Burger Battle Update

As you may recall, I posted my top Burgers in Miami/Broward a few months ago and indicated that I was underwhelmed by my first Five Guys experience. That sounds perverted, I know. Anyway, I have been back to the Midtown Miami and Ft. Lauderdale locations a few times since and have changed my tune. The first time I ordered a regular cheeseburger without knowing that their standard burger is actually a double patty which led to my disappointment. I also ordered the Cajun fries which I didn't like. On subsequent visits, I've been ordering the single patty little cheeseburgers which i like much better. I like the regular fries too. I'll give the standard burger another shot next time and report back.

Current top 4

1. Char-Hut (Five guys coming on strong)
2. Kingdom
3. Le Tub
4. Five Guys
Knocked off Jack's (need to get back there soon though)

Five Guys fans, there is a new one opening at Aventura Mall.

Meat Market- Lincoln Road

Wow! Very impressed with every aspect of the recently opened Meat Market on Lincoln Road. This could be my new favorite place on South Beach. They did a great job renovating/updating the old Pacific Time spot and it is very sharp looking. The have a nice bar area up front which made the wait for our table a non-issue. The model hostesses didn't hurt either...

I started with the kobe beef slider duo with bacon, white chedder & foie gras, mango mustard and caramelized onions. They were extremely tasty. After devouring both I assumed they would be the winner of the night but I was wrong. The kobe skirt steak was even better. It was cooked perfectly, tender and packed with flavor. It was perfect.

I didn't try them but the white truffle kobe tar tar and buffalo mozzarella also received raves at the table.

This place is a great addition to South Beach and should be a winner. If you are looking for great food in a fun/lively SoBe setting I would highly recommend Meat Market
Looking forward to going back

MEAT MARKET MIAMI

Survivor Week 17

What happened to Denver last week?? How do they lose at home to Buffalo in a crucial spot? No time to dwell on the past we need to move forward.

Tampa is in a must win situation and should dominate Oakland at home.
Atlanta beats the Rams
Baltimore needs a win and should beat Jacksonville
Pittsburgh wins easy against the Browns
Good luck

Survivor week 16

Boy did Zona get spanked last week. Didn't see that one coming. At least Indy, NE and Philly came through.

This is an interesting week. Zona on the road, heading east to NE who are battling for their playoff lives. I like the Pats in this spot.

As weekly readers know, I always recommend against taking a road team and division rival games. However, this week I really can't see Washington beating Philly. I would still avoid unless you have no other options at this stage.

San Fran heads to St. Louis. Normally I would steer you away from this one too but San Fran is a different team under Mike Singeltary and should win this one by a TD+

Best play on the board for survivor this week has to be Denver at home against Buffalo.
Second best is Tampa at home against the Chargers. Norv blows.

Good luck

Beer tasting 12/19 Brown Spirit Tasting 12/20 @ Hollywood Vine

This Friday night Norbert from Fresh Beer Distributor will be back for another beer tasting. 7-9pm. They will try 10 different micro brewed beers including several new and seasonal ones. $20.00 per person. You get to try all 10 and after the tasting choose your two favorites to drink at the store or take home.

Here’s the line up. Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA, Stone Pale Ale,

Stone Ruination IPA, Terrapin Wake and Bake, Stoudt’s Double IPA, Dog Fish Head Raison D’Etre,

Dog Fish Head Palo Santo, Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Dog Fish Head 60 IPA.

On Saturday Night 7-10 pm they welcome Herbie Loebl from Artisan Brands back for what will be one of our most exciting tastings ever for those of you into high end Brown Spirits. This collection is amazing! $15.00 per person that will be applied to any retail purchase that night on any item in the store.

Four Single Malt Scotches: Benromach Traditional $39.99, Benromach Organic $89.99,

Glen Grant 12yr $54.99 and Glen Grant 21yr $119.99

Four Armagnacs: Dartigalongue Bas XO $61.99, Dartigalongue Bas Hors D’Age $64.99

Baron de Lustrac Bas 1982 $114.99, Baron de Lustrac Bas 1980 $119.99

Two American Whiskies: Black Maple Hill Small Batch Bourbon $47.99

Black Maple Hill 23 yr Rye $144.99

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, FL 33020

hvine@comcast.net

www.hvine.com

954-922-2910

Survivor week 15

Wellllllll if you still have Indy available this is a NO-brainer. They should win by 2-3 TD's.
However, I;m sure most of you already used them so let's look for more options.
I expect Arizona to beat Minny, New England to top Oakland and Philly to crush the Browns

Tequila Tasting 12/13 @ Hollywood Vine

This Saturday from 7-9pm. There will be a $10.00 charge which can be used as a credit toward any retail item in the store that evening.

EL CONDE AZUL

Artisan Brands, the company that brings you the highest quality distilled spirits in Florida presents a tasting flight of El Conde Azul . El Conde Azul tequila is from Mexico made from 100% BLUE AGAVE. This tequila is available in Blanco (aged 2 months), Reposado (aged 8 months), and Añejo (aged 2 years). El Conde Azul has won accolades in Mexico and the United States as one of the best tasting and smoothest tequila brands on the market. Their proprietary oxygenation process allows for the distilled spirit to blend with 100% pure oxygen before bottling, which gives it a silky smooth texture and no bite at the end. El Conde Azul is luxurious tequila that is best enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite cocktail combination. Join us for a wonderful flight of all varieties of El Conde Azul Tequila at Hollywood Vine.

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, FL 33020

hvine@comcast.net

www.hvine.com

954-922-2910

954-922-7660 fax

Survivor week 14

All of our recommendations came in last week with the exception of the Jets. They decided to choke away the #2 seed and a bye.

Week 14 provides us with some solid plays again.
Zona should beat the Rams by 2 TD's plus.
Also look for the Saints to win at home against the Falcons.
Colts roll against the Bengals
Tenn. beats the Browns
Vikings crush Lions

Good luck

Sonny's Famous Steak Hogies (Hollywood)

I've posted about Sonny's before here and on Chowhound but wanted to remind cheese steak fans and people searching for good value to check this place out.

They are located on N. 66th Ave., just north of Taft St. in west Hollywood, not far from the Hard Rock.

It's a casual, inexpensive place that serves OUTSTANDING steak hogies. (that's how they spell hogie) I'm from NY and not Philly BUT I've had plenty of cheese steaks and Sonny's is the real deal.

I always order a #90 with provolone. This is a steak hogie with fried onions. The steak is a tender, thinly sliced rib eye that's cooked perfectly with the onions and cheese. The best part may actually be the bread which is baked on site and done right. The inside is soft and chewy and the outside is perfectly crisp. Cost is $5.15 plus an additional .50 for the cheese.

You can smell them from the parking lot and you can watch them cook while you wait for a table or to go order.

I highly recommend this place.

**CASH only and closed Sundays**

Tale of Two Visits- Smith & Jones

The following are two recent Chowhound posts regarding my first two visits to Smith & Jones on Las Olas.

Visit 1 (11/21/08)
Made it over to lunch last week and the service was SO bad I don't even feel like commenting on the food. I understand that they just opened but this was Sarah Palin comical, seriously. I'll spare you the details other than the fact that I was served a coke 4x in lieu of the diet coke I ordered. Forget about not knowing the menu, I'm convinced that our waitress had no idea what a hamburger was.. It was embarrassing because I brought a group of Johnny V first timers who were looking forward to it based on my raves. I know they just opened but the mistakes we encountered were inexcusable. Anyway, menu is extensive with Johnny V's take on classic comfort food. We started with his bbq potato chips "nachos" serves with cheddar cheese, bacon and blue cheese dip which were okay but nothing special. I opted for the bbq pulled pork slider trio with mango slaw. It was good but not enough slaw on two of the three. Moreover, the bbq was a little too sweet for my palate. Nevertheless, there are several items on the menu that I look forward to trying and I will be back. I'm sure the will have the kinks worked out soon.

Visit 2 (11/26/08)

Tale of two visits... Made a special trip up to Las Olas today in order to give Smith & Jones another shot. MUCH better experience. The host was great, staff friendly and our server was perfect. I opted for the smoked beef brisket and beef sausage which was from the Kruez Market in Lockhart Texas. This was can't wait to go back good. The brisket was super tender and extremely tasty. The sausage was equally as good, cooked perfectly and very flavorful. Great dish. The caesar salad with chicken was also a hit at the table. Very glad I went back. On a side note a quick look at the wine list revealed several bottles in the $30 and under range with BTG options in the $6-$7 range.

In summary, I do not advocate waiting a couple of weeks and/ or months before visiting a new restaurant in order to allow them to find their stride. That is silly and unfair to the new restaurant trying to succeed. Go but don't write a place off after one early bad experience, especially with a well known and proven chef. Moreover, Smith & Jones has an extensive menu and I suspect there will be some hits and some misses. I'll post back as I locate them...

1313 East Las Olas Blvd. Ft Lauderdale, FL

Survivor anyone alive????? week 13

Our run had to end at some point. Still surprised Denver lost at home to the Raiders. Hopefully, some of you had Tampa and Chicago left and went with them.

There are some strong road teams this week.
Tenn should crush Detroit on turkey day.
Miami beats the Rams by double digits.
Balt beats Cincy
Colts crush Clev and the Jets knock off Denver at home.
Good luck and happy Thanksgiving
The Chowfather

and the oscar goes to

CF recently watched Tropic Thundar and Robert Downey Jr. was amazing and oscar worthy. Tom Cruise was very funny but he his role was too small to discuss oscar. Heath v Downey Jr. Loved both but Heath was mesmerizing and has to win

The Grill on the Alley

The Grill on The Alley- Aventura Mall- opened last week. Stopped by today and had a very good ahi tuna wrap for lunch, one of several daily specials. Generous portions of very fresh tuna with a tasty, no mayo asian slaw. They have some outdoor seating and a bar area in addition to the main room.
Not wild about heading to the mall for dinner but it could be a good call pre or post a movie.
The happy hour deal, M-F 4-7, sounds like a real winner with $3.95 and $4.95 plates. Menu attached
http://www.thegrill.com/pdf/AV_1008_HappyHour.pdf
http://www.thegrill.com/aventura.html

Free Vodka Tasting 11/21 Hollywood Vine

THIS FRIDAY NIGHT FROM 7-9PM FOR A FREE TOUCH VODKA TASTING.

Featuring “Touch Key Lime Pie Martini”.

FEATURES

Distilled from Wildflower Honey

Micro distilled

Artisan vodka

Uses locally grown ingredients

Small batch

All natural

Valencia Orange flavor

Key Lime flavor

80 proof

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, FL 33020

hvine@comcast.net

www.hvine.com

954-922-2910

954-922-7660 fax

Survivor week12

Our official pick came in again last week as Tampa Bay pulled out the Win over the Vikings. This appears to be a very difficult week. Tampa may be the strongest play despite being on the road. If you didn't use them last week I would consider them this week. I also fully expect the Bears to bounce back this week and knock off the Rams. The best play on the board involves the Broncos at home against the Raiders. As you know, I almost always shy away from division rivalries in a survivor pool but this is a tough week and Denver is the best home play. Official pick is the Broncos.
Good luck.

Wine Class at Hollywood Vine 11/22/08

Hollywood Vine has Monique Peterson teaching a Wine class Saturday November 22^nd from 2pm – 4pm

Monique is a certified level sommelier currently pursuing the challenge of becoming a Master Sommelier. Her passion for wine can only be matched by her passion for food and finding perfect combinations of the two. She believes that the right wine is the wine that you love and can enjoy with those that you love." Monique is passionate, personable and very qualified.

The Class:

Old World versus New World Tasting Class.

"Savor an old world and new world example from different grape varietals and learn how different wine making techniques and philosophies affect the taste. We'll teach the key differences in flavor and style while seeking delicious compliments for your Holiday meals"

The Cost will be $30.00 per person and will include some snacks as well as a great selection of fine wines from all over the world.

YOU MUST RSVP

954 922 2910

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, FL 33020

hvine@comcast.net

www.hvine.com

954-922-2910

954-922-7660 fax

Survivor week 11

Week 10 worked out well as the official pick won as did the other mentions.

Philly should win easily at Cincy this week but they are on the road so I would avoid unless you are out of other options.
Miami will win again this week but they were our official pick last week. If you have them still I would go with them.
Carolina stomps Detroit at home and Tampa Bay beats Minny.
We used Carolina in week 4 so we have to go with TB

Keith Olberman

The Chowfather prefers to post about food, wine, and sports but this is a fairly powerful clip from Keith Olberman regarding Prop 8 in California and is obviously applicable to all of us here in Florida.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVUecPhQPqY

Josh's Organic Market- Hollywood Broadwalk

Now that it is finally cooling down out there it's a great time to hit Josh's Organic Market over on the Hollywood Broadwalk just south of the Ramada on Harrison St. It's open every Sunday from 9:00 a.m to 5:31. He has great fresh organic produce and also has a juice bar.

It should be noted that Hollywood recently renovated and repaved most of the broadwalk and did a really nice job. If you are hungry, I like Sugar Reef for breakfast and lunch or grab a slice at Angelo's Corner a little further north on the broadwalk. That said a burger and beer at Le Tub is hard to beat on a nice Sunday afternoon..

** if you head up in the morning I would also recommend picking up some bagels at Sage on Hallandale Beach Blvd. Best NY Bagels down here

NY Style Pizza ** DOWNHILL ALERT**

Found a very good NY style pizza place called Jo-Jo's Pizza & Subs. It's located on Sheriden St. east of I-95 near Oakwood Plaza in Hollywood. The cheese, sauce, crust and grease are close to the real deal. They also serve NY and Chicago style hot dogs which I haven't tried yet but will soon. Check it out if you are in the area and appreciate authentic NY pizza.

** edited to add that it is a small place with minimal to no seating**
Jo Jo's Pizza & Subs
Pizza, Sandwiches, Hot Dogs

2458 Sheridan St




**********NEW OWNERSHIP AND WAY DOWNHILL ALERT****

Survivor Week 10

Congrats if you are still alive in your survivor pool. Shoot me an email and/or a comment if you are.

Week 8 was a tough one BUT our official pick, the Bears, came through.
Week 9 looks problematic for The Chowfather because the best plays are division rivalries which I always recommend avoiding. I fully expect New England to beat the Bills at home this week. Division rival so we pass. I also expect the Jets to beat the Rams BUT the Jets were our pick in week 7. All season we have recommended taking the east coast team at home v a west coast team, especially if it is a 1p.m. spot. This has worked well all year. Seattle travels to Miami this week and all signs point to a Miami win. That said, The Chowfather has a hard time recommending the Fins in a survivor pool. Carolina will beat Oakland for sure but they are on the road so we pass. Patience is a virtue and you may be rewarded by waiting until Monday night and going with the Cardinals at home against the pants dropping Niners. Division rival on Monday night so we can't officially recommend.
Sooo what's the official pick?? If the Jets are available I would go with them. We already used them so my official pick is MIAMI

Ceviche Fans

I've been meaning to post about a great spot for ceviche. Goyo El Pollo is a small casual Peruvian restaurant located one block North of Hollywood Blvd. in Dowtown Hollywood. Their ceviche, I prefer the mixed seafood, is outstanding. I think you will have a difficult time finding better ceviche in South Florida. (In all fairness, I've never tried Francesco's in the Gables) They also specialize in rotisserie chicken.
I highly recommend this spot.

1920 Tyler St Hollywood FL

Survivor week 9

Well all of our suggestions came in as did our official Jets pick. Favre made it close though.
Is anyone out there still alive? For this reading this for the first time, in a survivor pool, all you have to do is pick one winner without the point spread each week. Winners move on. However, you can only use the same team one time. Lose and you are done.

Onto week 8. Jacksonville will smoke Cincinnati but it is a division rival and on the road so I will look for a better play. Tampa Bay should win easily at KC but I really want to avoid taking a road team. Chicago over Detroit could be the play despite the division rivalry. Detroit is not good. Giants will beat Dallas this week but we already used them. Denver over Miami may be the best play but I'm going to with Chicago as the official pick
Have fun

Election/Recession wine tasting- Hollywood Vine

Come join us to celebrate or Sulk. We’ll have Election coverage as well as some excellent recession friendly wines.

This week we welcome Melissa Caraballo from Vin Di Vino Imports. Melissa is a local Hollywooder and will taste

us on wines from all over Italy and a wonderful white wine from Austria. The Prosecco is one of my favorites and all the wines are both friendly and affordable.

HOLLYWOOD VINE WINE TASTING!

Tuesday November 4^th

2008 6:00-9:00

No Charge for tastings

NINO FRANCO

Rustico Prosecco

Veneto, Italy

The Nino Franco winery is located in Valdobbiadene, a zone in the upper reaches of the Veneto known for producing Italy's finest Prosecco. Third generation and current owner/winemaker Primo Franco is a consummate craftsman, and produces a line of Prosecco that is second to none.

"Rustico" opens with firm bubbles and crisp acidity. Light aromas of banana on the nose lead to fresh pear on the palate.

BTG $6.75 Retail $18.99

WACHAU

Gruner Vetliner

Austria

An almost clear light straw yellow in color. Yellow apple and pear fruit on the nose with faint nuances of lentils, asparagus, and tobacco. A straight-line Gruner with grapefruit and white pepper spice on a light-to-medium bodied frame with lively acidity.

BTG $5.75 Retail $14.99

CALDORA

Montepulciano

Abruzzo, Italy

Ruby red with garnet reflections, intense and persistent fragrance, fruit (red fruit and prunes) with vanilla nuances. Medium-to-full bodied with a good balance and ready to drink.

BTG $4.75 Retail $11.99

CUSUMANO

Syrah

Sicilia, Italy

This well-known international grape thrives in the Sicilian climate. The resulting wine is a concentrated warm red with soft red fruit,

extremely smooth tannin, and lingering herbal elements.

BTG $5.00 Retail $12.99

VESEVO

Aglianico

Campania, Italy

Ruby red in color with violet towards the rim. Shows aromas of red fruit and light vanilla. Full red fruit with hints leather and spice on the palate. Medium-bodied with good acidity,soft tannins and medium oak on the lingering finish.

BTG $6.50 Retail $17.99

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, FL 33020

hvine@comcast.net

www.hvine.com

954-922-2910

954-922-7660 fax

Johnny V opening casual spot on Las Olas

The Chowfather has been a big fan of chef Johnny V dating back to his days at The Astor on South Beach and Johnny V's Kitchen on Alton Rd. I really miss those sandwiches... I really hope the rib meat hoagie makes the menu..

"Chef Johnny Vinczencz of Johnny V Las Olas will add casual and less expensive to his repertoire next month when he opens Smith & Jones Bar and Grill at 1313 Las Olas Blvd., in the old Louie Louie spot.

“This is something that I’ve wanted to do for quite a while,” he says. “When the opportunity came to do something lie this on Las Olas, I jumped on it.”

Nothing on the menu will cost more than $20. The emphasis will be American comfort foods with a chef’s touch. Think house-made sous vide pastrami sandwiches ($10), Philly cheese steak sandwiches that start with shaved rib eye ($11) and nachos made with home-made BBQ chips ($8). "I've also got a great love of barbeque."

The 200-seater will fill the void left by the closing of O’Hara’s with live jazz and blues nightly. Long-time fans of Vinczencz might remember his Johnny V’s Kitchen on Alton Road in Miami Beach. It will serve as a model of sorts for the new place. “That only had 27 seats. It was busy, but we didn’t make a lot of money.”

Vinczencz, whose family name is Hungarian, is calling the new spot Smith & Jones because they are quintessential American names, much like the new menu and concept. He opens to open Nov. 12."

Source SunSentinel

Survivor Week 8

Helloooo, is anyone left???? Our official pick, Houston, came in last week. Onto this week for those alive in their respective pools. The Chowfather expects Baltimore to win at home against the Raiders. We also expect the Jets to destroy the Chiefs, Houston to smoke the Bengals, Wash to crush Detroit and Carolina to beat Zona. All are solid plays but the CFather is going with the J-e-t-s Jets

Survivor week 7

Can someone please explain how Washington beats Dallas and Philly on the road and loses at home to the lowly rams? I guess that's the NFL for you. Nor sure if anyone out there is still alive, maybe you went with Minny or the Chargers. Regardless, I'll go ahead and post my best game for anyone who cares...

I expect Tenn to shut down KC and win easily but they are on the road so I would avoid unless you have no other home options.
Dallas at the Rams is another solid road option, if necessary. Monitor Romo's status, he may go after all.
The best option is the Giants as they return home after an ugly loss on Monday to face the 49ers. SF making the long trip with an early start. This should be an easy win. Go with them if you haven't used them yet.
I also really like TB at home against Seattle. Seattle has been awful when heading east.
Another strong home option is Houston yes Houston over Detroit.
Good luck

El Tamarindo Coal Fired Pizza (Hallandale) The Sequel

As promised, The Chowfather went back to El Tamarindo. This time my intent was to try some of the Salvadoran offerings. I opted for the Churrasco which is a 12 oz. grilled steak topped with chimichuri sauce. The take out menu list it at $11 but I think it was $13, not positive though. Their entrees include two side orders. Options are rice, beans, side salad, tostones, sweet plantains or baby green vegetables. I opted for the rice and beans. Their beans are red unlike the black beans seen at Cuban restaurants. The rice and beans were great. Rice was cooked perfectly and appeared to have some small veggies in it. The red beans were flavored perfectly and really tasty. Wish I had some now. The churrasco was also great. Grilled perfectly and seasoned well.
If you are in the area, I would give this place a chance. It is a casual place, do takeout and deliver.

Burger Battle Miami/Broward

The Chowfather is a huge burger fan and always on the lookout for a GREAT burger. Unfortunately, not many qualify down here. I had a great one at Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay in Vegas recently but I'm here to discuss our options in Miami and Broward.
I recently tried Five Guys Burgers and was underwhelmed. It was okay and very good compared to fast food burgers but doesn't make my list.

1. Char-Hut- This is an outstanding burger. Fresh and you can watch them grill them while you wait. They have a few locations in Broward but I prefer the Davie and Pembroke location over the Sunrise one over on University. The buns are never fresh at the Sunrise location and the burgers are better at the other two.

2. Le Tub- On the water in Hollywood. Great spot to grab a beer and a huge tasty burger.
3. Kingdom- small open air sports bar over on Biscayne Blvd serving big juicy burgers.
4. Jack's Old Fashion Hamburgers- Located on Federal Highway in Ft. Lauderdale. On the small side but fresh.

Honorable mention: Sonny's Famous Steak Hogies. They key here is the bread. They bake their bread on site and it is great. Impossible to order the burger though because the cheesetake is a must do.

www.charhut.com/
http://www.theletub.com/

Survivor Week 6

Hope you were all on board with the Giants last week as they crushed Seattle at home. My secondary picks of Carolina and Dallas also prevailed.
On to week 6
I expect Minnesota to crush Detroit at home. Defense will shut them down. Oh and they have a stud RB that should run wild. Division rival though
so I have to take a pass.
Very tempted to take the Chargers at home against New England. Chargers return home and should bounce back against a NE team heading west back to back. That said, I;m not crazy enough to back Norv over Bill. Pass.
I also expect Washington to take care of business at home against the Rams. Rams have a new coach but that will not save them this week.
Washington is the official pick. Good luck

Alta Mar wine dinner

"Benefiting the bellies of foodies and oenophiles is AltaMar, whose owner, Claudio Giordano, is opening his restaurant on Monday nights for a five-course menu with wine pairings. The restaurant will be closed to the general public and open to only 30 lucky reservation holders and the only thing you need to bring besides an appetite and $50 per person (including unlimited wine pourings) is, according to Giordano, ''a driver.'' The private wino dinners kick off on Monday and continue weekly through Nov. 17. For reservations, call 305-532-3061."

source: Velvet Underground

Alta Mar is one of my favorite spots on the beach. They have great daily seafood specials and pastas. Truffle ravioli is a winner too.

This sounds like a GREAT deal

El Tamarindo Coal Fired Pizza- Hallandale

El Tamarindo Coal Fired Pizza recently opened in Hallandale near the dog track. This is a weird combo, Salvadoran food and coal fired pizza. It should be noted that they are related to El Tamarindo on state road 84 in Ft. Lauderdale (never been there)

I've heard of pupusas but that is the extent of my familiarity with Salvadoran food. Regardless, it was the coal fired pizza that was calling my name. I went with their specialty pie which was broccoli rabe and sausage. I thought it was on the border of good to very good. Very similar to Anthony's but not burnt (which some may prefer). The broccoli rabe was very good and so was the sausage. The cheese, sauce and dough were also very good. My main gripe is that the pizza was overloaded with the toppings. I know that may be a positive to most people but I enjoy tasting the cheese and sauce and I felt that both were overpowered. That being said, it was still very enjoyable and I'm looking forward to going back and trying some other combinations.

They also serve coal fired chicken wings which were almost indentical to Anthony's. (topped with grilled onions) That is a good thing since they are a favorite of mine. Only difference is that the wings were much smaller. Tasted great though.

Of course, I had to try something Salvadoran and went with a corn tamale with cream (light and on side). This was great. Really wish I tried some other items but will be back. I did not see pupusas on the menu but they do serve baleadas, tamales, tacos, churrasco (looked great), fried whole sea bass and red snapper and other steak and seafood items. Prices appeared very reasonable.

This place appears to be a winner and I'm looking forward to heading back soon and trying some of the Salvadoran dishes.

Electoral College Update

Forget all those irrelevant National Polls they keep showing. Here is a
link to the updated Zogby electoral college poll map. Once again it will most likely come down to Florida, Ohio and Penn.

Zogby International

Sarah Silverman- The Great Schlep

Funny bit about the election by Sarah Silverman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgHHX9R4Qtk

Broward Spice aka Dine Out

Reminder that Dine Out starts today, Oct 1 in Broward. Similar deal to the popular Miami Spice
see link below for participating restaurants and menus
"Dine Out"

My recs based on quality of restaurant, posted menu and spice value are
Cero
China Grill
Grill 66 (never been but on my short list to try and menu looks good
)Hi Life Cafe
Lola's on Harrison
Fulvio's
Cafe Maxx

*chef recently left sunfish grill so I am no longer recommending it*

Survivor Week 5

The Chowfather came through again last week with Carolina over Atlanta. Hope you are all still alive in your respective pools. This weeks slate is much stronger than last weeks. I expect New England to bounce back and beat San Fran by a TD or more but can't recommend them since they are on the road and still have some question marks. There are also three stronger plays on the board. If you passed on my Carolina pick last week I would consider taking them this week at home against KC. I really like this Carolina team and expect their defense to shut down KC and win easily. They were my official pick last week so I will not take them again.

Next up is Dallas. They are at home against a weak Cincy team who may be without Palmer again. I expect Dallas to bounce back and win easily.

I also really like the Giants. They are at home, coming off a bye and facing a west coast team (Seattle) making the long trip. Giants should come out with the W.

Carolina, Dallas and the Giants should all prevail this week. The official pick is the Giants. Good luck

Single Malt Scotch Tasting @ Hollywood Vine

$15.00 per person (will be applied to any purchase from the entire portfolio)

Artisan Brands & Hollywood Vine Presents

Michael Urquhart, proprietor of

Gordon & Macphail

The world’s largest & best Single Malt Scotch Portfolio

Date: Saturday October 4^th 2008

Time: 2pm to 5pm

Location: Hollywood Vine

2035 HARRISON ST

Hollywood, FL 33020

954-922-2910

Single Malts to be tasted:

Lowland

Bladnoch 15yr

Islands

Bunnahabhain 14yr

Speyside

Benromach Organic

Speymalt from Macallan 1990

Strathisla 25 yr

Highlands

Clynelish 10yr

Old & Rare

Glenrothes 30 yr

Glen Grant 30 yr

These labels will all be available for sale during the tasting at a discounted price, as well the entire catalog is available for special order

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood Vine

2035 Harrison Street

Hollywood, FL 33020

hvine@comcast.net

www.hvine.com

954-922-2910

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