Don't walk, RUSH on over to the new Russia House

Hello Foodie Friends,

Last night I brought an eager group to the newly opened Russia House Restaurant & Vodka Bar in Downtown Boca (the former home of Andrew's Restaurant) and boy did we have a good time. Several of us arrived early and met at the bar for happy hour prior to being seated for dinner with our group. Their Vodka Bar has over 70 varieties of Vodka, along with specialty drinks such as their Bloody Katarina, Beluga Passion Fruit Martini and the Drunken Lychee to name a few. Happy hour is from 5 - 7pm daily (Tues - Sun).

Olivier Salad

In typical Denise's Foodie Event fashion, I organized a tasting menu for my group, served family style. The Olivier Salad, a traditional Russian vegetable salad with chicken, was excellent, as were the other starters: the Chicken & Mushroom Blini resembled a little blintz and came with a side of sour cream. It had been perfectly crisped and good to the last bite; the Eggplant Rolls were also very good and quite unique. The eggplants were rolled with walnuts, cilantro and gaaaaalic, lots of it, which is a good thing if you are a lover of garlic, like I am. Our last starter was an assortment of Marinated Gourmet Mushrooms- a nice, easy on the palate and tasty selection.

Eggplant Rolls

The Cabbage Rolls, seasoned ground beef & chicken rolled in a cabbage leaf in a tomato sauce and served with a side of mashed potatoes, were one of the House Specialties we tried. By this point, I was beginning to get stuffed. Never fear, after loosening my belt just a tad, I was able to carry on. And just in time, as our next dish arrived which was a beautiful platter of Chicken Tabaka (pan fried Cornish hen with garlic served butterfly style), Kotletti (traditional ground chicken patties), and beautiful golden potato wedges. What a gorgeous presentation. (The above items were p

Chicken & Mushroom Blini

lated for us this way for ease of serving family style and would be available ala carte on the regular menu).

For dessert, we were first presented with a section of hot teas, raspberry and black- I choose the raspberry, which was very nice and paired well with the Napoleon Torte which was also topped with a raspberry. The multi layers of puff pastry were so light and airy and the vanilla filling was so creamy. Delish!

Chicken Tabaka, Kotletti & Golden Potatoes

I would be remiss if I didn't complement owners Elana & Zvika and their wonderful staff for their outstanding and attentive service. The night was a complete success and I know that many of us have plans to return again soon.

Russia House is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesdays through Fridays from 12pm - 11pm and for dinner on Saturdays & Sundays 5pm - 11pm; Closed Mondays. They are located on the first floor of Palmetto Place Condos, on the back side - 99 SE Mizner Blvd. (Look for the bright red awnings)- in the former Andrew's location and next to The Spaniard Tapas Bar & Restaurant. 561-756-9764

Marinated Gourmet Mushrooms

www.russiahouse-restaurant.com  or Facebook   

If you wish to receive invites to attend any of my future foodie events, please contact me at denisesfoodieevents@gmail.com or visit my event page.

Until we eat again...
I send you delicious wishes, xo
Denise

Who knew that so many people liked Jamaican food?

Denise with Chef/Owner Duane Morgan

Hello Foodie Friends,

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Today, I want to share with you a great BocaFoodFind called Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro. Owned & operated by husband and wife team Duane & Frances Morgan, this is the Morgan's second restaurant followed by the success of their first one, Rocksteady Jamaican Jerk Cafe, just down the road. I picked a date to do                                  

Conch Fritters

a group dinner there and began to promote it. It was not long before I had a sold out event. Who knew there were so many people living in the area that dug Jamaican food? I was pleasantly surprised and happy to know that I had so many adventurous diners in my group who were up for trying things like Oxtail and Curry Goat.

Jerk Chicken Salad

We started off with some great apps, one of which I was familiar with, having been to the Bahamas several times, and that was the Conch Fritters. The conch meat was fresh and was seasoned perfectly with Jamaican herbs and spices, pan fried and drizzled with a jerk mango mayo. Yum! The second appetizer we tried was Akee. Akee is Jamaica's national fruit and it was served sauteed with onions and peppers. It sure didn't resemble any fruit that I've ever seen. In fact, it looked more like scrambled eggs to me. But I will affirm, it sure was tasty!

Curry Goat

Akee

As I mentioned before, we were presented with some unusual fare (at least to my non-Jamaican palate) such as Oxtail and Curry Goat, both of which were excellent, as were the beautifully assembled Jerk Chicken Salad and the Escovitch Tilapia. We all enjoyed the traditional side fixins such as peas & rice, sweet plantains and Coco bread. For dessert we devoured their delicious homemade bread pudding. 

The atmosphere was comfortable and had a laid back vibe. Service was outstanding, thanks in great part to our wonderful server Lauren, who was top notch! We all enjoyed ourselves and several of us have already been back since this dinner.

Oxtail

You can LIKE Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro on Facebook  for updates on events and specials. You can also visit their website and see their menu at http://rocksteadyjamaicanbistro.com/

Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro is open for lunch Mon - Fri from 11am - 3pm and dinner from 5 - 9pm. Saturday from 12:30pm - 9pm and Sundays from 5 - 9pm.

They're located at 2399 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. 561-465-3167

Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes xo

Denise

Everything is SUPER at Super Dave's Diner

Hello Foodie Friends,

Last month I brought a group of foodie friends to this little "hole in the wall" called Super Dave's Diner to experience what may be the best BBQ ribs and brisket in town. At Super Dave's, Chef/Owner David Harmon prides himself on providing "food that feeds your soul". 

Homemade Conch Salad

                                                                                                                                 

Super Dave's prepared an unbelievable tasting menu for us that included:  Chicken Wings, Conch Fritters, Dave’s Finger-Lickin’ Pulled Pork Sandwich, Tender Sliced Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich, Super Dave’s Ribs, Tilapia and sides such as: Conch Salad, Mac n Cheese, Sweet Potato Fries/Onion Rings, Collard Greens & Fried Okra.

Super Dave's Lip-Smackin' ribs

Chef David has been cooking up sensational food for over 16 years. His passion for cooking began as a child while watching his mom in her kitchen. At the age of five, he was prepping and assisting her with dinner every night. He has worked at several local and nationally known restaurants over the years, but it wasn't until August 2011, when he opened Super Dave’s Diner, that his life long dream became a reality.  Chef David prides himself in providing delicious Soul Food entrees at affordable prices. In addition to providing quality food for the
                                                   soul, the atmosphere is very warm and friendly. 

Pulled Pork Sandwich

  

        Sweet Potato Fries

Our group received not only great food, but awesome hospitality as well. John was the man who ran the front of house and certainly needs to be commended on his excellent customer service skills; he kept bringing us plate after plate, refilling our drinks, bringing us napkins -always with a smile on his face and a polite remark. They've got a winning combination over there at Super Dave's Diner.  


This is one BocaFoodFind that you will surely be glad to have discovered. They are open for breakfast, lunch & dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 8am and lunch and dinner Monday - Saturday. Sunday lunch and dinner are served beginning at 1pm.  




They are located at 2166 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton 561-544-0940.  You can find their menu on South Florida Menu Pages   . "LIKE" them on Facebook to receive their specials and news on upcoming events.  

Until we eat again...

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                         

Pellegrino's of Boca

Cold Antipasto

Hello Fellow Foodies,

Calamari Fritti

Last night I had the pleasure of dining at Pellegrino's Ristorante in Boca Raton. Formerly in Deerfield Beach, this Zagat-rated gem of a restaurant is owned and operated by Bobby Pellegrino (of Rao family fame). As I stepped on premise and proceeded past the opened decorative black gate, I entered the spacious patio,  where the flat screen tv playing Visions of Italy immediately caught my eye. To accompany the visual, there was nice Italian ambient music playing in the background. I began to feel myself being transported to the country I feel such a


strong tie to.  I organized a foodie event here and met my friends at the bar for a pre-dinner cocktail reception. I started with a nice generous pour of the house Cab. Appetizers soon followed and before long everyone arrived and we took our seats at a long table that had been pre set for our group. Tonight, we were dining family style. First up was a Cold Antipasto, which consisted of imported mixed Italian cold cuts, cheeses, roasted peppers & olives. Delish and quite artistically displayed! Next out came the Calamari Fritti and the Clams Oreganate. Both were packed with flavor and beautifully presented.

Clams Oreganate

Pollo alla Limone

 A pasta dish followed- Penne Rigati Filetto di Pomodoro (penne with pancetta, onions & plum tomatoes). Cooked to al dente perfection and topped with just the right amount of sauce, this was a great selection.  The entrees I had selected for the group were the Pollo alla Limone (broiled chicken on the bone, cut to bite size pieces with a lemon garlic marinade. We really enjoyed this dish; the chicken was cooked perfectly and the lemon/garlic sauce was off the charts. Other entrees included the Eggplant Parmigiana and the Sausage & Peppers. The dishes were so vibrant, both in color and taste. Each bite was better than the previous one. The service was excellent too.

Our wait staff was attentive to our needs and delivered our food and drinks promptly. Just as we began to wind down, with our tummy's full and our wine glasses empty, our waiter, under the direction of Bobby Pellegrino, had brought out a few specialty desserts and coffees, on the house. What an unexpected surprise and pleasure. As we got up from the table and said our good byes, we thanked our wonderful host for a lovely evening and told him we'd be back, and that is a promise, I for one look forward to keeping.

Pellegrino's is located at 3360 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. 561-368-5520. Their website is: www.PellegrinosOfBoca.com

Sausage & Peppers

Until we eat again,
I send you delicious wishes xo,

Denise

Eggplant Parmigiana

Tortofu

Tiramisu

Spicy Ginger, a cozy Asian-American eatery in N. Boca

Dear Fellow Foodies,

Yesterday was our second stop on our month-long culinary journey around the globe. The Culinary Chew Chew departed on March 6th with a taste of Greece at Estia Greek Taverna in Royal Palm Place and last night we delighted our taste buds with some awesome Asian-American food from the Spicy Ginger in a little strip center on Federal Highway in North Boca Raton. There were 13 of us who attended who were treated to a delightful tasting menu of 4 appetizers, 4 entrees (served family style) and dessert.

The appetizers arrived two at a time and the first one out was the pan fried veggie dumplings (made with fresh spinach and the juice from the spinach, I was told by owner Tommy Wong, was used in the making of the dumpling dough.) They were very light and extremely flavorful. The next appetizer I tried was the Shrimp egg rolls.

They were wonderful. Again, very light and crispy but not at all oily. Dipped in the sweet & sour sauce- I did my best to resist eating the whole plate! The sliced pork tenderloin and the chicken lettuce wraps came out next. Both were wonderful dishes. The pork had a lovely caramelized sweet & sour marinade with a nice smokey flavor and

was very tender and juicy. The chicken lettuce wraps with the hoisin sauce was packed with flavor and easy and fun to eat. The entrees consisted of Tofu & Shiitake Mushroom, Filet of Flounder with mixed veggies, Sliced Filet Mignon and Crispy Chicken. They have something on the menu for everyone, guaranteed. Note: the crispy chicken does pack a little heat, so those sensitive to anything hot or spicy should be forewarned-

great flavor though. For dessert, we were offered a choice of Green tea ice cream, ginger ice cream or vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup. I had the green tea and thought it was really nice. I also tried a bite of the ginger ice cream and

thought that was really good as well. At the end of the night, we each were given a fortune cookie and decided it would be fun if everyone opened theirs up and one at a time read theirs out loud to the group. This turned out to be a lot of fun as we all shared some good laughs. On our way out, each of us was handed a take out bag with soup for us to enjoy the next day. What a nice gesture and one that I can say we all appreciated.

Spicy Ginger is located at 6020 N. Federal Highway in a little plaza about a half mile north of Yamato Rd. They are open for lunch Mon - Fri 11:30am - 3pm and dinner Mon - Sun 4 - 10pm. Phone: 561-998-3388

You can find their menu on their website: www.spicygingerboca.com. Follow them on facebook at www.facebook.com/SpicyGingerBoca.

Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Authentic Greek Experience here in Downtown Boca

Hello Fellow Foodies,

I kicked off the month of March with a Culinary Journey around the Globe. First stop on the Culinary Chew Chew was a Taste of Greece at the newly opened Estia Greek Taverna &
Bar in Royal Palm Place. I brought a group of 27 there this past Tuesday evening to have an authentic Greek experience. We arranged a sampling of several mezes (appetizers) and a couple main dishes and dessert. We began with their wonderful hummus served with warm pieces of pita bread. Next we had a Greek Salad that was chock-full of perfectly ripened tomatoes and nice chunks of feta, red onion and green peppers tossed in a nice dressing. Their homemade fried zucchini chips and dipping sauce came out next and were very addicting. "Opa!" was shouted as the waiters brought out the saganaki and flamed it table side for our entertainment. This was a crowd pleaser for sure. Next we had Bifteki, or Greek Meatballs which were small and tasty in a tomato based sauce. Our main dishes were Lamb Shank served with orzo and Moussaka, laye

rs of eggplant, potatoes, ground beef & bechamel sauce. By this point I was stuffed, but since I was the one who had organized the group, I had already tasted these dishes weeks before and knew they were great. This time, I took them home and enjoyed them the next day for lunch. We finished with some baklava which is a perfect balance in my opinion of sweet and savory. Ordinarily they do not have live belly dancers on a week night, but they surprised us by bringing one in and handed out several tambourines to our guests to join in on the fun. This really added to our overall enjoyment. I would suggest if you are booking a group that you request this entert

ainment in advance for your group as well. Otherwise, you will find live music and entertainment there on the weekends.

Visit their facebook page and become a fan to receive updates, specials and notific

ations of special events at: www.facebook.com/EstiaGreekTavernaBoca

They are located at 507 SE Mizner Blvd. Phone: (561)-245-8885.

Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Calling all Vegans (and non vegans too)

Hello FoodieFriends,

This past Saturday, I attended a luncheon that I had organized at Sophie n Me, a new Vegan/Vegetarian/Organic restaurant (that also offers non veg selections as well) in Boca Raton on Federal Highway, just north of Spanish River Blvd, in the plaza on the west side. I arranged a tasting menu which satisfied all in attendance.
As the group arrived and we were waiting to begin eating, we were each brought a sample of their Matcha Green Tea Smoothie (Vegan). It was chock full of "green" and yet containted just the right amount of sweetness. First item we sampled was the Coconut Curry Soup (Vegan) made with rice vermicelli & spinach and simmered in a coconut milk & curry broth. (Served with chicken for our non-vegan friends). This soup was perfectly balanced and had excellent flavors. It reminded me of my favorite Thai soup, Tom Ka Kai. Our sampler plate arrived and on it was a beautiful arrangement of Salads, a grilled veggie wrap, and Macaroni & Cheese. The first salad I tried was the Corn Off The Cobb Salad. I had the non-vegan version which consisted of a traditional Cobb Salad of Romaine & Boston Lettuces, avocado, tomato, nitrite-free bacon, chopped egg & roasted seasoned corn, cut off the cob. You can choose from a variety salad dressings; all are organic and the Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette, which is homemade, is also vegan. I tried this one and also the Balsamic Vinaigrette and both were delish! The other salad we sampled was the Quinoa & Pesto Salad (Vegan). OMG, was this amazing! I have had quinoa a few times before, but never have I had anything that tasted this good! The pesto sauce elevated this dish to a whole new level, creating such a unique taste; it was tossed with red peppers, onions and garbanzo beans. The grilled veggie wrap ($6.75), was made with grilled sweet peppers, portabella mushroom, carmelized onions and eggplant inside a grilled whole wheat wrap and served with a creamy avocado dressing. Yum Yum! The Macaroni & Cheese (Vegan) is made with whole grain macaroni and baked in a creamy vegan cheese sauce. ($5.75). It was so creamy and cheesy, I didn’t feel I was missing out by not having the “real” dairy products at all. For dessert, we were delighted with mini Green Tea Cupcakes (Vegan). They were very good and not sweet either.

Sophie n Me takes special care to ensure all menu items are made with all-natural, sustainable and/or organic ingredients that are free from preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, chemicals or GMO's. All of their vegetables are 100% certified organic. They are committed to distinguishing themselves as a leader in fresh flavor that you can savor and are proud to provide a health-conscious and environmentally-supportive dining option for you and your family.

Sophie n Me is open Tuesday through Saturday 11am - 9pm. Located at 4251 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton Phone: 561-961-4899 Email: info@sophienme.com Web: http://www.sophienme.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/SophienMe

Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise