richw

Almost all if not all of the cafeterias and Cuban restaurants in South Florida don't use any really good coffee beans. Most of them use the big mainstream brands, which are pretty inexpensive such as Pilon or Bustelo. It would be nice to have a cafeteria that actually uses freshly roasted beans. And yes I agree, Cuban coffee is probably one of the best bargains in South Florida.

Re. toasting: Correct, o Wise One. Its not just the toasting, though. The groats should be cooked in chicken stock and the onions in it should be cooked in schmaltz. And it should have egg noodle bowties, not farfalle. Kasha for me means Kasha Varnishkes, baby. I can eat my weight in it easy. I agree on all points. Personally, I prefer the kasha sans pasta, but when it's being prepared for guests i feel the pasta is necessary. My onions get doused in evoo.

Yes! We need the recipe! I will have it posted by next week.

Toasting the buckwheat prior to making kasha is definitely the secret for enhancing the overall quality of the finished product. I also recommend using coarse ground kasha instead of fine. P'Tcha rules! My father makes it at home. I should document the process and put it in the recipegullet. Other than calves feet, there's a lot of garlic, salt and pepper. He eats it with dijon mustard.

Thank you Suzanne. I love tails!

This article is a literary masterpiece.

What's does this mean? Rich

Fried rolls have been around at Sushi bars all over South Florida for years.

Jason, Would you mind sharing some details on your dining experiences while visiting Florida? As a Florida "foodie" here on eGullet, I'm always interested in hearing about your travels here and seeing comtributions to the Southeast board. Thanks, Rich

I loved Sansei. I ate at the newer Kihei location 4 times during my visit. Even had the seared foie gras sushi there. Everything seemed fresh. The sushi "flowers" appetizer was great, and the locally grown upcountry greens salad was so very incredible too. It was all very very good. Only thing I noticed that was "off" about the place was that one evening when I arrived early for the 25% deal, I noticed that the rice in my Toro nigiri sushi was still warm. It was still way better than anything I get in South Florida sushi bars. Pacific'O was good (not great) for a more formal restuarant. It certainly wasn't an unforgettable dining experience, especially if you haved dined in top places on the mainland. Definitely go to a supermarket and buy different types of Poke salad if you're in to raw tuna. I absolutely loved the stuff!

It's also known as Seville Orange (click here). They sell it at the latin markets and the mainstream supermarkets all over South Florida. Cuban Pork Roast is available prepared everywhere and traditionally it's eaten on Christmas. Here's a google search that should help you with the recipe - click Also, Pork Shoulder is always used untrimmed with the entire fat cap intact. Good Luck. Rich

Andre, WOW. Thanks for sharing such great info. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Rich

It just might be the Zero Bar. Not because it's sooo great, but because it's something different.

Adams Street Deli in the Garden district for pretty good and CHEAP Po Boys. Sorry, I don't have any address info

me too! Is that woman there promoting eGullet or just a proud eGulleteer?

I don't know much about their pita, except for that it is really good and that they have it baked somewhere exclusively for their restaurants. It was very thick, but not dense. It has an airy, porous texture. Maybe they use some potato flour in the dough. I don't know. Interesting.

Yup, that sounds about right. Actually, there are 2 locations in Jaffa. I think the owner's son runs the newer storefront. You probably dined at the original location.

If anyone is interested in reading more about Queens of Falafel "fusion" falafel that I mentioned earlier in this post, check out this link. queens of falafel At the end of the article there is mention of their alternative falafel flavors.

All, Thanks for your responses to this post. Here are some details on my dining experiences while in Israel. ========== Abu-hassan - it truly was the best hummus experience of my life. I have had hummus in arab villages and other outposts like Hummus Givataim but Abu-Hassan is the clear winner. Queens of Falafel - The service was excellent, the pita was even better, and the "fusion" falafel was tasty. But I have to say I am a falafel purist. I like the old-fashioned green falafel. Lechem Erez - beautiful, european-style breads. Better than what I can find anywhere in Miami. I thought the breads at Arcaffe were also magnificent. Arcaffe also had some of the best coffee I tasted while in Israel too. Itzhak ha Gadol (Big Isaac's) - This was, without question, the best shipidum (skewered, grilled meat) style restaurant I have ever visited. The variety of salads was spectacular. We had many shipuds, and the beef shishlik was the best. I must tell you that the kaved avas (grilled goose liver) was better at Avazi during my last visit to Israel. It was a bit over-cooked at Itzhak Gadol. Some other notables -Shoarma Shelanu (Tel-Aviv) - Doner was heavenly -Felafel shel Haim (Tel-Aviv) - very tasty and friendly service -Dudu Outmegine (Haifa)Spelling? - great sweet and savroy pastries and a nice guy - he gave me a tour of his facility.

I totally agree. Houston's is an excellent establishment. I love it. Simple, straightforward food and the service is soooo good.

Boaziko, That's awfully kind of you! It's likely that you'll be in the states during my visit Israel. Where will you be visiting in the US? I'll be in Israel from 7-12 to 7-30 (departure is tentative, might be sooner). Privvate message me so I can hear more about your interests in food? I'm particularly interested to know if you work in the food/culinary business in Israel. All the best, Rich

Hi Boaziko, Thanks for your informative post. I'm still researching your recommendations. I have three of your recommendations on my list already . Abu - Hasan Lehem Erez Queens of Falafel Regarding your comments on searching for quality; I'm searching for quality in ingredients and food preparation more than I'm searching for it in service. I've pretty much realized that service isn't much of a priority in Israel. Plus I'm much more concerned with the food than I am with the total experience. I'm glad to see that Israel has a resident gourmand on eGullet! Thanks, Rich

Oh yeah! I have been there before and will certainly be visiting again. Thanks for reminding me about this place. Rich

All, Thanks for the invaluable lesson. I learned a bunch. Rich

I'll be in the Tel- Aviv area for 2 weeks this month (July). I have been there before and did quite a bit of eating. Just wondering if anyone had good experiences at any particular dining establishments that they care to mention. Thanks, Rich