A quick lunch with friends turned into a random stop at Yuca Restaurant. I had heard of the restaurant prior to this but never eaten here and when we walked past and no one was really eating there, we were hesitant to go inside but we were starved and decided to take the risk.
Based on first impressions this is a tourist restaurant in the tourist district where they have employees outside trying to usher you in. We got caught in the trap, but fortunately the food wasn't bad. I ordered a Mojito that I thought was good. I have had plenty duds and this one stood out.
Despite all the tasty sounding Cuban food choices, I had a Tuna Tataki Salad. I found it to be light and refreshing.
My friend also ordered a salad, the Warm Goat Cheese Salad. She is a huge goat cheese lover so she really enjoyed it.
The only disappointment that afternoon was the Frita Cubana Burger. It lacked pizazz and the meat was lost inside the bun.
The food wasn't exceptional but I also did not try any of their Cuban/Latin dishes. I did like the ambiance which was modern-esque yet bright and inviting. Service could have been a bit friendlier but this is Miami Beach. I probably would never go back but they shouldn't be counted out if you are hanging out at Lincoln Road Mall and looking for a quick lunch.
Yuca Restaurant
501 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 532-9822
www.yuca.com
I previously visited the other Sukho Thai location in the Marigny (you can see my review here) and since I enjoyed it so much, I decided to go back but visit the Uptown this time.
This location has a much better aesthetic. It looks a lot newer and is a far more beautiful, zen space.
I thought that food at the other location was slightly better though. The only thing we order that we also ordered the last time was the Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice which failed in comparison.
I ordered the Pineapple Seafood Curry. I like the Jamaican preparation of curry and not so much the Asian version, so I was surprised that when I went out on a limb and ordered this, I really like it. I was very happy with my choice and definitely would order it again.
My fiance ordered the Drunken Noodles. We are typically Pad Thai people, but he said he may like this better. Either way, both are good choices.
Having experienced both locations, I probably would go back to the Marigny.
Sukho Thai
4519 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 373-6471
www.sukhothai-nola.com
I wasn't really hip to the whole hot dog craze until I got to New Orleans where Andouille and boudin are staples. I would indulge time to time, whenever I would go to Chicago or was able to get a Polish dog somewhere but beyond that, Oscar Mayer was not going to be my friend. With that said, as one of the newer kids in town, I was interested to see what Fat City Franks NOLA was all about.
First impressions create the impression (at least for me) and when I drove up and saw a clown decorated barn, I could have easily been scared, but I thought it was really cool, fun and funky. Bright colors bring me joy and I was happy that the inside of the restaurant reflected the same theme. For a hot dog joint, it was fairy big and was setup like a sports bar. I don't know how much I would want to sit for hours, watch a game and eat only a hot dog (they serve beer and wine too), but that seems to be what they are going for. They apparently sell wings and burgers but I didn't see that on the menu unless it is just reserved for sports events.
The biggest seller of Fat City Franks NOLA was the bun, it was super duper soft, delicious and lived up to their baked fresh daily claims! Their sausages are also made locally and I was very impressed. Their dogs are definitely worth of the term gourmet, and although the price tag was a tad bit high, the size compensated for it as did the plethora of options and toppings. I ordered of the menu and got the Tokyo Joe Dog (Andouille Sausage, Asian Slaw, Wasabi Mayo, Sesame Seeds). I love spicy and it had a nice, subtle kick to it!
You also have the option of selecting your choice of frank from 12 options (think bratwurst, alligator, shrimp, polish, etc) and your toppings which is endless. My fiance wasn't intrigue by any of the specialty dawgs; he wanted something spicy and they recommended he get the Cajun Smoked. He topped it grilled onions, mayo and sauerkraut. He fell in love with hot dogs that day.
Although I have yet to go to the other popular hot dog place in New Orleans, I really liked Fat City Franks NOLA and will go back.The staff was really friendly and welcoming.
Fat City Franks NOLA
3224 Edenborn Ave, Metairie, LA 70002
(504) 301-0325
www.fatcityfranksnola.com
Right off the bar, what I liked about Company Burger is that they have their own parking lot (no searching for parking yay!!!).
Decor-wise, it is pretty similar to most "gourmet" burger chains. The inside of the restaurant was nice, but it was a beautiful day out so I sat outside (besides, I get better lighting for my food pics). It is counter service, so as you enter, they have menus at the door. Once you decide what to eat, place your order, wait to be called and then sit and eat.
The options are pretty limited (4 burgers, a hot dog and grilled cheese) but they all sound good. Burgers are a dime a dozen but making you own pickles, mayo and fresh baked bread daily, it is far more appealing. My fiancé AKA Burger Boy had their namesake Company Burger with a fried egg and bacon thrown on top. He loved it but what can I say, he loves burger!
He paired the burger with the Onion Rings. They were good sized rings with a very light, flaky batter.
I never had a Lamb Burger, so I decided to try it. The size was good and it came with Feta, house basil mayonnaise, red onions, and chili mint glaze. On paper it sounded delicious but it had too much sauce and then started to make my bread soggy and I do not like soggy bread. I didn't enjoy it as much as I felt I should have but I am thinking it I ask for less sauce next time, I will be able to enjoy it a little bit more.
I had my burger with the Sweet Potato Fries. They were tasty.
Company Burger
4600 Freret St New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 267-0320
www.thecompanyburger.com
I have not been having the best couple of days and basically been in bed not feel too well. Sick or not, I wanted food and I did not want to have to go past my door to get it. Delivery choices are basically limited to pizza or Chinese and I did not want either. I did a search and came up with very limited delivery options to my area and although the reviews for Cafe Roma were not the best, I was lacking the motivation to try and find something better so I made the call.
The ordering process went smoothly. I was quoted a 35 minutes wait time and though I wasn't counting, I was happy with the actual delivery time.
Service was good, the food, not so much. I ordered the Shrimp Pasta because it was one of the three items that had a picture and though you could tell in the pic that this was not going to be a quality pasta dish (I could see the small, low quality shrimp), it really didn't look that bad. I was expecting a rich creamy sauce but what I got was pasta swimming in cream with very little flavor. It was a good size portion so you could eat it twice, but would you really want to?
I was excited when I saw that the pasta came with Garlic Bread and a salad included in the price. I upgraded my salad to a Greek Salad. It had all the right ingredients for a delicious Greek Salad, but the ingredients just weren't as fresh as they should have been and I only ended up eating about half of it. The Garlic Bread was a joke. It was some stale slices of cheese pizza with a little bit of garlic flavoring.
I don't know what I was thinking (greed, sickness, sugar addiction), but I went ahead and ordered dessert, the Turtle Cheesecake to be exact. It tasted like a pre-made refrigerator dessert so I didn't like it.
So obviously I didn't find the food to be all that great and thinking about it now, I ordered a can of Sprite and I got a Barq's Root Beer instead and that pissed me off (not really, I don't like root beer but drank it anyway). I am still sitting here wondering why I decided to order from there.
Cafe Roma
1101 N Causeway Blvd, Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 833-7662
www.caferomametairie.com
