Restaurant Review: Pisco's (Coconut Grove)

I finally had a chance to check out this new restaurant that opened up on the corner of Mary and Oak in Coconut Grove. The place is called Pisco's and the menu is Peruvian fare although there is some variety while they work out what works best. I was a bit skeptical walking in because the spot that they currently occupy is the "black hole" of restaurant spots. You can dine "al fresco" but doing so basically means you'll be sucking exhaust from cars that pass by at the busy intersection of Mary and Oak. Ive never seen a restaurant last more than a few months at this location, mainly because its on the outskirts of the "heart of the Grove" and gets little foot traffic. That and previous occupants have done little to draw a crowd. Lucky for me, though the location may not be prime, the food certainly is.

I was deciding whether to choose between the parmesan sea scallops or the octopus so I asked the waiter for his pick of appetizer. He said the octopus was his favorite because of its authenticity. He was right on the money. The octopus w/ black olive sauce was incredibly tender and the sauce was unlike anything Id ever tasted before. Large portion too that I easily couldve shared. My friend got the mixed seafood ceviche and loved it. I thought that was important to note because this friend is VERY particular about his seafood because he fishes a lot and is used to that type of freshness. I tried it and it was more of a traditional take on ceviche when compared to Jaguar which I find to be more "new age" ceviche. For my entree I once again put my faith in the waiter and went with the grouper with shrimp sauce. Another winner. The grouper was moist and flavorful and the "shrimp sauce" also came with 6 sauteed shrimp which I enjoyed very much. My friends split a pasta dish that looked great and both enjoyed.

Overall, the meal was great and I appreciated the waiter's advice and even the manager coming over to check on our table. By the time we had finished the meal, there were 2 more tables of 4 dining outside which is the most Ive ever seen there at one time and pretty funny. I hope they are able to come up with more ways to draw a crowd because the food was really good. They have already added a guy named Joe Donato to play music on Thursdays so thats a start. Oh, and happy hour is 5-8p which is about an hour more than most HHs in the area or anywhere for that matter. If you find yourself the Grove, definitely give Pisco's a shot.

Please talk quietly on your cell phone!

Im sitting in the Delta Crown Room in Salt Lake City right now and there is a "loud talker" on her cell phone gabbing away loudly and annoying about everyone in a 15ft radius. Even the semi-hot woman in the massage chair is making gun-in-mouth motions! (Side note: semi-hot woman was also coerced by fat business guy to take off her shoes and put her bare feet in the feet holsters on the chair. Yeah, thats hygenic...) This is amazing because this lounge is packed and I dont hear anyone else's conversations at all. Here is what Ive been unfortunate enough to learn from the loud talker:

- She bought a dress that is "to die for"
- Her friend wants said dress
- She travels a lot and has built up 100K miles since December
- She is going to Washington and Philly with her friend
- She thinks her friend should be in her daughter's wedding because the friend also likes suede skirts (not sure how these two relate here unless her daughter is planning one ugly bridal party dress)
- Her emails to said friend arent going thru
- "Everyone has an opinion on Pee Wee the I.T. guy"
- She has to have some play time on her work trips
- Her emails still arent getting thru
- Her friend doesnt have a personal email account
- She has 3 email accounts including one for work

(another quick side: fat business guy is enjoying semi-hot woman in the massage chair waaaay too much. semi-hot woman is probably not going to enjoy this massage much longer...)

- Loud talker is "a slave to fashion"
- She has put on a few pounds lately
- She hates working out
- She doesnt care about it since she is on her 3rd martini (followed by insanely loud laughter that causes a lot of people to look at her with confused looks)
- She has to leave for her flight soon (THANK GOD!)

Finally, the conversation has ended! I can only pray that she has to leave for her flight before making another call or that her cell battery is dead. The latter is unlikely since this lounge is pretty freakin awesome and has outlets everywhere. At least I will have had enough bourbon by the time my flight leaves to ensure I am asleep for the 4.5 hour flight...

Olympic Torch Relay - WTF?!?!?!

Ok, this shit with boycotting China and trying to snuff out the torch has gone waaaaaaay overboard. Im not a fan of the situation in Tibet any more than the next guy but trying to snuff out the torch that symbolizes a peaceful and traditional global event is a crime. These hippies need to calm the hell down. What about the poor runner carrying the torch? If the Olympics were in Japan, that runner would be safe. Now his/her life is in jeopardy. Another thing that is absolutely absurd is Hilary Clinton suggesting the President boycott the opening ceremony. Yeah, great idea Hil. Let's boycott the nation that majorly supports our economy.

Bottom line is that there is a time and a place for everything and this is neither nor. I love the Olympics because its a time where we as a planet can all share in the excitement of sport and competition. These hostile protests have tainted this event and I say shame on everyone involved.

My latest adventure - 1 part awesome, 2 parts hilarious

So, Ive been in San Jose since late Friday night. Flew on the AA direct to SF, ate diner at Limon in the Mission district, then headed to SJ to work a trade show for the weekend. The night started at the hotel where my coworker and I enjoyed a killer filet at Michael Mina's Arcadia. After dinner, my coworker went to crash and I joined another industry buddy of mine for cocktails at the bar with a group of about 6 girls. I had met one of them before at this show last year and she quickly became one of my favorites - smokin hot and not afraid to get me and a few others hammered buying shots on some poor bastards bar tab haha. Also at the table were 2 other girls who grew up with my buddy. I found out they were in college and for some reason never put 2 and 2 together that this meant they were underage until I bought a round and thought about it. So, I was happy that everyone was tired of one of them and my buddy sent them on a bus back to SF before they could sip the drinks. He and I then downed their martinis like they were shots. It was only 10pm afterall, so this was obviously an awesome idea considering Id only had 4 Woodford/rocks at this point and didnt have to wake up until 7am. Yeah, my decision making skills are solid.

Every one of these shows I do has a party and, seeing that the industry I work in 95% female and 4.9% gay dudes, these parties are usually fun for a single guy like me. So, naturally me, my buddy, and the hot chick (who had been showcasing her $20K new boobs and being very kissy face) headed on over. THis is where the night gets blurry and then totally fades to black. I remember getting there, I remember meeting a chick that I was talking to at the bar earlier who had a cute face but under normal circumstances was not one Id even consider flirting with, and thats about all I remember. No idea how I got home and no idea why I awoke to find said female in my bed. Thankfully, I was clothed. I think, in my drunken state, that I might have been sympathetic to the fact that she was sharing a room with 4 others and let her crash with me. Other than that, I have no fuckin idea. Maybe my penis totally took over and was like, "Dude, youre hammered and fully incapable of talking with any "new" girls. Take the not-so-attractive one and lets party!" I dunno, but it was pretty fuckin funny nonetheless, especially when she and her friends came by my booth and talked some shit today haha. The hangover that kicked in around 1pm - not so funny.

Another thing about these trade shows is that Im in a booth selling to women all day. I flirt with them all day, mostly because I flirt with women all the time. Its fun. Now, given that these women love to make fashion statements, Im treated to at least 1000 pairs of breasts daily. Some are awesome, some make you wonder if mirrors exist. So, even after leaving the show, Im stuck in "flirting with cute women" mode. This happens in the line at airport security when Im headed to Portland, OR today with 2 women who I knew worked in the industry just by looking at them and who also happened to flirt my way saying that they were "stalking" me. (side note here - I fucking love women, man. I love everything about them, especially the fact that they are all different and always changing. I'll never figure them out so I'll never get bored and this is probably why me and serious relationships kinda clash) So, still feeling flirty, I begin to board the plane and notice a cute chick sitting in the last row of 1st class. She sees me, looks away, looks back, and I give her a wink and a smile. I get to my seat, still feeling hungover, and sit down. A girl from the previous night (one of the 6 girls at the bar table) happened to be on the flight and sitting right in front of me. She says, "Hey did you see Bush's daughter sitting in 1st class?" Yup, you got it - I just winked at the President's daughter. AWESOME.

Michael's Genuine Food & Drink (and other Miami eateries) featured on "After Hours with Daniel"

Last week I headed over to Michael's Genuine Food & Drink for dinner with a lady friend of mine, hoping to land a table even though we had no reservation which is risky business if youve ever dined there haha. Luckily the hostess said the wait wouldnt be long so we sat at the bar. As I sipped my Basil Hayden, I noticed a flyer on the bar for one of my favorite shows, "After Hours with Daniel" which is on Sunday nights (and randomly throughout the week) on the MOJO hi-def channel on Comcast. The show follows renowned chef, Daniel Boulud, who picks a restaurant in a given area (up until now I thought it was NY only but apparently theyve expanded to Miami and New Orleans) and joins the chef to cook for an audience "after hours" when the restaurant is closed. Daniel usually invites other chefs in the area along with celebrity friends for a roundtable discussion on food, wine, etc.

Its a pretty cool show and I actually saw the Michaels episode just the other day. Pretty interesting when Daniel shows up with a bag full of an assortment of birds to be plucked and served for dinner. Michael also seems like a "genuinely" cool guy.

Also featured from Miami - Ortanique, The Lido, Sardinia, and Michy's

I enjoyed this show so I figured Id share. For more info on the show, including episode dates/times, visit the show website

Aladdin's Grill, Coconut Grove - Awkwardly good

When I first heard about the opening of Aladdin's Grill on Main Hwy in the Grove, I was happy because I have lunch in the Grove often on weekends and Im tired of all the current options. I also love a good falafel pita, wrap, or sandwich of some sort. So, this past Saturday I headed in to check it out.

As I crossed over Main Hwy, I glanced up the street and saw this kooky looking guy eagerly trying hand out menus to passerbys. "Oh, this has got to be it", I thought. The man really, really wanted to give me a menu but got really excited when he noticed I was headed inside. The whole thing was just really awkward and the getup he and another waiter had on wasnt helping. Call me ignorant if you want but these guys just looked silly. I felt like I was at a bad play and thats probably the best way to put it. Im actually cracking up as I type this because, looking back, it was pretty hilarious. The outfits are just too much hahaha.

The awkwardness continued when I went to order. I really dont think I can explain it properly because anything outside of being there would never do it justice. The waiter was obviously new and probably knew little about the food from what I could gather. I thought this because he would tell me something, then leave, then come back and add a sentence, rinse, lather, repeat. This went on at least 3 times and I just chalked it up to him being new. It was a little annoying though because I simply wanted lunch and to get the hell outta Dodge. The menu had all of the typical Middle Eastern/Mediterranean fare along with a selection of flavored tobaccos to smoke through use of a houka. This screams college and I think its a good business idea. Stupid college kids act like the stuff is weed or something and they will pay for the look.

Naturally, I ordered the falafel wrap. It reminded me a lot of the type of wrap you get at Pasha's but it was much larger. Quite frankly, it was damn good. The falafel were nice and crisp on the outside with a warm middle that wasnt dry at all. The rest of the veggies inside and the tahini sauce did their job to keep things cool as I applied hot sauce to each bite. That was the one setback to the food. Most Middle Eastern restaurants that Ive got a falafel at have a special blend of peppers and spices that pack a mean punch. Hell, this is half the reason that I love the falafel pita at Pita Plus on SoBe. This place didnt have that and the owner said he was going to find someone to make that for him. They also didnt have Tabasco so I had to opt for the inferior "Hot Sauce" brand.

I wont hold it against them though. Like I said, the wrap was damn good and it only came to about $8-$9 with tip included. I'll definitely be back to try the kibbe sometime and knowing that there is a falafel wrap within walking distance is a good thing as well. Plus, the unintentional comedy at this place is off the charts!

Ramblin on

Man, its been a long couple of weeks. Seems like I havent been home in awhile, mainly because my condo is in a state of disarray. Actually, I havent been home for a string of more than 2 days in quite some time. Im always torn with the decision of whether or not to get a maid and I think its about time I gave it a shot. I figure the money is worth having more free time to myself. The argument is always that I figure its lazy to have a maid and I should just stay on top of things when Im home. So am I too busy or just lazy? Probably a little of both. Funny thing is that Im lying on the couch drinking a beer and watching TV right now haha. Speaking of TV...

This show Moment of Truth is insane. I cant believe what people will do for a few bucks. Here is a sampling of questions:

Have you ever been paid for sex?

Did you invite anyone to your wedding who you had previously had sex with?

Would you leave your husband for your ex-boyfriend?

Have you ever cheated on your husband?

Funny thing is that the prizes arent worth the trouble in my opinion. You can make $25K easy on Wheel of Fortune without having to destroy your marriage, career, or family.


Spent the past 5 days in my 2nd favorite city in the country - Chicago. It was cold but not dreadfully cold. In fact, I never wore a heavy jacket when I went out at night. I was happy that work was in the city because its usually out by the airport where there is hardly anything to do for fun. I planned to eat well but mainly ended up eating pizza and burgers most of the time, with the exception of the last night when we went for a steak. It was all good though. Met up with some old friends, worked with a new friend, and met someone with the same b-day as me which was funny the way it went down. All in all it was a good time as expected. I just really like the people in Chicago and I always have a good time there.

I dont know if Im going to vote this year and it really all depends on whether or not Obama defeats Hilary. When I woke up this morning, I saw a headline that Hilary had already won the nominee but I guess its still up for grabs. I was confused because I hate politics and dont really follow the whole race thing outside of where each candidate stands on different issues. Strange thing is that I mainly like Obama because of his lack of experience not in spite of it.

Im fired up about a new movie thats coming out that is based on the book, "Bringing Down the House". The story of MIT kids busting Vegas by developing a cunning system to dominate blackjack is an awesome one. In fact, Im going to buy the book to read the story in its entirety (Ive read an abridged version before) for my next road trip. Im a big fan of gambling and the rush you get from it so I imagine this one will be worth reading.

On the flight home today, I was reading the American Way magazine and found out that the Black Crowes just released a new album today which is pretty awesome. Im just hoping its as good as some of their past albums because its been a long time since theyve been together. At least itll be good to hear new Crowes songs again.