Maracas!

There's this incredibly colorful restaurant located just south of Oakland Park on US-1...it's called Maracas.  Every time we'd pass Maracas I'd talk about how badly I wanted to go.  I mean there were streaming lights, a wide screen projector on the patio, colorful patio umbrellas, multi-colored walls--how could I not be tempted!  Finally, a coupon came up on one of the coupon sites I use (I'm on 4 different ones, just sayin) for Maracas: $15 for $30 worth of food and drink.  I bought it in a heartbeat.  A few weeks ago, Ben and I went and had a grand old time.  We sat at the bar and made friends with another group of people at the other end of the bar.  Funny how that happens...

Pre-margaritas: I wore my technicolored scarf for decorative purposes--I matched the restaurant--which, by the way, had a life-size sombrero when you first walked it.  It was great.

 

Got me a "Skinny Margarita" for round one.  It was so good!  After that we got the 2-4-1 house margaritas.  Again, so good.

 

For food? NACHOS.  I'm not a big fan of Mexican food for two main reasons: 1. you smell like the restaurant after you leave and 2. everything tastes like EL PASO seasoning mix.  I don't get it.  But there are certain Mexican restaurants where they have black beans on the menu and other food items that don't leave a Mexican-flavored-burp taste in your mouth for 24 hours.  Maracas is one of those good ones.  (there's Zona Fresca too--yum).

 

Planning on going again sometime soon.  This time, we're going to bring along more people with us so they can enjoy Maracas as much as we did!

Love,

Hannah

J Marks ~ great atmosphere, food, oh, and PEAR MARTINIS

Last month for Valentine's Day, my mom and dad gave Ben and me a gift card to a restaurant we'd been dying to try: J Marks.  Every time we'd pass it on US-1 by Sunrise, it would be packed!  Plus, it looked like it had a fun atmosphere, so we were pleasantly surprised when they gave us a $75 gift card.  Of course, we went the following weekend and everything lived up to our expectations.  The food was great, the drinks were delicious, the service was amazing (you'll see why later) and although they said we had a wait of 45 minutes, our thingy (not sure what those small plastic things that light up are called) lit up after 5 minutes.

Here's a play by play of our experience:

We started off with two Pear Martinis--suggested by our waiter.  They were AMAZING!  I wish I had the recipe...based on taste I'm thinking it was as simple as vodka and pear schnapps, but I could be wrong.  That could be the cheapified version of a pear martini.  Maybe they put those angosta bitters or whatever (recipes always call for those and I never ever can figure out what they are or where to get them.)

Then came the bread.  In the words of Usher, OH MY GOD.  So soft, so warm, so good!  I think you can often get the sense of what type of food you're going to get at a restaurant if their bread is to die for.   J Marks is no exception.

For an appetizer, we split Bruchetta.  Again, amazing.  Delicious, crunchy baguettes covered in balsamic vinegar (which I thought was a nice touch instead of the typical olive oil spread), diced tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese.

For our main course, we split Swordfish.  I've never had it and Ben was in the mood for seafood so we went for it.  That night, it was one of their specials I might add, so they may not have it when you go.  But, it tasted great, so I'm sure the rest of their seafood is impeccable.  For our sides, the swordfish came with asparagus and we ordered as side salad (top right corner).

While we were allowing our food to digest, I was telling Ben a story.  I don't remember what the story was about but it must have been really intense because mid-way through my story telling, my arm gestures got really big and I knocked over my Pear Martini!!!  I wasn't even done!!!!!  Embarrassing to say the least because (a) I wasn't done and (b) I was sobes.

Love,

Clumsy

Smokey Bones ~ BBQ, Birthdays and Boneisms

Two weeks ago I went to dinner with my family at Smokey Bones to celebrate Joshua's 16th birthday (unbelievable how fast he's growing up!  I feel like his voice just changed and now he's almost driving alone).  I love this restaurant not only because of their ridiculously good barbeque, but also because the one in Davie has Trivia Nights (no matter how bad you are they're still fun--Ben let's go again).  Oh and another thing is that they have a great atmosphere that's perfect for big families like mine! 

About their food: If you're looking for some good barbeque at a good price, then Smokey Bones is a gold mine.  I'm not usually a pig person (I do the turkey bacon thing and I'm really into veggies) but Smokey Bones is my exception.  Their ribs are amazing, and the meat just falls right off the bone.  And everytime I'm there I have to have their smoked turkey and/or pulled pork plus their corn bread appetizer.  They have these great platter combos where you can pick two meats and two sides, which together make the perfect sized meal plus leftover potential, so this last time I got two of my faves: smoked turkey and hand-pulled pork.  Their sides are also delicious: fries, sweet potato fries (so hard to find), coleslaw, baked beans, salad, steamed broccoli--all good.

One thing I noticed this last time we went, was their "Boneisms" which were posted throughout the restaurant.  You'll have to go for yourself to read them all, but I decided to take note of the ones they have in the women's restroom.  I was laughing so hard when I was reading them, here they are:

Bathroom "Boneisms"

1. Restrooms are a great place to freshen up hair and makeup.  They're also a great place to go to the bathroom.
2. Mirrors are awesome because they point out when you have food stuck in your front teeth.  Although they'd be more awesome if they had pointed it out about an hour earlier.
3. Hovering takes a lot of skill and coordination.  Not to mention an exaggerated fear of germs. (on the inside of the stall door when I closed it)
4. There's nothing wrong with asking the person next to you for toilet paper.  Unless you stuck your head under the stall to do so (the other stall door).
5. When you're in the stall, hang up the call
6. Courtesy Flush.  It's the right thing to do.

After taking pictures of the Boneisms in the bathroom so I could remember the great lines, I took a bunch of pictures of the food we had at the table.  Only three pictures turned out good enough to post!  The lack of photos is by no means an indication of their lack of food quality--food was delicious but my camera skills and the lighting in the restaurant didn't work well for my blogging purposes.

They have some of the best cornbread I've ever had, and what makes their's even better is the honey-butter spread.

Delicious full-rack of ribs Josh and I were working on, and the leftovers two days later were still just as good.  So good Ben and I ate them cold.

Mini Mixer: It comes with 9 sliders in total.  Three with shredded pork, three with shredded beef and three with bone-less buffalo wing tasting things.

The next morning, my mom and three brothers were flying out to visit Sarah and Ivana, which meant--lots of leftovers for me and Ben!  We filled to the brim three boxes of leftovers, which fed us for a day and a half.  Thanks, Mom and Dad, and thanks Josh for your birthday dinner.

Love,

The Scavenger

Chimas Brazilian Steakhouse ~ Beef, it's what's for dinner

Brazilian Steakhouses are typically known for, well, their meat.  But they are more than just a carnivore's delight.  They have extensive salad bars for people like me, who prefer seafood and greens to red meat.  So ultimately, they are a great place for anyone and everyone because they cater to all tastes.  I'm lucky enough to be living both near my parents and near a nice Brazilian Steakhouse located on Las Olas.  What do they have in common?  My parent's paid for dinner :).

The Brazilian Steakhouse on Las Olas is called Chimas, and it's popular for many of us down here in South Florida.  If you are ever down here, I seriously recommend you hit up this little gem.  Just remember that it's pretty expensive, so make sure you go hungry.  REALLY hungry. 

Ben, the fam, Swood and I went a few weeks ago after seeing Les Miz at the Broward Center of Performing Arts.  I decided to make a timeline/story out of Ben's meal, because when he's hungry, he will eat A LOT.  I figured it would give you a good idea as to how much food they have and how good it is (based on my minimal photography skills that is).

First up, the Appetizer/Salad Bar...(the have salads, smoked salmon, cheeses, soups, rice, beans, hearts of palm, waldorf salad, fruit, and so much more)

Let the meat feasting BEGIN.  (You get a little pog-like gadget on your table that let's the server know whether or not you want some meat.  It's a sit down buffet.)

Sorry Jodi...they come around with monster knives and big slabs-o-meat.

Meat #1 for Ben...

Meat #2 - Flank Steak

Meat #3, #4 (Swordfish) and #5 (Salmon)

Meat #6 (Bacon-Wrapped Chicken) and #7 (Sausage)

Seafood, gone...

Half the red meat, gone...

More salmon!?!>!>!?!?!?!?

Manivore. Carnivore.

More meat? No thanks.

Good eats, good meats,

Hannah

Bamboo Noah's, not your typical fast food restaurant

Let’s play the word association game.  When you say fast food restaurant, what comes to mind?  For me, its burgers, fries, drippy grease, mayo, sesame seed buns, dark meat chicken nuggets and the potential for food contamination. 

But like I say in the title, Bamboo Noah's is not your typical fast food restaurant.  It takes the term fast food literally—they make their food fast.  And unlike other fast food restaurants, their food is fresh, clean and incredibly healthy.  Their menu is made up of a wide variety of options including salads, soups, wraps, grill and wok dishes, a few desserts and an array of healthy sides.  Plus, several items on their menu are vegan-friendly!

Some things I know and have heard are delicious include:

• Grilled angus skirt steak (my dad’s go to)
• Grilled balsamic chicken breast
• Sweet & sour mango chicken
• Hummus w/ pita
• Sweet potato fries (love when you find a restaurant that actually makes these!)
• Steamed veggies
• Edamame (hard to go wrong there I guess)
• Raw veggie wrap
• Grilled chicken Caesar wrap
• Chicken chili soup
• Crepes
• Cookies
• Brownies

In addition to delicious food, their service is great!  Last time I was in, I ordered a crepe to go.  A few minutes later they informed me they did not have any crepes that day.  So what did they do?  They gave me two brownies and a cookie instead—three for one!

They are located on Pine Island Rd, 1 block north of I-595.  So if you’re ever heading down I-595 and want to get a quick eat from a restaurant right off the highway, I suggest trying Bamboo Noah's.  You’re body will thank you!

All I had was my cellphone at the time, so here are some rando pics from Bamboo Noahs when I went there for lunch a while back.

Love,

Hannah

Seasons 52, everthing under 475 calories? Yes, please.

If you were to ask any of your girlfriends whether they’d like to go to a restaurant where everything on the menu is under 475 calories, there would be no discussion.  How could you say no?  But ask a group of guys?  Mehhh, that’s a different story.  A dish under 475 calories can sound bland, cardboard-y and sound like it is made up of only green colored foods, but at Seasons 52 that is not the case. 

A couple weeks ago, Ben and I were planning on going to P.F. Changs for dinner one night, when I suggested we go to Seasons 52 instead (since I had a gift card for the restaurant and a cheaper meal at a pricier restaurant is always a thumbs up to me!).  I actually didn’t have a difficult time convincing Ben to go to a restaurant with lower calories dishes, but either way I’m sure he would have rather gone to P.F. Changs.  Well, he may have wanted to go to P.F. Changs before dinner, but after? He was definitely happy with our choice!   We both agreed that it was some of the best and freshest food we’ve had in a while while eating out.  Oh, and another good thing about the food is how we felt after eating.  Instead of leaving Seasons 52 feeling disgustingly full, we felt pleasantly satisfied.  I hope that makes sense…think of the full feeling you get after fried rice and orange chicken (the kind that leaves grease stains on the bottom of a chinese take-out box) and compare that to a fresh made chicken salad…the later feels much better.  But, we didn't have boring salads, we had gourmet dishes!  nom nom nom...

We were so wrapped up in eating our food that I forgot to take pictures, but lucky for me, they happen to have photos of the dishes Ben and I ordered up on their site.  Thanks, Seasons 52.

Here’s what we ate:

Caramelized sea scallops grilled and served with sun-dried tomato pearl pasta and roasted asparagus- to die for!  The scallops were grilled to perfection—not the slightest bit dry and incredibly tender in the inside.  The asparagus was crunchy too!  I’m not a fan of overcooked veggies, it’s always a big disappointment when that happens.  And that pearl pasta was like a glorified cous cous.  This picture by the way is pretty much exactly what the plate looked like.  The only thing we didn’t have were dried pearl pasta pieces scattered on our table or the raw asparagus.  The wine was there, obviously.





Spicy Chipotle Shrimp Flatbread with grilled pineapple, feta cheese and roasted poblano peppers.  A-freaking-mazing.  Spicy enough, light enough and super crispy.

While we didn’t order their dessert, I have tried them in the past with my family.  They call them mini indulgences or dessert in a shot glass pretty much.   Such cute little gems and that satisfy the sweet tooth just enough!

Love,

Hannah

VOICE Deal of the Day - 50 to 90% off Every Day!

Okay, it's Monday morning and the work week just started, not much to look forward to except the weekend.  Until now!  I seriously look forward to my deal of the day emails every morning in hopes of scoring a great deal for a local restaurant or shopping site.  So you have Groupon and Living Social, but what is one more?!

Sign up for VOICE Deal of the Day and get 50 to 90% off every day on deals at local restaurants, movies, spas and more.  It's a relatively new site, which is why they do not have a huge list of cities yet, but Broward/Palm Beach County is there!  I know there's Groupon and Living Social (which I'm a member of both of course), but since this one is seemingly new, they are likely to have more unique deals.  Especially little local gems to try.  Oh, and becuase it's new, I think they're likely to give better deals...to help convince more people to join their site!

I signed up on Thursday and got a deal for a local restaurant near us: Nana's Original Stromboli.  $7 for 2 gourmet strombolis, 2 salads and 2 desserts.  Yoinks, it's a good one and I cannot wait to try it!

Hope there's one in a city near you :)

Love,
Hannah

Brew Urban Café, just when you thought you couldn’t find the perfect local coffee shop

Coffee shops.  They are everywhere.  They are all different. And they are NOT all good.  There’s the usual Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, but those are monster chains you will find—seriously—on every street corner.  So when you’re looking for a great local coffee shop, it can become quite challenging to find one with a good atmosphere and amazing coffee.  But once you find a local little gem, you are set.  This is the way I see it…the feeling you get when you get the most delicious cup of coffee ever is right up there with the feeling of overwhelming excitement when your order of french fries from Wendy’s or McDonalds comes out piping hot, slightly crunchy (well I like them super crunchy) and lightly salted.  Yeah, it’s awesome. 

It wasn’t until last year that I found a local coffee shop I could honestly say has the best cup of coffee I have ever and probably will ever have (Ben agrees by the way so it’s not just me).  Brew Urban Café is the perfect little gem you could ask for when it comes to coffee shops (and I know you’ve been looking for one because who doesn’t want to say they go to a local indie coffee shop on the regular).  They brew Intelligentsia Coffee that makes the coffee at other shops taste like charcoal—gross I know. 

Fat Tuesday, no not how I feel today

Fat Tuesday...a great place to get a great buzz for a great price.  It was last year around this time that Ben and I were at the Fort Lauderdale Beach for the Superbowl festivities.  We stumbled across a little gem at Beach Place--the Fat Tuesday I am talking about in this blog entry.  For only $9 we purchased a sweet cup (New Orleans Saints colors to be exact) filled with a deliciously spiked slurpy.  The 190 OCTANE.  But, it's not the $9 that's the real deal here.  Now that you have the cup, refills only cost $6.  Every. Single. Time!  Of course, we have been several times since last year.  And we always take friends (this picture if from when me and my friend Amy went).  We actually just went this past Saturday, and it is still worth it.  So, next time you're at the Fort Lauderdale Beach (particularly between Las Olas Blvd. and Sunrise) don't forget to stop by Fat Tuesday.

  

The Bonzai Brownie

Google definition of Bonzai: A Japanese cheer of enthusiasm or triumph.

This name for a dessert couldn't be more fitting.  While I didn't yell "BONZAIIII" when I knew we (Ben and I) would be going to Flanigans tonight for The Bonzai Brownie (TM), I was pretty excited.  What exactly is this dessert?  It is a monster size brownie (with no nuts, thank goodness…nuts take away from its delicious chocolaty-ness), topped with two scoops of Edy's Vanilla ice cream, plus a helping of whipped cream on top.  Then, it's doused with chocolate syrup and big Oreo chunks.  And then, surrounded by a fort made of Kit-Kat bars.  I bet you’re freaking out just reading about this. Good thing Ben and I took a picture.  Looks good and tastes even better.  This is a little gem (although this description may seem contradictory since the calorie count is like 10 time the amount any human should consume in one day--or maybe two) worth trying. Countless times we have gone to Flanigans just for The Bonzai Brownie(TM), and tonight was no exception.  (Note: they have delicious food too.  Their cole slaw..mmmm).  They have plenty of locations in South Florida, giving you plenty of opportunities to enjoy!

Love,

Hannah

Oh, how I love coupon codes

Today was a great day.  I happened to stumble across a site that had a banner ad on it that caught my attention.  This ad was advertising a 70% off deal for purchases on Restaurant.com (a really awesome site for those of us who like getting great deals when we go out to eat).  All I had to do was enter the Coupon Code "PLATE" at checkout.  Well, that was easy enough for me!  I purchased two $25 gift certificates to restaurants near me for only $6.  So, I get $50 worth of food for $6.  NICE.  I can't wait to go out to dinner.  If you're wondering (which I'm sure you are) where my boyfriend and I plan on dining, it's Mrs. Murphy's Pub & Grub on Commercial Blvd. and Tequila Sunrise in Oakland Park.  Hopefully these little restaurants will have little gems in them.  I'll let you know.

And how could I forget!  When I was done with my purchase, they gave me more options for deals.  I chose to get email a free $10 e-certificate for Shoebuy.com.  They're really reeling them in on me today.

Love,
Hannah