Eating at home-1.0

No we don't just find groovy restaurants. We do eat at home. In fact, more often than not we eat in, not eat out. We being CosmicMiami and FoodMuse of course.

The other day we're kickin' it at FoodMuse's crib and guess what happens? We get hungry. Imagine that. A quick dash through the reefer and the pantry reveals a few ingredients that just might work. There are a few surry sausages, some squid ink spaghetti, a beautiful fire engine red tomato, some parmesan, salad fixins and a bottle of wine. What else do you need.

The sausages went on the grill. The noodles went in the boiling water. The tomato was diced and tossed in for a little saute with some garlic and diced red onion. Also making the toss were some home-grown-almost-ripe-red peppers.

When everything was ready for repast, the Gabbiano Chianti was popped. For the winos, it was a 2006 Gabbiano Chianti described as follows, "The nose exhibits fragrant aromas of violets and a fruity bouquet of red fruits. The dry, medium-bodied palate shows flavors that echo the nose along with round, supple tannins that envelope the mouth, and a finish that is fresh with a good length." Yeah great. Let's just say it was just fine with the quickie meal.

Plating was easy. As it should be with most pasta dishes. Forget the fancy crap here. Make a presentable pile of pasta, throw your personally prepared and inspired gravy mashup on the top, adorn with your favorite fresh grated cheese (in this case, it was the original parmesano reggiano), maybe toss on a fresh herb stem and your done. We added some crushed red pepper that added a touch of heat to the dish. If you're a fan of a spice, let 'er rip. As always, enjoy with your very own food muse.

Until next time, cosmic eats and Ciao Bella (or whatever they say)!

3.0--Fox's Sherron Inn a sly find in South Miami

Thursday, 22 May 2008

South Miami, FL--This bootleg photo from Flickr and it's accompanying one-liner says lots. If you haven't been to Fox's Sherron Inn, you won't get it. "Who knew there was enough light to take a picture in Fox's?" We visited on a bright sunny day in the early afternoon. Walking in from a sunny day instantly turns one to Ray Charles. Really.

After immediately bumping into my lunchmate, I quickly realized why. It was like walking into one of those Halloween haunted houses. You can't see a damn thing so you're a little hesitant to proceed. After a couple critical pupil dilating seconds, things began to come into focus. But not by much.

I know, the first thought that comes to mind when you walk into a dimly lit joint is "what are they hiding?" Not so at Fox's. I mean, they may be hiding something but I'm not sure what it could be.

If you're afraid of the dark, don't fret. You see, we walked right into the lounge. When you do the same, just step forward a few paces, give her a little right rudder and you'll find the two more well lit rooms at Fox's.

To make this brief, Cosmic Eats recommends Fox's Sherron Inn. Keep an open mind. Decor is not SoBe slick. But the food was quite good.

More to follow.

2.0-Run aground sweetly at Hollywood's Sugar Reef

Sunday, 18 May 2008

Hollywood, FL--Cosmic Eats was contemplating a run up the road to the free Red, White, and Bluegrass show on Hollywood Beach. We really wanted to see Ricky Skaggs. Unfortunately, Ricky played Saturday night. Sunday night's main event was Laurie Lewis. A very capable performer indeed just not of the caliber of Ricky. After a wee bit of cajoling, we made the trek up I-95. It was a Saturday night and what else was there to do anyway right?

Enroute, a 2004 Zagat guide offered a tasty temptation that was quite irresistible...and rightly so. Our attention was quickly diverted from pickin' and grinnin' to winin' and dinin'!

Sugar Reef Tropical Grill was already dialed into the GPS so it was clear we were north of our preferred location. With the dog in tow, we made our way down the boardwalk, stopping to oblige all the doggie lovers along the way.

We had tried to confirm that Hollywood Beach was a dog friendly place. Having been reassured that it was, the pooch took her normal position in the car. Unfortunately, we had bad intel. We were stopped by a very polite police officer who informed us that we were in violation and could very well be issued a citation. The officer was VERY nice. We told him we were just making our way to Sugar Reef and that we would have the dog off the boardwalk soon.

Thanks to the fine staff at Sugar Reef, we were able to park the dog next to our al fresco table without any problems. Within a couple minutes of our covert operation we were sipping a couple cold beers and looking at the undeniably compelling menu.

At the link above, there is an easily navigable website with links to the menu.

We started with the fresh beet, goat cheese and endive salad with mustard vinaigrette ($9.50). A basket of bread lightly toasted and judiciously spritzed with olive oil accompanied the salad which was plenty for two to share, which we did. No complaints here.

Entrees included the Tropical Fish Stew with coconut milk and green curry ($22) and the Sugar Reef Pho($19). Again, no complaints. The fish stew was hearty with an adequate balance of sweet coconut and spicy curry. In our opinion, nothing was overpowering. Like some joints that like to use their several day old fish in soups and stocks, this was not the case at Sugar Reef. Large chunks of fish were tasty and fresh.

The Pho was equally as happy at our table. Like the fish stew, this dish could have easily been overpowered by spice. Not the case. Judicious seasoning was both adequate and appropriate.

Sugar Reef bills itself as a French Caribbean grill. We wondered about the Pho and then remembered that Vietnam was a French territory. Why not take some of that influence and blend it with an island flavor? Again, no complaints here.

The wine list was tempting. When we return, we'll be sure to take advantage of the fine selection. It just seemed like a beer kind of night so that's what was in the glasses.

Service was outstanding. The included 18% gratuity was not an issue and we upped the ante a few dollars because it was very appropriate.

One notable notation at the bottom of the menu, "Remember Sugar Reef after the storm! We have a new 35k generator to run the hoods, refrigeration and AC if the power goes out."

Cosmic Eats recommends you discover this gem long before any storm comes ashore.

Graziano's is Cosmic Eats Gem 1.0

Friday, 16 May 2008

Miami, FL-First of all, the Gem 1.0 methodology is not a rating system. It's just a way of keeping track of what the heck is going on in my mind. And that, at times, is God's own mystery. Updates to this and future Cosmic Eats gems will follow standard version nomenclature, 1.1 would be an update or addition to this thread whereas 2.0 would be a different food joint.

Graziano's is a restaurant, market, and pizzeria. The Coral Gables location is a sit-down restaurant of the wood-fired oven genre. Cosmic Eats has only been to the location at 3922 SW 92 Avenue. There is a Hialeah location that we'll soon visit. We suspect though that we will be equally as pleased.

Various online reviews focus on the quality of the restaurant food and the service. We can't comment on that aspect of Graziano's. In our estimation, the charm of Graziano's is the absolutely market fresh meats and the affordable fine wine selection.

At the Bird Road location (3922 SW 92 Ave), the bakery has well over a dozen selections of perfect empanadas, fresh breads, cakes and pastries. A small case has an assortment of deli favorites. This particular day we enjoyed several of the offerings including a prosciutto and mozzarella stuffed cherry pepper and marinated lengua (beef tongue) with four different blends of tantalizingly tasty empanadas. Two breads accompanied our ad hoc tapas plates, a soft crust and a medium hard crust. Both were splendid while performing their assigned task of absorbing the assorted marinades. Finally, there was an ensalada mariscos and a mild, ever so creamy gouda. The mariscos salad was a fresh blend of marinated octopi. To wash it all down, a six-pack of Stella Artois suffered the same fate as our food fare.

Like many of our cosmic food favorites, empanadas began their life as sustinence for the working stiffs. In recent years, adventurous Argentinean chefs began experimenting with less traditional fillings. A whim we freely endorse!

Down the aisle from the empanadas is the meat case. This is a true meat market in the traditional sense. No carbon monoxide treatments here (see footnote). And slabs upon slabs of assorted fresh, homemade chorizos. Wonderful, beautiful meat. The way it was intended to be. I wish I had some pictures but didn't bring the camera. Next time, I promise.

Much like the other joints we find alluring, Graziano's is one of those places that must be experienced slowly. Though you may have precise picks in mind for your menu, do yourself a favor, slow down and savor the various selections at Graziano's. You may just find a hidden gem within this gem.

**FDA Is Urged to Ban Carbon-Monoxide-Treated Meat
**Seeing red: Spoiled meat may look fresh
**Which Cut Is Older? (It's a Trick Question)
**Supermarket Chains Refuse To Sell Carbon Monoxide-Treated Meat
**FDA asked to rescind use of carbon monoxide for meats