Florida beach towns are not usually known to have fine dining establishments (except for SOBE of course)but we were pleasantly surprised to find that Cocoa Beach is the home to Silvestro's; rated 5 Palms by Florida Today Magazine. Silvestro's professes "authentic Italian cuisine" and from what we experienced, they are not exaggerating.
Located in the Publix Shopping Plaza on A1A in Cocoa Beach, first impressions do not lead one to believe that this is a fine dining establishment. However once you walk through the doors, one finds a simply, yet nicely decorated establishment, which could be located anywhere. The windows were blacked-out so that the view of the expansive parking lot was not a reminder of our location. The ambient lighting was dim but sufficient to read a menu.
The Maitre D, Tony, was friendly as he welcomed and showed us to our table. Our waiter brought the menus and we ordered before dinner drinks. The menu is moderate as you would expect in a restaurant that likes to serve its customers specialty dishes.
For dinner we shared the following;
Vero Carpaccio - Thinly sliced, grade A fillet mignon which had been marinated in garlic, lemon and extra virgin olive oil, surrounded with arugula and topped with authentic parmigiano-reggiano cheese. (excellent)
Cozze al Guazzetto - Fresh mussels served in a tangy, homemade, tomato sauce. The sauce could have been better if it had been with a little more olive oil, oregano. (very good) We shared some very nice Mondavi Pinot Grigio with our starter course.
Italian Spring Broccoli soup - This was the soup special. The table next to us recommended it. It was a little watery and unimpressive in texture and flavor. (ordinary)
Fettuccine alla Carbonara - Fettuccine pasta in a white creamy sauce with Italian smoked bacon, black pepper, eggs and parmigiano cheese. (excellent)
Veal Chop - This was one of the Entree Specials. The other was Chilean Sea Bass. The veal chop (medium)was so very tender in a wine reduction sauce served with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. (very good)
Cotolette di Agnello Cotto al Gril - Grilled rack of lamb topped with a demi-glace. The rack of lamb (medium rare to medium)was delicious. It did not have the usual "gamie" lamb taste. The best rack of lamb we have had in decades. (excellent)
The wine for our entrees was The Barolo Fratelli Castino 2003. The wine was excellent. It is described as the "king of wines and the wine of kings".
Overall the service was prompt and attentive, although our waiter did go out for a cigarette break and reeked when he returned. They should not smoke while attending to customers.
Silvestro's was a great place to finish what had been a wonderful day. We give this restaurant......................4-Forks
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant in Pembroke Pines, Florida
My niece Gisele told us about Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant.
She works as a server at this new Sushi eatery in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Ra is a chain Sushi restaurant from San Diego California and it is getting rave reviews as it makes its way to the east coast.
Locations in Dan Diego, Phoenix, and Houston have all received excellent reviews.
Ra in Pembroke Pines, Florida is well on its way to earning the same degree of recognition locally.
Open barely two months, the place is already popular in the evenings and weekends. It has a Sushi bar and a huge dining area inside and a large seating area outside with very nice outdoor furniture.
We were there last week for lunch with my family and we were delighted by the quality of the raw fish.
We started with cocktails: a RA Pleasure and a Moanin' Mango.
I have to admit that my drink selection was based more on the name of the drink than the ingredients. (Yes I had the Moanin' one) The Ra Pleasure was made with Vodka, melon, black raspberry, sake and fruit juices on ice. The Moanin' Mango was made up of a blend of Dutch vodka and Japanese sake, mixed with Monin spicy Mango syrup and a splash of 7-up and soda.
After one Moanin' Mango, I switched to the more delicious Ra Pleasure.
My sister and her husband had a glass of Beringer White Zinfandel and a Bud Light respectively.
Here are some of the dishes we shared:
Shrimp Gyoza - Steamed Asian shrimp potstickers served with snow peas ans a spicy Ponzu sauce. (Very Good)
Blue Claw Crab Cakes - Served with a ginger mayo and daikon sprout sundmono. (Very Good)
Mango Ceviche - Lobster, scallop, shrimp and mango salsa ceviche served over fresh endive and avocado finished with limes, cherry tomatoes and sauteed pine nuts and crushed cashew nuts.
(Fair. While the quality of the fish was very good, the new fangled mango salsa detracted from the delicious lime taste of conventional ceviche. Please give us purists the real thing. CEVICHE)
Kiwi Scallop Sashimi - Sliced Scallops and Kiwi atop a mango sauce with sauteed pine and cashew nuts, drizzled with kiwi, wasabi and mango sauce. (Good but the scallops were sliced too thin to contribute to the flavor of each designed morsel)
Coconut Shrimp Tempura - Served with a pineapple dipping sauce. (My sister and her husband shared this appetizer and it was reportedly very good)
Tunacado - Seared Ahi tuna dusted with Japanese rice crackers and black sesame seeds, served over fresh avocado with a creamy ponzu dipping sauce. (Very Good - My niece ordered this and I had a taste)
Crispy Soft Shell Crab - Dredged in seasoned Panko flour served with a ponzu garlic dipping sauce. (Poor - The sauce was good but the Panko flour coating was burned and therefore the crabs were not very tasty)
Chili Ponzu Yellow tail - Thinly sliced yellow tail with radish, sauteed pine and cashew nuts and Kochjan chili Ponzu. (Excellent)
Sashimi Assortment - Tuna, TORO, Yellow tail, Octopus and Whitefish (Excellent - we substituted the Salmon with TORO - the delicious fatty underbelly of the tuna. The Octopus was good but it is really not very good raw since it tends to be rubbery and tough when uncooked.)
Chicken Yakisoba - Stir fried Asian vegetables tossed with Yakisoba Noodles. ( My sister said that this was very good)
Yazu Halibut - Seared Halibut braised in a creamy Yuzu broth served with spicy crispy rice, fresh shitake mushrooms and spinach. (My brother-in-law Fernando had this and he said it was very good)
Crunchy Shrimp Tempura - Lightly battered shrimp served with Tempura dipping sauce. ( My niece had this and she said it was very good)
Seared Ahi Tuna - Miso marinated Ahi Tuna served rare with sauteed cherry tomatoes, shitake mushrooms and asparagus, served on a bed of Wasabi mashed potatoes and finished with Shiso butter. ( Very Good, but Ken and I ordered on of these each, and it was a very large portion. By this time we were becoming full so it was less well received. We should have shared one order.
Coconut Creme Brulee - My niece was the only one left with room for desert and she said it was excellent.
The service was very pleasant and prompt; the restaurant was very clean, airy and well appointed, although it was a little dark to read the menu; and the food over all was very good and the raw fish was excellent.
We give Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant......................................3.75-Forks
She works as a server at this new Sushi eatery in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
Ra is a chain Sushi restaurant from San Diego California and it is getting rave reviews as it makes its way to the east coast.
Locations in Dan Diego, Phoenix, and Houston have all received excellent reviews.
Ra in Pembroke Pines, Florida is well on its way to earning the same degree of recognition locally.
Open barely two months, the place is already popular in the evenings and weekends. It has a Sushi bar and a huge dining area inside and a large seating area outside with very nice outdoor furniture.
We were there last week for lunch with my family and we were delighted by the quality of the raw fish.
We started with cocktails: a RA Pleasure and a Moanin' Mango.
I have to admit that my drink selection was based more on the name of the drink than the ingredients. (Yes I had the Moanin' one) The Ra Pleasure was made with Vodka, melon, black raspberry, sake and fruit juices on ice. The Moanin' Mango was made up of a blend of Dutch vodka and Japanese sake, mixed with Monin spicy Mango syrup and a splash of 7-up and soda.
After one Moanin' Mango, I switched to the more delicious Ra Pleasure.
My sister and her husband had a glass of Beringer White Zinfandel and a Bud Light respectively.
Here are some of the dishes we shared:
Shrimp Gyoza - Steamed Asian shrimp potstickers served with snow peas ans a spicy Ponzu sauce. (Very Good)
Blue Claw Crab Cakes - Served with a ginger mayo and daikon sprout sundmono. (Very Good)
Mango Ceviche - Lobster, scallop, shrimp and mango salsa ceviche served over fresh endive and avocado finished with limes, cherry tomatoes and sauteed pine nuts and crushed cashew nuts.
(Fair. While the quality of the fish was very good, the new fangled mango salsa detracted from the delicious lime taste of conventional ceviche. Please give us purists the real thing. CEVICHE)
Kiwi Scallop Sashimi - Sliced Scallops and Kiwi atop a mango sauce with sauteed pine and cashew nuts, drizzled with kiwi, wasabi and mango sauce. (Good but the scallops were sliced too thin to contribute to the flavor of each designed morsel)
Coconut Shrimp Tempura - Served with a pineapple dipping sauce. (My sister and her husband shared this appetizer and it was reportedly very good)
Tunacado - Seared Ahi tuna dusted with Japanese rice crackers and black sesame seeds, served over fresh avocado with a creamy ponzu dipping sauce. (Very Good - My niece ordered this and I had a taste)
Crispy Soft Shell Crab - Dredged in seasoned Panko flour served with a ponzu garlic dipping sauce. (Poor - The sauce was good but the Panko flour coating was burned and therefore the crabs were not very tasty)
Chili Ponzu Yellow tail - Thinly sliced yellow tail with radish, sauteed pine and cashew nuts and Kochjan chili Ponzu. (Excellent)
Sashimi Assortment - Tuna, TORO, Yellow tail, Octopus and Whitefish (Excellent - we substituted the Salmon with TORO - the delicious fatty underbelly of the tuna. The Octopus was good but it is really not very good raw since it tends to be rubbery and tough when uncooked.)
Chicken Yakisoba - Stir fried Asian vegetables tossed with Yakisoba Noodles. ( My sister said that this was very good)
Yazu Halibut - Seared Halibut braised in a creamy Yuzu broth served with spicy crispy rice, fresh shitake mushrooms and spinach. (My brother-in-law Fernando had this and he said it was very good)
Crunchy Shrimp Tempura - Lightly battered shrimp served with Tempura dipping sauce. ( My niece had this and she said it was very good)
Seared Ahi Tuna - Miso marinated Ahi Tuna served rare with sauteed cherry tomatoes, shitake mushrooms and asparagus, served on a bed of Wasabi mashed potatoes and finished with Shiso butter. ( Very Good, but Ken and I ordered on of these each, and it was a very large portion. By this time we were becoming full so it was less well received. We should have shared one order.
Coconut Creme Brulee - My niece was the only one left with room for desert and she said it was excellent.
The service was very pleasant and prompt; the restaurant was very clean, airy and well appointed, although it was a little dark to read the menu; and the food over all was very good and the raw fish was excellent.
We give Ra Sushi Bar Restaurant......................................3.75-Forks
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Casual and Fine Dining in St Petersburg Beach
We recently had the opportunity to eat at two places in St. Petersburg Beach with two friends of ours from Michigan, Joe and Tammy. Here is what we thought:
Crabby Bill's - Casual Gulf front dining with plenty of fried fish and other marine fare.
The place was clean; the service was attentive; and the food was delicious for casual dining.
We had the Conch Fritters, Smoked Fish Spread, Fried Gator Nuggets, Crab Cakes, and the Seared Ahi Tuna for appetizers.
Joe had the Rib eye Steak entree; Tammy had the Chicken with Blacken Pasta; And Ken and I had the Blacked Mahi Mahi Sandwiches.
We give Crabby Bill's.......................................................................3-Forks
Later that day we had dinner at a very nice place called Snapper's.
Snapper's Sea Grill - Even at first glance, it's evident that Snappers Sea Grill is preoccupied with fish. Outside, handsome mahogany doors frame a school of colorful, stained glass mangrove snappers. Inside, the artistic expression continues with a metal interpretive sculpture, titled Tailing Redfish, separating a set of booths in this busy 100-seat St. Pete Beach restaurant.
For dinner we started with the Appetizers. Our friends from Michigan did not have any but ken and I shared the Seared Sea Scallops served over a cold Asian cous cous salad and the Blue Tuna; peppered, char grilled and served rare with pickled ginger, wasabi and Blueberry Teriyaki sauce. They both were excellent.
The entrees were:
Rib Eye Steak - A flavorfully marbled Black Angus cut and done on an open grill, served with sauteed vegetables and a potato in puff pastry.
Fillet of Beef Tenderloin - served topped with a Blue Cheese crust over a roated garlic demi glace.
Chicken Basil Portobello - Pan sauteed and tossed with Penne pasta in a demi cream sauce
Surf -n- Turf - An 8oz Lobster Tail accompanied by an 8oz Back Angus Fillet.
Dinner was very good and enjoyed by all.
The server was attentive and pleasant through out.
The place, while a little on the loud side, was not overwhelming and caters to a very nice crowd.
We give Snapper's Sea Grill.........................................................................3.5-Forks
Crabby Bill's - Casual Gulf front dining with plenty of fried fish and other marine fare.
The place was clean; the service was attentive; and the food was delicious for casual dining.
We had the Conch Fritters, Smoked Fish Spread, Fried Gator Nuggets, Crab Cakes, and the Seared Ahi Tuna for appetizers.
Joe had the Rib eye Steak entree; Tammy had the Chicken with Blacken Pasta; And Ken and I had the Blacked Mahi Mahi Sandwiches.
We give Crabby Bill's.......................................................................3-Forks
Later that day we had dinner at a very nice place called Snapper's.
Snapper's Sea Grill - Even at first glance, it's evident that Snappers Sea Grill is preoccupied with fish. Outside, handsome mahogany doors frame a school of colorful, stained glass mangrove snappers. Inside, the artistic expression continues with a metal interpretive sculpture, titled Tailing Redfish, separating a set of booths in this busy 100-seat St. Pete Beach restaurant.
For dinner we started with the Appetizers. Our friends from Michigan did not have any but ken and I shared the Seared Sea Scallops served over a cold Asian cous cous salad and the Blue Tuna; peppered, char grilled and served rare with pickled ginger, wasabi and Blueberry Teriyaki sauce. They both were excellent.
The entrees were:
Rib Eye Steak - A flavorfully marbled Black Angus cut and done on an open grill, served with sauteed vegetables and a potato in puff pastry.
Fillet of Beef Tenderloin - served topped with a Blue Cheese crust over a roated garlic demi glace.
Chicken Basil Portobello - Pan sauteed and tossed with Penne pasta in a demi cream sauce
Surf -n- Turf - An 8oz Lobster Tail accompanied by an 8oz Back Angus Fillet.
Dinner was very good and enjoyed by all.
The server was attentive and pleasant through out.
The place, while a little on the loud side, was not overwhelming and caters to a very nice crowd.
We give Snapper's Sea Grill.........................................................................3.5-Forks
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