Apizza Brooklyn

Photo Credit: Examiner.

This week's review goes Italian! Last week I had the fortune of running into Apizza Brooklyn as I was looking for some to-go food. I was starving (as usual) and definitely in the mood for some pasta, so I called up my aunt to see if she wanted to join me. She'd visited the place before and told me it was great food. I started looking through the online menu and got fixated on "Da Bomb." Yes, that's the actual name of a dish! It's a pizza topped with meatballs, pepperoni, and sausage--the perfect combination for meat-lovers. We picked it up (unfortunately, they don't deliver) and as soon as we got home, the feast began. The pizza was absolutely delicious! You can really taste the quality ingredients, even though they do use them sparingly. Every bite was flavorful, and I could almost say exquisite, for a pizza. It was just enough to share, given that all pizzas they offer are 12 inches. Knowing me, I couldn't let this restaurant out of my head until I had tried at least a couple of their other dishes. So some days, I called her up again for some more Apizza.

Photo Credit: Yelp!

This time, I ordered the spaghetti carbonara and she had the eggplant rollatini. My dish was huge. It was a lot of pasta with even more sauce and a very generous amount of bacon. Again, this was to-go, so I can only imagine how good it must be in the restaurant, coming right out of the kitchen. The eggplant was also very, very good. It also comes with a generous portion of marinara sauce and parmesan. Overall, I have no complaints about the food. The actual restaurant is a very small but cozy locale, so I would recommend calling ahead to reserve a table. A fair warning: It's small enough that you really have to look for it in the plaza where it is located. But it's the type of place that's good for a date and a family dinner--the place for lovers of good Italian food. I will most certainly be paying Apizza Brooklyn another visit quite soon to try some more things from the menu. Like my aunt said, "Everything there is good!"

Love Is Blind

Photo Credit: Google Street View.

This week's review takes place in Coral Gables, in the corner of Aurora Street and Altara Avenue. I came upon Love Is Blind (yes, that's the name) for brunch over the weekend. It's atmosphere was definitely the perfect place for brunch. And it would have been much better if the day had not been the typical humid Miami day, because we could've sat outside and enjoyed the terrace. Nonetheless, we were still seated close enough to have some nice sunlight coming in through the windows. And I was also able to see one of the BEST quotes ever painted on one of the walls: "In victory, you deserve champagne; in defeat, you need it." Needless to say, that immediately set us in the mood for some mimosas. Which were 99 cents. (Yep, I gave that same look to the waitress). All the mimosas you could have for less than a dollar each before midday. So that definitely got the morning going really well. The waitress then brought the menu and explained how brunch worked. Each main dish is accompanied by an appetizer for a total of about $18. We ordered the Chicken and Waffles and the Grilled Short Rib Benedict for entrees, and the Huevos Rotos and the "Maybe the Best Serrano Ham Croquettes" (yes that's the name) for appetizers. The Chicken and Waffles was not excellent, but good. The waffles were not warm, but then again waffles do get cold pretty quick.

Photo Credit: ZIM Instagram.

It came served with two well-sized chicken fingers and the side of syrup and potatoes. The potatoes were honestly the best part. They had what I call in Spanish "salsa ranchera," which is not like ranch dressing--just clearing it up! It's traditionally a mix of different vegetables in a red, spicy sauce, so what they did was mix the potatoes up with the sauce and make them taste absolutely delicious. The Benedict was also good, but again, not excellent. However, it did come with the potatoes, too! As for the appetizers, the croquettes were really good. The ham on the inside was almost creamy. But do keep in mind that it only brings about six small croquettes. Finally, the Huevos Rotos were also pretty good. They were sunny side up eggs laid over a bed of fried potatoes and ham. The potatoes were too crunchy for me, but that of course depends on personal preference. Overall, the restaurant was good, but I'm looking forward to trying it for lunch or dinner and see what more dishes they offer. And before you go, the brunch is every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shorty's BBQ

Photo Credit: Chopped Onion.

This week's review is on my go-to restaurant for ribs: Shorty's BBQ. Located on multiple locations throughout South Florida, Shorty's is a self-proclaimed "southern BBQ family restaurant," an idea on which I wholeheartedly agree. I was introduced to its famous BBQ ribs several years back by my dad--I still remember it like it was yesterday! My dad took my family and me to show off his new finding, and at that moment I could've sworn I'd eaten the best ribs in my life. Perfect amounts of BBQ sauce on tender, fell-off-the-bone meat. It was delicious. That first day, I remember seeing rolls of towel paper on the tables and members of entirely different families sitting almost elbow to elbow. My dad explained to me the towel paper was there to clean up after the mess we were likely to make--I mean, it's ribs!! And so we sat down in the packed restaurant, also elbow to elbow with the neighbors, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since then, I've introduced almost everyone I know to that restaurant, precisely because of its atmosphere. It's a very welcoming, open-space kind of restaurant, with long picnic-style tables and "southern" decor. I regard it as a place with fond memories, even though as the years have passed I believe its quality has declined a bit. I still enjoy the baby back ribs, they are still very good and I won't pass out on an opportunity to visit Shorty's when I have an aching for ribs, but definitely not as good as those first times. On the other hand, through time, I have also been able to try different items on the menu.

Photo Credit: ZIM Instagram.

As for appetizers, I personally don't go for the onion rings. They're a bit too filling for my taste; they have too much breading and is a little mushy. So I prefer to go for the wings. They come in batches of 5, 10 or 20 and have a great seasoning that I couldn't quite pinpoint. It has a very light breading, just enough to make it crunchy, but not so much that it would be overwhelming compared to the seasoning. As for ribs, I'd go for the baby back. They're a little juicier and already have the BBQ included, as opposed to spare ribs. Of course, they're also a bit smaller, but quality over quantity, right? However, if you put on some BBQ sauce (bottles of which are found on every table), the spare ribs come to life. The platters are all accompanied with cole slaw, some pretty good french fries, and (my fave) garlic bread. The combination of these make for a pretty good meal in both size and flavor. Even better, I tend to get the wings and spare ribs and baby back platter and share it with a friend. Overall, I regard Shorty's as a place to go to because of its unique atmosphere more than for its food, but some wings and baby back certainly don't hurt.

Emeril's Delmonico - New Orleans

Photo Credit: ZIM Instagram.

With way over a thousand restaurants, I’ve known New Orleans to be a hub for spectacular food and an authentic cuisine. This weekend, the Big Easy didn’t let down. I visited several several restaurants, among them Drago’s and Landry’s Seafood House (for which you can find pictures on ZIM’s Instagram! Click here). However, one jewel stood among them, Emeril’s Delmonico. This particular restaurant has been standing in St. Charles Avenue for over 120 years, but was acquired a few years back by Emeril Lagasse, renowned American chef. I was aware Delmonico was considered practically an icon, still standing in the same corner throughout the years, but I didn’t think it would stand out in my mind amid so much good food. One visit, however, soon changed that. Let me start off by saying, this is the type of restaurant for which you want to make sure you have a good appetite. It’s the type of place where you want to have enough space to order appetizers, an entrée, and desert. And I’m absolutely serious. There are so many things to choose from, the more you can try the better! I began my meal with Louisiana Crawfish Beignets. They were three small balls of a mix of ground and thick chunks of crawfish, fried on the outside, topped with thin slices of red onion and laid on a bed of avocado (see side picture). For the main dish, I had the Gulf Fish of the Day,

Photo Credit: ZIM Instagram.

which for me was a Red Snapper. It was topped with three shrimp, and was soaked with bouillabaisse broth and surrounded by veggies. The veggies were SO good. They had really taken up the broth’s flavor and it filled your mouth with deliciousness. I can even say I ate them all (mom would be proud!). To finish, I ordered the Vanilla Crème Brûlée. WOW. It was amazing. I felt like I was going to explode with so much food, but if they had placed a second one in front of me, I would’ve probably eaten it. It was topped with raspberries and blueberries and had what appeared to be an oats-and-chocolate cookie. To share, we also order the Bananas Foster desert, which was a spectacle all on its own. They brought out the ingredients and prepared it right before the table. I don’t even really need to emphasize how good it was. You can probably imagine it already. So if you’re ever in New Orleans, take a look at Delmonico—and watch out for the check!