Nineteen61, Lakeland, FL

There’s a new “cool kid” in town – or more accurately, it’s a “spicy kid” just outside of town. Nineteen61, the brainchild of chef/owner Marcos Fernandez and named for the year his parents fled Cuba, is the hottest ticket in Lakeland’s burgeoning restaurant scene right now.

Latin cuisine is my favorite, so it’s possible that my review will be a little biased. I visited once for lunch and once for dinner, and left feeling starry-eyed and fat on both occasions. The venue is small and casually elegant, with a charming outdoor dining area under a pergola strung with twinkling lights and surrounded by lush landscaping. If you don’t have reservations (which can be hard to get on weekend nights) your only option may be al fresco. It’s tough to be thrown into the briar patch like that.

The restaurant is not inexpensive, nor should it be considering the quality of the cuisine. Appetizers range in price from $7 for serrano ham croquetas to $27 for a charcuterie platter piled with melt-on-the-tongue, jamón ibérico, chorizo, assorted Spanish cheeses and olives. Entrees will set you back anywhere from $13 for the Hamburguesa to $39 for Paella Mariscos. There’s also free-range Guinea hog on the menu (which wasn’t available on either of my trips) locally sourced from Florida’s own Mt. Citra Farm. Not to be confused with Guinea pig - don’t even go there.

Charcuterie at Nineteen61 bears a remarkable similarity to the platters UD and I tried in Barcelona.

Starters sampled included empanadas with picadillo filling, a dusting of powdered sugar and spicy pepper aoli for dipping. Petite and flaky, they had an addictive quality that made us toy with the idea of placing a second order. 

My favorite, however, had to be the Pato – moist duck confit served with mini buttermilk biscuits, mascarpone, and sweet and spicy rocoto jam.

It's a rare day when I order a hamburger in a sit-down restaurant, but I couldn't resist it here. The deal of the century, the hamburguesa is a fat, juicy beef patty embellished with prosciutto, manchego cheese and Romesco (a Catalan roasted red pepper and almond spread) ketchup served on house made, toasted ciabatta. The accompanying yucca chips failed to thrill, but my expectations weren’t high to begin with. Besides, I couldn’t even begin to wrangle this Gaudi-esque burger masterpiece and had to take half of it home.

Ropa vieja was the best I've ever tasted, having a depth of flavor and tenderness that can only be derived from long, slow braising with pungent veggies and spices. Easily separating into tender ribbons, it was served with creamy, coarsely-ground polenta and fried plantains.

Desserts are thoughtful and elegantly presented. Deconstructed dishes make some purists roll their eyes, and I agree that they can be overly contrived at times. But the Key lime pie and coconut, with its mounds of tangy custard spiked with shards of house-made graham cracker cookie, made it all the better to wallow in. 

Likewise, my intensely-flavored, individual guava cheesecake presented atop a brushstroke of guava glacé was worth the extra elliptical penance. 

I don’t find crema Catalana to be a particularly sexy sweet finish, but my better half bestowed kudos on Nineteen61’s version, commenting on the uniqueness of its intensely cinnamon-y, shattering sugar crust and chocolate ganache accompaniment. 

This is a worthy date-night destination for residents of Polk County, East Hillsborough and others who don’t mind driving for a unique fine dining experience. Chef Fernandez is readily apparent and bustles about the restaurant, checking on each individual table to ensure that his offerings are meeting expectations. A must-try for Latin food junkies.

www.nineteen61.com



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.

Spanglish Bistro, Valrico, FL

Since Spanish and Latin American cuisines are my hands-down favorite diet-busters, I seriously perked when Spanglish Bistro popped up on the barren, culinary wasteland of Valrico a couple of months ago. There's not a lot to get excited about here in Far Eastern Hellsborough County unless your taste receptors live for the offerings of the likes of Applebee's and Golden Corral.  Everyone, please join me in a "Hallelujah!" for the blessing that has been deposited practically in the heart of Stepford - Spanglish Bistro.

Located in a strip mall (because pretty much  every restaurant east of I-75 is located in a strip mall), the ambiance is a tad sterile but I sensed that it may still be a work in progress.   UD and I arrived mid-afternoon and virtually owned the place, but there was still a flurry of activity going on as the staff prepared for the evening crowd.  Apparently, there's some pretty fine live entertainment offered on Friday and Saturday nights that keeps the place rocking until 2:00 AM, so the dance floor (yes...there's a dance floor in this relatively small venue) was being cleared and tables were being reconfigured to accommodate several larger groups who had made reservations for the evening.

As a 5'10", Sasquatch-footed, uptight white girl, the sight of me dancing is enough send anyone scrambling for a bottle brush and some Clorox with which to scrub their optic nerves.  But, never fear...Underdog has been trained to spirit me home the minute I decide it's a good idea (which usually happens after copious amounts of wine have been consumed).  Still, I'm intrigued and will return soon one evening to check out the dinner and dancing scene (don't panic, people...only to observe).

We began with the Lobster Arepa starter, which was a precious little dish.  A tender on the inside/crusty on the outside grilled corn cake was presented topped with wilted spinach and poached Maine lobster, garnished with some cherry tomatoes and garlic cream sauce to add interest.

An empanada freak to the highest power, I was desperately torn by my options - chicken, shrimp, Angus beef, jalapeno beef or devil crab.  Beef picadillo is ever the filling I long for but, because it wasn't specified on the menu, we opted to try the devil crab variety.  These were a well-done riff on the classic Ybor staple.  Pastry was flaky, hot and crispy.  The spicily-seasoned crab meat interior was moist and plentiful.  Carmine's could definitely learn something here.

About this time, the owner/chef came out to personally check on us.  Both engaged and engaging, he was happy to answer our questions about both the resto and the menu (and, no...he did not know us from Adam).  When I inquired about the absence of picadillo empanadas, he was quick to clarify that the Angus beef version was done picadillo-style.  Apparently noticing the "WTF-how-did-I-miss-this-boat?" look on my face, he offered to comp us a couple to sample.  They were amazing.  Super meaty and chunkier in texture than some, they still had all of the zesty tomato, onion and potato accents I longed for along with the unexpected delight of melted cheese.

We both ordered sandwiches, which came with a choice of plantain chips or really phenomenal fat, lightly batter-dipped fries.  My classic Cuban was quite good.  If I have to find something to bitch about (which I often do), I would probably have preferred a little more roasted pork and a little less ham, but now I'm just being nitpicky.  It was quite a feast for eight bucks, most of which is residing in my fridge as I type.

UD's $12 Ribeye Steak Sandwich with sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers, oozing with Manchego cheese, however, was a sandwich to be reckoned with.  Dubbed "the best sandwich I've ever had", that's high steak sandwich praise coming from a Philly boy.

In addition to casual lunch fare, Spanglish Bistro also offers a short-but-enticing tapas menu along with dinner entrees like  Spanglish Paella, Pork Tomahawk Chop and Red Snapper.  There are also a few familiar Italian items on the menu to provide comfort for less-adventurous palates.

Brandonites...we don't want to let this one go down the drain as we have so many others.  Please check out this little gem and support local.

Spanglish Bistro Facebook



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.

Columbia Restaurant, Clearwater Beach, FL

My galpal, Aries Wench, and I wanted to celebrate a recent Friday in style with a gurlz waterfront lunch on the beach...but being more in the mood for white tablecloths and higher-end service than we were for wooden tables, anchors and plank floors, we found ourselves in a bit of a conundrum.  I almost always enjoy Columbia and have dined at most of the locations across the state, but I always seem to forget about the one on Sand Key.  Fortunately, my AARP brain fog momentarily lifted on this occasion and, after digging deeply into my memory banks, I knew I'd found our spot.

The Clearwater outpost offers the best of both worlds: typical Columbia decor (albeit a bit lighter and airier than some of the others, befitting its intracoastal location)...

...along with outdoor seating and sparkling, panoramic water views.

We got the party started with a requisite pitcher of Cava Sangria...a delightfully refreshing and sneakily deadly concoction of Spanish sparking wine, brandy, orange liqueur, simple syrup and citrus fruit juices. This is the decidedly preferred method of meeting our MDR for Vitamin C.

I tend to be a bit of a creature of habit when frequenting Columbia.  I have my menu favorites and don't often veer from them.  I've been addicted to empanadas de picadillo ever since I visited Argentina several years back (where I ordered them, literally, at EVERY place I dined). Columbia's version are as good as any I've ever tasted. Two hot and flaky pastry pockets were presented, liberally stuffed with a tantalizing combination of spicy beef, tomatoes, green olives, raisins, onions and garlic.  Food doesn't really get any better than this as far as I'm concerned.

The Wench started with a cup of Cuban black bean soup. Dried beans are not super-high on my list of culinary faves, but the soup was quite nice.  The beans were savory, nutty, nicely flavored with onion and served over white rice.  This was one savory concoction which decidedly belied its vegan status.

We both zeroed in on the $9.95 half Cuban sandwich and half order of Columbia's famous (and not without warrant) 1905 Salad.  The perfect lunch for a hot June day in Florida, all of the components were of the quality I've come to expect from Columbia.  If I had a single suggestion to make, it would be that serving the tableside-tossed salad (resplendent with crispy greens, olive, ham, Swiss cheese, grated Romano and garlicky vinaigrette) on the same hot plate that the sandwich was presented on was not conducive to helping it retain either its "crunch" or "chill" factors.

We ate and drank with a vengeance over the course of our 2-1/2 hour lunch and received very nice service from Edgar.  The bill came to right at $100 before tip for two pitchers of cava sangria, everything pictured above, plus a cup of Spanish bean soup and an order of Canellonni  de Langosta "7 Portes" (seafood cannelloni smothered in a lobster sherry Mornay cream sauce) for the hubster's dinner.  You didn't think I was going to try to cook after all that sangria, did you?  A girl could burn the house down.

Good times, as always!

www.columbiarestaurant.com/clearwater



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.

Blue Cat, Philadelphia, PA

One of the many things I love about Philadelphia is the plethora of BYOB restos in the downtown area.  I have yet to find bad food in Philly, and the ability to tote your own wine with no corkage fee into these establishments make them a very affordable way to enjoy fine dining. Meet my new crush in the Museum District, Blue Cat.  Adorable both inside and out.

We arrived around 1:00 PM for lunch/brunch carrying a bottle of Chandon 40th Anniversary Cuvé Rosé recently procured on our November trip to CA wine country.  We received warm, friendly service and champagne glasses along with a small pitcher of OJ (the "good" OJ, not the "throat slashing" OJ) were promptly dispensed so we could make mimosas if we cared to.  First up, and the low point of the meal as far as I'm concerned, were the $9 Pati's Papas Rellanas (mashed potato croquettes filled with shredded duck and smoked mushrooms).  Thrilling on paper, they somewhat failed to deliver on the plate and palate. The potato exterior was nicely crusted, but the interior filling was bland and still cool. The jicama, watermelon, cilantro and pomegranate seed side salad was delightfully tasty and refreshing, however.

Brace yourself, dear reader.  The best empanada on the planet is about to be revealed.  Blue Cat's Nina's Empanada (beef, caper, raisin, egg and almond enrobed in a tender, flaky crust) was completely off the chain. Swoonworthy. Unforgettable.  Orgasmic.  Catch my drift?  I could eat these every day for the rest of my life.

UD could not resist the lure of the $10 Cinnamon French Toast with pan-fried bananas, pecans and dulce de leche. As it turned out, UD chose wisely.  Does this look good or what?  It tasted even better.

I must now announce that my "favorite salad of all time" (Blue Moon Fish Company's Blackened Langostinos and Baby Spinach Salad with Carmelized Onions, Spicy Pecan Goat Cheese Fritters and Walnut Oil Vinaigrette) may have to share the title with Blue Cat's $14 "Carlotta's Cubana Chopped Salad".  A low-carb eater's dream-come-true, I couldn't keep my fork out of it.  This deconstructed Cuban Sandwich consisted of a bed of fresh and crispy romaine lettuce topped with generous portions of julienned ham strips, Swiss cheese, pickle and warm roasted roast pork drizzled in  mustard vinaigrette (with some fried plantains on the side).  Sofa King good.  Already planning an attempt to duplicate this at home.

Blue Cat officially joins my BYOB Philly faves (scoot over, La Viola and Matyson).  So fresh. So innovative, So amazing.

http://www.bluecatrestaurant.com/


My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.

Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latam Grill, Miami, FL

I'll be the first to admit that I was feeling a bit of trepidation when our Miami friends steered us to Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latam Grille for lunch.  Why? Because I've never managed to acquire the ability to gag down raw seafood (this includes sushi and oysters) although God knows I've tried.  It's been kind of like trying to learn to ski...epic FAIL. And, NO..."marinating" does not equal "cooking".  That's nothing but a load of horse shiznit (and don't even THINK about sassing me on the matter). Since the ceviche offerings are coming out the wazoo at Jaguar, they were pretty much all that jumped out at me as I glimpsed the outdoor menu on the way in.  Inwardly cringing, I assured my dining companions that I was certain there would something on the menu to please me...even if that something was only wine and Captain's Wafers.

As it turned out, my fear was completely unjustified. Jaguar offers an extensive menu of bona fide Latin American cuisine and the eventuality was that I found myself torn in so many directions by the tempting offerings that I found it difficult to settle on one thing.  I gave it due consideration over a round of mojitos and a delightful complimentary offering of tortilla and plantain chips along with spicy, cheesy crackers and a zesty chipotle dipping sauce. Yummmzzz.

I should mention that we were seated on the shady and charming sidewalk dining area which was great for people-watching in Coconut Grove and surprisingly cool and comfy for early September in south Florida.  Service was professional, albeit authentically slow-paced.  Having nowhere to go and all day to get there, it worked well for us as we nibbled and sipped away a couple of hours.

Debski and I both zeroed right in on the Crispy Blue Corn Chicken Tacos with roasted salsa verde, guacamole and sour cream...realizing only after the fact that we should've split an order.  Considering the venue and locale, I thought I might get three dainty tacos for the $15.00 charge. Instead, this queso-encrusted Lumberjack Special showed up for each of us.

The blue corn tortillas were perfectly nutty and crunchy while the shredded chicken filling was moist and zesty. Loved the fresh-tasting accoutrements as well.  Win-Win. Win-Win-Win.  Neither gurl could finish half, however.

My better half quickly lapsed into knuckle-dragging Neanderthal mode and fell with carnivorous delight upon his Taqueria Mixta en Cazuela (a sizzling skillet filled with shrimp, grilled chicken, grilled skirt steak, grilled cheese, beans, chipotle and chorizo) along with freshly made tortillas, and I can't say I blamed him.  It was beautiful thing for any non-PETA member to behold.

Steve's $8.00 tender Arepa "La Gloria" slathered in juicy pulled pork, queso fresco, pickled red onion and roasted tomato sauce was muy rico and pretty much the deal of the century.  My fork particularly liked our proximity to Steve and his arepa.

Although we were all ready to roll onto the sidewalk for a nap, no one could resist the lure of  Tres Leches Bread Pudding with its decadent sugared carrot topping (you really have to taste this to understand the wonderfulness of truly "candied" carrot) and richly aromatic redolence of cinnamon was reminiscent of a pudding-soaked Cinnabon awash in tres leches sauce with a splash of Grand Marnier thrown in for good measure...which could never, ever, under any circumstances be a bad thing.  Even if you're dieting.

This was an amazing lunch and a relative bargain based on location as well as quality and quantity of food.  A must-do in "The Grove".

http://jaguarspot.com/



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.

SUGARCANE Raw Bar Grill, Miami, FL

Who's ready to take a four-hour road trip for dinner?  What, no "takers" on Labor Day afternoon?  Maybe you'll reconsider after viewing the considerable and oh-so-graphic food porn about to ensue.  At the very least, vicarious thrills are guaranteed.

After setting out for Sunday brunch in Miami yesterday with our GPS pointed in the direction of Gigi's, we arrived at 11:30 AM to find that they did not open until noon.  Thank you for that, Gigi's...because we were in no mood to wait and our fall-back position elicited one the biggest food thrills I've had this year.

Sugarcane was a veritable feast for the senses from the moment we stepped through the doors.  First, olfactory...with the tantalizing aromas coming from the open grill (Sugarcane has three distinct kitchens: robata, aka "charcoal"; hot; and raw).  The robata and raw (fresh shellfish and sushi) kitchens were both "open", which contribute to the stunning visual stimulation this restaurant evokes at every turn (presentation of cuisine included).  This is a "big city" venue with all the cool trappings one could ever ask for, including an beautiful sidewalk dining area. Since it was 112 degrees outside and we were still recovering from overindulging on the previous evening, we needed A/C.  Behold the resto interior:

Sasha was the perfect server...thoroughly and patiently explaining the complex menu offerings as well as detailing the fact that since different items would be created in different kitchens, they would be presented as soon as they were prepared and in no particular order.  Being very much down with that (and with a lovely of pitcher of white sangria to sip on while perusing the menu), we proceeded to order like it was our last day on earth.

While most would agree that brussels sprouts are seldom considered to be nirvana-inducing, there are apparently exceptions to every rule.  Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Orange and Sweet Soy were off the freaking chain.  Fresh and gorgeously caramelized, even the nefariously cruciferous veggie hating Dogboy couldn't resist a second sampling.

The next dish presented was “Fat Boy” Hash with Bacon Jam, Fried Eggs and Truffle Hollandaise.  I'll go ahead and admit that, being "foodie swingers", we were all digging into each other's plates with no compunction...or even wiping off our forks first for that matter.  The crispy fried potato patty, eggs and truffle hollandaise were divine, but the bacon jam lent an odd sweetness that I wasn't a fan of.  No one else in the group agreed with me on the bacon jam, so I demur to the majority.

I enjoyed Truffled Toad in the Hole Brioche with Melting Robiola much more (and truly, nothing in the world can be "over-truffled" as far as I'm concerned).

Duck and Waffle with Crispy Leg Confit (confit being moist and far more plentiful than depicted in the photo), Duck Egg and Dijon Maple Syrup raised the bar on one my latest crushes, Chicken and Waffles. Ridiculously rich and fabulously delicious!

The low point of the brunch for me came in the form of a watery Burrata Cheese Fondue with Fava Bean Vinaigrette. This non-homogeneous dip (a blob of melted cheese sliding around in a bowl of vinaigrette and beans) set me to feigning unselfish daintiness as I kindly left it for the others in my party to "enjoy".

Lookie...it's redemption time!  Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Linguiça (a Portuguese sausage) on a drizzle of Manchego cheese sauce almost instigated a food fight (and not the kind you remember from the Jr. High School Cafeteria). Hmmm...four diners and three balls of ethereal goodness.   You do the math.

A second pitcher of sangria (red this time) was deposited as we soldiered on.  Time for something a little lighter...maybe even healthy.  I know...perish the thought.  The Japanese Eggplant with Sweet Soy served right off the robata was lovely in my opinion.  The boyz thought the char was a tad overdone (as every woman knows, there's not a Y-Chrome on the planet who's not a grilling expert), but I appreciated the texture and flavor it lent to help a somewhat flavorless veggie that usually serves as carrier for other ingredients stand alone.

As difficult as it may be to believe that there was more to come...there was.  Octopus Aji Panca was delivered in the form of a six-inch skewered and grilled tentacle section bathing in a smoky, mild Peruvian chile sauce.  Lobster-sweet and grilled to perfection, the only remotely negative comment was that the portion size was tad light for $9.  As a friendly reminder...we were in Miami, not Tampa.  Big city food...big city prices.

Only one item was tried from the raw kitchen...yellowfin tuna jalapeno rolls.  Raw fish is something I've never been able to develop a taste for so I abstained, but the rest of our party proclaimed it to be "the good stuff".

The crowning glory:  Vanilla Bean Beignets with Sea Salt Bacon Ganache.  Thank gawd there were four...no one loses a limb!

Brunch:  The Most Important Meal of the Day

http://sugarcanerawbargrill.com/



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.

Renzo's, Tampa, FL

Renzo's website states that they bring the authentic taste of the "Argentine Asado" to Tampa. After visiting, I must confirm that their claim is not unfounded.  Having spent a week in Buenos Aires a few years back (where we enjoyed some of the best food we've eaten on the planet), our lunch at Renzo's left us flashing-back and fondly reminiscing about several of the casual little Argentinean cafes we enjoyed over the course of our stay.

Renzo's decor is relatively frills-free without being totally devoid of ambience.  There's a beautiful bakery counter and steam table at the front of the resto where some items can be picked up to go.  All staff members we interacted with were friendly, attentive and helpful.  It was quiet when we arrived around 2:30 PM on a Saturday afternoon, but the place was fairly full of mostly Spanish-speaking patrons (and how could THAT not be a testimonial to the aforementioned authenticity of the food) by the time we departed about an hour and a half later.  I would choose Renzo's over El Puerto in Ybor any day...both for quality of both food and service.

A basket of hot, crispy bread was quickly dispensed along with a beer for UD and an Argentinean Chardonnay for me. The wine menu consists mainly of South American offerings, which I'll admit aren't my personal faves (no big, oaky whites), but I respect that based on the "not-dumbing-this-down-for-the-Outback-Steakhouse-palate" direction being taken here.

On to the food.  Sausage Boy (and I mean that in the most G-Rated way possible), couldn't help but order the meatnificent Trio de Chorizo starter for $7.95.  An ample platter of three offerings was presented with a chimichurri dipping sauce (one of them a blood sausage which, despite my best efforts, I have never been able to gag down...in Argentina or anywhere else).  My better half had a little problem with the blood sausage, as well...but that was more the result of a cultural rather than a quality issue.  What little he didn't snort of the other two were taken home and consumed with breakfast the following morning.

Bona fide empanadas are one of my favorite foods on the planet.  I ordered them at every possible turn when in Argentina and Renzo's were just like I remember them there.  My $5.85 Trio des Empanadas (mix and match with choice of beef, chicken, spinach or ham and cheese) could've easily been a meal in itself.  I selected two beef and one chicken, all of which were lovely, generously plump and beautifully encased in a flaky, perfectly egg-washed and golden brown pastry crust...but I do have a weakness for picadillo, so the beef version was my favorite.

UD's entree was the Bife de Chorizo (grilled and marinated New York sirloin with a choice of sides...in this case, tostones).  Sirloin may not, under ordinary circumstances, be the most exciting cut of beef on the planet...but after the tenderizing and flavor-infusing marinading prep this cow chop had obviously undergone before hitting la parrilla, it was a juicy little masterpiece and the bargain of the century for $12.95.  Tostones were perfect renditions, served hot and crispy on the outside/warm and tender on the inside.

My empanada orgy had already left me stuffed to the gills, so I ordered "light" with the Augustus sandwich, which was served open-face on a toastilicious Cuban-esque roll and topped with lightly broiled Prosciutto, Havarti, Tomatoes, Olive Oil and Oregano.  Okay, so I had them hold the tomatoes. And guess what??  I didn't get any of that "modifications and substitutions will be politely declined" BS that I abhor. Requesting a simple omission didn't cause the earth to rip itself from its axis and go hurtling toward the sun.  Who knew? Another reason to love Renzo's.  This was a seriously kicked-up ham and cheese sandwich...fabu!  It was served with a basket of potato chips, but why waste precious stomach space on Lays?  Dessert time is nigh.

UD's Tres Leches cake was was good, but relatively standard-issue.  It definitely took a back seat to my dessert (stay tuned).

My Postre Chaja (an Uruguayan dessert consisting of moist white cake slabs sandwiched with peaches and dulce de leche, topped with Chantilly meringue crumbles) was clearly Satan-inspired.  I know you must be bitterly wishing you wuz me right now, but try not to hate.

Final word:  Renzo's is a fun and affordable little gem...an inexpensive way to take your taste buds out on a limb and try something different, especially if you have never experienced Argentinean cuisine.  Two paws up.

http://renzosgourmet.com/



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.