Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

As much as Miami is famous for its great Cuban cuisine, I wasn't planning to eat it everyday.  Hence, for varietal purposes, we headed to Yardbird, named one of the top 50 best new restaurants for 2012 by Bon Appetit.  Located in trendy Miami Beach, the interior decor and vibe reflected that with what can be described as a modern rustic.  With a menu focused on elevated Southern cooking, we were more than enthused to try some of their offerings.

We started with the Fried Green Tomato BLT consisting of Heritage Acres Farm pork belly, frisee, fried green tomatoes, tomato jam and house-made pimento cheese. There was only one way to describe this dish - freakin' awesome.  First of all, the breading was crunchy and not greasy while the crisp thick-cut belly was meaty.  There was a great balance of flavors including the acidity from the tomato jam, spiciness from the cheese and savoriness from the belly.  Next up was a side of Corn³ which included fresh grilled sweet corn, lightly fried hominy and crispy fried cornbread crumbles.  Every item came as advertised.  I particularly liked the crunchy bits of cornbread.

Viv went for the Crunchy Yardbird Sandwich that was a mouth-watering concoction of fried chicken with sweet tobasco, house-made bacon, lettuce, tomato and buttermilk dressing.  Another home run in my books because it was just plain awesome.  The crunchy piece of thigh meat was moist and sweet.  Of course the kicker was the thick-sliced bacon which offered up fatty and salty goodness.  The addition of pickled onions added the necessary acidity to cut the richness.  We got a side of House-Cut Fries with buttermilk dipping sauce and bacon "salt" (bacon bits).  The crispy fries were nicely accented by the creamy and spicy dipping sauce.

My parents decided to share the large order of Shrimp n' Grits consisting of Florida shrimp, crisp Virginia ham and Adluh South Carolina stone ground grits. The big mound of grits were prepared beautifully in my opinion.  It was fluffy and soft while exhibiting a firmness that was not too moisture-ladened.  The large shrimp on top had a buttery snap where the onions added a natural sweetness.  Lastly, the reduced beer sauce displayed depth and a rich shrimp flavor as well as saltiness from the ham (maybe a touch too salty).  We also got an order of the Macaroni & Cheese made with 5 artisanal cheeses.  The al dente pasta was caressed by a cheesy sharpness accented by a slight spice.  We loved the crunchy herb crust as well.

Lastly, I decided to order the Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.  The whole thing should've been called strawberries with a bit of shortcake since there was a wealth of ripe sweet berries with basil syrup.  The shortcake was airy and light.  This was a nice way to finish off a very good meal at Yardbird.  We came here with certain expectations and they met everyone of them.  The food was delicious and soothed the soul.  I wish I didn't have to travel all the way to Miami to get it.

The Good:
- Nice take on Southern cuisine
- Attentive service
- Loved the decor

The Bad:
- Rich food, will be heavy
- Parking is a bit of a pain

Isla Canarias

There I was.  Sitting there in our hotel room in the dark looking for a place to eat.  It was nearly 10:00pm and the kids were asleep. Normally, that would mean pizza delivery or a quick run to McD's.  But with the grandparents in the same 2-bedroom suite, it meant Viv and I could escape for some real food.  Since we were in Miami, it meant that Cuban was a good bet.  I briefly considered some smaller joints in Hialeah, but not really knowing the area, we took the safe route and headed over to Isla Canarias.

Since they were out of beef, we ended up with 2 ham & cheese and 2 chicken Empanadas.  Although on the greasier side, we found the pastry to be really crispy and flaky.  It was the right thickness where it wasn't heavy or overbearing to eat.  As for the fillings, the chicken was our favorite since it was moist and flavorful from the jalapenos and onions.  The ham & cheese was too salty for our liking.  I'm pretty sure that the flavor profile was pretty much so, but it was just not our personal favorite.


We got the single portion of Shrimp & Chicken Paella which was a decent size and in a deep shade of yellow thanks to the Bijol powder.  Hence, the flavour profile was definitely different from the traditional Spanish version (which uses saffron).  That is not to say it wasn't good though.  The plethora of onions and peppers afforded a certain sweetness and savoriness.  The rice was not overcooked while the chicken was sufficiently tender and the shrimp had a sweet snap.  Lastly, we shared the Sampler Criollo consisting of roast pork, shredded flank steak Creole style, croquette, rice, black beans, yuca and plantains.  If I had to compare, the roast pork was way better than that of the one I had at Padrinos.  It was moist and I could really taste the pork.  Although the flank steak was stringy and chewy, the flavours from the peppers and stewed tomatoes were intense and rich.  The croquettes were not that hot nor that crispy while the yuca was a little firm.  The same could be said about the plantains.  In the end, we found the food to be decent here and it helped quell the late night munchies.

The Good:
- Big menu
- Decent service
- Good portions

The Bad:
- Super cramped seating in the middle
- A little salty

Versailles Restaurant

After picking my parents up at the Ft. Lauderdale airport while heading down from Orlando to Miami, it was painfully clear that we needed food badly.  Personally, I would've liked to hit up a Cuban market in Little Havana for some authentic Cubanos, but with a mini-van (I only rent, will never buy) full of kids and grandparents, we ended up at Versailles Restaurant instead.  Yes, it's touristy and yes, it probably isn't the best Cuban food in Miami (despite its claims as the most famous Cuban restaurant), but it was a safe destination in terms of parking and food selection.

With respect to my aforementioned criteria, their large overflow parking lot came in handy and the wide array of dishes meant there was something for everyone. We were started off with a basket of Garlic Bread which was actually quite good.  It was lightly toasted and airy with a good amount of garlic butter.  We ordered some Mariquitas to start and after we'd finished them, it donned on us they forgot the mojo.  Personally, I prefer my chips made from riper plantains (like the ones from Padrino's).  These were thinly-sliced and more crispy than crunchy.  Furthermore, they were not salted enough (or not at all).  But I guess that was what the mojo was for...  which we didn't have.  Next up was the Cubano, which could've been toasted a bit more in my opinion.  Not to say it wasn't good though as the bread was crisp and airy.  There was a good amount of melted Swiss with flavorful roast pork, however, we found the ham rather salty.

Onto the mains, I had the Roast Beef Tongue in a light Espagnole sauce with arroz moros and sweet plantains.  I found the tongue to be nicely tender with lots of flavor from the fat.  The sauce added plenty of meaty flavor, but was a bit heavy on the salt.  The same could be said about the rice as it was a bit too flavorful.  I did like the just cooked texture though.  Viv decided to try the Oxtail Stew braised with spices and red wine accompanied by white rice and sweet plantains.  Naturally, the smaller pieces were more moist and gelatinous than the bigger ones.  Yet, most of the meat was fork-tender.  Once again, there was plenty of depth from the fat and sauce.  And yup, it was pretty salty, especially with the addition of olives.

My mom predictably had the Braised Lamb Shank Jardiniere with oven-roasted vegetables, rosemary and red wine. It also came with white rice and sweet plantains.  As illustrated in the picture, this was a huge portion consisting of 2 large lamb shanks. Other than a few chewy exterior parts, most of the lamb was tender and gelatinous.  We could detect a faint red wine essence and plenty of sweetness.  My dad had the only non-red meat dish being the Fish Filet with Shrimp in Creole Sauce (also served with white rice and sweet plantains).  We found the both the fish and shrimp to be cooked beautifully.  The fish was flaky while the shrimp had a meaty snap.  The sauce exhibited sweet and tart notes as well as the dreaded saltiness.  To be fair, when combined with the plain rice (as it should be), it wasn't too bad.

My son didn't want to participate in the Cuban food, so he went for his standby being the Grilled Cheese. Hey guess what?  It was a grilled cheese made with processed cheese.  Not gonna talk about it anymore...  As for the Cuban food, it was pretty good with well-prepared proteins and ample portions.  One thing that struck us like a Ryan Dempster fastball at A-Rod was the indifferent service.  It wasn't bad per se, but it was colder than the air conditioning.

The Good:
- Ample portions
- Well-prepared proteins
- Lots of choice and parking

The Bad:
- Frigid (but okay) service
- A bit too much salt

4 Rivers Smokehouse

Eating in and around Walt Disney World was beginning to get on my nerves and really going against my food blogging ideals.  Not only were we subjecting ourselves to expensive fare, the food was as creative as a stick figure drawing.  I can only talk about mediocre touristy food that much without losing my lunch literally and figuratively.  Hence, I decided to drive North up towards Orlando (not really, more like NW to Winter Garden) to experience some BBQ at 4 Rivers Smokehouse.

I decided to get a taste of as much as I could handle with the 1/2 rack of the St. Louis Style Ribs and adding Angus Brisket as well as Burnt Ends.  This meal also came with 3 sides and a biscuit.  I thought the ribs were pretty moist considering the cooking process.  They fell off the bone and there was still fatty portions left.  I liked the exterior bark as it was flavorful and aesthetically-pleasing.  There was a subtle smokiness which was a nice compliment to the balanced BBQ sauce which was tart, sweet and slightly spicy.  Sufficiently moist was the beef brisket as it was smoky and meaty.  Again, the bark was fantastic.  I wasn't a huge fan of the burnt ends as they were presented like pulled pork.  I prefer mine to be in chunks.  It was good though with lots of caramelized flavors packed in every bite.  For my sides, I had the Fried Pickles, Fried Okra and Baked Cheese Grits.  The fried pickles were on point being crispy and crunchy.  The fried okra was cardboard type crunchy which I wasn't particularly fond of.  Loved the cheese grits as they were cheesy and just really good.

Viv ended up with the Pulled Pork Sandwich with 2 sides.  I thought the pork was again, sufficiently moist and slightly smoky.  It wasn't oversauced so we could still taste the natural meat flavor.  Besides, one could add as much BBQ sauce as they wanted.  The bun was soft and held up to the last bite.  She went with bacon-wrapped Smoked Jalapenos and BBQ Beans where the former was indeed very spicy.  She thought the baked beans were too sweet though as if she were eating liquid candy.  For my daughter, she went for the well-priced kid's Smoked Turkey Slider with a side of Mac n' Cheese and a fountain drink.  Great deal for $4.49 in my books.  Presented on a similarly soft bun, the slices of white meat were lean and a touch dry.  Good smokiness and exterior rub though.  The mac n' cheese was creamy in a Velvetta way, but still decent.  

My son went the boring route and had the Hot Dog with Fries.  It was a standard BBQ'd hot dog with crispy fries on the side. I'm beginning to doubt he's related to me...  But one things for sure, 4 Rivers serves up good food for a reasonable price.  There was more than enough food for 6 people, let alone 2 adults and 2 kids.  Sadly, I'd have to travel all the way to Florida to pay them a visit again.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Lots of choice
- Solid eats

The Bad:
- Some dry items (but it wasn't meant to be juicy either)
- Limited seating inside, hence you sit outside where it can be hot

Hanamizuki

There are positives and negatives in squeezing every ounce of time in a theme park.  The value-side of the argument would imply that you got everything out of the day while the saner person would reason that health and well-being (of the adults, with tired whining kids) are more important.  Well for me, the main problem is eats afterwards - most places are closed!  Hence, that led us to a lil' Japanese joint right behind our hotel.  Hanamizuki was open late and run by Japanese people!

Viv ended up going for their dinner combo where you pick one entree and then add $12.00 for soup, salad, appetizer, tempura or sashimi, chawanmushi, rice and dessert. As evidenced in the picture, the Green Salad was fresh and we loved how they gave us a bottle of dressing (so we could regulate the amount ourselves). Viv chose the Appetizer Tempura and it was pretty much sub-par with soggy and limp ingredients encased in even soggier batter.  It was thick, pale-looking and not very appetizing.  As much as miso soup can be pretty boring, this one was actually quite good where the flavors weren't predominantly of salt.

For $21.00, the Chirashi Don was lacking a bit in substance.  Not that there was not enough ingredients nor were they lacking in quality either, but they were sliced rather thin.  As for the sushi rice, it wasn't bad with a chewy texture.  It was on the bland side though. The Hanamizuki Roll consisting of tamago and eel was okay with decent sushi rice, but there seemed to be very little substance to it.  All I got was egg.  We also got an order of Chicken Karaage which was meaty and crispy but also a touch dry.  I liked the tang from the lemon though.

The Teriyaki Chicken was nicely charred, but remarkably dry. It was a big portion though.  I did appreciate the light teriyaki sauce though as it was not the thick syrupy type nor too sweet.  I liked the rice vinegar hit.  As part of the combo, the Chawanmushi was very good being silky and not very watery.  Loved the subtle flavors from the mushrooms too.  For the kiddies, we got them the Tempura Udon which suffered from the same crappy tempura, but the high quality udon made up for it as it was chewy and had bite.  The soup was sweet and mild. Ultimately, Hanamizuki fulfilled a need - to fill our tummies with real Japanese food.  It was not cheap, but at least it wasn't burger and fries.

The Good:
- Authentic
- Friendly people
- Lots of choice

The Bad:
- Expensive
- It's authentic, but doesn't mean everything is good

Three Broomsticks (Universal Islands of Adventure)

Initially, we were scheduled to stay at Disney World for a whole week as our original plans did not include Universal Studios.  However, during the time between planning the trip and actually going on it, my son developed a love for Harry Potter.  Therefore, we had to shoehorn one day at the Islands of Adventure in order to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  I must say that they have done a really good job with the place, especially the Forbidden Journey ride.  But after almost losing my breakfast on the ride, we decided to try some of the food at Three Broomsticks.

I decided to get The Cornish Pasties which were okay, especially considering the reasonable price of $7.99 with side salad.  These were filled with a slightly dry ground beef filling which was more or less quite mild.  The pastry itself was not exactly flaky and airy, but it was okay nonetheless.  The kid's Fish & Chips were surprisingly decent with a nice crunchy exterior while there was relatively flaky halibut inside.  This portion was enough for an adult as there were 2 pieces (as opposed to the 3-piece full sized version).  The wedges were forgettable though as they were soggy and limp.  Not gonna say much about the Mac n' Cheese as it was pretty typical.

Now for the good stuff...  The Pumpkin Juice was pretty refreshing as it was a citrusy fruit juice with pumpkin puree.  It was sweet with very little tang and it definitely was better cold.  Not much in the way of pumpkin flavour though (which was a good thing).  How about Butter Beer?  Well, one could have it one of two ways - either in liquid form or frozen.  We had it frozen which would keep colder for a longer period of time.  Both versions were topped with a marshmallow foam to emulate beer head.  The overall flavour profile of the drink was somewhere in between vanilla and very weak root beer (without the fizz).  It was definitely sweet, but not overly so.  Not bad. Once again, we were subjected to theme park food, albeit reasonably-priced and decent.

The Good:
- Didn't feel ripped off
- Interesting drinks based on Harry Potter

The Bad:
- Gets busy at peak times, seats fill up
- Food is priced okay, but specialty drinks are pricey