:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Monday, November 17, 2003 ::

:: Mmmmm Fooood ::

One thing that I appreciate about my neighborhood is the abundance of good cheap food. I'm typing this right now at a place called Taste Bakery Cafe. It's great that they have free wireless access for us 'puter nerds but the food there is pretty good. They have really good coffee and muffins but they specialize in sandwiches, specifically the grilled "panini" types. I just polished off an excellent roast beef, roasted red pepper, and provolone panini. My favorite is a prosciutto, mozarella and tomato panini that’s also excellent. Wraps are also available but I'm not very big on wraps but I liked them in their original form back when they were called "burritos." My only complaint about this place is that they really should put more meat between the bread for what they charge.

One of the signature foods here is Cuban cuisine (stone crabs being the other, which I've yet to try) and there's a myriad of places to visit. They range from cozy hole-in-the-walls to somewhat upscale, almost-fine dining establishments. I've visited a couple of places already and both places provide large portions of some pretty good stuff. Like most Latin cuisines, their expertise is in meats and both places I went to really know how to work with their pork. And I don't know where else in the country you can get a decent Cuban sandwich but if you ever find yourself seeing it on the menu, give it a try.

The other thing I've noticed is the area is saturated with pizza shops. You go up to Washington and it seems like there's a pizza place on every block. I've sampled a few and discovered a couple that really stand out. But if you were to ask ten different people what their favorite pizza place is, chances are you might get seven or eight different answers.

I did try my hand at fine dining a few weeks ago when a friend visited. We went a place called "Touch" on Lincoln Road. (Lincoln Road is South Beach’s version of Santa Monica's 3rd St Promenade, except bigger and cleaner.) It's one of those terminally hip places where everyone who works there, whether male of female, looks like they stepped out of a fashion ad; where the interior architecure is alternately fascinating and garish and form takes precedence over function; where said employees attend to your needs with near-surgical precision while sporting only two facial expressions, impassive and less than impassive; where the restaurant turns into a club afterhours and there’s usually a seemlingly interminable line weaving its way out onto the street. In other words, places I tend to avoid (I only went upon my tourist friend's insistence, and besides, he was buying). It's also where the food, while rather expensive, is exquisitely appetizing.

My friend had an osso bucco dish which I thought was good but don't remember much else of since I was so engrossed in my own dish. I had a duck breast and leg cooked in some type of wine reduction and served with a side of veggies... er.. excuse me, sauted vegetables. This, I should point out, was my first time eating duck outside of a chinese restaurant. How was it? Pretty freakin' good. I'm not used to eating meat with a fruity tasting sauce but this was simply amazing. The duck breast was meaty and flavorful while the leg was tender and juicy. I think the sauce was red-wine based and complimented the duck without being cloying. Dessert was an incredible chocolate tiramisu and my reaction after the first bite was a rather gutteral moan, which if anyone had heard it, would have mistaken the sound for something completely unrelated to food. Fortunately, it was crowded and everyone was talking loudly, trying to make themselves heard over the music being played.

And yet... I'm looking forward to flying back to LA and sinking my teeth into a Double-Double or Tommy's chiliburger. Or a burrito or quesdilla from Amigos Tacos. Or even a Loco Moco from The Loft. Leave it to me to miss the food more than anything else. I'm food-brained or something. Dammit, I'm hungry again.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 9:22 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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