Some recent visits...

Steve's Pizza
12101 Biscayne Blvd.
North Miami, FL

Burger and Beer Joint
1766 Bay Road
Miami Beach, FL

A perfect dinner at Ola

We had our Valentine's Day dinner at our favorite restaurant in south Florida, Ola in Miami Beach.
Let me tell you, not only is the food awesome, the service is great too. I only wish they would give you more of those great rolls.

We had the lobster ceviche and the Chicharron (spicy fried rock shrimp) along with steak and pork entrees. Everything tasted great, I would eat the Chicharron three times a day.

You have to try it out.

The best news is that Chef Douglas Rodriguez is opening up another restaurant right next door to us at The Village at Gulfstream Park.

Bourbon Steak

As promised, I am bringing you details on the burger I had at Bourbon Steak in Aventura along with pics.

I ordered the regular all-beef burger from Michael Mina and it was awesome. If you haven't read it somewhere else, you need to know that burgers at Bourbon Steak are only served at the bar and in the lounge. This is a real fancy pants place so apparently burgers are not good enough for the dining area. This is not just another burger basket joint. The only other time I have been to a place with burgers at the bar only was Stage Left. The Bourbon Steak restaurant is located off the hotel lobby at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club.

When dining here you must order the fries with your burger, at least for the presentation. They come served on a wooden tray similar to a beer sampler tray except 2 x 3 instead of 5 or 6 long. The fries are in 3 groups in the back - each with a different flavoring starting with a fresh herb mix and ending with a cajun like rub salt. Each stack of duck oil fried classic fries is positioned behind a stainless steel cup of secret sauces - each one tasted great. Like I said, get the fries.

The bar burger menu is formal, a large sheet of paper with other apps, and comes complete with a click board, pencil, and check boxes to select what burger you are going with as well a section to pick what toppings you need. There are a 5 options for burgers: the classic, a turkey burger, a lamburger, a salmon burger, and a veggie burger. I opted for the all-beef classic and my fiance got the lamburger. Perfect for me to be able to taste both.

The wait wasn't that long and we wouldn't have minded waiting longer. Our server kept us topped off with beer while we waited. Burgers here come out speared with a large bamboo stick holding down a long wedge of pickle and a banana pepper. The buns are classic soft sesame seed. And then...


The all beef patty seemed perfectly ground; airy but a heavy man burger at the same time. It reminded me of Miller's except a tad larger and more formal. My choice came topped with cheddar cheese and a pinch of caramelized onions. Not the dose of caramelized onions that make some burgers slippery, but rather just enough for taste tucked below the center of the top bun. My burger came out a perfect medium-rare as requested - sweet.

If there were anything less than great worth reporting it would be that the bottom bun was saturated with all of the burger goodness dripping from my medium rare patty. It was almost soaked but nothing worth complaining about since it stayed in tact in my hands and the burger was cooked perfectly.

Bottom line is that this was one great burger and it won't be my last trip to Bourbon Steak. I'm salivating just writing about it.


Oh... The lamburger. My fiance ruined it by asking for it overcooked. The lamb was great meat with a good taste. I was so stuffed when I got to hers that I can't give the best report.

Add one to the list.

I found a new top ten cheeseburger - and it's in my backyard. More information to come on Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina.

Bunz

I tried Bunz today in Louisville on Baxter Ave. The various restaurant reviews online that I found last week spoke about how much better the establishment was compared to the prior eatery so I figured I'd give this burger restaurant a try. I scheduled a lunch appointment with a co-worker and ate there earlier today.


The sign above the joint is appealing and is followed up by the huge menu above the flat top drawing in your attention upon entry. Bunz's menu offers many choices for burgers and a list of free toppings. Upon entry, the woman behind the counter was very friendly and explained our options presenting us with a smaller printed menus. When I asked what I should get, she directed me to the Baxter Ave Burger. I obliged after reading that it came complete with two burgers, cheese, and a fried egg. After my semi-recent endeavor at Genny's, I slimmed down this double and requested it to be a single only.


After a short time, our burgers were served in classic baskets with wax paper atop in an 'Order 'up fashion'. Their presentation was classic and the fries were great. I think all of the salt on my fries won me over. My burger came out medium-well and after being cut in half was dripping with egg yolk - which the woman gave me fair warning about. Either she didn't ask or burgers here are served one temperature only.


I'd go back to Bunz, but with a bigger appetite and get the full deal next time. A good burger, but not on my top ten. Read into that how you'd like.

JimNO's Place

After reading some recent articles about Jimbo's Place in local publications I had to go check it out for myself. The two articles I read in the Herald talked about the city of Miami trying to run Jimbo out. He's been around forever and it's supposedly one of those local places you have to see. Various movies have been filmed there. And then there was an even more recent article about a fire, but I was so turned off on my inaugural and final visit that I could care less about what happens.

I am a big supporter of local restaurants and bars. And I love drinking beer out of a can. But Jimbo's is something else. If you can find this place you will be able to tell right away that it is special. It's basically something in between a non-functioning campsite, a boat dock, and a dump.

We walked up and were thrown off by the whole situation. There were piles of debris, broken down vehicles, and shacks looking like they were from a Halloween set 20+ years ago waiting to fall over. Thinking back, it was quite shocking that most anything standing didn't fall over previously. As we approached the shack that Jimbo was sitting in front of, people looked at us a bit funny. No one said sit over there, welcome, or anything of the sorts. I knew when we were going there that it was going to be interesting, but not this bad. Then someone standing nearby piped up, "beersinthere." And pointed to a few box coolers inside the door filled with cans of beer and ice. I went in and grabbed for some cans under the $2.50 sign. I walked out and asked who to pay. This man sitting down pulled out a huge wad of cash the size of a fist, collected my money and tried to keep all of the change from the $10 bill I gave him.

This far into the experience was alright. I think we were singled out because we had visibly showered that day and were not one of the 8 locals already present. It was when we chose a place to sit and get a better view that the atmosphere began to really take over. The animals that were walking around really set us off. It didn't look the dogs and cats had been bathed in months. Their presence was followed by fleas and other bugs no one wants any part of.

Let's just wrap up the story by saying we took off shortly after meeting the stray animals. But not before a woman trying to bum my fiance's cigarettes try to get us closer to her Airstream style trailer. The environment seemed to be decaying right in front of us. We couldn't get out of there fast enough.

I can some up Jimbo's for you: dirty and nasty.

You're an IDIOT!

What are these people thinking? I always thought it was quite straightforward. When you renew your vehicle registration, you receive a new registration sticker in the mail, and then you stick it on top of the one that is about to expire...showing only the most recent and current registration sticker.

Well I guess it isn't so obvious. I have been trying to get some pics for weeks now to show you all what I am referring to, but since I barely drive, I often don't have my camera, and moving vehicles are hard to take snapshots of while driving...here you go.

I have seen up to five registration stickers on a single plate in Florida. Crazy! For anyone who has more than one registration sticker showing, YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

1. Read the instructions.
2. Get some common sense.
3. Stop trying to show off that you paid for your vehicle registration multiple years.

Only in Florida!?

And for your viewing pleasure...

4

3

2

I did a quick alteration to everyone's plates I have displayed to protect their identity...not like I know who they are.

Sweetwater Tavern

I ate another great burger in the Detroit area this afternoon. Previous memorable experiences I had at Miller's and Red Coat had me ready for a cheeseburger once I landed in town for Christmas break.
We ended up choosing Sweetwater Tavern in downtown Detroit. The selection started off on a positive note with a meter parking spot instead of being forced into the surrounding pay lots. Upon entry we quickly noticed that the establishment allowed smoking throughout but later learned that this was the last 3 weeks before the smoking ban goes live.

I ordered the Sweetwater Burger sporting bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and their special sauce on the side - it also came with fries and a side of coleslaw. The menu boasted of fresh meat daily from somewhere local and I was ready. My plate was served cooked to order with my medium rare burger and fries. I started off cutting it in half and noticed something special about the sesame seed bun's appearance. It was either dipped in butter or oil which was definitely recognizable by the taste.

The cheeseburger was great and only cost 8 or 9 bucks. We also saw signs out front offering a free shuttle to the local sporting venues. Definitely a great spot to revisit.

Getting scores on your mobile phone

If you are looking for college football scores or any scores for that matter try out m.SI.com. I worked through a few sites during this season and ended up using SI's mobile site at it is easy and quick to navigate and provides you with what you need to know.

If you find a better one, please let me know. This is for regular mobile Internet browsing - not a mobile app.

Interesting coaching situations at the end of the NCAA football 2009 season

The 2009 NCAA college football is ending with another onslaught of head coaches and schools parting ways. Nearly all of the men so far really didn't have much say in the matter. Before you read any further, please know that this is a mini Bobby Bowden tribute. Yes, I am a Gator fan, but this man deserves it.

So far we have separation between:

• Charlie Weis and Notre Dame,
• Steve Kragthorpe and Louisville,
• Mark Mangino and Kansas,
• Bobby Bowden and FSU,
• a handful of Georgia Assistants being shipped out,
• as well as a list of others from different schools.

I, like many recognize that this is merely a component of the college football business. But this year is starting to stand out. Someone to to step up and speak to the obvious. There can only be so many undefeated and #1 schools every year. I know that you can only be the best by striving to be the best, but recently it seems like expectations are in some cases ridiculous. In my opinion, the schools should let the scenarios play out a bit longer. Let's talk about the 3 biggest names to date: Charlie Weis, Mark Mangino, and Bobby Bowden.

Charlie Weis. Yes, I know every big school wants to be #1. Or, at least in the mix annually. But the way Notre Dame heaps on the pressure is just ridiculous. Not to say a 6 and 6 season should be acceptable, but maybe you are just in a rut right now. Your NBC contract irks me every time I think about it. Join a conference already. Wake up Notre Dame, you are not college football. You are just one of the 100+ teams. Maybe if you joined the Big East and stopped stacking up your schedule you could get back on track.

Mark Mangino. I know little about this situation and can't even tell you Kansas' win loss record. But why is everyone thinking the same thing except those with the decision making power at Kansas...hello, you are a basketball school. Mark was doing a good job.

Maybe I'm getting softer in my older age or maybe I just don't have all of the information the insiders have. Or maybe I have been focusing on the Gators and watching the long overdue Charlie Strong about to get his own squad. But as of tonight I think that at Mark Mangino should have stayed. And as for Notre Dame, it's not just the coach - there is a lot more to it. I know you have a tremendous following domestically. So what. Do you really think bringing in another coach is going to get you in the BCS game within 3 years? You are an educational institution after all. Study the odds, study something, it isn't going to happen. It is going to take some time and more importantly someone to realize that.

This brings us to Bobby Bowden. Yes, if you know me personally you know that I always start my FSU smack talk with something to the matter of FSU being a girls school, since it started as a an all women's college. I put the I hate you act on with the rest of them on game day. However, I still have a lot of respect for the Seminoles even though I am a true Gator fan. Especially for Mr. Bobby Bowden. One could claim he invented football in Florida. He has more wins than any other college football coach except JoePa and numerous consecutive seasons with top 10 teams. I just feel strongly that the man should have had a better exit AND on his terms. If he wanted one more year for the next five years than so be it. There wouldn't be the brand of FSU football without Bobby Bowden.

Thank you Bobby Bowden for what you gave the game and the State of Florida. And I hope you go out for another coaching job and whoop up FSU.

Credit to Whig.com, where this picture was pulled from.