bbq, pound cake & falafels

bulldog bbq in north miami
http://bulldog-bbq.com/

who can really resist bbq food? it's savory, sweet and if done right - the portion is enough to keep you satisfied for quite some time. bulldog bbq in aventura fulfills all of the above and just a little more. the restaurant isn't your typical tablecloth style joint. it's small in size but with a stainless steel bar and tables topped with butcher-paper, the atmosphere provides for a place to enjoy a great meal with your family and friends. the menu is simple with unique choices and a few of the favorites. for an appetizer, we ordered the 'bbq chicken flatbread' which was topped with pulled chicken, roasted corn, jack cheese, charred onions and their house sauce. i know your mouth is watering! it looked more like a pizza to me but call it a flatbread... it was delicious!

the biscuits that came on the side were beyond perfect but i avoided eating the entire thing because there was a sandwich that was waiting to be served. i didn't want to try the usual pulled chicken with sauce duo so i chose the 'shrimp & oyster po' boy.' the shrimp and oyster were served cornmeal crusted along with mayo, lettuce and tomato. it was crunchy and a very different take on bbq. for fries you can choose either chipotle or sweet - we had to get both and it was worth it! the chipotle fries were well seasoned and the sweet potato fries hit a home run. as stuffed as we all were, dessert was looming around us so we had to try something. it was tough to choose between cobbler, pudding cake and s'more pie but we managed to decide on the apple crostada- served warm over caramel sauce with fresh cream. this is the kind of dessert that makes you want to high five someone.

overall - bulldog bbq it a must!




the pub in pembroke pines
http://www.luvthepub.com/pub_pemb_gi.html

my long time friend zara cannot end a meal without dessert, hence why she's my long time friend. so when she took me for the first time to a local pub called "the pub" by her house in pembroke pines, besides knowing that i was going to get strongbow everything else was her call. we already had dinner earlier that night so she didn't waste time by telling me how amazing their desserts were. the debate was over the tipsy laird or the jamaican cheesecake. we went with the tipsy laird which was a fried pound cake served over custard and topped with berries and brandy. it was visually appealing and tremendously satisfying. you had to make the perfect spoon of berries, cake and custard in order to roll your eyes the way we were. i'll try the jamiacan cheesecake next time which is served with fresh bananas and banana liqueur in an oreo crust with caramel sauce and macadamias. who would have thought a pub would have such ridiculous sounding desserts? their large menu made me wish we had dinner their too. with choices like goat cheese dip, young double chocolate stout bbq burger and the welsh dip sandwich - a french baguette with prime rib, onions, green peppers and melted mozarella and provolone cheese. zara knows what she's talking about when it comes to food.

falafel bistro in coral springs
http://www.falafel-bistro.com/

i don't put this lightly when i say that the family i babysit for know the best places to eat and are often the ones telling me about new places i've never heard of (i will always be grateful for their sparknotes on the best places to eat at in nyc). so when they asked me to take their kids to a place called falafel bistro in coral springs, i really couldn't say no. it's a cute little shop that concentrates on health conscious cuisine. it's the kind of establishment where the owner walks around asking you how everything is and encouraging guests to come back. although he doesn't need to invite them back because the food does it all on its own. everything on the menu is vegetarian with strong influences from the mediterranean. we ordered the split pea soup which was light and infused with many salty flavors. matthew and amanda ordered the falafel sandwich and insisted that i do the same. the sandwich comes in a pita with falafel balls, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and pickles. i asked for hummus with mine too. there's tzatziki and a spicy house sauce to add on to your sandwich as well. everything came together perfect and as big as the portion was, everything i was eating was fresh which always makes me feel full in a 'i won't regret this later' way.