steakhouse Archives - Take A Bite Out of Boca

The Little Chalet Introduces New Chef and New Menu

December 22, 2016 By takeabiteoutofboca Leave a Comment

Never miss a bite! Sign up here to receive new recipes and reviews straight to your inbox.

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant. No monetary compensation has been received for this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

The Little Chalet is known for wowing guests with its unique charm and decor as soon as you walk through the door. It’s almost as if you’ve been transported from sunny South Florida into the crisp, cold Alps, where a comforting meal awaits. I first visited The Little Chalet when it opened last year. It’s actually a Brazilian concept, introduced over 35 years ago, that has been recognized as one of Brazil’s top 10 restaurants. The Boca Raton location is the US flagship, and as I described it in my previous post, the restaurant is European in its essence, resembling a Swiss cottage with a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Although the Executive Chef and the menu have changed a bit, that same inviting atmosphere still stands strong. Walking inside, I immediately felt cozy — and when a welcome glass of prosecco was presented, I immediately felt welcome. A small group of local influencers were invited for a private tasting. Chef Dominic Diodata stays true to The Little Chalet’s original concept of being a prime steak and fondue house, but he’s livened things up by adding more seafood options — which, of course, makes me very happy. The Little Chalet is more than just steak and fondue. Sure, there are the traditional fondue options for appetizer, entree and dessert, but we were there to check out what’s beyond the fondue.

The appetizers started to roll out, all presented beautifully with lots of vibrant colors. The Brussels sprouts were the first to catch my eye — the bright red pequillo pepper vinaigrette glowed from within the bowl and really made it stand out. Roasted Brussels sprouts are mixed with red and yellow beets, manchego cheese and chorizo (Chef was kind enough to bring one out without the chorizo for me), and tossed in that gorgeous vinaigrette. It’s a great dish for sharing, but I wouldn’t be opposed to ordering one all for myself.

The scallops were another hit — and also another dish that does have meat in it, but Chef brought a second meatless one. Three large, gorgeous and perfectly seared scallops sit on top of a bed of sweet corn and lima bean succotash (this is where the crispy pancetta comes in) and a lemon jalapeño butter. This I loved. The scallops were cooked just right and all of the flavors played beautifully together.

The third appetizer we tried was the crab cake made with shredded shrimp and a crispy corn nugget crust, served with a shallot and caper tartar sauce. The flavor here was so different from other crab cakes I’ve had in South Florida, and I really enjoyed every bite. The sauce was bursting with that saltiness from the capers and it complemented the delicate crab cake very well. The appetizers may have been my favorite part of the meal, as I can’t decide on a favorite! They included some of my absolute favorite things — Brussels sprouts, scallops and crab cakes. Each was unique and showed off Chef Dominic’s creative talent in the kitchen.

To give our palates a little cleanse before the entrees, we got a look at the charcuterie and cheese platter available at The Little Chalet. While I obviously wasn’t too concerned with the meats, I was definitely interested in the cheeses — Barbers White Cheddar, Asher Blue Cheese, Green Hill Camembert, Lil Moo (a spreadable cow’s milk cheese) and Idiazabal (a sheep’s milk cheese). The platter is served with artisan crackers and breads, as well as a variety of other accompaniments — red olives, sun dried tomatoes, fruit preserves, mixed nuts, seasonal fresh fruits, house-made pickles and whole grain mustard. For those who are curious about the meats they serve, here you go — Finocchiona, Hot Coppa, Mortadella, Wild Boar, Salami and Barolo.

There was plenty of meat served to the others throughout the course of the night, including the dry aged burger made from a blend of short rib and brisket with bacon jam, gruyere cheese, fried cipollini onions and smoked aioli; the confit of duck leg with cauliflower puree, broccoli rabe, port and cherry sauce and a fried duck egg; red wine marinated basil crusted lamb loins with cranberry scallion couscous, farm vegetables, fennel pollen and lamb jus; and the 16oz. T-bone with brown butter, roasted red peppers, salsa verde and butter-braised new potatoes. I did taste some of the sides, mainly the cranberry scallion couscous (SO good!) and the butter-braised potatoes because if I couldn’t have duck fat fries, I could at least get my potato fix there!

Two seafood dishes came out — the Faroe Island salmon with roasted asparagus, apples and beets, yogurt and goat cheese crema and dill; and the flounder en papilotte, spinach & black olive wrapped flounder with cucumber mint slaw, sundried tomatoes and tzatziki sauce. The salmon was cooked very nicely and I really enjoyed the accompanying apple and beet salad with the crema.

As for the flounder, I wasn’t a huge fan. Olives are not my thing, as I’ve mentioned many times before. Their super strong taste can ruin almost anything for me — and unfortunately, it kind of ruined the flounder. However, if you’re an olive-lover, this has your name written all over it! I did like the cucumber mint slaw though. The bright flavors were a welcome element to the dish.

Now comes the kicker — my favorite dish of the night was something I have never seen or heard of in my life. Chef Dominic has knocked it out of the park with this one, and I’d gladly go back for it again and again. Onions a la carbonara — a play on the classic pasta dish, but this had no pasta. It’s made with all onions, cooked al dente, and smothered in a creamy egg sauce with egg yolk and parmesan. There’s normally bacon in the dish, but Chef brought me out a bacon-free version and I pretty much inhaled the entire bowl. There was no sharing that.

There are so many options at The Little Chalet, and the atmosphere makes it an ideal place for date night or special occasion dining. They’ve got a great happy hour too. Every day from 5-7pm, guests can enjoy a special bar bites menu and half price drinks and wines by the glass. On Wednesdays, get half price bottles of wine priced up to $100. You can even bring your own bottle in with no corkage fee. AND for those who crave a nice dinner out but have little ones, kids 6 and under eat FREE on Sundays.

The Little Chalet is located 485 S. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

Blogger’s Night Out at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek

November 3, 2016 By takeabiteoutofboca Leave a Comment

Never miss a bite! Sign up here to receive new recipes and reviews straight to your inbox.

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of the casino and restaurants. No monetary compensation has been received for this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

2,000 Las Vegas style slots. 70 table games. Six dining options. Two lounges. 1,200-seat entertainment venue. That’s Seminole Casino Coconut Creek in a nutshell. ‘Only at Coco’ can you experience this energized, elevated casino life here in South Florida.

Growing up near Atlantic City sort of softened the appeal of any casino for me. Those who aren’t familiar with the bright florescent lights, clock-less and window-less atmosphere, cling-clanging of the casino floor are always fascinated by it. Me? I could care less about blackjack, poker and slot machines. What I care about is the entertainment — the concerts, shows, and occasional live bands playing in the lobbies — and of course, the food. That’s what I like about Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The food and entertainment are just as important, if not more important, than the gambling. If I’m going to lose money, I want something to show for it! I’d much rather fork up some cash for an expensive dinner at NYY Steak or a mind-blowing performance inside the 10,000-square-foot Pavilion.

A group of local bloggers and I were recently invited for a progressive dinner experience at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, where we’d be eating and drinking our way through the casino at the top dining spots. From the moment we exited our cars at the valet, we were given the VIP treatment. Welcome cocktails were immediately served — and not just any cocktail. The Maximum Signature Cocktail is made with Nolet’s® Private Reserve, Grey Goose® VX, Grand Marnier® 100 spray, Lillet Blanc® and a 23k gold leaf as garnish. While the drink was way too strong for me to start out the night with, I was pretty impressed to be served a cocktail with a freaking GOLD leaf floating around on top. If only I had thought to fish it out of the glass and form it into a little ring around my finger…

Our event hosts, Luxury PR Group and Heather of Local Mom Scoop, led the way to our first stop — Fresh Harvest. I visited this restaurant a few months back and had a great experience. This is not your ordinary casino buffet. It featured farm fresh and locally sourced food at a variety of stations including a salad bar, charcuterie boards, antipasto, sushi, raw bar, carving board, pasta, pizza, and an enormous selection of desserts. Their motto? Sophisticated palates welcome. We got a taste of that sophistication as we were served two appetizers from the chef. He called the first the Ahi Poke Poke, basically tuna tartar with avocado and gyoza skin that sat atop a crispy wonton chip. It was a beautiful, delicious bite and I wished there were more! The second appetizer was a braised pork wing served alongside a Peruvian purple potato and celery root puree. I was so intrigued by the puree, I simply asked for a plate of just that — and thank God I did! It was silky smooth and bursting with flavor. These two items are not normal run-of-the-mill buffet offerings, which just goes to show how unique and creative the food at Fresh Kitchen is.

Our next stop was at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek’s Italian restaurant, Sorrisi. The restaurant is decorated beautifully and really gives you that fine dining feeling. Sorrisi offers guests a Chef’s Table experience in a semi-private group dining room that seats up to 14. You’ll be able to watch as the head chef prepares your meal, and savor a family-style Italian feast with paired wines recommended by a Master Sommelier. There is also a private room that seats up to 20, which is where our group would be dining. A musician was playing and a traditional platter of olive oil, bread and cheese awaited us. Course #1 at Fresh Harvest was good, but things were only going to get better as we progressed through the night. Now it was time for Course #2. True decadence appeared in front of us in the form of lobster ravioli swimming in a cognac cream sauce with sun dried tomato and a huge chunk of Maine lobster floating alongside. It’s a good thing we were served a small portion because the richness of that sauce could fill up even the hungriest of eaters after a few bites. This is a special occasion dish, for sure, and one that is not to be missed.

On the other side of the plate was something on the lighter side. Because as we know, it’s all about balance. The grilled romaine salad with grilled artichokes and reggiano cheese was delicious. This salad is an ideal starter to a great Italian meal. Of course we were served an Italian wine to go with our Italian course — a crisp glass of Greco di Tufo, Mastroberardino® from the Campania region of Italy.

The next course was the one we’d all been waiting for — it was time to experience NYY Steak. When it comes to steakhouses, this is apparently #1. According to Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, it’s the region’s most sought-after steakhouse. Lead butcher, Walter Apfelbaum, came out to tell us about the restaurant’s USDA Prime steaks, dry-aged in their in-house butcher shop for a minimum of 21 days. Not only are they known for their meat, but they have plenty of seafood options available, which made me a very happy blogger. NYY Steak is a winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and prides itself on its extensive list created to enhance guests’ fine dining experience. As soon as we sat down, things got fancy — champagne and caviar! This was the real deal caviar experience, complete with egg, red onion, crème fraiche and chives. It was paired with Laurent-Perrier® Brut.

Soon enough, the smell of bacon filled the air — and we were given a presentation unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Thick cut, house cured and smoked bacon was hanging from a string, dangling above a small skillet of cornbread that was drenched in maple syrup. I obviously passed on the bacon, but that cornbread? I had to try it! It tasted more like a pancake that someone accidentally poured an entire bottle of maple syrup on — not that this is a bad thing. That sugary sweetness oozed throughout every pore and crevice of the bread, moistening every last inch and really richening it up.

The staff must have felt bad about everyone stuffing their faces with bacon in front of me, so they sent me out their jumbo lump blue crab cake with a green apple and fennel slaw and Meyer lemon aioli. I wasn’t surprised to see a beautifully presented crab cake come out of their kitchen, one without much filler, if any, and a ton of fresh flavor — especially from the citrus aioli. I caught others at the table sneaking a peek to see what I had. It’s a running joke now among our bloggers to hashtag #WhatDidShainaGet at our media dinners.

It’s now entree time! While the others enjoyed a prime-aged New York strip with a classic steakhouse side of creamed spinach, I feasted on the most perfectly cooked, buttery smooth piece of sea bass with braised baby bok choy, red miso and a soy-ginger glaze. This was definitely a #WhatDidShainaGet moment, as every pair of eyes shot right over to my plate as soon as the server put it down. But that fish was ALL MINE — I wasn’t giving up a bite! Sorry, guys. #WhatShainaGetsShainaKeeps.

Despite a few buttons popping and belts unlooping, we all made room for a bite of what came out next — TRUFFLE MAC AND CHEESE! Ooey, gooey, cheesy macaroni topped with fresh truffle shavings. The table was silent while we all indulged. I’ve always known steakhouses to really excel at their side dishes, making them all just as decadent and over the top as the meat on their menus. This proved me correct.

But NYY Steak didn’t stop there — they went all out for us. Dessert was their signature 151 volcano, a massive pile of vanilla bean ice cream topped with Heath Bar crunch and lit on fire with a little bit of 151 rum, making for quite the finale.

Or so we thought.

Finale? Not so much. We were then taken upstairs to level2, the non-smoking casino lounge, where we were met with a display of desserts including champagne cake pops (!!!), fruit tarts, blueberry cream puffs and vanilla macarons. As if dinner and dessert wasn’t enough of a lavish experience, each of us was gifted with a swag bag filled with goodies like a monogrammed wine cork, a Seminole Casino Coconut Creek t-shirt and towel and a pair of SOAK Slide Sandals.

Thank you so much to Luxury PR Group and Local Mom Scoop for putting together such a fabulous event — and a HUGE thank you to the staff at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek for treating us to something extra special. We may get to eat out at great restaurants often, but this was truly something else.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is located at 5550 NW 40th Street in Coconut Creek.

Fort Lauderdale Beach Restaurants: Steak 954 at The W

September 15, 2016 By takeabiteoutofboca 1 Comment

Never miss a bite! Sign up here to receive new recipes and reviews straight to your inbox.

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant. No monetary compensation has been received for this post. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

One of the many perks of living in Florida is the abundance of restaurants with an oceanfront view. Case in point — Steak 954 located inside The W Fort Lauderdale. The restaurant is also accessible to non-hotel guests from a convenient entrance on A1A, and has an outside patio area that looks out onto the gorgeous palm tree-lined street, with the ocean just footsteps away. The beach is still in view even from the seats inside, where you also get an up-close-and-personal look at a huge, illuminated jellyfish tank. During my visit for dinner, I couldn’t help but think to myself the entire time, this is the life.

Steak 954 is part of iconic chef/restauranteur Stephen Starr’s STARR Restaurants, a group with numerous restaurants all over the place — Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., and Florida. I grew up with the Continental and Buddakan in Atlantic City, just minutes away from my home, and was excited to check out another one of his restaurants.

At the moment, the W is going through some serious renovations so I wasn’t able to walk through the hotel as I would have liked to do. But experiencing Steak 954 for dinner was enough to entice me to come back again after the construction is complete to check everything out — and have another fantastic meal. Like any steakhouse, the seafood is just as impressive as the list of filets, strips and rib eyes. Luckily, I was with people who were totally okay with Pescatarian-friendly eating. I was feeling bubbly that evening, so I stuck to sparkling rose to complement what was about to be one incredible seafood fest. I’ve been all about the bubbles lately — prosecco, champagne, sparkling wine — if it has carbonation and can be served in a split, I’m there.

But that’s besides the point. Let’s talk appetizers, shall we? Lobster and crab coconut ceviche. Read that again — lobster and crab COCONUT ceviche. A lot of ceviches are all about the lime and some like to add heat. But this one? Allllll about that sweet, tropical coconut flavor perfectly enveloping the fresh chunks of seafood. I kept sneaking my fork back for another bite until all that was left were drips of broth just begging me to use the freshly baked bread on the table to sop it up. Not that I listened or anything…

We also had the Yellowfin tuna tartare, topped with lemon aioli and radish sprouts. I’ve had many tartares that mix the tuna with things like cucumber and avocado, but this one was very simple and to the point — strictly fresh, perfectly seasoned tuna. It didn’t need any other ingredients to get in its way. That tuna was the star, and it totally stole the show. I wasn’t surprised that such a simple dish could be so delicious. When you have a talented team in the kitchen who knows how to properly prepare a beautiful cut of fish, nothing can go wrong.

Keeping the seafood game strong, we ordered a dozen oysters from both the east and west coasts. Steak 954 serves their oysters with a yuzu cocktail sauce and champagne mignonette, both of which are fantastic. The yuzu added such a delicious depth of flavor to what would otherwise just be regular old cocktail sauce, and the champagne mignonette was a little less acidic than normal and really balanced out the brininess of the oysters.

We came to a lull in the meal where we had an important decision to make — do we order a salad to share or is it time to go for the entrees? But then we saw the baby beet salad on the menu, and the decision wasn’t hard to make. Beets, it is! Out came the most gorgeous salad I’ve ever seen — roasted beets sat upward, alternating with dollops of whipped cream cheese that looked more like vanilla cupcake frosting. Microgreens, toasted pistachios and crispy beet chips were strategically positioned over top of the beets and goat cheese, drizzled with an orange-sherry vinaigrette. We marveled at this salad for a good ten minutes before we could bring ourselves to dive in and destroy its beauty. But as pretty as it was, it tasted even better. The beets were perfectly cooked, the whipped goat cheese added creaminess and tanginess, and the vinaigrette was bright and flavorful. The only thing missing was that saltiness I expected from the pistachios — it could have used a few more scattered throughout. But aside from that, the dish was a winner.

Now we could move onto the entrees! One of the best (and worst) parts about going to a steakhouse is that the entrees are a la carte, which means you have to order your side dishes separately. Yes, this may make for a more expensive meal, BUT it also means your sides come big enough to share with those you’re dining with, and you can get a variety of things to try. Obviously when the word truffle is on the menu, you give in to it. We had to choose between the truffle mac and cheese or truffle potato gratin. The gratin won the battle and won our hearts while at it. Rich, velvety smooth potatoes swimming in melty, cheesy deliciousness mixed with the essence of truffle and topped with truffle shavings. The tops of the potato and cheese bubbling and crisp. This is going on my list of last foods I want to eat before I die.

Since I was out with Fashionably French Fried, as per usual, we obviously had to order the fries. Little did we know we had a literal mountain of them coming our way. No truffle, no parmesan, nothing fancy at all — just crisp, crunchy french fries that gave our tastebuds a run for their money.

Yeah, you see the picture? There wasn’t one fry left. There were three of us, mind you, but still…we did good.

In an effort to at least have one healthier side dish to balance things out, we ordered the smoked cauliflower and kale. This was excellent. The texture of both veggies was exactly how I like it, especially the cauliflower. I love that charred smoky flavor, and this dish definitely had it.

For my entree, I was immediately drawn to the Asian-style miso black cod with baby bok choy and maitake mushrooms. I’d order this again and again. The black cod was buttery smooth, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The miso broth surrounding the fish and veggies had that umami flavor that keeps you going back for more — it was hard not to pick up the bowl and drink it. There’s a reason why I couldn’t give up seafood when I decided to stop eating meat, and this is it.

We somehow managed to leave room for dessert. After such an incredible meal, there was no way we could pass up the sweet offerings from pastry chef, Sara Magoon. If you know me, you know how much I love cheesecake, so of course the vanilla bean cheesecake caught my eye. Instead of a traditional crust, it sits on an oat and almond crumble, making it gluten-free. The cheesecake was light and airy, almost mousse-like, and the vanilla bean flavor was definitely there, waving hello right in your face. I can’t say yum enough.

Jill’s chocolate craving got the best of her, making the double caramelized chocolate custard completely irresistible. It’s served with a bourbon sabayon and pecan streusel and presented beautifully with sliced strawberries and a spun sugar decoration. You know I didn’t let that go untasted… This is one decadent dessert. So rich, so creamy, so delicious.

For those visiting the area, this is a total tourist destination. Gorgeous beachfront views, incredible food and drinks, and walking distance to plenty of other Fort Lauderdale attractions. For those who live here — well, if you haven’t treated yourself lately, I suggest you get down to Steak 954 and do so. Soon.

Steak 954 is located inside The W Fort Lauderdale at 401 North Ft. Lauderdale Blvd.

From Cibo Wine Bar to RED, the Steakhouse

May 31, 2016 By takeabiteoutofboca 1 Comment

Never miss a bite! Sign up here to receive new recipes and reviews straight to your inbox.

Disclosure: I was invited as a guest to enjoy complimentary dinner and drinks at both restaurants. No monetary compensation has been received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

When a PR agency invites you to enjoy happy hour cocktails and appetizers, followed by dinner at a well known Miami Beach restaurant to which transportation will be provided, you do not hesitate to say yes. It was truly a decadent ladies night out for myself and about 10 others from local media publications. We were wined and dined like none other at Cibo Wine Bar in Fort Lauderdale, and Red, the Steakhouse in Miami Beach. Getting toted around by luxury car service, miRide, wasn’t too shabby either!

Yes, I went to a Steakhouse — and yes, I was able to eat. But let’s back up a bit and start at the beginning of the evening. I was under the impression our visit to Cibo would simply be a short and sweet happy hour before making our way down south, but that suddenly turned into an array of delicious appetizers and fabulous Sangria (seriously one of the best I’ve had — it had St. Germaine!) that almost made us too full for dinner!

Plate after plate of food appeared from the kitchen — polenta fries with a gorgonzola dip, arancini, fried zucchini and artichokes with roasted red pepper and lemon lime aiolis, pizza, steak skewers, and even a meat and cheese platter.

My sticky fingers kept going back to those polenta fries. I’ve seen versions of these on other blogs, but never on a restaurant menu. My first polenta fry experience will definitely not be my last. They were so perfectly crisp on the outside with the most tender inside — and that gorgonzola dip was super addicting. I mean, can you really go wrong with anything called a french fry?! It won’t be long before I make these at home, so definitely keep your eye out for a recipe.

Cibo has a great menu of classic and creative Italian dishes. Something tells me a trip back there is in store… Meanwhile, it was time to move on to stop #2. With a long food-filled night ahead of us, we set down our empty glasses, forced the forks from our fingers, and piled into the car waiting to chauffeur us down to Miami. miRide features high-class luxury vehicles with 24/7 concierge customer care service. You can book your miRide for immediate use, book it for later that night, or even book it for weeks in advance — and as an added bonus: there is never any surge pricing. It was nice to be able to relax in a comfortable car for a bit before continuing our night… Plus, it gave us a chance to digest!

Fast forward a half hour and we’re seated in a private room inside Red, the Steakhouse. Chef Peter Vauthy is in the kitchen preparing our meal, and the staff treats us to either a glass of wine or a cocktail. Although I wouldn’t be eating steak, Chianti sounded appropriate for the setting and its light, smooth finish ended up being just the right choice for all that was to come. Warm, fresh bread hit the table along with its obvious partner in crime, olive oil parmesan dip. If eating all the bread in the basket and sopping up every last drop of that dip is wrong, I don’t ever want to be right.

Now it was time to get things started with the appetizers. And lucky for me, all of them were seafood! There was tuna poke with sushi grade tuna, pineapple, wakame (seaweed salad), cucumber, and sesame, crisp calamari with Calabrian chile and garlic, and lemon garlic shrimp served on crostini. The tuna poke was noticeably fresh and bursting with vibrant colors, tastes, and textures. It was my favorite of the three, with the kicked-up calamari coming in second. Its hit-you-in-the-face flavor made me want to go back for more, but not so much the shrimp; it was a little heavy on the buttery white wine sauce.

Salads were coming next. You know, I read somewhere once that eating a salad before your main meal is supposed to make more room in your stomach. Can someone explain that to me, please? Eating more…to eat more? I may not understand it, but I’m all for it! We were served the RED’s signature house salad of baby greens, candied walnuts, and goat cheese tossed in RED’s raspberry vinaigrette. It was a nice dish, but it was the gorgeous local heirloom tomatoes and fresh burrata drizzled with balsamic reduction that immediately caught my eye. You know me and burrata — I was the first to dig in. I love that something so simple and seen so often just never gets old. When you have the right ingredients — fresh, local, delicious — you can’t go wrong.

Time for the main attraction — the entrees and side dishes. I believe that every good steakhouse has side dishes that are equally as impressive as their steaks and seafood. Chef Peter prepared for me a piece of crispy-skin salmon cooked exactly how I like it, while the others indulged in RED’s signature steak cuts as well as roasted chicken.

I enjoyed my salmon, but honestly I could have easily made a meal of the sides and been content. Wild foraged mushrooms and onions sauteed to perfection, four cheese macaroni and cheese so creamy and decadent I could only eke out a bite or two, Florida creamed corn, of which I’m not ashamed to admit I went back for thirds of, and roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta that everyone enjoyed while Chef brought out a separate pancetta-less dish just for me. Imagine a table full of well-dressed professional women chowing down on this feast of food. It was a sight to see, and we were loving every second of it.

But that’s not the end. Obviously there’s dessert. The Fresh ‘n Hot Doughnut Holes are made in house, covered in powdered sugar and served with a raspberry jam. Normally, this dish comes with a chocolate ganache and salted caramel sauce as well. The Molten Chocolate Cake is exactly what you want from a chocolate cake, rich and decadent, and served with fresh berries and vanilla bean gelato. Last, but certainly not least, a Florida staple — Key Lime Pie. Chef calls this dish “deconstructed” because of it’s presentation. It’s served with toasted meringue, blackberry compote, and graham cracker streusel.

I rolled out of the restaurant, stuffed and satisfied — from a Steakhouse no less — and hopped back into the miRide. Sometimes I have to stop and pinch myself. This the is life… Wining, Dining and Riding in style.

Cibo Wine Bar is located at 4100 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale as well as 200 S. Pointe Drive in South Beach and 45 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Red, the Steakhouse is located at 119 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach.

Boca Restaurant Review: Butcher Block Grill

January 16, 2015 By takeabiteoutofboca Leave a Comment

Never miss a bite! Sign up here to receive new recipes and reviews straight to your inbox.

Butcher Block Grill is a steakhouse proud of their high-quality 100% naturally aged beef, fresh poultry, seafood and produce all sourced from local and natural sustainable farms and farmers. What drew me to their menu was the long list of appetizers, soups and salads — things like French Onion Flatbread and Crab and Corn Chowder. It’s definitely traditional American food in a sense, but with lots of pizazz. Denise and I headed over for dinner on a Monday, which just so happens to be the night of their Prime Rib Special — a 12 oz. prime rib with the house-made mashed potatoes — all for only $20! “Prime Time Mondays” is from 5-10pm and features USDA Prime Rib which is not available on the menu at any other time.

Denise did end up ordering this for her entree — but let’s start from the beginning, shall we? Butcher Block Grill presents every table with a basket of their house-made bread, baked fresh every morning, alongside their “Butcher Butter.” This is made from beef trimmings and bones that have been boiled together to create a roux which is then made into this butter. I obviously did not try the butter, but Denise did — she said it was good, but could not detect much of that beefy flavor she was expecting.

The appetizer and soup/salad lists are brimming with things a Pescatarian like myself would love to chow down on. Things like Mussels, Corn and Crab Chowder and Ahi Tuna Tartar. We started with the Polenta and Crab Wontons, a dish very similar to ravioli stuffed with creamy polenta and crab meat (side note: these could have used a little more crab meat…) and swimming in a generous helping of a super flavorful, roasted red pepper truffle butter sauce. Not only was this delicious, but it looked beautiful. Little speckles of red popped out from the deep yellow truffle butter. I couldn’t get enough of that sauce. But that should be obvious… Truffle. Duh.

butcher block grill boca raton. polenta and crab won tons with roasted red pepper truffle butter

We also tried the Fried Green Tomato salad of arugula, radicchio, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese tossed in a sweet and tangy brown sugar balsamic vinaigrette. The restaurant tends to dress their salads very lightly to adhere to the preference of their clientele, but Denise and I needed more of that sweetness to bring out the flavor of the tomato and take away from some of it’s wateriness. Don’t hesitate to ask your server for more dressing if you’re like us and like big flavor — they are happy to oblige. I especially enjoyed each bite of tomato slathered with lots of goat cheese. Those two elements, in both taste and texture, pair so perfectly together. I almost wanted to ask for more goat cheese too!

Like I mentioned earlier, Denise chose to order their Prime Rib Special for dinner and I went with one of the fish entrees — Pan Roasted Salmon with lemon spiked farro, shiitake mushrooms and bok choy and a blood orange reduction. There aren’t enough words for me to describe how incredible this salmon was cooked. Perfectly tender and flakey inside with a crisp sear on top that was so good I found myself literally just picking at that crispy part. There was a balance of acidity and sweetness in the farro that practically pulled my fork down forcing me to eat every last bite (not that I’m complaining…). There was so much bright citrusy flavor from both the lemon and the blood orange in the reduction — every bite was better than the last. I was sad to see it end.

But end it did, and things only got better… Butcher Block Grill makes all of their desserts in-house and on this particular night they had their Goat Cheese Cheesecake ready and waiting for us to try. Goat cheese…in a cheesecake?! I’ve had ricotta cheesecake before, but never goat cheese. As excited as I was about that salmon entree, I basically turned into a giddy little kid at this point. As soon as the dessert came out, Denise and I dug right in. A sweet, buttery pecan crust held this thick and creamy filling that felt so decadent yet so light at the same time. Cheesecake can often feel dense and heavy, but using goat cheese gives it an airiness that really lends an incredible texture. This is definitely my new favorite cheesecake, and maybe even my new favorite dessert. More, please!

Butcher Block Grill is located at 7000 W Camino Real in Boca Raton.

Disclaimer: I was invited to dine as a guest of the restaurant. No monetary compensation was received for my review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Connect with me