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