James Beard Foundation's "Taste America" comes to Sur La Table, Downtown Boca

Hello Foodie Friends,
 What an awesome day I had yesterday at Mizner Park, in beautiful Downtown Boca. Thanks to the good folks at The James Beard Foundation (www.jamesbeard.org), their sponsors and Sur la Table, those who were lucky enough to get in, like myself, enjoyed time with the talented, funny and approachable Ted Allen, Host of The Food Network's "Chopped" and formerly of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", which incidentally Ted and his former co-stars recently met to shoot a reunion show which will be airing sometime in October. Ted was also in town promoting his new book, "In My Kitchen" and stayed after his cooking demo to do a book signing.

Ted, along with Yigit Pura, winner of Bravo's "Top Chef Just Desserts", Season 1 and owner of Tout Sweet Patisserie in San Francisco, came into town on Friday to help kick off the "Taste 10 Cities" national event where guests enjoy a one-night-only menu created by a Taste America All-Star team of notable and local chefs in each city who come together for a two-day event to include a Friday evening dinner at a unique venue to raise funds to support the James Beard Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds from each dinner also benefiting a local charity.

Each city's two-day event includes a Friday evening fundraising dinner for foodies and free culinary demonstrations on Saturday at a Sur La Table store. This past Friday's dinner was held at the Ancient Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach and included several James Beard award winners such as Ted Allen, South Florida's very own: Norman Van Aken, Allen Susser, Michael Schwartz, Lorena Garcia and visiting Pastry Chef Yigit Pura. (I was unable to attend this event, but from looking at the menu and from what Ted and Yigit mentioned about it on Saturday, this is a "must do" event and if you are able to make it to one of the other cities on the tour, I'd highly recommend doing so or at a minimum, be on the look out or next year's event when they return to Miami).

Ted demonstrated a variation on a chicken "saltimbocca" where he pounded a chicken breast to thin uniform sizes and placed sage leaves on the seasoned meat and then wrapped with prosciutto and then placed in pan to saute. He showed us how to make a little sauce for it and then he got started on his potatoes fried in duck fat. (liquid gold). SLT's Store Manager, Martin was ever so helpful at bringing in items that were used during the demonstration that were available for purchase right there in the store. Who knew you could buy this illusive duck fat? Now I do and you do too!!!

In between Ted's demo and Yigit's, I ran over to Kapow! for some lunch. Yes, even though I just came from a cooking demo, I still had a little bit of an appetite ;)

I ordered their Bahn Mi sandwich which came with some fries. I packed half of the meal to go to be finished later for dinner.

                                       

Yigit demonstrated how to make a "Cheeky Upside Down Raspberry Tart with Lavender Honey Gems". He showed us also how to make the vanilla bean pastry cream and included some useful tips for the home baker.

Later that night, I took out my leftovers from Kapow and the first thing that came to mind was re-frying those fries, this time in the duck fat that I had picked up earlier at Sur La Table.  I hit the fries with some truffle salt (which coincidentally came from The Spice and Tea Exchange, another wonderful store for foodies also in Mizner Park), while they were still hot, yummo! I transformed the pork sandwich by losing the bread and adding carmelized onions and a few prunes for contrast against the saltiness of the dish. (If you don't care for prunes, I'm sure dates would work just as well). 

Had a wonderful day in Mizner Park and speaking of MP, don't forget the Taste Maker's event is coming up this Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept 24th and 25th. Taste a signature dish item and cocktail from 11 participating restaurants for one low price. Do it all in one eve or spread it out over the two. You can buy your tickets online here or at any one of the participating restaurants.

Until we eat again,

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Tastemakers at Mizner Park, a blogger's preview

Hello Foodie Friends,

I was fortunate to be invited to the preview of this year's Tastemakers at Mizner Park. I have been living and working in the Downtown Boca area for 11 years now and somehow have managed to miss this sensational event year after year. So, I was thrilled when I received an invite to attend this special night for media/food bloggers.

"Tastemakers" is Mizner Park's signature event featuring food and cocktail pairings from 11 partnering restaurants in which participants have the opportunity to purchase a two-day passport to sample a food bite and cocktail pairing from each and will take place Tuesday, September 24th and Wednesday, September 25th from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Passports are on sale right now at www.miznerpark.com and are $30 per person. In addition, each restaurant will provide an exclusive offering that is valid right now through October 31st.

We covered 9 out of the 11 restaurants on our preview. Here is what we experienced:

Jazziz Nightlife
Tasting: Butter Poached Maine Lobster risotto. Ours was served with a corn risotto but we were told it will be a Kobocha squash risotto at the time of the event next month when squash is in season.

Pairing: Newton's Cure - barrel-aged gin, honeycrisp shrub, local honey and sparkling wine

Promotion: 20% off entire check with purchase of entree

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The Cheese Course
Tasting: Italian Artisan cheese course. What a beautiful spread was laid out before us. Parmesan, Robiola Bosina (the Italian Brie), Taleggio

Pairing: Award-winning Italian wine (red)

Promotion: Free glass of house wine with the purchase of a cheese course, bistro sandwich or salad.
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Tanzy

Tasting: Housemade meatball and garlic crostini. Very tender, made by combining pork, beef and veal and slow roasted in their signature passata di pomodoro sauce, topped with whipped ricotta.

Pairing: Pineapple Mint Illegalito Mojito Italiano (Wow, is that one heck of a long name; "Illegalito" for short...) This is probably my new fave cocktail, at least for the time being! ;)

Promotion: Complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entree.
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Kapow

Tasting: Bahn Mi Vietnamese Baguette. Slow cooked pulled pork, buttery spicy aioli, cilantro, pickled carrots, daikon and jalapeno. This little sandwich is packed with a little bit of heat that I happened to discover on my very first bite, so consider yourself warned, if you're a whimp, er...a little sensitive to heat, like me. After working through the first bite though, the heat subsided and the sandwich was very tasty.

Pairing: Spicy Lover - Partida Reposado Tequila, cucumber, lime juice, Tabasco Green Sauce, cilantro, organic agave nectar

Promotion: 15% off entire check with the purchase of entree
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Dubliner

Tasting: Traditional Irish Faves: Shepherd's Pie and Guiness Mac and Cheese, served with Irish soda bread and butter. One of the owners, Sean McGrade came to our table to explain the Shepherd's pie was his Grandmother's recipe and was made with a combination of ground lamb and ground beef. He mentioned the recipe can be found on Sun-Sentinel.com under Dubliner's Shepherd's Pie. The Irish Soda Bread is like a dessert and is a little dry, made to pucker your mouth. Best enjoyed with preserves or butter. Sean suggested Kerigold butter, you know the one that comes wrapped in the gold foil.

Pairing: Special Black Velvet - a delightful combination of Guiness and Cider

                          

Promotion: 20% off entire check with the purchase of entree, not to be combined with any other discounts or offers
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Max's Grille

Tasting: Shrimp Ceviche - baby marinated shrimp with lime juice, chilies, onions, tomatoes and avocado, topped with crisp plantain chips.

Pairing: Sanguigno Jalapeno Margarita - Tanteo Tequila, Bacardi Limon, Gran Marnier, fresh limes and blood oranges. This cocktail certainly complimented the food bite very nicely.

                                      
Promotion: 10% off entire check; cannot be combined with any other promotion
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Rack's

Tasting: Ahi Tuna Tacos. I have to give kudos to where kudos is due. The taco shell was made from yukon gold potato chip. Held up very nicely and added a nice twist to the usual taco vessel.

Pairing: Retail Therapy - Rain Honey Mango Melon Vodka, Triple Sec, splash of lime juice, Tang Rim

Promotion: Complimentary bottle of wine with the purchase of 2 entrees from 4pm - 6pm Monday through Friday.

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Karma

Tasting: Chicken Pot Stickers- pan fried and served with garlic chili dipping sauce and spicy mustard.

Pairing: Sasyr - Super Tuscan wine, Tuscany, Italy

Promotion: Complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entree

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Villagio

Tasting: Beef Carpaccio - thin slices of heaven, er...I mean cured filet mignon, topped with mixed greens and Parmesan cheese, drizzled with lemon vinaigrette. One of the owners, Aguinaldo Demelo, was on hand to explain how the carpaccio was made. Very interesting.

Pairing: Birra Dolce Vita - a very smooth golden pale Italian beer. Has a little kick, a nice bite and notes of honey. I'm not usually a beer drinker, but was convinced to try it and I'm sure glad I was. It was delightful and a great pairing indeed.

Promotion: 15% discount off entire meal with the purchase of entree, not to be combined with any other discounts or offers.

The two additional restaurants that are included in the Tastemaker's passport that we were unable to visit on this night are: Truluck's and Uncle Julio's. At Truluck's you will be tasting their fresh Pacific Stone Crab with Poema Cava wine and at Uncle Julio's, you'll be enjoying their Shrimp and Mango Guacamole paired with their Spiced Mango Passion Margarita.

Well, I have to admit, even though I pride myself on being a Foodie, this was a heck of a lot of food and drink for this gal on one night. So, I would recommend you split your time accordingly or come with a huge appetite and a thirst that needs quenching! It's a tremendous value at just $30.

Don't forget to get your tickets now at www.miznerpark.com to take advantage of the extra promotion going on now til the end of October. See you on September 24th - 25th!

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

Denise

You've heard of a Pub Crawl, but have you heard of a Dish Crawl?

Dishcrawl, a national startup founded on the premise that communities can be brought together through good food and good company, has recently expanded into the to Ft. Lauderdale market, making it's debut under the direction of Dish Crawl Ambassador, Rebecca Shapiro this past Tuesday, July 23rd, from 7pm - 9pm.


Rebecca escorted a group of foodies to four exciting secret destinations, spending approximately a half hour at each stop, all along the famed Las Olas Boulevard which has come a long way since its origin as a dirt road in the 1920’s. Today, the paved streets are lined with unique boutiques and a plethora of spectacular bars and restaurants and makes for an excellent Dish Crawl.

Dish Crawlers

Our first stop was the Las Olas Wine Bar. The guests each checked in at the registration table and were given a name tag and directed to the area where a nice spread of hummus and pita, salmon crostini and mini caprese sandwiches were set out for the Crawlers. Glasses of wine were available for those who wished to imbibe. Under the direction of our Culinary Guide, we moved on to our second stop, Tuscan Grill.

Tasting Plate at Tuscan Grille

 

Down the steps we went as we entered Tuscan Grill, heading one level below the street. It felt as if we were in a sunken living room, only with a very distinctive Tuscan feel with the long family table set nicely under the pergola.  On the table we found housemade garlic bread with their freshly made bruschetta  and olive tapenade. Drink orders were taken and delivered and soon arrived our tasting plates - grilled octopus with a citrus vinaigrette, porcini mushroom risotto and homemade gnocchi pomodori. Just before we were to depart from this lovely setting, Rebecca came by to let everyone know that we were getting reading to move on to our next destination and if anyone had any outstanding checks to go ahead and take care of them at this time. The ticket price of $45 does not include drinks so Dish Crawl participants are asked to bring cash to pay for any drinks they order. Our next stop was Mango's.

En route to next stop

Seafood Trio at Mango's

Here we were treated to a trio of crab cake, crab bisque and salmon with mango salsa. Good thing the bites were small because I was getting full at this point but we had one more stop yet before calling it a night. Once again, we received our fair warning that we were near ready to depart for our final destination and to settle up any bills that need to be settled. Once outside, we were able to get Rebecca to reveal to us the name of our final stop. With a little playful reluctance she gave in and announced we were heading to Udder Sweets for our final stop on the Crawl.

Udder Sweets

Here we were treated to either two scoops of the ice cream of our choice or two chocolate truffles. Let me tell you, walking into this place I felt like the proverbial  "kid in a candy store". They had everything in there. And the aromas that welcome you into the store...they had me at smello! 
At the conclusion of our final stop, I thought to myself, what a great way to get out and experience a city; Whether you are a local or a visitor, this is a fun and affordable way to get to taste your way around some wonderful restaurants that have been personally selected by a foodie for foodies in addition to getting to hang out with like minded individuals and make new friends.

For more info on upcoming Dish Crawls in Ft. Lauderdale, you can visit:
http://www.dishcrawl.com/ftlauderdale or contact:
Rebecca Shapiro at 305-710-9439  or rebeccas@dishcrawl.com

Jenny de Borja and Yours Truly

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

Denise

Oceans 234 is getting WAVE Reviews about their exciting new menu items!

I had the privilege of attending a private tasting of several of Chef Victor Franco's new menu items the other day at this beautiful ocean front bistro and bar in honor of their 10 year Anniversary which will be celebrated at the restaurant next Thursday, June 27th. Situated on a stretch of scenic ocean front property, Ocean's guests enjoy panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean with the Deerfield Pier providing a picturesque backdrop.

What a spectacular presentation was set before us, course after course.

The first plate to arrive was the Baby Cobb Salad

Next came the Baby Spinach Salad topped with Blackened Shrimp.

A beautifully crafted dish of Spinach Artichoke Dip with Crostini was next.

 So fresh it could have jumped from the sea to our plates, the Grilled Bronzini was amazing.

Next up was the Shrimp Fra Diavolo served over a bed of Linguini. With just a little bit of heat, paired nicely with the house Pinot Noir.

One of my absolute faves of the night was the next dish, the Ribeye. The twice baked potato which was made miniature for our tasting menu was so cute and really tasty too.

Just as our tummy's were about to burst, a beautiful oasis of Oreos & Cheesecake combined into one mesmerizing creation was set before us. Suddenly, I found my second wind, or was it my "dessert stomach"?!? Paired with their own cocktail creation known as the Hummingbird and served in this cute-as-can-be drinking vessel.

                                   The Hummingbird

Another new addition to the already very tempting dessert menu is the Banana Cream Pie, which we didn't actually have on this evening, but man does this look sinfully delicious, or what???

Chef Victor combined local ingredients and delicious homemade sauces to create a symphony of tastes that pleased everyone's palates on this night as I am sure he does every night for each and every one of the satisfied guests who leave happier than when they arrived.

Open 7 days a week for lunch & dinner and spectacular brunch on Sundays, Oceans serves American Cuisine, Seafood specialties including Raw Bar and Sushi. They can also accommodate Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Diets.

Oceans 234 is a great Special Events location and their attentive staff make planning any event there a real cinch. They also offering off-site catering for weddings, corporate engagement and other parties or special events.

To me, this place is a little piece of tropical paradise that will no doubt lift your spirits should they need lifting, and transport you to a vacation mindset, even if you are a just a local, like me.

Located at 234 Ocean Blvd. in Deerfield Beach.
954-428-2539

www.oceans234.com and www.facebook.com/oceans234

Until we eat again...

  I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise

Is it true that the pasture is always Greener on the other side?

Hello Foodie Friends,

Trout

Organic Veggie Lasagna

   I am happy to announce that BocaFoodFinds is expanding our reach to include cities outside of Boca. The first city I will be covering beyond Boca is our vibrant neighbor to the north, Delray Beach. I have heard about this place called The Green Gourmet for years now, and shame on me for not having made it in sooner. I stopped in last night for an impromptu tasting and was lucky enough to find Chef/Owner Joey still in, just an hour before closing. We sat and chatted and ate and I loved every single morsel. I'm hooked! I started out with the kale & white bean soup followed by a number of specially prepared small tasting plates. I found out that the menu changes weekly on Fridays with several of the house specialties remaining a constant on the menu. After the soup, a colorful plate was set before me containing a trio of roasted root veggies: brussel sprouts, beets & caramelized cauliflower- a beautiful and tasty treat. Next, I was served a beautiful piece of trout on top a bed of roasted organic brussel sprouts & beets with a pomegranate reduction. The next dish I tried was their miso glazed tofu which came on a bed of sauteed greens- very light, yet packed with so much flavor! The final plate set before me was one of their gourmet specialties of the house: the organic veggie lasagna. This stunning dish was made with thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers, portabella mushrooms, yams and pomodoro tomato sauce.

My dining experience at The Green Gourmet was exemplary and the fact that I had gotten to spend the time getting to know the man behind the concept made it that much more enjoyable. Great job to Joey and his talented team there at The Green Gourmet. I can't wait to go back!

Trio of roasted root veggies

The Green Gourmet is located in the Shoppes at Addison Place, 16950 Jog Road. 561-455-2466
www.TheGreenGourmetDelray.net 




Until we eat again,
I send you delicious wishes xoxo

Denise
C.E.O. (Chief Eating Officer), Denise's Foodie Events
www.facebook.com/DenisesFoodieEvents

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