Deux!

     Hello fellow food aficionados, it's Mr. Foodgasm, back again. Here to round off the best of the rest when it comes to steak houses I have visited. Numbers three, four, and five on the list are almost interchangeable. They are all that good. Without further ado, here are numbers four through seven on the countdown.
     4- Don Shula's Steak House, Miami, Fl.
     Ok, ok, ok, I know what you are all saying out there. What a homeboy! Well, just because I was born and raised in Miami, am a die hard Dolphin fan, and  happen to strongly believe that Don Shula is the greatest football coach to ever grace the field, does not mean I am being biased here. This is the steak house I cut my teeth on. My first taste of fine dining was at Shula's. I have returned too many times to keep track of, and will continue to grace this establishment with my patronage. So call me a homer if you want. Just read on, and drink this Kool-Aid I have here. You will believe.

     As soon as you walk in, you are in a shrine devoted to the Miami Dolphins of the 1970's. Even if football is not your thing, you can't help but smile as your waiter walks up to your table and hands you a regulation football with Shula's menu hand painted on it. You can not pass up on the appetizers here. There are two in particular that get my heart racing just thinking of them. First off is the flash fried Maine lobster tail. Let's just start off by noting that Maine lobster is natures perfect food. At Shula's, they take the tail of this scrumptious crustacean, and flash fry it. The "flash" in flash frying means, it is dipped into the oil just long enough to form a crisp exterior on the lobster. Meanwhile, the inside is perfectly cooked and juicy.  Combine this with nothing but drawn butter, and a squeeze of lemon juice, and you have nourishment that will make you start speaking in tongues. The other offering is the BBQ shrimp. It doesn't sound like all that I know. But they combine the most absurdly huge shrimp you have ever seen, with in house prepared BBQ sauce that is sweet, hot, tangy, and not to mention lip smacking good. You need to try this.
     As for the main course, Shula's serves only Premium Black Angus beef. Only the choicest cuts of meat make the grade here, and they combine it with their aging process to produce a truly remarkable piece of cow. This is also the home of the 48oz. Porterhouse challenge. If you order the 48 ouncer, and finish it, you get to be immortalized on Shula's website for all time. Adam Richmond from Man vs. Food on the Travel channel attempted to best this challenge in under 30 minutes, and was successful. 48 oz. in 30 minutes........OK, I wonder if he was able to savor and enjoy it. This sides are all the old standards done well. The hash browns in particular are worth the price of admission. Big, thick, fluffy on the inside, and with an incredibly crunchy exterior.
     I am not a sweets person by any means. Usually one or two bites of dessert is more than enough for me. However, and this is a BIG however, if the chocolate souffle here does not make you cry tears of joy, I don't know what will. It needs to be ordered at the beginning of your meal to be ready. It comes to the table piping hot, crisp on the outside, and with what I can only describe as a chocolate pillow on the inside. Now let's gild the lily. A ramekin of Creme Anglaise is poured into the parted center of your souffle. You can stop here. But, if you are feeling brave you can add a decadent scoop of Hagen Daaz vanilla bean ice cream to the mix. And...................this is where things start to get Foodgasmic. Trust me, you will be doing a Meg Ryan with every morsel. In closing, Shula's, gets an 8 out of 10.
     5-Fleming's Steak House, Coral Gables, Fl. And Various locations.
     Nestled in the more swanky area of Coral Gables, Fleming's is a chain steak house that truly deserves its place on the countdown. Before I go on, who loves P.F. Chang's? Do you enjoy the Mongolian beef? The sauce they prepare for you tableside? If you are wondering where I am going with this, P.F. stands for Paul Fleming. This guy is a genius restaurateur. After he came up with the P.F. Chang's concept, he decided he wanted to open the ultimate steak house. Well, loyal readers, Mr. Fleming succeeded. Walk in and you are greeted by a very sleek bar. Plan to sit there for a bit, because it will take a while to get to your table. This is even if you have reservations. Don't fret. The drink menu is outrageous. I have watched my incredible girlfriend down three pomegranate martinis before dinner without blinking. They are that addictive. Well, now you are walking to your table, with a damn healthy buzz, and it only gets better.
     Time for appetizers. I honestly can only review one. Every time we have gone, we have the same one. Um, that means its out of control good  people. Every time we have gone, we have been in the company of our favorite couple Amado, and Odalys. We ALWAYS order the charcuterie. It is a perfect portion for two couples, and promotes the consumption of more delicious adult beverages.The charcuterie is a marble slab of artisinal meats, cheeses, sauces, and pates. I imagine this is what it must be like sitting at a Tapas bar in Madrid, enjoying an array of cured meats and cheeses, all the while sipping on a Rioja wine, or Sangria, not giving a damn about anything other than what you are eating, or the people you are sharing the experience with. When food transports you somewhere else, it is definitely accomplishing its mission.
     On to the COW! The steak at Fleming's is a Prime Angus cut. They do the aging here as well. I have had New York Strip here that is practically fork tender. If you are into sauces, get a side of Bearnaise sauce for your steak. They make a great version here. Two of the sides however are what elevate Fleming's to FOODGASMIC proportions. The chipotle cheddar mac and cheese is the best rendition of this classic dish I have ever had. It is laden with sharp, gooey, creamy cheddar cheese. It also has the addition of chipotle peppers which give it just the right amount of heat. This is not mac and cheese out of a box folks, and the fact that they use corkscrew pasta instead of elbow macaroni adds to the texture of the dish. Next up are the french green beans, or Haricot Vert. This is a much thinner bean than most people are used to. They are steamed perfectly. They yield to the bite, but have a very satisfying snap on the exterior. Fleming's adds shitake mushrooms, and an essence of the prized Italian porcini mushroom to send this dish over the top.
     Alas, the desserts at Fleming's are nothing to write home about. End your meal with very pedestrian fare such as cheesecake or creme brulee. Both are tasty, but we have all been down that road before. This minor flub to end an otherwise flawless meal earns Fleming's a 7 out of 10 of the Foodgasmometer.
     6- Ruth Chris Steak House, Coral Gables, Fl. Various locations.
     Here is where things start getting dicey. So far you have heard me wax on about steak houses that were "toe curling", and FOODGASMIC. Things start to take a sharp turn here. Ruth Chris steak house got in start on Broad street in New Orleans in 1965. It is a huge chain, and has garnered much notoriety.Maybe in the 60's, 70's, and 80's it was cutting edge. Sad to say Ruth Chris has not kept up with the times. I was excited the first time I walked in. I thought I was going to enjoy some truly delicious "old school" fare. Upon leaving, the only thing I could muster was a resounding MEH.
     Appetizers here pretty standard fare. Calamari, crab cakes, seared Ahi, it's been done to death. All I can say is they are all OK. But OK certainly is not what I am looking for when plunking down some major samolians  on a meal. OK is definitely NOT OK. You would think that coming from New Orleans, they could draw from that cities rich culinary history at least in conceptualizing the appetizers. These folks have managed to come up with some pretty unimaginative fare.
     Prime Angus Beef is the fare. Lots of steak houses do it. What sets Ruth Chris apart you ask? Well, the saving grace here, and its a big one mind you, is that the folks here finish their steak under a salamander broiler with a healthy pat of butter. This causes your steak to come to your table sizzling and hot. Mind the plate sir. It is very hot............WHY DO I INSIST ON PROVING TO MYSELF THAT THE PLATE IS HOT BY TOUCHING IT??????????? OUCH............DAMNIT!!!! The steak swimming in melted butter however, is a prime example of making a good thing better. Side dishes are very traditional here. The Potatoes au Gratin are very well done, as well as the asparagus in Holandaise sauce.
     Desserts are pretty lame too. If you decide to have one, get the bread pudding in whiskey sauce. It's tasty and they dont skimp on the booze in this one. Big whiskey flavor here. Otherwise, the meh factor is pretty high.
     On a side note, upon one of my few visits here, I ordered a steak done medium. It arrived cooked beyond all semblance of ever having been a living thing. Not one drop of blood in the meat was to be identified. The steak would have made fine footwear however. The manager visited the table, apologized profusely, and offered to bring me a new steak. I figured, hey, anyone can make a mistake, so I accepted. Well, the next steak came to the table in a state that I can only describe as maybe it was placed in a tanning bed for 5 minutes and then served to me. What I am saying here is that Snookie is more cooked than what they brought me. Don't get me wrong, I try to be a manly man. I can handle rare meat. I am not however a big cat on the Serengeti guarding my wildebeest from the inevitable onslaught of the hyena hordes. When I spoke to the manager a second time, his response to me was, "I am sorry sir. Apparently we can not produce a steak here that is acceptable to your discriminating palette". He offered a full refund. Really? REALLY? Yeah no shit dude! I am not plunking down over 50 bucks for a steak in your establishment when your chef can't grasp the concept of MEDIUM. Ruth Chris, 6 out of 10.
     7- Smith and Wollenski, Miami Beach, Fl. Various locations.
      OK, here is where it gets ugly folks. I was so excited when I had my first opportunity to visit the much heralded New York addition to the steak house scene. I mean, to listen to New Yorkers talk about it, you would think that eating here was some kind of right of passage. New York, the culinary hub of the US. New York, where cutting edge cuisine is the norm. New York, where everything is better, and youse guys here in Miami have no idea on what real food is. IF IT'S SO GREAT, GO BACK TO NEW YORK YOU POMPOUS RAT BASTARD!!!!!!!
      The starters are bad. Not as in hearing MJ say who's bad, and schamone............no bad as in NOT good. They get 20 bucks for a shrimp cocktail. That's shrimp, and cocktail sauce. I guess they want to bring some of old New York to you and mug you from the start of your meal. The pea soup was good however. Probably the only dish of note I had here.
     For my main course, I ordered my usual. Yes, the New York strip! My favorite cut of meat. Where else would you expect to get a New York Strip that would evoke the FOODGASMIC Gods other than the quintessential New York steak house? Ahem, my steak arrived at the table with a BIG ASS bone running down the middle! I looked down and was like, wait..........what? I called our server over and told him there must be some mistake. This could not possibly be a New York strip, as a New York strip is a boneless steak. Our server assured me that this was in fact a genuine Smith and Wollenski New York strip. Hm, wow, um OK. I am guessing that every other steak house known to man has this cut of beef wrong, and you fine folks have it nailed. I just ate the damn thing, and I guess it tasted OK. At that point however, I was too disappointed to care anymore. Sides are all 11 dollars here, and are all things I could make in my kitchen, probably with better results.
     Desserts? New York cheesecake of course. Blah, skip the dessert here altogether. There is nothing of note on the dessert menu that even warrants a mention. Smith and Wollenski? 3 out of 10, and I am being generous because the Pea soup was yummy.
     Well, that rounds it out. I hope you have enjoyed my initial posting, and I hope to hear from you in the form of feedback and comments. I am having a ball writing this blog, and will be updating frequently. Lots of stuff in the pipeline as far as the Miami food scene goes, and I will be ranting about other various topics as well. Until next time fellow foodies..........Eat well.
      

Welcome to Foodgasm!

     Hello, my name is John and I am a Foodaholic. (All in unison......Hello John). I like to eat, nay, to dine. I feel that sitting down to a wonderful meal and cocktails in the company of people I enjoy socializing with, is one of the best uses of my time and energy.
     I decided to start this Blog for a few reasons. I want to share some of my favorite dining experiences with you, along with my reviews of local restaurants in the Miami area, and other random daily observations I may make. I have all sorts of stuff crammed up in my noggin, just itching to get out.
     Well, let's just jump right in shall we? Today, we are going to discuss steak. MMMMM......Steak..........One of the seven natural food wonders of the world. Seriously, who doesn't like steak? Oh, by the way, if you are vegan and reading my blog.......just move along. We will be discussing the consumption of delicious dead animal flesh at length in upcoming posts. At any rate, so many different types of steaks to choose from. Which cut is your favorite? I am partial to the New York strip cut. Some prefer the Rib eye, while others go for the Porterhouse. Many enjoy the latter two because the steak is "On the bone", and this is supposed to impart more flavor to the meat. I still love my strip before all others. I want to share some of my favorite steak eating experiences from my carnivore career, along with some tips on how to make a "Steak House" steak at home.
     Steak Houses in order from best to worst. Top three today, the balance tomorrow.
1- Craftsteak, Las Vegas.
     Inside the MGM Grand lies what I can only describe as the Mecca of Steak Houses. Owner/Chef Tom Colicchio has put together a menu that transcends the taste buds, and goes straight to other regions, causing yes that's right FOODGASMS galore. Myself, my gorgeous, lovely, incredibly sweet girlfriend, and our favorite couple, Amado and Odalys, dined here one particular evening. The decor was warm and understated. Our waiter arrived and made some cocktail suggestions. We took him up on his varied selection of mixed martinis. After a couple of rounds and some great conversation, we decided that we would go with the Kobe/Wagyu tasting menu for four. I am cleaning up accumulating puddles of drool off of my desk just writing this. For those that do not know, Wagyu beef is considered the most tender and most flavorful beef in the world. Kobe/Wagyu, originated in the Kobe region of Japan. The cows are given massages daily, and are given a very exclusive diet that features LOTS and LOTS of BEER! This causes the cows flesh to have a tremendous amount of marbling. Marbling equals fat deposits throughout the tissue which in turn equals steak so good, you gonna wanna slap yo mama. But I digress. I just felt the need to interject a little education there. This tasting menu consisted of four cuts of beef, four sides, and six desserts. First up, the MEAT. We all sampled New York Strip, Flat Iron, Porterhouse, and Skirt steaks. They were all divine. The best one you ask? Well.....it wasn't the New York. I vividly remember placing the first bite of Skirt steak into my mouth and as my mandibles began to masticate, I recall my eyes welling with tears of joy. This was arguably the most pleasurable bite of food I have ever placed in my mouth. I think at one point I may have seen Vishnu, but it's hard to tell. The sides were amazing as well, high lighted by a delicious sauteed broccoli rabe, and a potato puree that was like......pun intended......BUTTAH. The chefs selection of desserts was just as good as the rest of the meal. If in Vegas, Craftsteak is a MUST DO!!!!!!! Do not let the $100+ per person dissuade you. This is a once in a lifetime dining experience. On a scale of 1 to 10, we are talking 11 here.
     2-Prime 112, South Beach, Florida
     Hands down the best steakhouse in Miami. This smallish building, sits on 112 Ocean Drive. You can choose to dine inside, or Al fresco. All the Miami movers and shakers come here, and it is great for people watching. As you walk in, you are greeted by the decor which is chic and casual at the same time. Here you will enjoy a vast array of Dry Aged beef. Dry Aging is a process that can take from 14 to 45 days and ensures that the meat will have a strong, developed, depth of flavor. There is authentic Japanese Kobe steak on the menu as well, but at $30 an ounce, with a two ounce minimum, I stick with the dry aged option. The steak here is above reproach. It is perfectly delicious and worth every penny. However, what sets Prime 112 apart from the rest of the pack is it's whimsical approach to it's sides, sauces, and compound butters that accompany the entrees. Gorgonzola, Smoked Bacon, Onion Truffle, Garlic & Herb, and Foie Gras compound butters are all available to try with your steak. They in some cases, really transform the flavor of the meat, and take the traditional steak to a new direction. Desserts are also whimsical in nature, highlighted by the deep fried Oreo cookies. Not for the calorie conscious, but ohhhhhhhhh so good. All in all, a great night out with friends and/or your significant other. On the Foodgasm scale from 1-10......a solid 9.
     3- Capital Grill, Miami, Fl. And various locations across the U.S.
     This IS you daddy's steakhouse. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted by mahogany lined walls, animal heads, and brass everywhere. Although Capital Grill got its start in  Providence Rhode Island, (Thank you FuschiaGoddess for correcting me), it has a very official D.C. kind of feel. You can definately imagine politicians and power brokers dining here and cutting some major deals that would influence the course of national events. I am not saying it's stuffy, rather classy in a very "Old School" kind of way. The food is always spot on. I have never had a bad meal here, and the service is usually way above par. Again, we have the dry aged beef line up that is common in high end steak houses. The bar fare is quite good, and the appetizers and sides are what you would expect from a "Traditional" steak house. The meat is tender and flavorful. There is really no need to dress up a perfectly cooked cut of steak, and I take that minimalist approach when dining here. The dessert menu highlight is a flourless chocolate cake that is so dense and laden with chocolate flavor, it will make your toes curl. On the Foodgasm scale from 1-10.......an 8.5.
     Tomorrow I will round out my list of best steak houses to visit. I hope you enjoyed my initial Blog, and I invite all comments, and suggestions. I hope to have a lot of fun with this new venture, and I hope to bring all who read it some enjoyment, and useful information as well. Until our next Foodgasm.........Eat well.