a food win!

So those who follow the blog will know how I always bemoan the dearth of ethnic choices here.  The seafood is great and there are plenty of Italian places (a number even owned by Italians but beyond that - things get dicey...

But tonight we had a huge food win with a total hole in the wall place on 26th Street - located in something that aspires to being a strip mall, a building with four small storefronts.  This place would be at home in any village in South America- no sign above it. The sign at the street is a plastic banner with no light on it so you could easily drive by if you didn't know where you were going. 

Approaching the front door the kitchen door looks out on the parking area and is right next to the front door to the dining area.  The kitchen's fluorescent light is the brightest illumination in the whole lot as the other spaces seem closed for the night or maybe for good.... the place doesn't scream prosperity but we knew from doing our homework it has been around a number of years...

so in we went - and immediately fell in love.  The welcome was genuinely warm and the place was small (three booths and maybe five tables) and cozy and just so darn appealing in a sort of divey kind of way. Before we got any food I told Phil that I was so hoping it would be good because the place was exactly the kind I was always looking for!

And we won big tonight because it was good- better than good! So we will definitely return.  The chef came out to check on the food and the server was friendly and helpful when Phil asked about choosing between two dishes.... it was all good - so let's get on with the show!

We ordered starters of Anticuchos (beef heart) and calamari.  The Anticuchos were better than the ones we had at Tanta (the Gaston Arcurio outpost in Chicago) that we had with Shari & Kevin. 

then we shared a mixed ceviche -

then I ordered the Corvino Rellenos (stuffed with crab and smothered in a shrimp and mushroom cream sauce!) and Phil ordered the paella mariscos - a toss up decided by the server's recommendation of it over the chaufa (which is our favorite at Tanta)

the to go menu for dinners

here is the menu we ordered from when dining in house-

Everything was served fresh and hot or fresh and chilled as appropriate and they were such gracious hosts we considered the evening a HUGE success! So YEA! El Waricke- we will definitely go back! Next time we already have several things we want to try- including the Chaufa and the Aquadito de Pollo and a couple more preparations of the fish- so all the more reason to return sooner rather than later...

another try

We are always on the lookout for good ethnic -authentic ethnic food when in SRQ for the winter...LOL- fat chance... We have one - count it - ONE - decent Chinese (Yummy House) because I guess the Chinese folks haven't discovered Sarasota yet.  Honestly Sarasota probably wouldn't get it even if the Chinese brought it here- PFChang's seems to be the most popular Chinese place around here (I would be embarrassed for them but they are so clueless about authentic ethnic around here it isn't worth bothering...)

All winter though I have a yearning for real Mexican food. Living in the summer in a city with more than a million Mexicans (and loving it I might add) we have plenty of choice for good Mex... Here in SRQ there is not so much - actually almost NONE LOL.  So when we found our waiter Damien at the Columbia restaurant was an immigrant from Mexico via Chicago we asked him for recommendations for "real" Mexican food. So far with mixed results.... the first place a steam table eatery in the back of a local grocery store had pretty good food but no table service and plastic utensils.  The second, of three that he gave us to try, turned out to be a Puerto Rican/Mexican place... so more Caribbean than we are used to.  While I still would love to find a Chicago style Mexican place - this one was pretty good. It is called Guadalupana.

We went for lunch and found not a single parking spot in the lot (which had more than half of the spots reserved for the pawn shop next door LOL a good sign LOL) and upon entering found it more than half full- all male customers... but the ladies at the stove who doubled as servers were very welcoming.  They did have the gringo menus with English (which we mostly didn't need) and a board with "Especiales" LOL

we tried various tacos- which were actually really good- I got chorizo and Phil carnitas and chorizo-

we also had ensalada- and mofongo (our first time) which was a mashed plantain dish with corn which is stuffed with terrific bits of Chicharrón inside - here is what wikipedia says-

Mofongo is an Afro-Puerto Rican dish with fried plantains as its main ingredient. Plantains are picked green and mashed with salt and water in a wooden pilón, a kitchen device also known as mortar and pestle. The object is to produce a tight ball of mashed plantains that would absorb the attending condiments and have either pork cracklings (Chicharrón) or bits of bacon inside. Most dressings include garlic and olive oil. 

It was really heavy on the garlic (you can see it on the top in the photo above) but the starchy plantain could take it- and the chicharron were wonderful- since Phil loves pork crackling - he loved this dish--- so that was a winner...

However the chips and salsa get mixed reviews - the chips were good but the salsa was heated- and weirdly Italian tasting...

We also split a shrimp quesadilla for a starter and found it good but nothing special (Phil said mine were better - Thanks Honey!)

so the review is a slight thumbs up - we might return to try the tortas which seemed to be the big item at lunch time (many were ordered by the men eating there and they had a nice selection too) what we had was very good but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for...

And speaking of lunches, yesterday we had our third meal at Blu Mangrove.  The food was still excellent.  We had grouper sandwiches (Phil and Barry) and grouper tacos (Ellen and me.)  Phil and I split a wedge salad which was really just perfect in my opinion, when we were there with Matt & Ann we had split a Cobb and that was too much unless you weren't ordering mains...  photo shows HALF the salad!

we have a fairly quiet week this week - which is a welcome respite.  We are in process with juggling a lot of plans for upcoming travel and visitors and possibly real estate closings - with the Chicago house and another building on the market. And we are watching the condo market in Chicago for the exact kind of property that we want to buy to replace the house.  They move fast, one I put on my list mid-week last week is gone this morning.  But since we have this place to live in during any interim, we can wait for what we want...

However, all these logistic make your head spin... LOL  I just keep telling Phil let's wait to see about X before deciding Y.  This is a tough thing for him, as he is the kind of guy who likes to think things through completely... So, we await deadlines before making any moves on something for ourselves.  Stay tuned - always more to come...

PS- I decided to do another search for near me Mexican and here is how bad it is- LOL- this is a photo of the team for a taqueria nearby - LOL this is so effing lame--- you have to laugh- what would these people know about Mexican food?

I rest my case!

the land of authentic

back in the land of authentic ethnic food-

when you have two places you live (understanding the blessing of options for varying climates - LOL) you end up missing things all the time... when here you miss the X of there and when there you miss the X of here....

one of the things I miss most when "suffering" from warm sunny days and meals outside along the water in various venues is ethnic food.  There are ethnic restaurants in the Sarasota/Bradenton/Anna Maria/Long Boat Key area but they are but a shadow of real Thai/Mexican/Szechuan/Bosnian/Greek/Shanghainese/Vietnamese/etc...

so the first thing I asked for was Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches with pickled daikon, carrot, cilantro, onion, and jalapeno and your choices of meat and pate) our favorite place is about five minutes from our house-

Ba Le- This is the place- and there is always a line inside... but they work quickly...

and here is the menu for the  banh mi-  plus they have specials each day as well - and we always get the shrimp spring rolls-

our favorite shrimp spring rolls - very fresh! they actually made ours up for us!

various banh mi- photos from the Ba Le facebook page- we had the roast pork, the BBQ pork and the sauteed shrimp... but pretty much any one is excellent- this time my favorite was the roast pork- excellent!!!

OK- mouthwatering, No? and I didn't mention this is a full fledged bakery as well with macarons and other beautiful pastries....

So then when Phil asked where we should go to dinner tonight I said (sticking with the Asian) how about Lao Sze Chuan? and so tonight I got my authentic Chinese - this chef has several chinatown restaurants but this one is in New Chinatown or Uptown- on Broadway south of Argyle and the food is really good without having to drive to 22nd street (we will be close enough on Monday night for our Duck Inn dinner)

a hot (spicy) amuse bouche brought to the table when the water glasses are filled (you'll need the water- LOL) kind of kimchi like-

above- world's best hot and sour soup-    below - crispy shrimp with lemon sauce

orange beef tenderloin (below) and not shown salt & pepper scallop and scallion pancake

So tomorrow night Rotisserie Duck at the Duck Inn with foodie friends! - then we have a quick trip out of town but when we return it's going to be Mexican, Thai and Greek - along with high high high end at the Michelin starred goosefoot and next:Bistro menu....

so stay tuned - some great food at all levels coming up!