Pandora Radio

I never get to listen to music at work, mainly because I dont have speakers on my office PC but also because Im hardly there and when I am Im normally on the phone a lot. Today though, Im on the road and working from a hotel and I just remembered this kickass site that I used to use at my old job to listen to music for free. Its called Pandora Radio (www.pandora.com) and it basically acts as a personalized radio station for you. You type in the name of an artist or particular song that you like and it will play music that is similar to what you type in. For instance, I typed in "John Mayer" and it played a JM tune followed by some blues by Clapton, Otis Redding, Ben Harper, and Buddy Guy. You can rate each tune with a "thumbs up/down" and the program will hone itself even more to what you want to hear. I wanted John Mayer for the blues, not his more pop-like stuff, so when Dave Matthews came on I gave it a thumbs down and it skipped to the next track. Each artist/song that you type in will create a "station" that you can refer back to any time you log on so you can make a bunch of different types of stations to listen to that cover all sorts of musical genres. All of this is for free too! Be sure to check it out, you'll thank me later. ;)

Restaurant Review: Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering

One thing that I really find annoying when going out to eat is a boring menu. Items like "Steak & Potatoes", "Chicken & Rice", and "Seared Tuna & Salad" are way too safe and are also things I could easily make at home with minimal effort. I like food that combines different ingredients, sauces, and/or spices that make you think, "I like all of these things on their own, but can they really work together?", before you realize that they can and do very well. Its funny because when I was a kid I used to hate that my mom couldnt just make plain food. Her dishes would always have some spice, sauce, or twist to them and my unrefined palate wanted plain just like all the other kids had when I ate at their house. These days, when I dine out I want creativity, dammit. Luckily, I stumbled upon a restaurant that chants that same mantra. Its a little slice of heaven known as Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering and the food is anything but ordinary.

Whisk is located in a tiny strip mall on Le Jeune Road in Coral Gables, just off of US1. Owned and operated by the brother/sister tandem of Brandon and Kristin Connor, this tiny eatery really makes the best use of what little dining space it has. The layout of Whisk consists of 3 glass top tables with wicker chairs as seats along with a tiny stainless steel countertop with a few stools to sit on. The walls are creatively decorated with pictures of actual Whisk menu items, a chalkboard lists daily specials, and there are also shelves filled with supplies, though most are hidden from view by white curtains. Its cozy and inviting, and for those claustrophobic diners, orders can be called/faxed in for pickup.

The menu offers home style, gourmet dishes with ingredients obtained from local and organic purveyors. There are lots of healthy sandwiches, salads, and entrees, all of which sound delicious on paper. While looking over the daily specials last Friday, I found myself making the same sound in my head that Homer Simpson makes when he thinks about chocolate covered bacon. Its sort of an "Mmmmm..ahhhhhgggg" followed by some drooling. On my visit, I decided on one of the house specialties - Dry Marinated Skirt Steak with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola & Sliced Avocado Salad. I opted to have the meal without the onions since I have never really been an onion fan. This is where things got interesting. I got my entree and was told that the chef, Brandon, was going to give me some of the onions in a little cup on the side because they were so good that I HAD to at least try them. I chuckled and said, "Ok, I'll give it a shot." I figured if someone was that confident in his food that he would make a ballsy statement that a non-onion eater should try his caramelized onions, then the least I could do was give it a shot. I took the first bite without the onions and it was great. The steak was cooked to a spot on medium rare, which is a big deal to me. It was nicely marinated and the hefty portion of gorgonzola allowed me to take enough while ensuring I would have enough left for each remaining bite. After a few bites of the avocado salad, which had a killer mustard dressing, I decided it was time to try the onions. I piled a few on a bite of steak, added some gorgonzola, and took my first bite. The gorgonzola was the first thing I tasted, followed by the steak, but then there was this great flavor from the onions that was a perfect compliment. I sat there in disbelief as I chewed... I was eating caramelized onions! Up to this point, just looking at them made me shudder. Abandoning all of my inhibitions, I piled the rest on the steak and chowed down like it was my job to leave nothing but traces of steak juice on the plate.

Damn, that was good. The bill, including my iced tea, came to about $19 and I left a $6 tip because I was on a high from liking a vegetable that I had previously loathed. I will definitely be returning to try other menu items and I recommend this place to anyone looking for dynamite food made with fresh ingredients. Be sure to visit their website as well for catering and other services. Bon Apetite!

Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering
4702 S. Le Jeune Rd.
Coral Gables, FL 33146
786-268-8350
www.whiskgourmet.com

Bacchus Wine Bar - South Miami

I was visiting my old stomping grounds in South Miami on Wednesday to do some shopping and decided that Id grab a bite somewhere new. I had heard about Bacchus Wine Bar from a little publication that South Miami puts out to promote area businesses and keep people informed about ongoings in the community (I wish the Grove would do something like this...) and a friend had also recommended it after attending a wine tasting there. So, I headed over to check it out.

Bacchus Wine Bar is located on the "corner" of US1 and Sunset Ave. I say "corner" because its really not on the corner, but the building it shares with other tenants is. Basically, its next to Origin Bistro and you can access the parking lot by driving on the street that Deli Lane is on. They have free valet if you remember to get your ticket validated, which I thought was pretty sweet even though I had walked there from Sunset Place. Upon entering, I was greeted by the 2 owners - a husband and wife tandem whose names Ive apparently forgotten and I dont happen to have the business card they gave me, so we will just call them "Mr. & Mrs. Bacchus" for now. They were extremely friendly and offered me a seat at the bar. The inside of the wine bar is decorated with purple ceilings, a black granite bar, couches, tabletops, and a stage where live music plays on Thursdays (also their wine tasting day) and Fridays. Various paintings and mirrors decorate the walls and give the spot a homey type of feeling. The place is pretty new, so I wasnt surprised to be the only person at the bar. There were a few people sitting at a table on the other side of that bar, but other than that it was empty. Mr. & Mrs. Bacchus said that Thursdays and Fridays draw a big crowd and I was surprised when they said that a lot of UM kids go there as well. They said the UM crowd is mostly the intellectual type and that many of them follow the band that plays there on Thursday.

I sat down and looked over the wine menu. I didnt see many I was familiar with, but Im no wine expert so that didnt surprise me. There were a few glasses in the $8-$9 range, but for the most part, the wines were $11+ and $32+ for the bottle. Its definitely way more worth it to grab a bottle at those per glass prices, which I thought were a tad high. The bottle prices were very competitive and marked up about 50%, which is pretty standard. Anyways, Im a big Pinot Noir fan so I settled on a glass of Sideways which, according to Mr. Bacchus, was one of their most popular wines and had experienced a lot of popularity due to its connection with the movie Sideways. I was hungry as well, but I didnt see anything on the menu that really jumped out at me. The menu is filled with appetizers, all of which have a Greek myth themed name to them like "Theseus Shrimp". Pricing on the food was a tad high I thought as the aforementioned shrimp came to $20. Not knowing what the dish looks/tastes like though, I guess its unfair for me to judge, but $20 for an appetizer is going a bit overboard. Who knows, maybe it is the size of an entree? I settled on the small Bacchus Platter which was a plate with assorted meats, fruits, and cheeses for $10 which, at first glance, seemed small but definitely was well worth it in the end. The quality of the food and the assortment justified the price and surprisingly left me somewhat full after I finished the plate. Now, reverting back to me not being a wine expert, I will not attempt to describe Sideways Pinot Noir outside of saying this: Its damn good, very smooth with what I would call a slight buttery taste to it, not too fruity, not too high on the acidity, and goes great with a meat/cheese/fruit plate. I enjoyed it so much that after dinner last night I went and picked up a bottle for $16 at the liquor store.

Mr. Bacchus and I engaged in conversation about various wines and how we both will get hooked on a type of wine but like to be open to trying new ones. He then poured me a few different types of red wine to taste, which I appreciated and enjoyed. Its always nice to find a place that has knowledgeable owners who get you interested in trying new things based on their passion for food or wine. I finished up my last sample and asked for the check as I was headed to Town to meet a friend for a cocktail. Mrs. Bacchus gave me 50% off on my glass of wine as a kind gesture which I appreciated and they didnt charge me for the tastes I had with Mr. Bacchus either. I would definitely recommend checking this place out with friends, or heading over for their wine tasting nights on Thursdays. Food and wine are both great for bringing people together and its nice to have a cozy little place like Bacchus Wine Bar as a venue for enjoying a nice bottle of wine while listening to some live jazz and blues.

Bacchus Wine Bar

5904 S Dixie Hwy
South Miami, FL 33143

(305) 663-3368

Restaurant Review: Baleen, Coconut Grove - Miami Spice Edition

Baleen, located on a private island named Grove Isle in Coconut Grove, was my second stop for this year's Miami Spice month. Having dined there on a regular night, I knew what to expect - stunning decor, serene views of the bay and downtown, and delicious food.

I met up with the rest of my party of 7 and the hostess brought us to a nice, long table outside. Right off the bat, my friends commented that "this place is sweet!" When I made the reservation I let them know we'd be doing Miami Spice so they had the menus ready along with a wine list. We ordered a great wine, 2003 Truchard Pinot Noir, which was reasonably marked up 50% at $60. I had the thai lobster bisque for my appetizer and man was it good. The broth was a traditional bisque with an added twist of coconut milk, sake, and jasmine that really reminded me of tom kha gai, which is one of my favorite thai dishes. Add in a fat piece of lobster tail and this dish had it all.

For my entree, I thought about the short ribs but I didnt want that hearty of a dish. Some in my party had that dish and said it was really tasty but very filling. I went with the wild king salmon, mostly because it came with a three potato black bean hash, corn nage, and chipotle cream that sounded awesome. The salmon was good but it was slightly overcooked, not enough that it was too dry, but I like my salmon more of a medium rare. The hash had a nice sweetness to it due to the sweet potatoes and, although I thought it was a separate item, the corn nage was mixed in with the hash which added a nice fresh flavor. I wish that the dish contained more of the chipotle cream as the amount on the plate was about the size of a quarter and only added flavor to a few bites.

I opted for the apple tart for dessert and I did not care for it at all. Im not a dessert person really, but I dont need to be in order to point out that this dish missed the mark. First off, it was not warm as advertised and the pastry was really dry. The almonds totally overpowered the dish to the point that I think someone may have overdosed it with almond extract. The ice cream could have saved the dish, but the portion was minuscule.

The overall dining experience could have gone better. I was really disappointed in the fact that it took about an hour to get our appetizers, then another 30-45 minutes before the entrees arrived. During this time, we consumed 3 bottles of wine and it gave some of us the impression that it was intended to boost the tab at the end of the night. We had an 830p reservation and finished dinner at 1130p which was unreasonably long. I thought the food could have been better as well. The appetizers were great, the entree was good but not great, and the dessert was two thumbs down. If I hadnt been there before Id have questioned ever going back, but I know they can do better and Baleen is just a great atmosphere to dine in. So, grab a date and head over to Baleen to give it a try yourself. If the food falters, at least you will have a nice evening under the stars overlooking the bay that will definitely end with a goodnight smooch, guaranteed. ;)

Damn kids! At least they made me reminisce...

This was supposed to go up Tuesday but I got busy...

Last night around 10 or 11pm, there were a few of us sitting in the Courtyard of my condo building enjoying some wine as we do a few times a week when 3 kids came and jumped in the pool. I figured that they were sneaking out or something and just let it go so they could have a little fun like I did when I was that age. Well, they acted a little strange when a fellow neighbor came out of his place and they kinda left but sorta hid in the bushes to see if we cared that they were in the pool. Then they jumped back in and then got out and kinda hid over behind some bushes watching to see if anyone cared that they had been making noise in the pool. Then they left laughing. Well, I walked by the pool a little while later and noticed some strange brown substance floating in the pool and some more that had sunk to the bottom. At first, I thought it may have been the classic Caddyshack prank of the old Baby Ruth in the pool, so I fished some out with a leaf to check it out. It definitely WASNT a Baby Ruth. It was human feces. These kids took a shit, or a few shits for that matter, in the pool. We went to look for them (they came from the 2nd bldg in my complex) but they were nowhere to be found outside. Ive seen a few kids in the building but Im not sure what unit these kids came from. There were 3 of them, 2 scrawy little pukes and one that was taller with a moppy skater hair cut. I reported this the next morning so we could go about doing whatever is necessary to clean the pool. This is a disgusting act.

Now, on a "today" level, this really sucked because I like swimming in that pool. Luckily it was during the week and we had the pool drained, cleaned, loaded with chemicals, and refilled. On a "when I was that age" level though, this is downright hilarious. If I were those kids, Id be laughing my ass off for weeks. I used to be one of those punk kids. In the summer, my friends and I would go "pool hopping" and would also engage in our favorite pastime - chuckin'. Chuckin' was when we would hide in bushes, behind houses, or anywhere out of site and throw stuff at passing cars. Eggs, little crab apples, acorns, etc, all made great ammo. The best were snowballs though because they would make an awesome explosion when you nailed a car. I loved hitting the big door on a minivan because it made an awesome "boom!" Only problem with snowballs was that, if you had to run, you had to run like crazy because you left footprints which could be tracked. That or you could always run to a nearby street by yourself and just start walking down it, playing the "Im innocent" look and using the excuse that you were walking to a friends house if someone questioned you. There would always be a group of at least 3 of us and sometimes up to about 10 or more so it was always funny to see multiple projectiles nailing a car or van or truck. We were young, so we always looked out for "teenagers" aka "kids in High School that could run fast and most likely would kick our asses if we got caught." I only got caught once in my life at the age of 11. I nailed a teenager car with a water balloon and then my shoe came off in some mud while I was running which caused me to fall and made me easy prey. The kids made me wipe off their car and give my name and friends' names so they could "call our parents". Of course, being the little bastard I was I gave them all fake names and numbers haha.

I really could go on for ages about this game we would play. The adrenaline rush was awesome. This game lasted for years. In fact, after me and a roommate lost about $350 each one Sunday gambling on football games we went downstairs, put some snowballs in a bucket, and then chucked em at passing cars from our apartment window. I was 22 at the time hahaha. I guess in many ways, I'll never grow up. :)

Mike Vick case has nothing to do with racism

There is a new article on espn.com that tries to help others understand why many blacks in the Atlanta area view the Mike Vick thing as a case of racism. I dont mean to sound insensitive to the African-American community, but I think its absurd that espn.com would publish such an article. I understand why they did though. Mike Vick is a football icon. He generates interest in sports and espn.com is all about sports. They just want the benefit of Mike Vick the football star and could probably care less about Mike Vick the inhumane law breaker who feebly tries to smuggle weed thru airport security and runs a dogfighting ring.

Granted we dont have all the hard facts but I, for one, hope he goes to jail. I do not think this is a case of racism in the least bit and that kind of crying out seems like a major smoke screen to me, a la OJ Simpson. Even Vick's BLACK buddies are going to rat him out. The guy is a total scumbag in my book. He was given the talent to make a difference for himself, his family, his fellow African-Americans, and the Atlanta Falcons and he has done nothing but blow it every year. Time for the law to start applying to these celebrities and sports athletes. Lock em all up.

Restaurant Review: Table 8 - Miami Spice edition

Yup, its Miami Spice month again and I think Im going to try and take advantage of it better this year. I say that every year and it never really happens but, hey, the intention is there. Friday night, I took my first Miami Spice trip of the season.

I met up with a group over at Table 8 inside the Reagent on South Beach. I was there late and I hate being late. But fortunately this is Miami and I ended up being the first one there. We had a rez for 9pm but had agreed to meet around8-830 for a cocktail at the bar. The bar was pretty cool. Its set more on the Ocean Drive side of the building and its kinda like an inside/outside bar. You get the breeze and sounds of being outside but youre under the cover of the building. Theyve got huge fans that blow all over the place and keep it cool, and for the ladies who wonder what this might do to your hairdo, they will gladly redirect as requested. I asked a female bartender what types of bourbons they carried and was set to order a Woodford on the rocks when the other bartender mentioned that they also had Blantons, which has a nice kick to it with a semi-smooth caramel-like flavor. Typical of South Beach, this drink cost me a cool $18 with tip included. I didnt care because I already had a buzz going and Im pretty much numb to the South Beach tax at this point. I even gave them an extra tip by dropping some bourbon knowledge on 'em. Each bottle of Blantons has a killer cork that has a Derby horse and rider figurine on top of it. Near the foot is a little circle with a letter that is either a B, L, A, N, T, O, or S. If you put them all side by side and spell BLANTONS it looks like the horse is running the race.

Everyone finally arrived and we were seated in a comfortable booth. The waiter came and passed out both regular and Miami Spice menus and I ordered a bottle of red wine for the table ('03 Latour Noir). He returned with bread, water, and wine which was quite biblical. We all decided on the spice menu. Earlier in the day, I had asked some fellow food bloggers what a "Warm Boucheron" consisted of so it made me look all smart when I was the only one who knew what it was. So, thanks for that. Anyways, I ordered the warm boucheron and really enjoyed it. The warm smoked goat cheese was served with some tasty avocado and a balsamic roasted onion which I actually liked too and I am not an onion fan at all. One person had the soup and said it was excellent while another got the salad and found it to be nothing special.

For entrees, nearly everyone ordered the skirt steak with avocado gremotala and crispy plantains. One person ordered the olive oil poached salmon. I thought about the chicken, but I had seen a pic of it earlier on the website and didnt find it appetizing so my mind was made up. The steak was cooked to a nice medium rare as ordered and the sauce and plantains were a nice addition. It didnt blow me away, but it didnt leave me wanting more either. I had a bite of the salmon dish and found it to be cooked well but I thought it couldve used a bit more flavor to it.

Now, Im not usually a dessert person. Maybe I'll do an occasional creme brulee but thats rare. WIth Miami Spice, I'll usually give it a shot. This time it was the best item of the night. I had the vanilla panna cotta, which is sorta like creme brulee without the ramekin but more pudding-like in texture/flavor. It was served with a not-too-sweet raspberry sauce that tasted great with the vanilla. I couldve had about 3 more of these and still wanted one more.

All in all, I thought the experience was pretty good but nothing wowed me and made me want to come back again sometime soon. It was, well, good. With all the options these days, good doesnt really cut it anymore. It is nice to know that you can get a solid meal there though, and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Id recommend giving it a try though. We all have different tastes. Not quite sure about the value though. I got out of there for about $70 which included my meal, portion of the wine bottle ($60/4 people), tax and 18% tip which was added on.

I will likely go to the bar again sometime though. In fact, I went to check out the free Common/Erykah Badu concert across the way on the following night and had a girl say to me, "Hey you were at my bar last night!" I didnt recognize her and was trying to remember what the hell I did on the previous night (I had been drinking on the beach all day at this point) when she said, "You were drinking Blanton's and told me about the horse race..." Now thats a good bartender!