Alegria Tacos (Mexican)

"Heaven... I'm in heaven...And the cares that hung around me through the week...Seem to vanish like a gambler's lucky streak..."  The first bite of my tacos al pastor had me singing that song.  Simply put, divine.  As they state in their tagline, Alegria Tacos is "the place for damn good tacos."  I second that motion (and I think my adventurous and congenial colleagues (who have to put up with my foodiness) do too)!!  Quite frankly, they are probably the best I've had here in south Florida.  You can't tell me that your internal soundtrack wouldn't go off when you saw this... tres tacos... al pastor (marinated pork with pineapple) y carne asada (steak) y carnitas (fried pork)...

Or this.... torta al pastor (marinated pork sandwich about the size of a small child)

Or this...burrito de carne asada  (beef burrito, thicker than a lumber-jack's fist)

Or if those don't speaka 'ur language, I'm sure something off of this will :)

If you are a Coke drinker, get the full Mexican experience and order an imported bottle of Coke.  Why the bottle?  According to one source, "Your best bet for getting Coke’s pure, unaltered taste is to drink it from a glass bottle, the most inert material it’s served in."  And, why from Mexico?  Well, because Coke bottled in Mexico is made with real sugar instead of that high fructose corn syrup!  That's right.  "Drinks made with real sugar have a clean sweetness and light mouthfeel to them, while those made with corn syrup have heavy mouthfeel and a cloying sweetness."  Much better for sure, and for you baby boomers, more of a throw-back to your childhood when Coke actually tasted like it was supposed to.  There's just something about that hour-glass figure!

You'll want to get there early, so that you have a place to sit, but certainly don't exchange the experience for a place to sit; in other words, stand if you have to.  Yes, it's that good.  The staff are incredibly friendly, and if I were you, I'd ask them what they'd have and just say "yes!"

I would have never known that this gem was here had it not been by word-of-mouth, so tell a friend, take someone, or share my blog (ahem!!!), just tell everybody about Alegria Tacos!

Check it out:
Alegria Tacos
3801 N. Andrews Ave.  (corner of 38th St)
Oakland Park, FL  33069
Tel. (954) 563-7170

Villa Creole (Haitian/Creole)

I should preface this post by stating that I have never been to Haiti nor have I ever had Haitian food.  While I have heard that there are some nice Haitian/Creole restaurants in Miami, I have not yet visited them perhaps because I know they are nicer restaurants that get their fair share of publicity.  I'd rather give my publicity, limited as it might be, to the less-known more hole-in-the-wall joints.  One such place is Villa Creole, and as like many of my other joints, I literally found this as I was driving by (probably wouldn't have noticed it had it not been for the "now open" sign flapping in the south Florida breeze...by the way, they just opened three months ago). 

I have always been interested in trying Haitian/Creole food, especially since people describe it as being a mixture of African and French cuisine.  But not knowing what I should order from quite an extensive menu, I asked a local patron (pictured below) to order me something that would be typically Haitian, and he gladly did. 

I ended up with griot complet = fried pork served with fried plantains (tostones to you Latin people), salad, and a blended rice and bean dish.  Scrumptious.

 

As much as I enjoyed the place, I didn't know if it was 'legit' Haitian food, so I convinced a Haitian friend of mine to come along for lunch one day.  A food connoisseur herself, she took the responsibility very seriously and let the server know that she was there to judge the food.  Once again, I let the local expert pick the dishes.  She had poulet dur en sauce, some type of chicken stew (she rated about 7.5-8 out of 10) and I had a very 'common' beef and vegetable stew-type thing called légumes served with rice.  I'd totally rate mine a 9; it was divine, power-packed full of flavor.  Villa Creole serves both small and large orders, so you can get just the right size for your appetite.

There's so many other things I want to try.  Since okra is one of my favorites, perhaps next for me will be the kalalou.  I hope you will find something off this menu that speaks to your innards, or do what I did and let them pick. 

Come on, hand over the control for once in your life and taste something you wouldn't otherwise choose for yourself.....you can do it, I know you can!

Check it out:
Villa Creole
667 South Dixie Hwy St. 3
Pompano Beach, FL  33063
Tel. (754) 235-5375

Pal' Rancho (Colombian)

First of all, let me apologize for no pictures this post...I wanted to hurry up and get this out so that you, the reader, can get your butt over to Pal' Rancho!!  I have every intention on revisiting this place in the near future and will amend this post with pictures when I do :)

Ever since my time in Colombia, I've been trying to find a local place that can come close to the flavors I experienced there. I, along with my latin friends, have tried several Colombian joints off the main roads here in south Florida, but none of us have had anything that would have us saying "we need to come back here."  One of my friends saw Pal' Rancho one day and suggested that it be given its fair try, so I took an Argentine and an Colombian friend with me to authenticate the experience.  Before long, we all were saying "we need to come back here!!!"

I should have known I'd enjoy it by the first thing to come across our table...blended passion fruit juice (jugos en agua/maracuya).  Every time I taste passion fruit, I'm immediately exported abroad; it's like I go on automatic vacation mode -- there's something exotic in the tanginess. Then, we were given chips (not sure about that being Colombian, but it was still nice to take the edge off of my appetite) with a spicy vinegar-based chili-pepper sauce (not your typical salsa).

Having waited the day to eat, my eyes were probably bigger than my stomach, and I ordered Entraña, which included grilled skirt steak, french fries, and a salad. As I love a 'pop' in flavor, I drenched my steak in chimmichuri and the pepper-vinegar salsa...I was quite content to say the least.  My friends ordered the Bandeja Paisa (grilled steak, pork rind, rice, beans, fried egg, and plantains) and Oxtail soup --I think I could have had a plate of chicharrón (pork rind).  Pretty decent sized portions....though not large enough for me to take my husband leftovers (or maybe I just ate more than I should have!).  My friends completely showed me up, as they were thoughtful enough to order their husbands dinner and have it ready to go when we left; feeling the pressure, I ordered a couple of empanadas to go....I should have ordered ten!! They were delicious, probably the best I've had.  My poor husband got jipped a dinner and a quarter of an empanada :)

This place was great and received an 8 out of 10 by my Colombian :)  Definitely worth your money and time.

Check it out: 
5637 Coral Ridge Dr.
Coral Springs, FL  33076
Tel.  (954) 340-4611

La Fontana (Italian Pizzeria)

Doesn't this just speak serenity now?  When I need a get-away, I make my way down to La Fontana on University Walk.

La Fontana happens to be one of my favorite local joints, and what's not to love about this quaint little place? I started coming here when it first opened, back when patrons sat on steel-bar chairs in the blazing Florida heat. Now, no matter what time of year, you can enjoy the splendor of outdoor dining (thanks to comfy chairs, industrial fans, and misters).

I absolutely love the simplicity of La Fontana's food: nothing frilly, nothing fancy, just good Italian food.  Real Italian food, not commercialized we-want-you-to-believe-it's-authentic "Italian."  If you've been to Italy, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. And like in Italy, you'll need to come with an appetite; every entree comes with freshly baked bread.  You'll have a hard time not inhaling the entire platter.

Though La Fontana has all-round great cuisine, I highly recommend their pizza baked in the good ol' wood-fired oven.  My favorite has to be the Cappricciosa with ham, mushrooms, olives, and artichokes.  Just remember going in, this isn't deep pan delivery or that other pizza.  European/Italian pizza has a thin crust and delicate, subtle flavors--no heavy tomato sauce base, mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese, and a hint of other toppings (just enough to balance each bite)..........and perfectly accompanied by a glass (or two or three) of wine!

Ladies, if you haven't heard enough yet, let me just say they have excellent tiramisu and GELATO!!! :)  Their gelato sold me. And when I was pregnant, on many occasions, the owners would call me in as I was walking by and give me free gelato -- they are just that nice, always.

What are you waiting for?  Please, please, please go give them your business.  It's worth it.

Check it out:  http://lafontanapizzeria.com/
2890 University Dr.
Coral Springs, FL  33065
Tel.  (954) 575-57502

Chez Porky's (American BBQ/Louisiana Cajun)

SPANK ME!!!!  To sum this experience up....

I have worked in Pompano Beach for almost seven years -- how did I not know about Chez Porky's? I must have driven by it a thousand times at least.  You probably did too.  A colleague of mine (who knows that I have ventered out into the culinary blogosphere has been keeping an eye out for places to stop) suggested that we try this place; we had not heard anything about the food just that there was a little joint on 6th street. Now that I know about CP, drive by I shall not! 

It's not a large place, but it has a lot character. The place had a fairly decent lunch crowd, so locals working in the area obviously knew about it....I'm still baffled how I overlooked it these past few years.

For a bbq/cajun joint, they had quite the menu. When I asked the server what she'd suggest, she said they had a "killer chicken marsala....the best I've ever had" --- what???  Apparently, they do a lot of things quite well, another of which are chicken wings -- that will have to be what's explored the next time I go (they have a 16 piece sampler in which you can pick 4 of their 9 sauces).  For this round, though, we stayed true to barbeque and went with a pulled pork sandwich (the size of a small child's head, I think) and a half-slab of (drippin') ribs (my mouth is watering) with a house salad and a side of mashed potatoes, collard greens, and Louisiana-sytle rice and beans.  I get excited just thinking of it. 

Did I mention they cater?  I'm feeling an office party coming on..... (so sad for you non-pork people).

If you live south of the Mason-Dixon line, do your duty and roll on into Chez Porky's for some good-old-fashioned-grub.

Check it out:  http://www.chezporkys.com/
105 Southwest 6th Street
Pompano Beach, FL 33060
Tel.  (954) 946-5590

Meal In A Pie (South African)

A few years back, a South African friend exposed me the Kalahari Bar, a local joint where all the SA transplants hang to watch rugby matches, eat boerwors (a corriander spiced sausage), and drink Castle Lager....ah, the good old days.  One day at one of our many KB outings, I took a little walk to get some fresh air and discovered that, a few doors down, there was a little South African import store (I wouldn't have noticed it had it not been for the SA flag hanging just outside the front door). This little gem, Meal-In-A-Pie, sits one block off Federal Hwy and no one would even know it existed if they weren't looking for it. Tragic, really, considering they have a lot to offer.  Anyone that's been to South Africa knows about boerwors, biltong, appletiser/grapetiser, rusks, and............pies.  And M-I-A-P serves it all!

Having spent my childhood in South Africa, there's a sweet nostalgia when consuming or even thinking about savory pastries or "pies."  For South Africans, pies are like what tacos would be for us-- something quick, delectable, and served everywhere from grocery store delis to specialty pie shops.... And also like the taco, it seems to have the full meal experience in a single hand-held (only if you were South African, you would use a fork and knife) item.  My favorite happens to be lamb curry pie, though I have to say beef is not far behind.  A very lame attempt at describing them would be that they are a rectangular light, flaky pastry (giving you that soft crunch sound when you bite into it) encasing a thick, savory meat and vegetable (or vegetable only) filling. 

Pies are perfect on-the-go meals....and good thing because you don't have much room (though you are welcome to stay) to eat them at Meal-In-A-Pie.

For a taste of South Africa, stop on by Meal-In-A-Pie and order up a "pie" (any of them), a grapetiser (or Castle Lager depending on the time of day), and a 1/4 lb of biltong (cured meat).

Check it out:
4440 NE 20th Ave
Oakland Park, FL  33308
Tel.  (954) 202-9118     

Creme Brulee Cafe (French/European)

This being my first blog ever, I thought I would dedicate it to one of the things in life that brings me greatest joy.....pain au chocolat.  Who would have ever known that a little piece of bread with a bittersweet chocolate inside would send my tastebuds to high heaven.  I shall be forever indebted to the French for their contribution to what will be my life-long battle of (or with) the bulge.

When I moved back to the U.S., I was certain that I could not find a decent chocolate croissant anywhere.  I had tried many of the big-name bakeries, but their chocolate pain just wasn't cutting it. Not at all.  Then, I stumbled across JC's baked goods at the Parkland Farmer's market; JC delivered a bi-monthly fix that only lasted as long as the seasonal market.  Not too long ago, however, I noticed Creme Brulee Cafe.  As it's not on a main street or easy to see, I kept forgetting about it. My husband suggested we go there for brunch this morning, and how happy am I that I said YES.

My husband ordered the veggie and ham omelette (which came out more like a souffl'e) and I had a Quicke Lorraine...both of us with sides of cappuccinos and pain au chocolate. We were in heaven. Now, I don't have to have bi-monthly fixes...I can get my fresh fix everyday.

Very quaint on the inside, extremely friendly staff....and they have punch cards :) 

Check it out:  http://www.cbbakeshop.com/
1263 N University Dr.
Ramblewood Square
University & Ramblewood drive
Coral Springs, FL 33071

Once you've been, let me know what you ordered and what you thought of it!