b is for burgers

before my love for food grew into exploring exotic cuisines, eating at fancy restaurants and appreciating hole in the wall joints - it was always simple for me - "i'll have the burger."

it's the most ideal thing to eat - a warm patty usually made out of beef, slice of melted cheese, whatever toppings you desire, dollop of ketchup - all nestled into a bun...yum. i've had great ones at places like shake shack, in-and-out, houston's, primanti's, etc. over the past year or so they've become the trendy item to order - just like good ol' cupcakes - and restaurant's are either updating the traditional cheeseburger with unique creations or opening with the entire concept based around the burger. trendy or not, i'll always love a burger and there are two burgers that i recently tried that cannot go without recognition.

rok brgr in ft. lauderdale

rok brgr and the peggy burger

http://www.rokbrgr.com


mike o'donnell makes his smooth return to the blog and appropriately so on a burger post. when the two of us aren't bantering about movies, music or just mocking one another - we are usually talking about how great american food is. as mike is trying to expose me to more music he loves (and sports - but that's going to take much longer), i am trying to expose him to eating different types of eats and especially break down his aversion to spicy food. we had been talking about the best burgers we've had for quite some time and when the new rok brgr on himmershee street in ft. lauderdale was getting rave reviews, i knew that's where i wanted to take him during his visit to south florida. it’s a very laid back scene with good music playing and adding to the bar scene in downtown ft. lauderdale,  except here they offer super quality food and lots of burgers.

he was so giddy over all the options and was struggling to decide on one. we happily compromised with ordering two different burgers and splitting them. he got the rok brgr which came with hickory smoked bacon and a winning bourbon bbq sauce and i got the peggy – topped with pulled short rib, same bbq sauce and a horseradish cheddar cheese. both burgers were served with handcut fries – perfect to stuff into your burger for that one really good bite.

photo courtesy of daily.likeme.net

pet shop turned coffee shop in nashville

nashville was never really high on my list of places i wanted to see in the states since i affiliated it with country music and have yet to bond with that music genre. however not very long ago my friend zara - who i have known the longest from all my friends - got engaged and since most of her family are tennesseans, the location of the celebration was a no-brainer and so off to nashville i was!

simply put, i love zara. she is hands down the most easygoing person i have ever known and i often use the word 'bubbly' to best describe her. in fact the few times i have seen her upset or angry, (which i've loved since they're so rare) they were because she's fed up of worrying about wasting her energy on being upset or angry. anyone who knows zara loves spending time with her. it's usually just a whole lot of laughing and eating a whole lot of food... can't beat that kind of fusion in my book.

the two of us got the chance to go sightseeing in nashville before the engagement party at her uncle's house and managed to do some marvelous finding. she had mentioned that her uncle once took her to an artsy downtown area that i would love so we ended up in what we learned is called hillsboro village. upon arriving, i immediately tweeted that it looked like urban outfitters had thrown up all over the place and that was aside from how everyone was dressed. the area has a brick-paved street filled with local restaurants, hand-painted signs and old-fashioned storefront windows. it's very easy to kill a day here from spending time at a book store, to visiting a local brewery and endless amounts stores to shop in. we decided to eat at a place called fido, formerly a pet shop and now the coffee enthusiasts place to daydream with a strong focus on animal love in every corner. there were tons of young people just hanging out either with friends, with a good book or facebooking away on their laptops. the weather happened to be near perfect with the sun shining and weather in the low 70's. we were all loving life.

vegetarian dines at mellow mushroom & sublime

two super good restaurants with two of some of my most favorite people in the world - javier and jessica garcia. married for almost two years now, javier and jessica are young, carefree spirits and an unbelievably kind duo. javi is one of my closest friends from high school and it's great to see him find someone like jess who carries the same outlook on life as him - simple yet refined (and always a little bit of crazy.) 

mellow mushroom in delray beach

monk in the trunk, kosmic karma pizza, cinnamon and honey pretzel 

www.mellowmushroom.com

after an unpredictable adventure with the two to rescue an old cell phone held hostage from a disturbing character, our dining fates were immediately sealed when jess quickly learned we were very near mellow mushroom and realizing i had yet to eat there myself... she, i quickly found, was one of their regulars.

midtown miami does fresh asian

it took me some time to warm up to twitter but once i got the hang of the constant updates and it's many treats, i was participating at a fast rate. the foodie updates are incredible and has allowed me to keep up with all the buzz and news in south florida and beyond. my bucket list to try different places increases week after week with all the new spots opening around town and miami, especially, has developed a great food scene near downtown with neighborhoods termed "upper east side" and "midtown."

recently, foodies are tweeting left and right about dining finds that offer all the key components for an enjoyable fresh asian eating experience. with additional insight from trustworthy foodie-friend jessica brager, i present you two spots worthy of trying in the near future - as in, right now.

sakaya kitchen in midtown miami
twitter.com/sakayakitchen

after a wonderful evening spent at the soho beach house with jess and her charming boyfriend craig dell, we hopped over to midtown to try the food at sakaya kitchen. fortunately craig is a food lover who isn't afraid to try new things and most importantly, lots of new things. the setting of the restaurant is low key and the menu is presented on a chalkboard on the lefthand side. the food is asian inspired with korean influences - think lots of fresh produce, well marinated, all-natural meats, especially pork. off mr. dell went with the order and jess and myself were swooning with glee because we were in for some good eats.

nirala sweet house in sunrise

i love, love, looooooooooooove this restaurant. i'm pakistani and this is a hole in the wall pakistani joint which really means it is incredibly delicious and i always feel like i'm celebrating my birthday when i get to eat here. so when my second family a.k.a the wildest group of women i know informed me that we would be going to nirala for their infamous sunday brunch, i kinda cried with joy. i have a lot of foodie friends but mimi, zara and maliha are a whole other world of food eaters. some have described us as "beasts" and my favorite "garbage disposals." what's the harm in getting a tad bit excited about the food you eat?

finding atlanta

atlanta is a wonderful mix of old southern hospitality with a new, vibrant urban movement. the friendly factor was extremely overwhelming for me, almost something i wasn't familiar with but i accepted it with open arms. and the food scene is glorious! my host for the weekend was jenna cloyd -a great friend who i share many fond memories with during college and beyond, and is now embarking her own journey in the budding town. her taste is only the best which ultimately meant great food spots and a lot of memorable sight seeing.

canyon southwest cafe

canyon southwest cafe
ft. lauderdale, fl
www.canyonfl.com

cozy, dark and packed with young, hip diners all eating some of the best locally produced food in ft. lauderdale. the music is loud and the wait is long. here's the deal - they don't take reservations, they're only open for dinner and happy hour doesn't exist. but what does exist are their infamous prickly pear margarita's, which you must order. they describe their cuisine as 'american artisanal' with southwestern fusion and exciting hints of asian and south american influences. a few girlfriends and i went on a saturday night and had a ravishing time - the prickly pear margarita's were great company.

breakfast in orlando-oviedo

my best friend annie lives in orlando but every time i take the three hour drive to see her, she never manages to take me to any of the local restaurants. to her credit, we get to enjoy her family's homemade food or make quick trips to chipotle (which i will never say no to.) i started asking her friends where is the best place they love to eat at in orlando and the majority said the town house restaurant in oviedo, just outside of orlando - a place known for their breakfast (my absolute favorite meal of the day and annie's least favorite.) luckily, our friend michael o'donnell was willing to show me what all the buzz was about and i'm so glad he did.

georgetown cupcake bakery

i recently visited my family in virginia for the weekend which consisted of a lot of necessary bonding, teasing and most importantly - home made pakistani food. it's safe to say that eating and loving food is the family glue. my cousins sauira and humaira wanted me to try cupcakes from, the now very popular, georgetown cupcake bakery. they have been fans of the bakery before tlc gave them a tv show, so we drove to d.c. for a short visit that was all the worthwhile.

finding las vegas

let's spare the "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" what not and go straight to "what happened in vegas was amazing and i wish i stayed in vegas longer."

first things first, my partner in crime, jessica brager who i am so thankful that i got to share this trip with - especially because we were always on the same page, which made the "finding" so much better. she's the friend that truly wants the best for you, the friend that understands that leaving your id at the hotel room could actually happen to anyone, the friend that hopes dessert will follow every meal and the friend that you can laugh and dance with until the early hours of the morning with a clutch in hand and all the hair accessories possibe on -while making plans to probably eat again. and then there's jordan spitz, who provided for the ultimate vegas experience and will forever be indebted in our hearts. jordan is the man.

upon arriving to the las vegas airport, brager and i were greeted by a man holding a very formal sign with her last name. i was so excited that such a finely dressed man was waiting for us with an actual sign that i went straight for my camera from my purse and within five seconds my face was planted on the floor. i had managed to trip over some woman's luggage and then in the feet of brian, our chauffeur. poor jess had to admit that i was with her but brian was so sweet about the fall even though deep down inside he was thinking "she won't last an hour in this city." minutes later, after the dessert heat settled in, we reached our next destination - the phantom. now most vehicles can't be considered "destinations" but when it's a rolls royce, it is. we were swooning with so much joy that truly the trip could have ended there and we'd be completely fine. brian told us stories about wild nights with tourists and something about drawing the line at animals - all while frank sinatra played in the background. we knew already that this was going to be one the best weekends ever.

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!

joie de vivre's for april

new food fantasticals. place's that will keep you wanting to come back.

epicure gourmet market in sunny isles beach
http://www.epicuremarket.com/

i have a tendency to spend my lunch breaks at either fresh market or whole foods because what's second to eating food, looking at food. so when i discovered epicure on collins avenue, i was afraid that completing  important work tasks was going to be impossible. between their deli, hot foods, produce, full bar, wine collection, exetensive cheese collections, seafood varieties, isles and isles of international groceries and my cryptonite - desserts, galore... i just didn't know what to do with myself. i wanted to unleash my grazing muscles when i saw the assortments of chocolates, baked goods and cakes. there was a point where my face was so close to the glass case, that my breath had created a fog. i didn't stay long once i realized that i was close to grocery shopping for items that would have hit an all time carb high. this was a serious charlie and the chocolate factory moment. amazing.

seasons 52, florida room & primanti brothers. top night.

what's better than good food? that's easy. enjoying it with good company. this past saturday night's adventure is better told with my two friends who accompanied me.

the unusual suspects:
jessica brager - foodie/fashionista/friend-to-the-end

michael hidalgo - foodie/dj/way too literal for his own good/superstar

you say st. paddy, i say st. patty

according to the irish, st. patrick's day is shortened by saying "st. paddy's day." i, of course, have been wrong for as long as i can remember by calling it "st. patty's day." my sincere apologies for the misuse of letters but my deepest gratitude for one of the greatest reasons to be merry in the name of drafts and spirits. not trying to deter from the origin of the holiday itself, which reaches far back near the fifth century. story goes...a young patrick was held captive by irish raiders, soon escaping away after having a dream to devote his life to the church and then later on becoming a bishop. he returned to ireland reversing aristocracy, providing for the poor and telling the story of the holy trinity with a shamrock. it's safe to say saint patrick was a deserving title.

soon followed a tradition celebrating his worthy efforts and most importantly, the people of ireland and their culture. the annual st. patrick's day parade held in delray beach brings together crowds from all over south florida waiting to watch a very green parade and a chance to swig their saturday away. all days before the holiday itself.

serendipity 3 at the boca resort

serendipity 3 in nyc is adored by both tourists and locals. with a vast history and whimsical interior, crowds swarm to the restaurant for their extravagant desserts such as the 'outrageous banana split - $22.50,' 'can't say no sundae - $15.00,' and the infamous 'frrrozen hot chocolate - $8.95.'

to not that many dessert lover's knowledge, serendipity 3 expanded their location to south florida at the ultra-private boca raton resort around the end of 2008. you pretty much have to be a guest at the resort or be a member (we are talking mucho mula here) to be able to enjoy their many amenities. believe it or not, bare with me people... i'm not a member. so getting into the club was a little mission impossible. but i was in a 'if there's a will, there's a way' mood at work and my co-worker sam and i disguised a "work errand" at the resort into a quick "to go" order at serendipity 3.

sobe wine & food fest - grand marnier diner en rouge

the food network south beach wine and food festival is a mecca of an event and i was determined to crash at least one extravaganza this year. so you can imagine how loud my little girl scream was when i found out i was going to be able to attend grand marnier's very exclusive diner en rouge at the temple house in miami beach on thursday, february 25th.

joie de vivre's for february '10

february has been quite a month for me and i've had the pleasure to explore some new places and some new delicious charms. although not everything i eat is going to excite me, i can still certainly attest to a few food fantasticals and i'm calling these 'joie de vivre's' because simply put, they're my joys of living.

yucatan combination plate at rocco's tacos, boca raton
561.416.2131
http://www.roccostacos.com/

mexican food is pretty much a first choice for me when i like to dine out. always start off with the fresh made quacamole (yup, they make it infront of you) and serve it with well-seasoned chips. for dinner i ordered the yucatan combination plate (chicken enchilada with two skirt steak tacos) but switched one of the tacos for 'rocco's taco.' ridiculously good- it's a meatball taco with roasted peppers, cotijaa cheese, crema and cilantro. que rico! fyi- their chimichanga is worth the try too!

you had me at fried oreos

i recently celebrated my 23rd birthday at prime 112 in miami beach. i have been yearning to go there for quite some time and found it most fitting to dine there on my birthday since i was born on january 12th- 112... cheesy, i know. the actual number stands for the restaurants location (112 ocean drive) and is considered one of miami's finest dining establishments. in fact, the restaurant's owner (Myles Chefetz) has an empire of establishments all just a few blocks within the area. He owns Nemo, Big Pink, Shoki Sushi and his newest addition, Prime Italian. Every restaurant lives up to its hype with celebrities always dining there, superb service, ambiance that is simple yet refined and most importantly the food, beyond par excellence.

table 42's $5 burger night

table 42 - italian kitchen & wine bar
royal palm place
399 se mizner blvd
boca raton, fl 33432
561.826.2625

i think that a burger is the ultimate meal. bun, meat, cheese, veggies, and a good sauce to combine the elements together- perfection! so when i heard that the new table 42 in boca raton (formerly coal mine pizza) was doing a burger night on wednesdays- & for only $5... i was pretty much sold at the spot.