Chocolate, Manicures, and Wine

"A four hour lay-over in Charlotte, you have got to be kidding me!" Those words and few other unmentionables spilled out of my mouth when I saw my flight itinerary for an academic conference in Albany. "What am I going to do in Charlotte for four hours?" Expecting the worst, I packed my suitcase full of books, magazines, and sudoku puzzles to ward off the drab monotony of the airport. When the plane touched down on the tranquil N.C. runway (peaceful, well compared to Miami), I resolved to make the best of it. To my surprise and delight, Charlotte-Douglas Airport practically sparkeled with life. White rocking chairs lined broad concourses and a plethora of food-court favorites from Nathan's and Sbarro's to TCBYs and Edy's enticed the weary and airline-starved travelers.

On a little unknown passage tucked between concourses D and E, I found the trifecta of travel heaven: A full-service salon, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory outlet, and North Carolina wines. The four-hour layover now seemed like just enough time to savor some chocolate, taste-test some wine and have my nails done, before heading off to the conference.

I'll have the carnival with a side salad

Fogovivo brings Brazilian Rodizio dining to Westchester. Located just past the Palmetto on Bird Road, this Brazilian steakhouse provides all you can eat meat served by gauchos wearing baggy pants and armed with sword-sized skewers. This was my first experience with Brazilian steakhouse eating, and I was quite impressed.

The service was excellent, if a bit rushed. The nearly empty restaurant seemed to be over staffed. As soon as we were seated and had served ourselves salad from the copious salad bar, the gauchos swarmed us with offers of beef ribs, pork ribs, roast duck, bacon-wrapped filet mignon and shishkebabs. The fresh salad greens wilted under the pile of meat that quickly accumulated on my plate, and then I remembered to turn my button over. Green means keep coming; red signals-- "My arteries need a break!" Other reviews of Fogovivo criticized the management as cold and uncaring, but the manager on during our meal came over personally to see that we were satisfied. The gauchos on the whole were personable with one comedian who quacked tableside, and one grouch, who refused to let diners handle the meat.

The plentiful salad bar offered more than just fresh greens; poached salmon, manchego and parmesan cheeses, and even sushi (not reccomended, this is a steakhouse after all!) tempted diners from their place beneath a decorative waterfall coming from the ceiling.

The plain decor and the restaurants unfortunate location beside the highway-- the vibrations provide a gentle massage during dining-- do dampen the experience, but the meat and salad bar more than make up for it. Skip dessert and coffee and indulge in the savory goodness of juicy tender meat served up on skewers, and you will be sure to enjoy the live fire of Fogovivo.

Bonsai!!!!

Miracle Mile in Coral Gables is not known for budget dining, yet tucked between the bridal boutiques, jewelry stores, and fine salons even a hungry student can find a tasty meal for a few beans. Bonsai, formerly Thai Orchid, now serves both Japanese and Thai dishes. A crisp green salad topped with one of the better ginger dressings I've tasted comes in at $2. Appetizers run from $4-$10 dollars and main courses are in the teens. There are a few extravagant dishes (lobster roll for $35), but most come under $20. The tuna tatatki, thinly sliced pairs nicely with the ponzu sauce and the carrot and cabbage garnish add a crunch. Each roll arrived beautifully plated and sliced in over ten pieces. The award for the best roll of the night goes to the salmon tempura roll; Sushi chefs roll fresh salmon, cream cheese, and cucumbers in nori and rice then dip the entire roll into a light tempura batter and deep fry the entire thing before slicing and plating. Bonsai offers low prices because it doubles as a lounge upstairs. The modern Asian decor creates a casual, yet refined atmosphere that accents and enhances the cuisine.

Extras: Excellent service

Miami Spice: Michael's Genuine Food and Drink

Ah, Miami Spice, my favorite time of year in Miami. The restaurants open their doors and lower their prices, making the most delicious, most elegant, and most unaffordable restaurants available for even a financially strapped graduate student like myself. This Sunday's back- to- school treat came from Chef Michael Schwartz at Michael's Genuine Food and Drink.

It was a sleepy Sunday night in the Design District. We met up with Lauren and Agu, our fellow foodies and sat down to enjoy a dynamic meal with many different flavors. To start we had the panzanella salad with heirloom tomatos and the hominy with chile and lime. The hominy makes a better bar snack than an appetizer, but was perfect for sharing. Pieces of corn are soaked in water, then spiced with chile and fried up in a pan and served with a wedge of lime. Deliciously crispy, I had everyone eating off of my plate.

The main course did not disappoint and everyone tried something different. The roasted pork shoulder won the prize for best tasting protein. Vince didn't even need a knife to slice through it. The half poulet rouge, lightly breaded and pan fried came a close second and tied with the locally caught black grouper. The wilted escarole that came with the poulet rouge was my favorite side dish, so buttery and salty I felt like I wasn't even eating a vegetable. The eggplant and chick pea curry accompanying the grouper provided a good balance to the mild flavor of the grouper. The cheesy grits filled out the pork plate.

Now on to dessert! Again I was the odd ball, ordering the lemon polenta cake instead of the decadent chocolate espresso combination. This road less traveled turned out to be a delight. The crumbly corn meal made for a dense flavorful cake that soaked up the fruity flavors of the macerated tomatoes and plums around it. A bit of creme fraiche gave the dish just enough creaminess to offset the drier polenta. The chocolate did not disappoint either. With just a bit of sea salt on a dollop of truffle filling, tasted like the very best chocolate dipped pretzel with out the pretzel dough getting in the way and the espresso ice cream provided lightness to the decadent chocolate.

Excellent service accentuated the casual and cozy ambiance. The sleek decor is homey and modern and the bar looks like the kind of place you can sidle up for a drink or three with a close friend.


Special Note: Miami Spice tastes best with friends, who let you taste from their plates.

Wedding Extravaganza

Last night, I went to a wedding reception (Congratulations Claudia and Brett!) at the Mandarin Oriental. The hotel itself is a modern marvel, but the real star of the show, besides the bride of course, was the cuisine. A generous cocktail hour tantalized guests with tiny plates to delight the palate but not over fill the stomach. Chefs elegantly plated-- or spooned, I should -- a thin slice of perfectly seasoned rare lamb on a small dollop of mashed potatoes topped with daikon radish sprouts on a Chinese soup spoon. The meat melted in your mouth and the mashed potatoes were a surprising and pleasant finish. Waiters also passes around trays of chicken satay with a curry sauce and thick tortilla chips with a slice of lobster and tomato. I missed a cream cheese filled date, but that couldn't be more elegant-looking.

Excellent wine accompanied our dinner in the ballroom and the waiters made sure the glasses were never less than half full. Served in a martini glass, a lobster cocktail/ceviche with heirloom tomatoes and avocado provided a seasonal touch to the dinner. An heirloom tomato salad with asparagus and fancy sprouts and balsamic vinaigrette followed, and finally the main course: a perfectly seasoned breast and leg of chicken, garlic scented potatoes, steamed carrots and crispy fries to garnish. The sauce flavoring the chicken hearkens back to the Mandarin's oriental roots and was so tasty, a guest at our table asked for more on the side.

The only low note in the dinner came from the cake. A trio of mango, raspberry, and kiwi sauces couldn't save the bland and floury texture, but the Romanico chocolate favors more than made up for it with their decadence.

Lan Pan-Asian Cafe

Put this unpretentious little bistro in the category of restaurants that you always see, but never seem to actually visit. Yesterday, I broke the pattern of arriving too late at this Asian fusion eatery located on the first floor of the Dadeland Center. Their lunch special is worth braving the crowds hurrying to Best Buy, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond, even during college move in season. For 7.95-10.95, lunch customers enjoy miso soup, mesclun salad with a very nice lemony vinaigrette, wakame sunomo salad, AND a deliciously generous 8 piece California roll. The word and in the last sentence is in caps because this is not one of those either/or lunch specials; it is a fill-you-up-before-you-get-your-entree lunch special. After all this food, you couldn't be blamed for expecting an anemic portion of basil-chicken or teriyaki salmon, but you would be wrong. After the soup and salads and California roll were cleared, the waitress brought in a plate heaped with savory basil chicken. While not the best basil chicken I have ever eaten, it was flavorful and satisfying. Stay away from the chicken dumplings. They were doughy and under seasoned. I didn't try other sushi rolls, but if the California rolls are any indication they are probably quite good.

Sweet and Savory Memories

I'm finally home from New York and if I tried to write a blog about every place I ate and everything I loved, I'd have to live on ramen noodles for the next six months. Since that would be a shame (It is Miami Spice time after all), I'm just going to give a quick run down of a few dishes that shine out from the bunch:

Green papaya salad and crispy tofu at Kin Khao

Pan-seared artichoke hearts and Parmesan cheese at Westville

Fancy whiskey drinks at the Algonquin

Lemony-peppery arugula salad at Bread

Bacon-wrapped scallops and sweet potato puree at Les Enfants Terribles

Health Sandwich at Cafe Continental

Frozen Hot Chocolate and Texas Chili at Serendipity 3

Giant pastrami reuben at Katz's Delicatessen

Warm Passion Fruit Souffle at the French Culinary Institute

Mango on a stick from a vendor off of Union Square

Vegan Lemon poppy seed cupcake at Babycakes Bakery (amazing!)

Linguine with clams and pesto at Caffe Falai

MMMMmmmmmMMMMMmmmmm... I love New York!