La Sandwicherie- My Miami Mon Cherie

La Sandwicherie- 229 14th Street - Miami Beach, FL http://www.lasandwicherie.com/










It's been a while since I've blogged here on 5thStar, mainly because - 1) I'm broke, and 2) some things are just not worth writing home about...As my pops always says.
Well that's not completely true as I try to write about all places I visit and make sure you get the truth, and nothing but the truth, be it good, bad and/or ugly.

So let's shift to my second home (one day)- Miami, FL. I frequent MIA once or twice a year if I'm lucky, and I never want to come back. Even during hurricane season, we never hesitate to book a cheap flight and take advantage of the weather, that's guaranteed to be better than it is here.

So the best thing about having family living in a place you're visiting is finding out the local spots to get the best cheap eats.

One of the few spots we make it a point to visit when at the South Beach is La Sandwicherie. This is a French deli that pretty much hits all the spots. As you can see in the picture above, it's an outdoor bar, located on a small street almost in an alley way. However shady it may sound, this is actually a great concept as it's simplicity exudes elegance. You cannot usually find a seat as LS is always packed, and there's only really 6-7 seats as is. But that's no problem, as we always opt to have our sandwiches right on the beach, as it's only a short walk to be waterside.
(Note- don't sit between the Rainbow flags, unless you want to get Cuthied by the you-know-whos- not pleasant).

LS' concept is real simple: fresh bread, fresh ingredients, and always open. Open from 10am-5am, there's only a small window of time that you can't get a sandwich. And let's face it, not many are awake during those hours that they are closed, unless you're just leaving the club after 5am. So why not just go to Subway (Ughh) you ask? Well for one, LS' French bread is to die for. Everything you want in a French baguette- crispy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside. It's harmony in every bite! You have the option for a croissant also, however I've never tried it, as the regular baguette is what I always crave especially in a sandwich. Toppings include the usual veggies, and of course standard deli meats and an array of cheeses. Honourable mention goes to the Smoked Salmon, and my personal fav the Chicken Salad.

Don't forget to top your sandwich off with the 'kicker'- the French Dressing. I always make sure I get a couple more to go as I find I'm always topping it up half way thru the sandwich...It's just that good. And of course can't forget the cornichons- or pickles to those who don't know. Cornichons are another French delicacy (?), which are mini pickles that are infused in garlic brine and just Divine. Make sure you get some of those to go to because they'll be gone before you know it.

LS also offers BIG salads, which I have yet to try but have heard are huge (Elaine would be proud). Wash down your sandwich or salad with something from LS' Juice Bar, which boasts fresh, seasonal fruit or veggies for under $5. You can even add some health-conscious extras such as Echinacea, Ginseng or Bee Pollen (?), if you're feeling for that extra kick.

All in all, a trip to South Beach is never complete without visiting either La Sandwicherie or Pizza Rustica (blog to follow).

I'm not sure what exactly it is about LS that keeps us coming back, but I'm positive it's a combination of the scent of fresh bread, the outdoor atmosphere, and the little nuggets (dressing, cornichons) that just top off the whole experience in more ways than one.

The service is decent, as the French always do- keep their words to a minimum and let their product sell itself. Can't really complain about that. Although it may be a bit difficult to get someones attention as the bar can be crowded at times, service is quick and always willing to meet any requests we had.

And for pricing, under $7 gets you a full deli sub of your choice, combo sub (2 meats or cheese) under $9, salads ranging from $7-9, and fresh mixed drinks for under $5. By Miami standards, this is by no means expensive.

In a culinary-saturated market like Miami, let alone South Beach itself, there are many places from 1st Ave to 19th Ave, along Collins Ave, Ocean Dr and Washington Ave. Most of these places are all name and no substance, and come and go before you've even had a chance to go in. Rent must be uber-high in this area, as it is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the US, so it's understandable if a place charges high prices. I don't mind paying more for something if it's worth it, but for the most part these places are not worth it.

La Sandwicherie, on the other hand, is in a prime spot, gives great value and superb quality, at a reasonable price.

In the end, I rate La Sandwicherie at 4.5 stars out of 5, and recommend them to any and everyone who is in the South Beach area.

Sorry La Sandwicherie if I steal your idea up here in Canada...

Best. Steak. Ever.

Ruth's Chris Steak House- 145 Richmond Street West











(http://www.ruthschris-toronto.com/

Marry me Ruth.

That's how I felt after our meal. Sorry to my wife to be, but if Ruth was there, I would have gone home with her that night.

Yeah.

I've only heard great things about Ruth's Chris Steak House, but in all honesty I never have a good read on places until I've actually eaten there. And let me tell you, everyone who told me this place was good, really underrated it. I wish we would have come here sooner, as my brain, taste buds and stomach have all been harassing me since.

Ruth is located inside the Hilton Hotel in downtown Toronto, and since I booked our table through Open Table, I of course reserved it for the next day. For once, I was early for something. Regardless, they had room for us since it was 930 on a Friday night.

Their dining room resembles a large, dim lit banquet hall, with high back chairs, large tables and linens without a crease in them. We definitely felt special as we walked to out table. Ruth gives that ambiance of a very upscale establishment, with many rooms, and a nicely decored bar with a huge flat screen playing the Jays' game. Nice touch. Fine leather creaked as we sat down, and the backdrops were set to mimic a simple, yet elegant dining experience.

Our server was on point. I've never had service like this before. He knew everything on the menu, offered to split salads for us that we shared, and recommended the best selections for us. He was always there to fill our wine and water, and made sure everything was perfect. Any special requests were handled without any doubt at all.

On to the food.

We decided to order some apps to start, each couple sharing a salad. We ordered the House Caesar, Caprese, and Ruth's Chop Salad. The first two were standard, fresh ingredients, nothing too fancy, just the way it should be. The Chop Salad was very nice, an interesting combo of onion, radicchio, cherry tomatoes, boiled egg, and some other good stuff mixed together with a creamy dressing.

As for the steaks, all I can say is- wow. Broiled at 1800 degrees, these bad boys came out on sizzling plates, that kept the steak warm throughout the meal. As most of us went for the New Yorker at $49.95, I opted for the Cowboy Ribeye, which is basically the ribeye with the bone-in. As the title of this blog described it best, as in best, steak, ever. No sauce, no sides, just meat. And butter. I've never really had a steak like this before, I mean, at Barbarians, our steaks were also served naked, but literally naked. Just meat on the plate. Although Barbarians' cut of meat was great, I still felt "This is Boring" when I was served. However, they did offer a $5 Peppercorn Sauce which may have helped the boringness... Ruth did not even offer any sauces, much to the dismay to one of our diners, but honestly, no sauce was needed. (Editor's note- as per their website, Ruth does offer a sauce: Au Poivre Sauce- which is a Brandy Pepper Sauce, for a mere $2.95) The butter topped on my steak created a rich, crispy coating to a perfectly cooked steak. The doneness of the Ribeye was perfection to a T, crispy on the outside and slightly pink on the inside... I was in heaven.

What more can I say? Even the Chap who didn't eat beef ordered the chicken meal, and he got almost a whole bird! Double breast, on the bone, perfectly roasted, putting Swiss Chalet to shame.

We decided to order a bunch of sides to share, and we got the sauteed mushrooms, creamed spinach, potatoes Au gratin, and baby asparagus. All were devoured between bites and provided a simple break between mouthfuls of meat. Personal fave was the Potatoes Au Gratin, which was rich, creamy and heavenly...we should have ordered two.

On to dessert. Again, the share-age had to be done. This time we went for each realm of the sweet spectrum, including:

Chocolate Sin Cake- Espresso and Chocolate, not really 'cakey'...This I didn't enjoy too much, not really my cup of tea...

Caramelized Banana Cream Pie- White chocolate Banana custard on a flaky crust- the crust was not so flaky but the banana custy was divine...

Homemade Cheesecake...absolutely divine...How a cheesecake should be...

And my personal Piece de Resistance- Creme Brulee...I have never had a creme brulee like this before, and usually I'm not too big a fan of brulee's, but this one was heavenly. Sorry guys but I dealt with this before anyone else could have a taste...

Okay so all in all our experience at Ruth's Chris Steak House was phenomenal. Hands down, one of the best meals I've ever had. And I'm hard to please, to say the least.

The decor at Ruth's was elegant yet welcoming, not too cliche and just enough subtle touches to make it fancy and down-to-earth at the same time.

Service was second to none, overly accommodating server, generous and helpful, not to mention friendly and approachable.

Steaks- as I said before, best I've had. One of our diners felt his sizzling plate overcooked his steak, but I beg to differ. Another diner preferred a sauce to accompany their steak. I don't know what they were smoking.

Price was definitely affordable for what we ate- our bill came to $950 for 9 diners, including 2 bottles of wine, appetizers, main and dessert. So basically at $105 a pop for a great steak and a complete meal...Amazing.

Okay, I know you're thinking- $100? So for a couple its easily $200...That's kinda steep. But the way I see it is skip on the Kelsey's or Boston Pizza that week, and don't go out next weekend, save your money and enjoy a proper meal. Ruth's Chris' is where it's at, and then some. You're worth it, and your belly deserves to be spoiled once in a while, too.

FYI- Check out their website for some great tips on steaks, recipes and general knowledge every diner should know about...

Worst. Steak. Ever.

The Keg: East Beaver Creek Rd (Highway 7 & Leslie)

This place sucks. Please don't go there!

5th Element...Meet 5th Star

"The act of eating at it's minimal is basic for survival, at it's best can be a blissful experience"

Vijay Karunmuchi, Restaurateur

5th Elementt- 1033 Bay St. http://www.5thelementt.com/

Judging by the words from their homepage, the owners of 5th Elementt really do bring all elements to the table. Literally.

I've been wanting to dine at 5th Elementt for quite a while now, and never got around to it. Queue my girlfriends' and my birthdays, which we always celebrate together in the summer, and usually host a huge BBQ for all our friends. This year we thought we'd switch it up a bit and do it up, in a more fashionable manner. Being Summerlicious and all (sponsored by AMEX), this fit perfectly as 5th Elementt was a participant, and helped in our search for an affordable, upscale restaurant.

After scouring through their very nice website, their menu stood out to me. Being an Indian- fusion restaurant, I thought their menu pairings seemed fitting to our group of friends. Usually, we shy away from Indian restaurants since most of our group of friends have some sort of Indian background. But hey, deep down we always want spicy, flavourful dishes in front of us.

Our reservation was for 15 people, and was at 930 on the patio. The weather wasn't the greatest this Friday, but the rain held out for the most part of the day, until of course we headed downtown at night. As the drops fell, I thought, great, we're screwed. At 935 I received a call on my cell from the host, wondering if we were still coming. I informed him that we were running a bit late and he mentioned that their kitchen closed at 10. No problem, we would be there shortly. After we got lost we finally found it, and it was close to 10. I received another phone call from the host, letting me know that they had moved us inside since the weather was bushy. I thought this was nice.

Upon arrival, I really liked what I saw. 5th Elementt has a huge patio in front, with a nice waterfall display that is welcoming and helpful for those who were lost. Inside, there is high ceilings, and large rooms separated by coloured drapes that offer some privacy.

When we got there only half of our party had arrived. Knowing that they were to close their kitchen at 10, and me being a chef, I knew their chefs wanted to get home after a long day. We told our server that we would kindly order for the rest of our party so that the kitchen could get their meals started and get out of there as soon as possible. Our server brought us a piece of paper and pen to assist in the ordering madness.

For a summerlicious menu, they had some great options. The last time we went to Winterlicious, see Waitress Makeover, we only had 3 options per course. 5th Element on the other hand, gave us a choice of 5 apps, 5 mains, and 2 desserts. Nice.

To start we all received an amuse- or a sampling, of a vegetable bisque with a goat cheese crouton. This was divine. I have never had a bisque that was not made from meat or seafood. The flavours were powerful and the soup left a great taste in our mouths, wanting more.

Some things we ordered:

Tandoori Shrimp w/ South African Pepper Salsa

Salmon Wrapped Sea Scallops w/ Onion Relish

Grilled Fuji Apple and Mango Salad w/Masala Dressing and Crumbled Feta

All of these were great. The tandoori shrimp were literally red in colour like they had been marinating for days. And we all know shrimp rarely takes on any marination flavours. But these were nicely spiced and bursting with flavours. The Fuji Apple and Mango Salad was an interesting combination, and the Masala dressing was light and not overpowering at all.

It was interesting to taste these bold flavours that seem overwhelming but actually were quite subtle.

On to the mains:

Grilled Atlantic Salmon w/ mustard sauce with Pilaf Rice (pictured above)

Blackened NY Strip w/ mashed potato and Shallot Demi-glace

Cilantro Rubbed Chicken w/ Butter Chicken Sauce

Lamb Shank Roganjosh

I had the Chicken, which was divine. The butter chicken sauce was thick, pungent and boasting India all over it. The chicken was moist and succulent.

The salmon was very nice, the Mustard sauce was a Bengali influence, and had curry hints with a hint of spice.

The lamb Roganjosh was tart, with a nice tomato based sauce. The Lamb literally fell off the bone, or shank, for that matter.

The steak was okay, didn't have too much Indian to it, but was still cooked well.

The portion sizes were great, filling, and there was no chincing going on, as you would expect for a Summerlicious menu.

Not to mention the great presentation. Being the last diners in the place that night, one would only expect the chefs to just slap on whatever was left to get us on our way. But they spared no effort to give us properly executed meals, simple garnishes and appealing-to-the-eye plates. I was happy. I also really liked their plates. Very modern and classy.

Dessert came in two options, Tiramisu with Raspberry drizzle, and Peach and Lychee Mousse with Kiwi-lime sauce. Both desserts were amazing. Mouth watering, light, and fulfilling. A perfect way to end a perfect meal.

For $25 a head, this was a feast. Including a glass of wine each and tip, our bill came to about $37 per person. This is a steal if you ask me. I had no complaints.

The service was impeccable, very accommodating and very welcoming. I had a chance to talk to the owner afterwards and he was interested in our experience. I'm always happy to see an owner come and talk to the diners. It shows they care. Good establishments always have someone in charge available at all times. It turns out he was the one calling me earlier. He cares. Aww. Touching.

All in all 5th Elementt deserves 5 stars for exceeding our outcomes in Price, Food, Service, and Decor.

I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the mood for some Indian fusion with a modern twist. And I definitely will be back there myself.

So far if you're keeping score, we're 1-1 in restaurants that have numbers in them.

Six Steps can learn a thing or two from 5th Elementt.

The Legend Of Asia

Asian Legend- Metro Square (Steeles + Warden) http://www.asianlegend.ca/




Okay, so being a little disappointed that a PHO place closes at 930 (go figure), we were re-routed to Asian Legend. I was not disappointed.

We've been meaning to hit up this place PHO VIET with our one and only token Viet- Keen, for months now. We finally got around to going there and the placed closed merely minutes before we got there. No worries, we were still hungry. Keen doesn't let us down. (I know it's spelt Kien but you're a Keener).


Asian Legend has a lot of history behind it, hence the name, I guess. While blogging I decided to check out their website, and got some serious tidbits of info that I'd thought I'd share with all 2 of my loyal readers:

In 1988 the first Asian Legend opened its doors on Dundas Street in the heart of Toronto's Chinatown. In spite of its modest dimensions, the restaurant stood out in the crowd of other Chinese eateries because of its uniquely Northern flavored cuisine, as well as the innovative management style of its owners. From the outset, Asian Legend specialized in traditional Northern dim sum and stir fry, and committed itself to providing delicious food at a reasonable price. With 19 years of experience and a devotion to quality and the highest standards, the restaurant has garnered much praise and acquired a loyal and diverse clientele from all over Southern Ontario.

So Asian Legend has actually been around for awhile now, and I'm not surprised its' expanded to many locations. Their food is damn good, not to mention the principles they stand for as outlined in their website's intro:

"Today's diner is not only knowledgeable about fine dining, but also cares greatly about nutrition and healthy living. To meet this demand, Asian Legend's chefs strive to produce tantalizing yet healthy dishes by utilizing natural flavors and minimizing oil, salt and MSG in all our cooking. Furthermore, by selecting cutlery that accentuates each dish's color, aroma, flavor and presentation, our offerings not only satisfy, but also familiarize diners with the art of Chinese cuisine. This ensures that customers will enjoy a truly memorable and value-added experience. "

I like what I hear. Now on to the rest of the experience.

A newly decorated place, Asian Legend is a little spot tucked in Metro Square, and you don't even know this place is there from Steeles, you have to actually venture into the back entrance to see the establishments. Amongst a few bubble tea houses, a PHO 66, and a bunch of restaurants, sits ASIAN LEGEND, a quaint but well decor'd eatery.

This place has a lot of crisp, well defined lines, sharp angles and bold colours. Nothing too outlandish or extreme. A very calm, feng-shui-ish feel, with cool and warm colours dispersed evenly throughout

I think we got there as they were closing. I say this because the waitress gave us the "oh man we're closing soon" look as we walked in and sat down.

Luckily for our resident Asian speaking counterpart Winse, we were able to actually get some service. He recommended a few dishes, and got the ball rolling by ordering some staple apps, namely the dumplings.

I have to admit, I like Legend's Menus. They are small, but colourful, with nicely printed menus and pictures that are numbered to match their description. They even have the descriptions in English and Chinese (I think?). Little mini red peppers indicate "spicy", and not so much spicy. That helps us find the ones to order. Not to mention the leather covers give them a little extra nice.

I also like the idea of the large round-a-bout in the middle of the table. This helps for easy access within the shared meals, which are all the rage these days, and should be.

So we ordered an array of different dishes, including:

Hot-and-Sour Soup
General Tao Chicken
Beef Short-Rib Noodle/soup
Sauteed Eggplant

Shanghai Noodle w/Shrimp
Fried Rice

To start, we obviously went for the Hot and Sour. As I always say, no one can beat Spadina Gardens' Hot and Sour. But Asian Legend gave them a damn good run for their money. I was pleasantly impressed. Their soup wasn't very thick, which was it's only downfall, but hey maybe that's just the way I like it. It was amply full of vegetables and it's spiciness was just perfect. Great start.

Everything we ordered was great. I especially enjoyed the Beef-Short Rib Noodle soup. This was excellent. The beef just fell off the bone, like it had been simmering for days. Not to mention the richness of the broth, which was also very light. I know that seems odd that it could be rich and light, but it just was.

Shanghai Noodles were very good also. Everything was sauced to perfection, not too excessive and very well balanced. One thing I noticed about the dishes were that none of them were heavily oily, as Asian food usually tends to be. This helps as the food doesn't stick to your gut at the end of the meal, that causes mass problems due to Itis and forced tutlets.

The General Tao Chicken was nice and spicy, sauced evenly and had a good variety of flavours incorporated with it. The eggplant was moist and flavourful, but still we were able to taste the eggplant itself, not just what it was sauced with.

So food-wise, everything was great.

Price was decent, as our tab worked out to $120 for 7 people. At $17 a POP, one can't complain, as this included tax and tip.

The only thing that could have improved a bit was the service. Before we even got our soup to start, they server came and gave us our bill. We thought she just wanted to clear her till and give it to us, until she came back and asked us to pay it right away??? Before we even put our napkins on our lap we had to pay. This was odd. Okay, I know you want to close soon but seriously. Oh well maybe that's just standard in Asian restaurants. I dunno. Its not McDonald's I thought.

Other than that I would put this restaurant up at the top of my Asian List. They did well in all aspects and definitely deserve a second visit.

COTL their website for a full menu, and it is quite extensive. You can even sign up for a VIP pass! Killer.

Overall rating:

3.5 Stars out of 5

It's Nice. I like.

New Website Launched! COTL:

www.gourmetrecipedia.blogspot.com


That's the link to my new website, Gourmet Recipedia. Pls Check Out The Layout as I will be adding new recipes often. Pls leave comments and suggest recipes you'd like to see.

Thanks,

Your Resident Chef

Volare: Windy City Done Right

Never judge a book by its cover, or a restaurant by its website.

Volare Restaurant- Chicago http://www.volarerestaurant.com/


So it was a recent weekend road trip that found us in The Windy City, one of the few food capitals of the U.S., and the world even, so I am told.


The problem with dining with a large group of people is that everyone has their own ideas, opinions and notions about certain things, and it makes for a frustrating experience when everyone can't decide on the right place.


We had some suggestions from a globetrotting friend, who dines with the elite...although the majority of those selections were shot down by our local expert, we were adventurous and took the advice of our trusty concierge, who recommended this place according to our specific needs- affordable, good Italian food.



Queue VOLARE- an almost hole-in-the-wall-ish type place, was quite close to our hotel located in the downtown district, that we didn't even need a cab.

I always try to go into each restaurant with NO expectations whatsoever, so that I can be wowed thoroughly. If I have even the slightest inkling of hope for something to expect- I always get let down. So I don't even bother to listen to any one's recommendations, I just go in hoping for the best. And for the most part- I still get let down. Apparently- I'm a very picky eater, according to my girlfriend.

For the record, I'm not a picky eater at all- I just hate when restaurants cut corners and think we don't know. Oh, we know.

Okay back to Volare. So we were all apprehensive about this place since we weren't confidant in the selector's choice, but hey, always have an open mind. Most of us, I think, wanted it to be a flop just so that we could prove our instincts right. But we were waaaaay off. This place really surprised us.

Upon entrance we already had a reservation for 9pm. We arrived at about 10 past 9 and this place was rammed. Good sign number 1. We didn't have to wait long at all as it seemed we were supposed to be seated outside, or on Volare's make-shift patio. This was an interesting concept. So we traveled to a nice, quaint- and by quaint I mean minner, patio. But since it was May and still cold (Windy City cold), their patio was enclosed by a plastic shower curtain type thing. Odd, but still, with the outdoor patio heaters, it gave us an intimate, almost cruise-like atmosphere.

So we're not off to a great start, our table of 7 was not the biggest, and we were bumping elbows with each other in an already crowded indoor/outdoor area.

Our waitress was nice and knowledgeable, but when asked what the specials were, she responded "there are none". Okay. What does that mean- you're out of the specials or you don't have any? Either way, this was not looking good. After up selling us on a softball-team size order of Calamari, that apparently only feeds 3-4...We were also up sold on 2 bottles of wine. Yes, we ordered two of the same bottles of wine for some reason...

To the menu...This thing was huge. This was your classic pasta house, so the standard one page-full dedicated to pastas, a meat and seafood section, and of course pizza.

We all carefully selected our meals and crossed our fingers. The calamari arrived and was good, lightly battered, seasoned well, and cooked to perfection. Not rubbery like you would expect, that you get you know- anywhere. This was good sign number two. So far we're tied 2-2. The meal would be the winning tally.

Let's just say, the food was amazing. I ordered the Risotto with chicken, peas, and asparagus...this was cooked to perfection. Not mushy, not raw...just right. The flavour exhumed Italy in my mouth, and I was very excite. The balance of seasoning, fresh parsley and chicken stock told me the guys in the back knew what they were doing. Not to mention the four cheeses, really made my tongue tingle.

I think every one's meal was superb. I didn't hear one complaint. In fact I didn't really hear one word from anyone as we all devoured our huge portioned meals. Not one of use even dented our plates, as the portions were definitely Italian style. Other meals consumed included:

Penne Arrabiatta: Spicy Vodka sauce- I should have got that it was damn good

Fettucine with Pesto: Also very good.

We all finished our meals (partially) with big grins on our faces. This had been one of the best meal's I'd had in a really, really long time. I will definitely recommend this place to anyone heading to Chi-town.

Every plate was decently priced, and all meals came home with us. Now, meal sizes in the US are fairly larger than those here north of the border, but still, value was great here.

I paid $50, including my main, split app, and 1 and bit glass of wine, and tip. And we tipped well. To me, that's a good deal. For food that good, I would have paid more, and been happy about it.

Overall, the decor was bush, the service was decent, the price was fair, but the food was amazing. And in all honesty, even though I always critique based on the overall experience, this time around the food made up for anything lacking, which wasn't much, mind you.

For a tourist, expectations are usually not that high as you already are spending a lot while in travel status. And that's what made Volare such a good experience, as it was cheap, but great. And I always say, good food does not have to be pricey. The best food should be found in the dumps, hole-in-the-walls, and back alleys.

So let this be a lesson to all of you, never judge a restaurant by their website, their ghetto patio, or their weird server. Give them a chance. The worst that can happen- It'll be bush and show up on this website.

Ciao.