January 10th, 2010
For being the first week-end after New Year’s I was surprised to see that Rehoboth and Coastal Highway were crowded. I thought everyone would be pretty much worn out after all the shopping, partying, and eating.
Debbie and I were getting together for lunch. You remember her? She went kayaking with me this past summer in Fenwick Island and has been with me to some of the restaurants I have reviewed.
We ended up at Casa DiLeo on 721 Rehoboth Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel 302-226-8660. The owner and Executive Chef is John J. DiLeo.
Casa DiLeo has been in the area for some time now. It has a big following and back in October they expanded their restaurant. This is the first time that I have seen the expansion and it looked good and certainly added more seating availability.
The hours of operation are: Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Any time that my friends and I get together for breakfast, lunch or dinner, we must drive the wait staff crazy. We just talk, might glance over the menu, and without missing a beat we keep on talking. We tell them to come back in a little while, many times. It’s just the way it is. But, isn’t it nice to be able to share a meal with best friends? I love it.
Casa DiLeo is a fullfledge restaurant, but I am going to be reviewing lunch time. That is why I went there today. My favorite room is really the first one when you come in. As I come in, the music is playing and I feel the welcoming atmosphere of a Italian trattoria. The colors, the prints; all add to that feeling.
A trattoria is an Italian style eating establishment, less formal than a restaurant, but more formal than a tavern. The service is casual, with the food being mostly regional and local.
Casa DiLeo has a full bar and a very good selection of wines, including the PortoVino Italian wines. Try them and let me know how you like them.
This restaurant has take out and delivery. The specialties are New York Style Pizza, Pasta, Subs, Calzone/Stromboli, Soup and Salads. For dinner, some of their offerings are: Chicken & Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken or Veal Marsala, DiLeo’s Homemade Chesse Lasagna, which is very good, DiLeo’s Homemade Meat Lasagna, which is also delicious.
I usually get the Greek Salad with their balsamic dressing. Both, Debbie and I ordered it today, but we added a slice of pizza for each of us. I had really forgotten how big their portions are. But, check the picture of one slice of NY Style Pizza. The salad was fresh, full of vegetables with a nice slice of Feta cheese on top.
Casa DiLeo has a wide variety of subs. From the traditional subs like Italian to the unique ones like Sausage Parmesan or Veal Parmesan.
The same goes for the Calzone and the Stromboli. Chef DiLeo has his own “Boli” like the DiLeo Boli which is ground beef, Italian seasonings, sauce and cheese.
Calzone? Stromboli? A Calzone is like an Italian turnover which is stuffed with tomato and mozzarella and possibly other ingredients like pizza toppings. The stromboli is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, Italian meats and veggies. The dough is Italian bread dough.
Everyone has something to say about pizzas. Whether you like the thick or thin crust, I would have to say that Casa DiLeo has a pretty good one. They have non Premium Toppings like tomatoes, low fat cheese, mushrooms, onions, sausage, etc. and they also have Premium Toppings like Bacon, Spinach, Feta Cheese, Anchovies, Portabella Mushrooms and more.
The House Specialty Pizzas; Low Fat Veggie, Diablo Pizza (red devil-hot), Supreme (8 toppings), New York White Ricotta, Mediterranean which has feta cheese, Kalamata olives, spinach, artichokes, fresh tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil. I have had the Diablo Pizza in the past and really enjoyed it.
Casa DiLeo offers about 8 pasta sauces, so you have your pick from tomato sauce to Pomodoro (red) clam sauce.
We come to the sweet endings and how could you leave without having a Canolli with DiLeo’s homemade cream? Very popular and award winning is DiLeo’s Chocolate Mousse, and one of my favorite desserts is the Zabaglione with fresh berries. We did manage to leave without having dessert.
Zabaglione is a dessert made with egg yolks, sugar, Marsala wine or Prosecco and sometimes cream, mascarpone cheese or whole eggs. It is a very light custard.
And off we went, with a slower gait, but happy…
Another cold night in the beautiful Delmarva Peninsula…but I will talk to you later…
Note: Information on trattoria, Calzone, Stromboli and Zabaglione was taken from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/trattoria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/calzone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/stromboli_(food) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabaglione
December 11th, 2009
The 2 restaurants that I am about to tell you are fixtures in our beaches. Anyone that comes on vacation to the Delaware Beaches or Ocean City will definitely visit either one, or both.
You also probably know that the owners of both of them also own other venues at the beaches. They have been in business for many years and their operations run like clockwork.
But, maybe there is something you do not know about them.
Let’s start with….
Fager’s Island
Fager’s is located on 201-60th Street in the Bay, Ocean City, MD 21842. The tel. is 410-524-5500. The toll free tel. is 888-371-5400. The website is www.fagers.com. The e-mail address is island@fagers.com.
Fager’s is one of those restaurants that cover every aspect when it comes to having fun. Perfect location, fantastic sunsets, on the water, outdoor dining, gift shop, dancing, dining promotions, music, full bars, very good menus for all tastes; in other words, very welcoming.
I believe they started their 1/2 price prime rib in November. It is on Mondays and Tuesdays. We took a friend for his birthday this past Tuesday. I made a reservation and I would suggest you do the same because both of those nights are very popular.
We were seated in their fine dining section, on the first floor. Our waiter was young and very nice. We all knew what we wanted; the prime rib!! It is known to be one of the best, if not the best in the area. I think since last year they only offer one cut. It is a pretty good size one. The shaved fresh horseradish complements the beef so well.
We all started with the wedge salad with the blue cheese dressing and bacon. It was truly the best one I have ever had. Three of us ordered it and we all thought the same thing. It was so fresh and not heavy at all. I hope the dressing was homemade because that is exactly what it tasted like.
I don’t know how to say it but I might as well be straightforward. The prime rib was not that good. I hate to say it but it really wasn’t. One person had his cooked medium rare but closer to rare, the next two had theirs cooked medium and I had mine cooked medium rare. One came raw, I kid you not, the other one undercooked and mine was rare. So, we sent 3 of them back to cook them a little bit more. Prime rib is a cut that has a recognizable distribution of fat. Well, this particular cut, on this night was just full of fat. We mentioned it to our waiter, but what could he do but apologize.
We were not the only ones. We knew someone that went on Tuesday, as well, and the same thing happened. It was probably just an off night.
For dessert we had a lemon lust, which is made from the same recipe as Rita’s who is a well known baker in the area. We also had a flourless, dense chocolate cake, which was gluten free.
I have told you in the past that my husband has to eat gluten free. Fager’s is one of the restaurants that is offering a gluten free menu. Not only does the menu reflect the gluten free items available but it also highlights other entrees that can be eaten if you have other food allergies. More and more restaurants are offering these menus because it saves them time when ordering. It seems that everyone has an allergy these days. Fager’s has gone the extra mile by having this menu readily available, even including wine recommendations.
So, what’s an off night when you have just had a very pleasant evening, sharing dinner with friends? We will be back again.
The next restaurant I want to tell you about is….
Big Fish Grill
Big Fish Grill is located on 20298 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. The tel. is 302-227-9007. The website is www.bigfishgrill.com.
This restaurant has been a success since it opened its doors years ago. Always crowded. It does not matter if it is at the height of the summer season or the middle of winter. It is casual and it has a beachy atmosphere. The food is always consistent; very good and affordable.
I did not feel like cooking on Wednesday, and felt like having fish so off we went to Big Fish. It was a somewhat subdued night.
The first thing Allison, our waitress, put on the table was the smoked fish spread. It is so good. They sell it at their fish store next door.
We did not get any appetizers and went right to the entrees. I ordered their glazed salmon, which is always delicious and I had them put it on top of their Spinach Salad. This salad has young spinach leaves, gorgonzola cheese, sliced mushrooms, bacon, chopped egg and warm apple cider vinaigrette. The combination was perfect and I cannot wait to have it again.
My husband started to ask about the sauces he could have on his fish because of his gluten free diet. Immediately, Allison, brought him a gluten free menu and explained to him everything about it. She also told him he could not have salmon since they marinate it in teriyaki sauce. He decided on a blackened mahi mahi and he liked it so much that he ordered another piece.
Big Fish goes above and beyond when you talk about serving a person with a food allergy. After the food is prepared in the kitchen, the manager has to inspect it and only the manager can bring it to the table. How about that for service? Even when the second piece of fish was ordered she had to do the same.
Then to top it all, not only do they have a gluten free menu; they also have: Dairy Free Menu, Egg Free Menu, Garlic Free Menu, Nut Free Menu and a Shellfish Free Menu.
This is the first time that I have seen a restaurant with such precise guidelines regarding food allergies. Amazing!!
Please note that Big Fish Grill offers cooking classes and the last 2 in 2009 are going to be on December 12th and December 26th. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $75.00. Please call 302-227-9007 for more information.
For the person that enjoys beer, Big Fish offers a gluten free beer.
Note: Both of the restaurants above described have so much to tell you in their websites, so please check it out.
I give thanks to Fager’s and Big Fish for making it easier for the people with food allergy issues.
See you soon….
November 25th, 2009
Nowadays, it does not matter in what city you find yourself, you will find the influences of Latin food. Could it be that the seasonings, spices and heat awake your senses like no other food?
Nuevo Latino (New Latin) is a new term used by many restaurants. But, what is it? It is a conglomerate of flavors that mix traditional, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban and contemporary American food.
Growing up in P.R. you could tell if one dish was from Cuba, Puerto Rico, other Caribbean Island or Latin America but now even though you can still tell that pasteles are from Puerto Rico, ayacas are from the Dominican Republic and tamales from Mexico, some of the other spices and ways of cooking have integrated and made this new wave of Nuevo Latino cooking. When did you ever hear of taking a piece of fish and topping it with a mango, cilantro, blood orange and chopped jalapeno salsa?
And, that is what takes me to Cabana El Rey on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
Cabana has been in this Village by the Sea for several years. The address is 105 East Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483. The tel. is 561-276-9090 and the website is www.cabanarestaurant.com.
Besides the restaurant in Delray, they have Cabana Las Palmas in West Palm, Cabana Midtown in NYC, Cabana Seaport, NYC and the Original Cabana in Forest Hills, NYC.
I am concentrating on the one in Delray.
Like a lot of the restaurants in Delray, you have the availability to seat outdoors; on the sidewalk, and Cabana has the perfect corner. They have updated their outdoor seating with yellow awnings and extended the seating area, as well; with plants, which make it private but at the same time you will not be missing what’s around you on the Avenue. Beautiful view of the Christmas tree this time of the year.
The inside of the restaurant is very nicely decorated with bright colors reminding you that you are in South Florida. It has somewhat of an open kitchen in the back so you can see the comings and goings of that most important part of a restaurant.
The bar has plenty of seating and a focal point in the restaurant; the blue lights add to the atmosphere of Cabana. If you like Mojitos, which are now served in every restaurant, I would say that the ones at Cabana’s are the best. Traditionally made and no other flavors added it is served with a sugar cane stick.
The Wine Room is a private room at Cabana that lets you have your own party, and your own private wait staff. I have used this room for a party and it will seat, I believe up to 16 people. It is a room rich in woods and wine bottles and looks like a private dining room in a home. You need at least 10 people to reserve this room and a minimum spent. Great individual service.
My choice of seating is outdoors, when possible. Besides enjoying their food, I also enjoy their choice of music; the Buena Vista Social Club and Gloria Estefan, among others.
Their menu is varied and very affordable, both for lunch and dinner.
They have appetizers and tapas, salads, side dishes, Platos Nuevo Latino, traditionals, lunch specials, sandwiches and desserts. A take-out menu is available, as well.
My favorite appetizers/tapas are the mariquitas which are thinly sliced plantains cooked until crisp, served with garlic mojo dipping sauce. Mariquitas are the Puerto Rican platanutres. I also like the ceviche mixto which is shrimp, octopus, scallops and calamari, marinated in aji amarillo, hot rocoto peppers, garlic, lime juice and cilantro, served with different types of root veggies and toasted corn. I like the tostones, which are the green plantains that are fried, mashed and fried again and served with your choice of chicken sofrito, ropa vieja or picadillo.
I make my own tostones and if I may say so myself, I think mine are better but if I am taking someone to Cabana for the first time, I would certainly order them.
Their La Playa salad is great because it has grilled shrimp, sea scallops, avocados, plum tomatoes, onions and tossed with a ginger citrus mojo over field greens.
Typical Latin side dishes are the arepas con queso which are the corn meal cakes with white cheese, maduros which are the fried sweet ripe plantains, saffron flavored rice, rice flavored with coconut milk, beans flavored with chorizo, yuca fries served with garlic mojo, among others.
And, some of the Platos Nuevo Latinos are:
Mero Chileno which is the pan seared filet of Chilean sea bass, saffron beurre blanc salsa, leaf spinach saute and yuca manchego cheese.
Another good example is the Coco Cabana Pollo which has broccoli, spinach, carrots, snap peas and Caribbean root veggies like yucca, calabaza (pumpkin) and yautia, sauteed with curry, coconut milk and habanero peppers. How about that mix of flavors?
Some of their traditionals are the paellas, either the seafood or the Spanish, the picadillo, the arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) in sofrito with chorizo (Spanish sausage) and Spanish olives in a caldera of saffron rice.
I really love their Pollo Asado, which is a half roasted chicken rubbed with adobo (garlic, oregano, lime and extra virgin olive oil). It is perfectly cooked and seasoned. They have it available for lunch and dinner.
Sometimes they have a rice with squid in its own ink. This rice will be almost black with squid and it is fantastic. It is not on the menu but they do offer it once in a while. It reminds me of the one my grandmother, Mamota, used to make in Humacao.
They have plenty of desserts and sometimes I order the flan but I usually try to avoid desserts and instead order coffee.
It is a fun restaurant and usually a must stop for me. So if you are in the Delray Beach area and have had enough turkey, then this might be the place to visit and if you do, let me know how you like it.
See you soon…
November 9th, 2009
Over 4 years ago and by word of mouth, a friend told me about Collado’s Gourmet Market. I have bought from them ever since. I have also seen it grow into a fullfledge market. The address is 3416 S. Federal Highway, in Delray Beach. Just south of Lindell Blvd. The telephone is 561-276-1866 and the fax is 561-276-5613.
The market has an extensive menu and it is open 7 days a week. You may order from their ready to serve gourmet display. Just like in the picture.
Or, you can browse over a full line of fruits and vegetables. Something worthy of mentioning is that this market ships fruits. For more information please e-mail them at colladosgourmetm@bellsouth.net, or give them a call to the above number.
Some of the items on the menu are:
Hot and cold subs and wraps, using Boars Head Meats. Vegetables subs like grilled veggies, eggplant cutlets, sauteed spinach or fresh veggies.
Homemade Salads and specialty salads. Soups like chicken soup, matzah ball and pasta fagioli.
Deli meats by the pound and as I mentioned above they have Boars Head Meats.
An assortment of waters, teas, wine, beer and the best is always freshly squeezed orange juice.
Don’t feel like cooking or no time to cook, for that matter; guests dropping by, then you can get full lunch or dinner entrees ready to reheat later. 
One of my favorites at Collado’s is the grilled asparagus. They have that grilled taste and they are cooked perfectly.
If you are hosting Thanksgiving and don’t have enough ovens to cook everything then order the turkey from Collado’s or order the trimmings from the market and you cook the turkey. I have done it and it was delicious.
Collados has catering available so please contact them for more information.
At Collado’s market you will find Gelato at Collado’s.
This is a separate business but it is inside the market. The telephone is 561-278-5555, and the e-mail address is gelatoatcollados@gmail.com. The website is www.gelatoatcollados.com.
When I stopped there the other day, I noticed this new addition inside the market. I had a few tastings of the mango and the vanilla and they were so good. Definitely you could taste the mango and the vanilla, and so refreshing. 
Gerald was at the counter and he told me that the owner, whose name is Rick Consolo, makes the gelato and when mangoes are in season, he is able to make it with just picked mangoes from his own tree.
Besides the gelato they have gelato pies and cakes, fresh filled cannolis, all fruit smoothies and an espresso bar.
In case you are not familiar with gelato I would like to tell you that it is the plural for gelati. It is Italy’s version of ice cream. It is made with some of the same ingredients, but unlike ice cream, gelato often does not contain eggs. Gelato has less than 55% air, resulting in a denser product. Its history dates to the 16th century.
Note: The gelato info. was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gelato
I thought I would pass this information on, just like someone gave it to me once. I hope it makes your life easier if you are visiting, living, boating or beaching in Delray Beach or the Boca Raton area.
Talk to you later….
October 9th, 2009
Gourmet eating in the most unexpected place….
I know that Dekay’s reputation as an accomplished chef is well known. He was the owner of Kupchick’s on Lewes Beach. That was one of the “must stop” restaurants in the Lewes area for many years. I still remember having dinner there with my good friends, Missy, Debbie and Roberta.
For the past 5 years he has had Kupchick’s Corner Market, located on 33711 Westcoats in Lewes. It is off of Savannah Rd. Tel. 302-645-6211. Same number for the fax.
I have been meaning to stop by because I had heard that the food was really good. So, yesterday, Thursday, I did. The building is a gas station, so don’t expect great curb appeal. No gas is sold there anymore. On one side of the building there is an auto repair shop and Kupchick’s is on the other side. Two separate businesses.
Mike is one of the employees at Kupchick’s and he is really an asset; very friendly plus he fixed me a very good BLT sandwich. There are a few tables and booths, so eating inside is available. Very simple but comfortable.
Kupchick’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Carry out is available and if you fax or phone in an order for five or more sandwiches or subs by 10:30 a.m., then you will get free delivery.
Hours of operation are: 6:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. Please place dinner orders or go there yourself by 7:00 p.m. because that is the cut off time before they start getting ready to close.
There are so many choices. You just need to go and try some of their items like I did. Every day of the week there is a special, but I hear that Thursdays’ Chicken n’ Dumplings is a very popular night.
Soups are prepared daily. There are salads and the Caesar is supposed to be very good. Of course, you will also find the potato, macaroni salad, along with the cole slaw.
In the sandwich department they offer subs and specialty sandwiches using Dietz and Watson Cold Cuts. Kupchick’s prepares their own turkey, roast beef, pork, corned beef and chicken. I don’t want to forget that burgers are on the menu, as well.
The dinner menu starts at 4:00 p.m. Some of the items you will find are:
Market Meat Loaf – Their own blend of veal, pork and beef with a few secret ingredients and served with a mushroom gravy, fresh vegetable and potato.
6 Ounce Fillet – Hand cut from choice or better, wrapped in bacon with a chile rub. Served with a warm salsa, potato and fresh vegetable.
Stuffed Chicken Breast – With spinach, roasted red pepper and goat cheese. Served with a Tarragon Veloute, rice and fresh vegetable.
The base for a Veloute sauce is like a Bechamel Sauce. In a saucepan, melt 1/2 stick butter then add 1/8 cup flour and stir over medium heat. When the flour is lightly toasted then add 2 cups of milk and stir until it thickens. To make the veloute add 2 cups of chicken broth or stock instead of the milk.
They also have Chicken Penne, Fresh Salmon Fillet, and Crab Cakes to name a few more.
On Fridays and Saturdays only, they offer Roast Prime Rib Au Jus, with fresh horseradish, potato and fresh vegetable. A full one pound cut.
That is were I come in. My husband and I decided to go there around 6:00 p.m. tonight; we wanted the beef to be medium rare, closest to rare. Even if I had decided not to have beef tonight, their board showed that they also had red snapper, flounder and scallops. I wanted that Prime Rib, though and had it for carry out.
The Prime Rib was delicious, cooked perfectly and tender; the vegetables were just right; we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.
So, if you are in the vicinity of Lewes and Rehoboth you should try it because you will not be disappointed. It is certainly different, but my husband and I liked it and we will be back.
Note: Each night Kupchick’s offers several fish specials. They order their fish at 6:00 a.m. and will post these selections at 1:00 p.m. Please call for the available choices.
Personalized Catering Sevice is available, as well, so if you are interested, please call the above telephone number for more information.
Guess how much was the most expensive item in the menus? $16.95 Can you believe it?
October 8th, 2009
Grub Grocery is located at 305 Rehoboth Avenue, in downtown Rehoboth Beach. It is the Cultured Pearl’s sister store. The Tel. number is 302-226-4782 and the e-mail address is sushi@mcshi.com.
This “convenient” grocery store is in the perfect location. Besides its central location, it has parking. You know how important that is during the summer season. This time of the year, it is not so bad; some week-ends can make finding parking a chore, though. Second of all, it really has curb appeal. On a great day you can sit outside and enjoy a sandwich, soup, ice cream, pizza, etc. This store has it all.
Grub Grocery has something for every taste. As you come in you will see in front of you all the fresh veggies they offer. Just like in a grocery store, there are a few isles. A good selection of gluten free items, are available, as well.
Because it is a sister store to the Cultured Pearl, you know that their Grab n Go Cultured Pearl Sushi will definitely be fresh. It is made daily. They also offer a full line of Japanese salads, Cultured Pearl dressing, sauces and condiments.
If you happen to be staying in downtown Rehoboth Beach, you might not even have to leave town since this store has meats, good cheeses, pancetta, chorizo, tuna belly, Boar’s Head Deli Sandwiches, toasted bagels and cream cheese, fresh made donuts, and ice cream, among other staples.
One of the unique features of this store is that through the summer months they are open very late every day of the week. Their fall schedule is: 7:00 a.m. thru 11:00 p.m., 7 days a week and late until 2:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
This past week Grub Grocery started “Lunch for the Locals”. In addition to their deli sandwiches and Cultured Pearl Sushi they have hot lunches for $6.95.
Every day of the week is something different: Offerings start at 10:30 a.m. and orders can be called in at 302-226-4782.
Mondays – Teriyaki Meatballs, steamed rice and Asian vegetable
Tuesdays – Turkey “wings” and gravy, roasted red potato, stuffing, cranberry sauce, coleslaw.
Wednesday – Lasagna (meat or veggie), Caesar salad, garlic bread. Add on stuffed peppers or sweet Italian sausage and peppers for $3.00 more.
Thursdays – Meatloaf and gravy, herb roasted potato and vegetable medley, fresh baked bread and butter.
Fridays – Fried chicken (2 pieces) with BBQ sauce, chef salad, potato salad, fresh baked bread and butter. All white meat, then add $1.00, or want an extra piece of chicken? Then add $2.00.
There is something in their freezer that I have resisted buying and that is mochi. This is a dessert. Different flavors of ice cream covered in a rice dough. They have them at the Cultured Pearl, but I must warn you, they are addictive.
I think all the locals, natives and visitors alike have received Grub Grocery with open arms in their first season. This week-end could be the perfect opportunity to try it if you have not done so already. I think the weather is going to be great, so try their outdoor eating area. It looks very cute with all the pumpkins.
Until next time….
September 30th, 2009
Yes, after all these years, we got together again. It just started with Facebook, really. We figured that the next time we were in Florida we would try to connect. I went from Delray to Miami to visit Mary; Rosarito was coming from Puerto Rico. It really was no problem catching up. It was like time had stood still. We all had had families and gone in different directions. Some of us moved from the Island and made our homes in the States.
I have lived in Delaware longer than I ever lived in Puerto Rico and Mary has lived in Florida longer than she ever lived in Puerto Rico and Cuba. Rosarito and her husband have the travelling bug, so they are all over the place.
I grew up with these women in Puerto Rico; our neighborhood was so close to the center of the town; we walked everywhere. In younger days, we would ride bikes, rollerblade, read comic books and go to dances at San Antonio Abad. San Antonio was the boys’ school at the time. Those are the memories that are never forgotten.
So after I got to Mary’s house we started with the traditional Cuban coffee. We chatted and after some time we decided to take our conversation to a Cuban restaurant called Molina’s. This restaurant is located on 11995 S.W. 26th St. in Coral Way. Telephone is 305-207-8600. We got a nice quiet corner table and ordered some mariquitas. These are made out of plantains, shaved lengthwise and then deep fried. A dip of oilive oil, garlic and spices was served, as well.
For lunch we had the traditional Cuban Sandwich and the Media Noches (Midnights). Molina’s has great shakes made out of fresh fruit like papaya. We really had a nice lunch, finishing it with more Cuban coffee. That was a good idea because I was about to get on the turnpike at 4:00 p.m. and if you have ever been in South Florida at rush hour, you know that you better have a good dose of patience.
My husband wanted pasteles. These are a traditional Puertorican dish made with mashed plantain and other root vegetables with a filling of pork, ham, chickpeas, raisins, and olives. The mashed vegetables are spread on a banana leaf and then the filling is placed on top. It is wrapped and tied with a string. It looks like a “package”. It is boiled and then unwrapped on a plate. Very good. Just like in the picture.  
Sooo, off we go in search of the pasteles to Benny’s. This Puertorican restaurant is located on 2500 S.W. 107., #1, Miami, FL. Tel. 305-227-1232. Website is www.bennyseafood.com and the e-mail is bennyseafood@gmail.com. It is as the Time Center just a few minutes from Florida International University.
I got a dozen of the pasteles and we took off. What I did not know was that this restaurant can ship FedEx all over the United States and besides the pasteles they have Sorullos de Maiz that are a pseudo hush puppy, and morcillas among other Puertorican dishes. Morcillas are blood sausages. Please don’t gag, they are very good. What can I say? It’s the truth!!
One of their specialties is the Mofongo which is fried plantain, mashed with garlic, pork rinds, salt and olive oil. Some times bacon is added as well. It is served in a small mortar and depending on the restaurant, it will be served as a side dish or filled with seafood, meat, “salmorejo de jueyes” (land crab made with a creole type sauce).
This restaurant is well known. It was featured in the Food Network’s Diners, Drive ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. He is the one with the spiky blond hair that goes into all kinds of restaurants trying everything he can.
What a nice day!!! Soon I will be meeting Cuca, up north.
Note: We had 6 of the pasteles and I can tell you that everyone was very pleased.
September 29th, 2009
It was so nice to go back to Ziree Monday night. I have not been back in Delray for some time, but this is a restaurant that we go to every time we are in town. We have been so happy to see it thrive in this community. You find a lot of the local people here and it is probably because their children have been in the local schools. You know how that is, word of mouth is a powerful advertising tool.
Ziree Thai and Sushi is located on 401 West Atlantic Ave., near the tennis stadium. The telephone is 561-276-6549, fax number is 561-276-6540. The website is www.zireethai.com.
On Monday night both sisters were cooking. After all, this is a family operated restaurant. One at the sushi bar and the other in the kitchen. For a Monday, it was pretty busy.
As you come into the restaurant you will notice high ceilings and flowers; the setting has an elegant Zen atmosphere. Comfortable and relaxing.
We brought our own soy sauce, wheat free, because of my husband’s gluten allergy. You never know which restaurant will carry the Tamari brand. They did not have it so we gave it to the kitchen to be used on his dish.
The menu was full of interesting dishes and usually there is a board at the entrance of the restaurant with the daily specials.
You can visit their website and check out their menu.
I have had in the past the Ziree salad and I loved it. So, I got a little worried when I did not see it on the menu, but I asked for it and Ziree made it. It had tuna, strawberries and greens in a light dressing that had just the right amount of heat.
For my dinner I had the Tsunami Roll, which had shrimp tempura, BBQ eel, cucumber, avocado, scallions, spicy sauce, masago, Japanese mayo, topped with tuna tataki, tempura flakes and eel sauce. It was quite a roll. Great!!
My husband had for an appetizer the eel sushi and for his dinner he had fried rice with squid. I know, I know, I cannot imagine what you must be thinking, but if you have not tried squid, you wouldn’t know how delicate the flavor is. Try it next time.
Anyway, we enjoyed our dinner. It was just the 2 of us and we ate a little later than usual. We chatted some with Ziree and then said our goodbyes.
Note: There is free parking in the back of the restaurant. We did not have any trouble on Monday.
Ingredients can be substituted or added upon request. They can alter the hot and the spicy.
Take out is available. Just give them a call. And, gift cards are available, as well.
Ziree serves lunch and dinner and reservations are accepted but not necessary.
 
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