Gourmet pleasures may 2018

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MAY 2018

LAS VEGAS Gourmet Guide

MIAMI’S TOP TEN:

NUSRET

GUILTY PLEASURES:

Godiva Chocolatier HIDDEN TREASURES: Zaika Indian Restaurant

CEO’S LETTER

I, along my staff, want to thank all of our readers for your very positive response to the inaugural issue of Gourmet Pleasures This was truly a “labor of love” and your favorable feedback has fueled my desire to continue my goal to both inform and entertain you, the audience. South Florida is a magical place to live but I believe it has long been overlooked as a serious dining city. That is something I want to change by guiding you to the best of the best.

I owe a big debt of gratitude to chef Franco Noriega for allowing us to interview him and providing us with his delicious recipe for chicken. His kind words about us on social media was greatly appreciated. I am looking forward to the release of his first ever song, Me Aceleras.

Since eating at all the great restaurants I’ve reviewed is exhausting, I needed to take a few days off for some rest and relaxation and what better place to go than Las Vegas. This month’s issue contains “Gourmet Pleasures on Vacation”. Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities with many fine dining options. Read about one of the best.

Mother’s Day is on May 13 and this month’s Guilty Pleasure is Godiva Chocolate which would make a wonderful gift for the special women in your lives. Or maybe you can take mom to one of our featured restaurants. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Please don’t forget about Guilty Pleasure’s current contest. Write us a review of your favorite restaurant and if it makes my “mouth water” I’ll go there with you and pick up the check.

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue. I had so much fun getting it ready for you.

Rene Buroz CEO/Founder

Content: 2 HEAD TO HEAD:

18 CHEERS:

5 GUILTY PLEASURES:

20 HIDDEN TREASURES:

Fame Vs. Food

Godiva Chocolatier

6 FOOD AND FITNESS: Breakfast for your ride

8 MIAMI’S TOP TEN:

Las Vegas Gourmet Guide

Senior Editor: Ellen Rosenfeld Assosiate editor: Oswaldo Pisfil Editorial@gourmetpleasures.com PHOTOGRAPHY GP Photography @ReneGourmet @DroneProductions

22 CULTURAL CORNER: Zaika Indian Cuisine

LA MAR with Ivan Pereira

10 COVER STORY:

Editor in Chief/ Creative Design Margie Castro

Cafe Bistro at Nordstrom

24 CRITIC FOR A NIGHT:

Nusret

FOUNDER/CEO Gourmet Pleasures Rene Buroz (2018)

Wine Tasting with Alberto Moro

25 GOURMET DIARY:

Price, Quality and Flavor

CONTRIBUTORS Gabriela Morales Alex Forster Hillarin Soto Matt Wagner Lili Tique PUBLISHED BY Stage Wynwood LLC 2018 Head Office: 350 S. Miami Ave Ste. A Miami, Fl. 33130

FOR OTHER ENQUIRIES, PLEASE VISIT: www.GourmetPleasures.com © Copyright 2018 Gourmet Pleasures. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein. @GourmetPleasures

Email: Contact@gourmetpleasures.com

MAY 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 1

Head to Head

Fame Vs. Food

BY Ellen Rosenfeld

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ecently a good friend invited me to have dinner with him at a very upscale South Florida restaurant. I was thrilled by the invitation as I had been wanting to eat there since it opened. I had read great reviews about their food and had seen many photos online of celebrities dining there; and they had one of my favorite dishes on their menu. I will not be mentioning any of the menu items or the name of the restaurant as my intention in this article is not to trash this particular establishment, but rather to make a point about fame versus food.

The first thing we noticed after being seated was that the surface of the table felt “gritty”. There was no tablecloth, which is fine with me, but the surface was covered with dirt. We dusted it off with our napkins and then asked the waiter to please clean it, which he did. This did not dull my excitement. I am not high maintenance and I was looking forward to the food. But here’s the problem.

The food was not good and everything was served cold. I am not referring to a few dishes, I am referring to all the dishes and we had a lot! My generous friend does not believe in moderation, especially when it comes to food. He ordered approximately 10 dishes for the two of us. We left more than we ate and not because we were full but because nothing was appetizing. The one dish that was the correct temperature was the ice cream based dessert, but this tasted of too much alcohol and not in a good way.

On the ride home, I thought of a possible review of this experience. I imagined writing that this is the place to go if you want a very expensive bad meal. The next morning, I reread online reviews and I couldn’t believe how many people raved about this restaurant. Yes, there were some 1 and 2 star reviews but they were far outnumbered by the 5 star reviews, I started thinking that maybe we ordered the wrong dishes but we tried at least 10 different “specialties of the house.” Since this dinner, I have spoken to several people, who I believe have a fairly sophisticated palate, and they all spoke poorly of the food.

“

I think that some people, especially millennials, believe that if famous actors, singers and athletes eat there it must be good.

”

There are approximately 637,000 restaurants in the USA and this establishment’s gross yearly revenue is in the top 0.01%. Why? I believe it’s all about the fame. I find this sad because there are so many excellent restaurants that struggle to stay open. I wonder what would happen if LeBron James or Kim Kardashian were photographed at one of these failing eateries. I bet you wouldn’t be able to get a reservation for a month.

Keep this in mind next time you are thinking about going to the new “hottest” restaurant in town. Just a thought!

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Guilty Pleasures

GODIVA CHOCOLATIER

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hen you walk into a Godiva store you may be very tempted to dip your fingers into the chocolate mixers when no one is looking. We certainly wanted to. What a wonderful way to satisfy our weakness, or for some, our addiction to chocolate!

Godiva Chocolates was founded in 1926 by chocolatier Joseph Draps in Brussels, Belgium. He named his handcrafted candies after the legendary Lady Godiva, an English noblewoman who rode a horse through the streets of Coventry, naked except for her long flowing hair, in protest of the town’s taxation at the hands of her husband. In 1958, the first Godiva store outside of Belgium was opened in Paris, France.

The gourmet chocolates first reached the United States in 1966 when they were sold at the then

By @ReneGourmet upscale Wanamaker’s Department Store in Philadelphia. Campbell’s Soup Company purchased Godiva in 1967 and in 1972 they opened their first boutique store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, Campbell’s Soup decided that Godiva Chocolates did not fit in to their “simple meal” brand and sold the company to the Istanbul based Yildiz Holding Company for 850 million dollars. The company now has approximately 600 stores in over 80 countries and their candy is also available in more than 10,000 specialty retailers. Their projected revenue for 2018 is over 1.5 billion dollars.

Since Mother’s Day is on May 13, Gourmet Pleasures had a good excuse to visit our local Godiva store to investigate what new delights were available. We found our traditionals favorites; the sensational milk

chocolate covered strawberries and cashews, the dark chocolate covered pretzels, and the tins of hot cocoa and biscuits. But as usual, Godiva has prepared some very special items for Mother’s Day. The Ted Baker London Box, a leather travel jewelry box filled with assortment spring chocolates, immediately caught our attention.

What mother or grandmother wouldn’t be thrilled to receive this as a present. For those who love truffles, Godiva offers their Happy Mother’s Day Signature Truffles in a beautiful gold gift box.

As we have mentioned in a previous issue, some people believe that indulging ourselves is a sin, but we must admit that Godiva Chocolates tempts us to “sin” because sometimes gratification is too good to resist!

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FOOD & FITNESS

Energy-Loaded Pancakes By @MiamiRideLife

A healthy breakfast is extremely important, especially if you are planning on cycling or participating in another vigorous activity. This easy, but delicious, recipe provides you with good carbs and fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. These are all essential for your health and peak performance. Try it out and let us know what you think.

Ingredients for 6 pancakes: • • • • • •

1 cup of oats 4 egg whites 1 egg yolk 1 banana 250 ml water Olive oil

Directions: 1. Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender and mix at maximum speed until smooth. You should not see any holes in the middle of the batter.

2. Lightly coat a frying pan with the olive oil and then heat over medium high temperature. Pour or scoop batter onto pan (approximately 1⁄4 cup per pancake ) Brown on one side then flip and brown on the other side.

We recommend eating them with orange blossom honey, or if you prefer light whipped cream.

Enjoy!

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Introducing our Awards Be ready to know which Miami Restaurants will receive the honorable Gourmet Pleasures plaque.

Follow Us!

@GourmetPleasures GourmetPleasuresMagazine @GourmetPMag MAY 2018 GOURMET PLEASURES | 7

MIAMI’S TOP TEN: By @ReneGourmet

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ecently opened in our city, Nusret Restaurant has gained popularity in a very short period of time, Nusret Gokce, its Turkish chef and owner, known on Instagram as Salt Bae, has been a butcher since he was just a child.

He rose to stardom for his viral videos on social media which always end with a salt-sprinkling wrist flick that has since become his signature move.

As you enter a door simulating a butcher’s cellar, you see a simple decor with a large bar and a refrigerator full of picture perfect cuts of meat. The menu is uncomplicated and straight-forward.

Only USDA prime meat is served which, of course, accounts for the high prices.

Now if you ever get around to stopping by, allow us to give you a few

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NUSRET

recommendations. For an appetizer, we like the meat sushi, a thin tenderloin served on a white rice nigiri which is lightly cooked with a torch and finished with a touch of chips and avocado cream. You can combine the Nurset Spaghetti with the Lokum. The “spaghetti” actually has nothing to do with pasta but instead is thinly sliced steak strips. The Lokum is simply a perfectly seasoned sliced beef filet. We love the restaurant’s sensational homemade hamburger. It is perfectly prepared with prime ground beef, cheese, caramelized onions on a homemade soft roll.This is the best “burger” we’ve ever had.

For you main dish, you can order from a assortment of premium cuts of meat and if you are lucky Chef Nusret, himself, may

come to your table and season it in his dynamic style.

To finish up, for dessert, we recommend the Baklava with yogurt ice, cream; a light pistachio flavor, sweet enough to taste but very subtle to the palate.

Dining at Nurset is an expensive but high quality experience. All of these reasons make Nusret Restaurant one of our top 10 restaurants in Miami deserving of our “Gourmet Pleasures” Award.

FIND THEM AT

999 Brickell Ave, Miami, FL 33131 www.nusr-et.com.tr (305) 415-9990 @Nusr_et

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LASGourmet VEGAS Guide By @ReneGourmet

Several weeks ago, Gourmet Pleasures spent a wonderful weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas is a city that has something for everyone, but for us the highlight of our visit was the wonderful culinary experiences. Many of the finest chefs in the world have opened restaurants in the beautiful hotels, which makes Las Vegas a great vacation destination for gourmets.

DAY 1

Dinner at Wazuzu

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azuzu is located in the Encore Hotel where we stayed and received excellent hospitality. The restaurant serves Pan Asian food which, simply put, is food from Asia including Chinese, Japanese, and Thai.

The decor is modern with the main attraction being a 27 foot dragon made of 90,000 crystals, which is displayed on the main wall of the restaurant. We began our meal with the Wonton Soup, a delicate chicken broth with shrimp and pork dumplings, carrots and scallions. We highly recommend it as a starter. For the main dish, we ordered the Cantonese Assorted Barbecue Plate. The roasted duck, barbecued pork and spare ribs were all delicious. We also had the Sweet and Sour Chicken which was prepared in a wok with pineapple, bell peppers and onions. Sweet and Sour Chicken is a common Chinese dish but Wazuzu’s preparation takes it to new heights. No Asian meal would be complete without fried rice and our waitress recommended the Cantonese Style Fried Rice with pork and shrimp. We were very happy that we listened to her, as it was outstanding.

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Day 2 (Breakfast)

Breakfast at Jardin

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ardin is also located in the Encore Hotel and is a casual dining location featuring contemporary American cuisine with health conscious options including smoothies. You can dine indoors, or outside which overlooks the lush greenery and one of the hotel’s beautiful swimming pools. We ordered the steel cut oats which were perfectly cooked and served with brown sugar and golden raisins.

The oatmeal was creamy but not so smooth that you couldn’t taste the oats. This was a delicious healthy choice. The Chicken Omelet was prepared with monterey jack cheese and was served with Anaheim peppers, avocado and hash browns. This was not your ordinary omelet and we would certainly order it again. We also had the Crab Eggs Benedict. This was a traditional eggs benedict only prepared with lump crabmeat instead of ham. This was decadent but well worth the calories. What a wonderful start to day two of our adventure.

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Day 2 (Dinner)

Joe’s Seafood

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e were feeling a little homesick, so we decided to have dinner at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab Restaurant at Caesars Palace. This is not the original restaurant from Miami Beach but a close “relative” as it is a collaboration between the Florida owners and Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.

The restaurant is located in the Forum Shops, a high scale shopping location and home to luxury international brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

“Joe’s” decor is that of a typical high-end steak house. Once seated at our table, we were presented with an beautiful bread basket featuring delicious cornbread with homemade butter. Gourmet Pleasures consider ourselves “connoisseurs” of butter and we were impressed. We started the meal with a Manhattan Clam Chowder and a Crab Bisque.

Both were excellent. We also had an appetizer of assorted oysters, which tasted like they were right out of the ocean, and their presentation was “spot on”. For our main course, we had the crab cakes which had great texture. They were full of meat with very little filler. Of course, we also order the large stone crabs. They were expertly cracked making them very easy to enjoy. The sauce was the typical “Joe’s” sauce, in other words perfect! For dessert, we had a tres leches cake, It was good, but, in our opinion, would have been better with more sauce. We left the restaurant happy and full and recommend Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steaks & Stone Crab to all of our readers.

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Day 3 (Breakfast)

The Buffet

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efreshed by a good night sleep in our comfortable beds at The Encore Hotel, we were hungry so we decided to breakfast at The Buffet at The Wynn.

This is a casual restaurant with a fine dining setting.

When we first entered, the decor left us speechless.

We have dined in hundreds of restaurants all around the world and we are rarely impressed by interior design or accoutrements, but The Buffet is awe inspiring. We hoped the food would be as good as the atmosphere. It was. There were over a dozen “live action� food stations. Everything you could possibly want, or hope for, was being freshly prepared. There was a salad station, fruit station, fish station, hot and cold cereal station, meat station, Asian station with sushi being rolled, pizza station and more. And then there was dessert! The food and the service were amazing. Everything was the correct temperature, seasoned perfectly and made with the finest ingredients. If you are planning a trip to Las Vegas, this buffet belongs on your must visit list.

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Day 3 (Dinner)

Picasso

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e skipped lunch since we ate such a large breakfast and also because of our excited anticipation for dinner that evening. When we were first planning this trip, the one restaurant we knew we had to dine at was Picasso.

Under the leadership of Chef Julian Serrano, a two time winner of the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award, this restaurant has won many awards for its excellent cuisine with Spanish and French influences. We booked a table weeks before our arrival insuring that we could dine on the terrace overlooking The Fountains of the Bellagio. This is a magnificent restaurant with decor befitting its name. There are many original painting and ceramic pieces by the artist gracing the walls. Our table, as requested, was outdoors facing the unbelievable fountains that rose and fell to the rhythm of music.

This is a breathtaking view that is only available from the restaurant. You can choose either the 4 course prix fixe or the 3 course tasting menu. We ordered both, plus more, as we were anxious to try as many different dishes as possible. To begin, we had Cream of Green Asparagus Soup. It was both creamy and crunchy with pickled mushrooms and carrot confet. We also had the Warm Quail Salad.

It was extraordinary. The quail was pan seared and was crispy and succulent. It was served with sauteed artichokes and pine nuts. There are really no words to describe how truly amazing it tasted.

The white asparagus with hollandaise and fresh morel mushrooms were served al dente, and were loaded with flavor. The Ruby Necked Shrimp with roasted zucchini and crispy artichoke was beautifully plated and was extremely flavorful. The Japanese Wagyu Filet Mignon was so tender that no knife was required. This is the dish that will have us returning to this restaurant everytime we’re in Vegas. For dessert, we ate a warm chocolate fondant. There were three layers of contrasting but complementing textures. Served with raspberry ice cream it was a luscious ending to an outstanding and memorable dinner. As we were leaving the restaurant we were presented with a gift box of two miniature banana nut muffins. Picasso is a restaurant that knows what it’s doing! Make sure to eat there next time you’re in Las Vegas. You’ll thank us for the recommendation.

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Day 4 (Brunch)

Bacchanal Buffet

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e were packed and ready to return to South Florida, but we had time for one last meal, brunch at The Bacchanal Buffet in the iconic Caesar’s Palace Hotel. Excess is the one word that describes this dining experience.

This brunch is not as elegant as The Buffet but the quality and quantity of the food is excellent.

There are hundred of dishes including more than 15 daily specials depending on what is in season and the inspiration of the chefs. Most of the dishes are prepared right in front of you so you don’t have to worry about the freshness of the items.

We had a Wagyu beef leg that was outstanding.

We have never seen this served before. The crab legs are offered either hot or cold and is one of their signature dishes. We sampled the lamb t-bone which had an amazing flavor. There was an appetizing display of marrow bones, a delicacy that we appreciate. The dessert offerings are overwhelming. We could not resist the nutella crepes which were made to order. It was a great meal to end a fabulous weekend. Just one warning, the line for this buffet can be long but for a reasonable charge you can get an “express” pass.

Las Vegas we love you.

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Wine Tasting with Alberto Moro and Finding Wine By @ReneGourmet

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ecently Gourmet Pleasures was invited by Finding Wine, purveyors of fine and rare wine, to The Emilio Moro Luncheon with Mr. Alberto Moro.

Upon our arrival we found an elegant table prepared for the tasting event. In the center of the table was a inviting cheese board with a variety of choices, including brie, emmental and pecorino. There were also luscious grapes and strawberries and an excellent selection of breads.

The main gastronomic attraction was a live action carving station with Cinco Jotas’ acorn fed 100% Iberian ham. Authentic 100% Iberian ham can only be obtained from pure breed Iberian pigs. The purity of the pigs is determined by their genetic origins. To preserve the breed, only pigs whose parents are 100% Iberia and are verified and registered with the official AECERIBER (Spain’s Iberian Swine Breeders’ Association) stud book can be used for breeding, Cinco Jotas has maintained these high standards. The flavor of the ham is incomparable and outstanding. Its unsaturated fat adds an interesting texture. This is definitely the Rolls Royce of hams. Eating this delicacy with your fingers is allowed!

When it was time for the wine tasting, Mr. Alberto Moro, a third generation member of this winemaking family, gave us a history of the brand. The first vineyards were planted in the village of Pesquera de Duero in the province of Valladolid, Spain in 1932, the year of Emilio Moro’s birth. He learned to love wine from his father Emilio Moro Sr, who spend his life working the land. Now the third generation of the Moro family is successfully continuing the family’s dedication to producing fine wines.

Wines being poured: 2015 Cepa 21 2010 Cepa 21 Malabrigo 2015 Emilio Moro Vendimia Selected 2015 Emilio Moro Malleolus 2011 Malleolus by Valderramiro 2011 Emilio Moro Malleolus Sancho Martin We enjoyed all of the wines, but our favorite was the Malleolus Valderramiro. It was a intense ripe cherry color and its aroma was complex but elegant, with subtle notes of floral, liquorice, blackberries and grapefruit. It was balanced and round on our palate. Its aftertaste left us craving more.

We want to thank Finding Wine for this invitation and we look forward to visiting them again in the near future.

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Hidden Treasure

Cafe Bistro at Nordstrom 20 | www.GourmetPleasures.com

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any people are surprised by the fact that Nordstrom’s in Aventura Mall has a restaurant, Cafe Bistro is located on the second floor of the store. Situated in a quiet corner, surrounded by racks of clothing, it is an intimate and delicious place to eat.

This is a rather small dining spot that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and, although the menu is limited, the food is excellent. The decor is simple, but inviting, with an open kitchen and a wood burning oven.

When you first enter the Bistro Cafe, you are greeted by a cashier who takes your order and payment. You are then escorted to your table by a very pleasant hostess. It you want to order additional items after being seated, your waitress will happily accommodate you. All the food we have tried over many visits has been good, but we want to recommend our favorites. If you are a fan of French Onion Soup, you will love this restaurant. The Cafe’s preparation is sensational. The large crock is

completely covered with a thick layer of perfectly baked provolone and gruyere cheese with toasted bread submerged in the well-seasoned broth filled with onions. On Fridays, the soup of the day is an outstanding tomato basil. If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, the Prime Rib French Dip, served on a toasted parmesan baguette with white cheddar cheese and a flavorful au jus on the side, will make you very happy. It is served with thin cut, crisp and tasty fries. Even if you are full, you must order dessert. The White Chocolate Bread Pudding with raspberry sauce and whole berries accompanied by homemade whipped cream is amazing. The crunchy texture, combined with the smooth sauce, will definitely please your palate. This is a dish that will have you returning to the Cafe again and again, There are other enticing options on the menu such as the Roasted Chicken and Goat Cheese Panini, Steak and Frites and Wild Salmon among others.

Nordstrom’s Cafe Bistro is definitely a hidden treasure.

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The Garlic Naan - “A traditional refined flour bread made in a tandoor which is a clay oven. This was topped with garlic, cilantro and butter and was “out of this world”

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Cultural Corner

Zaika Indian Cuisine

By @ReneGourmet

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any times out of fear of the unknown we may miss great opportunities to taste food from other cultures. Gourmet Pleasures wants to help you expand your culinary experiences and ease any misgivings you may have about foreign dishes. This month we dined at Zaika, an excellent Indian restaurant.

The inside of the restaurant is decorated with a simple Indian decor. As you enter you are greeted by the tantalizing aromas of the food. Once seated at our table, we were served by a friendly waiter who was born in India and was very patient in guiding us through the menu. He described all of the dishes, explaining their ingredients and recommending which were the best representations of his culture. He then brought a complimentary plate of papadum to our table. Papadum is a thin crispy disc shaped biscuit made with lentils, on which you spread cilantro cream or an onion and tomato Indian spiced picadillo.

For an appetizer, we had the famous Samosas which are crispy pastries filled with potatoes, green peas and Indian spices and the Paneer Pakora, a homemade cheese coated with dry spice gram flour. Gram flour is flour made by grinding chickpeas. Both dishes were very enjoyable. For the entree, we ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. This was a boneless chicken simmered in fenugreek creamy tomato sauce with onions and bell peppers. The sauce was outstanding with a perfect texture and a slight sweetness.

It was served with white rice which we used to soak up every bit of the delectable marsala sauce. We also had the Shrimp Curry with coconut and ground coriander. This was another amazing dish. The waiter insisted that we try the Garlic Naan. A naan is a traditional refined flour bread made in a tandoor which is a clay oven This was topped with garlic, cilantro and butter and was “out of this world�

We could not leave without trying dessert and we had the Rasmalai, poached cheese patties in a cardamom flavored sauce. This is a very common Indian dessert where the cheese is mixed almost to the texture of mozzarella and is served with a sauce. This was another winning dish.

We highly recommend Zaika if you want delicious and authentic Indian food. The chef and staff make great ambassadors for the country of India.

2176 NE 123rd St, North Miami, FL 33181 zaikamiami.com / (786) 409-5187

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Critic for a Night

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LA MAR With Ivan Pereira

ne group of unsung heroes in the United States today is our teachers. Everyday we entrust them with the education and safety of our most valued treasures, our children. This is an extremely important job without adequate compensation. In fact, teachers have a 30% more likelihood of having a second job than any other profession. This month Gourmet Pleasures wanted to show our appreciation by inviting Ivan Pereira, one such “hero”, for dinner at La Mar Restaurant in Miami and have him be our guest critic for the night.

Ivan was born and raised In Joinville, Brazil. His love of fresh food and quality ingredients began as a young child as his family was in the grocery store business. In Brazil, he studied Special Education and then immigrated to the United States in 1999 where he pursued his career. He is currently teaching special needs children in the Broward County School System.

Ivan’s hobby is cooking from scratch and creating his own recipes.

GP: Ivan, one word to describe the evening at La Mar? Ivan: Inspiring GP: What did you order?

Ivan: We were a party of five, which was great as we all shared the food and were able to taste a lot of dishes For appetizers, we had three different ceviches, one of them the Bachiche which is snapper with a 24 month aged parmesan cheese, We had the La Chalanita, which was a tasting of three particular types of Causas. For the main course, we ate Lomo Saltado, which is a traditional Peruvian dish made with stir fried tenderloin.

We also had is a crispy pork shank, the Picante de Camarones, which was a spicy shrimp stew and Arroz La Mar. We ordered

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three distinctive desserts. One was a coconut and pineapple ice cream that I am still dreaming about.

GP: What did you think of the menu?

Ivan: I liked that there were so many options and a variety of proteins.

GP: What was your favorite dish?

Ivan: Sorry, can’t pick just one. Loved everything.

GP: How was the service?

Ivan: First rate! Our waitress made sure we understood the menu and guided us in the ordering process. There was great attention to detail always making sure we had everything we needed.

GP: Did the prices match the quality?

Ivan: Yes. GP: Would you return to this restaurant ?

Ivan: Most definitely and I plan to recommend it to all of my friends.

GP: Ivan, since you are a teacher we want to know what grade you would give La Mar? Ivan: La Mar gets an A for food, service and ambiance.

GP: Will you discuss this meal with your students when you return to class?

Ivan: On Mondays, I always talk about the weekend with my students. I plan to tell them that I went to Peru without ever leaving Florida. I will also tell them that they should never be afraid of trying new foods.

GP: Any final thoughts about La Mar for our readers?

Ivan: Yes. I forgot to mention that the Pisco Sour cocktails. They were phenomenal!

Gourmet Diary

Price, Quality and Flavor By @ReneGourmet

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any​ ​people​ ​may​ ​wonder​ ​ if​ ​the​ ​price​ ​of​ ​a​ ​dish​ ​in​ ​ a​ ​restaurant​ ​has​ ​any​ ​ relationship​​with its​​flavor​​and​​ quality.​ ​​ ​The​ ​answer​ ​is​ ​yes!​ ​​ ​The​ ​ cost​ ​of​ ​most​ ​dishes,​ ​if​ ​handled​ ​ properly, is​ ​directly​ ​proportional​ ​ to​ ​the​ ​expense​ ​of​ ​its​ ​ingredients.​ ​​ ​ That​ ​is,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​the​ ​restaurant spends​ ​to​ ​make​ ​each​ ​dish​ ​directly​ ​ affects​ ​how​ ​much​ ​they​ ​charge.

Many​ ​of​ ​the​ ​foods​ ​around​ ​the​ ​ world​ ​have​ ​different​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​ quality.​ ​​ ​There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​big difference​ ​ between​ ​select,​ ​choice​ ​or​ ​prime​ ​ USDA​ ​meat,​ ​especially​ ​when​ ​it​ ​ comes​ ​to steak.​ ​​ ​The​ ​higher​ ​the​ ​

quality​ ​the​ ​better​ ​the​ ​taste​ ​and​ ​ this​ ​ultimately​ ​affects​ ​how​ ​much the​ ​customer​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​pay.​ ​​ ​ However,​ ​this​ ​doesn’t​ ​necessarily​ ​ mean​ ​​ ​that​ ​lower quality​ ​meat​ ​ can’t​ ​be​ ​delicious.​ ​​ ​It​ ​all​ ​depends​ ​ on​ ​who’s​ ​doing​ ​the​ ​cooking.

The​ ​good​ ​news​ ​is​ ​that​ ​the​ ​ majority​ ​of​ ​people​ ​reading​ ​this​ ​ article​ ​have​ ​had​ ​the opportunity​ ​of​ ​ indulging​ ​in​ ​a​ ​spectacular​ ​dish​ ​at​ ​a​ ​ very​ ​low​ ​price.​ ​​ ​This​ ​is​ ​result​ ​of​ ​the perfect​ ​combination​ ​of​ ​ingredients​ ​ and​ ​execution.​ ​​ ​The​ ​outcome​ ​is​ ​ great​​flavor​​and​​a memorable​​ experience​ ​that​ ​keeps​ ​you​ ​coming​ ​ back​ ​for​ ​more.​ ​​ ​An​ ​example​ ​is​ ​the

simple.​​but​​flavorful.​​Mexican​​Taco​​ al​ ​Pastor​ ​with​ ​chicken​ ​or​ ​beef​ ​that​ ​ costs​ ​only​ ​about three​ ​dollar.

Or​ ​how​ ​about​ ​the​ ​traditional​ ​ New​ ​York​ ​City​ ​style​ ​hot​ ​dog​ ​sold​ ​ on numerous​ ​street​ ​corners​ ​for​ ​ about​ ​two​ ​dollars.​ ​​ ​These​ ​culinary​ ​ experiences​ ​demonstrate that​ ​ simplicity​ ​can​ ​be​ ​very​ ​appealing​ ​to​ ​ the​ ​palate.

So​​next​​time​​you​​find​​yourself​​ around​ ​a​ ​food​ ​truck.​ ​street​ ​vendor​ ​ or​ ​simple​ ​family restaurant​ ​don’t​ ​ assume​ ​that​ ​the​ ​food​ ​won’t​ ​be​ ​ good​ ​just​ ​because​ ​it’s​ ​inexpensive.

Don’t​ ​be​ ​a​ ​food​ ​snob.​ ​You​ ​may​ ​be​ ​ missing​ ​out​ ​on​ ​the​ ​fabulous​ ​meal.

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