Little Kingston Jamaican Restaurant

September 17, 2018

Windsor Hills (Los Angeles), California – While driving through the area, I saw the sign for this place. Any sign advertising a Jamaican restaurant is bound to catch my eye. There was no question I’d eventually visit this place. So I made plans to visit after an appointment the next time was in the city.

The sign for Little Kingston Jamaican Restaurant can be seen from a distance. Getting to the restaurant itself can be a bit of a challenge. It sits in a small lot behind Wienerschnitzel. My advice is to park on Ladera Park Ave (note that it’s a one-way street), on Slauson, or on La Brea. I wouldn’t recommend trying to park in the tiny lot. It only has a couple of spaces and it is not very easy to get out once you get in.

As you walk up to the restaurant, you’ll pass a huge menu on the outside window. The patio is right out in front of the door. It has two umbrellas providing shade to a round table and circular bench seats. There are two more umbrellas but these cover tables that sit on barrels. These are attended by chairs ingeniously cut from barrels and brightly painted.

Once you enter the restaurant, you’ll notice the walls are painted green, yellow, and black – the colors of the Jamaican flag. There are a handful of framed posters, including, of course, Bob Marley. Along the walls are a couple of red vinyl bench seats. A half-dozen or so wooden tables with metal posts each have two faux wicker chairs. Two flat screen televisions hang on the wall. Jamaican music plays over the speakers. The display case is filled with Jamaican snacks, coffee, sauces, drinks, trinkets, and Little Kingston gear. Along the west side are three tall tables with modern wood and metal chairs.

I stepped up to the counter and placed my order. Since this was my first time here, I knew I had to try their jerk chicken. I decided to get the Small Jerk Chicken Plate ($13), and the Small Short Rib Plate ($16). Beef patties are a must, so I got one beef and one chicken patty ($3 each or 2 for $5). For drinks, I got one Tropical Rhythms Fruit Punch and one Tropical Rhythms Ginger Sorrell.

(On subsequent visits, I’ve noticed they occasionally have a run on popular items, and at times run out. Grizzada and roti are the two they seem to be out of by time I get there late in the afternoon. “It’s finished,” is usually what I’m told).

I got all this to go. It would serve as lunch and dinner for the next few days.

After I arrived home, the first meal up was the jerk chicken plate. The plate comes with steamed cabbage, rice and peas, plantains, and festival.

The perfectly steamed cabbage has carrots, a few peas, Lima beans, green beans, and a few kernels of corn. Even with being steamed, the vegetables retained a bit of crunch. I could taste a slight hint of seasoning. This brought the flavor up a notch.

I am not really a fan of plantains, but they came with the meal. They did have some firmness, which is good. Even though I’m not a plantain fan, I especially dislike soggy ones.

Rice and peas? Delicious! I could actually taste the rice and it was seasoned nicely. The peas (beans) were firm and tasty. Just about perfect. A sprig of thyme was added on top for good measure. The festival was a bit small but still good. I liked the slightly sweet taste. It helps to slightly temper the heat of the jerk seasoning. Slightly.

When I tasted the chicken, I was pleased to find it was tender and boasted a smoky flavor from the grill. Next, the jerk seasoning hit. Careful. That jerk spice hangs back a bit before it rushes your taste buds…and your lips.

The chicken is good enough to eat just as it is. But Little Kingston gives you a small container of jerk sauce on the side. Remove the lid and the heat from the spice hits your nostrils. Are sure you want to do this? Absolutely! Bring it on! (A word of caution: If you prefer a milder level of spice on your food, do not add the jerk sauce).

This sauce does bring it. It goes very well with the chicken. Had my mouth singing its praises for several minutes after I finished. Ok, feeling the heat for several minutes afterward.

The beef patty and the chicken patty were both very good. The pastry shell was nice and flaky, just as it should be. The ground beef and the chicken filling were both creamy and nicely spiced. I wish I could tell you some of the spices in there but I just can’t distinguish any of them.

The short ribs plate also comes with steamed cabbage, rice and peas, festival. The ribs were tender, though not quite fall-off-the-bone tender. But the bone pulled away from meat with no effort. It is a bit hard to describe the sauce, but it complements the meat well. I had some Grace Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce at home and decided to put some of that on the ribs. Oh, man! What flavor! (Shhhh. Don’t tell Little Kingston I did that).

The first time I had jerk barbecue ribs was in a hotel in Ocho Rios. They were mind-blowing. I made some at home using the Grace barbecue sauce. They were mind-blowing, too. These short ribs, after adding the Grace sauce, were better than both of them.

Grace Jerk BBQ sauce is good enough on its own. It almost makes you want to drink it straight from the bottle and bypass the middleman, er, meat.

Let’s talk about the Tropical Rhythms drinks for a moment. Starting with the fruit punch, it has mango, guava, pineapple, grape, orange, lime, passion fruit, and papaya juices. I could taste almost every one of those fruits in there. It has the consistency of a thin puree. Only thing missing is the rum. Hmmm. That gives me an idea…

I would love to tell you how the ginger sorrell tastes. Heck, I’d like to know how the ginger sorrell tastes myself. But I was goofing around, spinning the bottle on my palm and flipping it into the air while I waited for the meal to warm up…and dropped it. Fortunately, the bottle itself didn’t break into too many pieces, but the contents went all over the kitchen floor.

Dining in is nice. You get the full atmosphere with Jamaican music and a lot of Jamaican Patois being spoken. But be forewarned, Little Kingston does a very brisk take-out business. Sometimes it can get quite crowded as people come in to pick up their orders.

Though I’ve been to Kingston, Jamaica a couple of times, I’ve never dined in any of the restaurants there. So I can’t vouch for whether or not Little Kingston brings the taste of Kingston. But I have dined in Ocho Rios many times, including roadside jerk centres. Little Kingston’s fare tastes more like the food in Ocho Rios; closer to it than any other Jamaican restaurant I’ve tried in the States.

Little Kingston Jamaica Restaurant – 5 forks. Very highly recommended. Big up, Little Kingston!

 

Baby Blues BBQ

Sept 8, 2018

Venice, California – This place pops up on Best Barbecue in Los Angeles lists occasionally. That’s how it landed on my radar more than a decade ago. Having some business to attend to in neighboring Santa Monica presented the perfect opportunity to finally check them out. But it was going to have to be a to-go order.

Baby Blues BBQ first opened its doors in LA in 2004. After a little growth and a couple of changes of venue, the current LA-area line-up includes locations in Echo Park, and the one here in Venice. Because so many people clamored for their fare, Baby Blues has further expanded to the San Francisco and Philly markets.

The entrance is on the corner; signs on the window will point you to the proper doors to use. But once you enter, be prepared to find yourself in a very, very tight ‘reception’ area while you wait to be seated. There is a counter area to your immediate right. The main dining area appears to be straight ahead once you get inside. I didn’t pay too much attention to the rest of the interior since I was getting my meal to go, not dining in.

When I began planning the day and realized I could squeeze in a visit, I went to their website to see what they were working with. There are quite a few options to choose from. I decided to try the Big Blue Platter ($32.95). The Big Blue Platter comes with your choice of three meats. Today those three meats would be brisket, tri-tip, and Memphis-style pork ribs. Platters come with two ‘Fixins’, made fresh in house every day, along with house-made cornbread. My choice for the fixins were Collard greens and potato salad. I also decided to get a Texas beef rib (Market Price $31.95 today (!)) a la carte, plus a smoked beef link ($4.95).

I placed my order, then took a seat in one of the chairs outside. While waiting, I sipped on the lemonade ($3) I ordered. It was not made from fresh lemons. It tasted like it was made with one of those lemonade mixes like Country Time or something similar. That should’ve been my first clue as to what lay ahead.

Right after I finished it, one of the hostesses brought my meal out to me, nicely packaged. It was served in two take-out boxes made from recycled products. I appreciate that. Thank you, Baby Blues. I’m starting to see more and more restaurants use this type of container.

After I arrived home, I immediately warmed up everything and dug in. First up was the sliced brisket. (Baby Blues also serves chopped brisket). The description says it is dry-rubbed Black Angus, coated with a sweet sauce, then slow smoked for 14 hours. It had what looked like a smoke ring around the outside, while a pinkish tint appears in the center. In addition, it had a rainbow sheen on it, which, at first glance, reminded me of deli meat slices. The pepper crust contains lots of pepper (and coriander seeds, I think). I took a bite, expecting to get the flavor of beef followed instantly by smoke. Instead, what met my taste buds tasted like pastrami. A LOT like pastrami. I kid you not. Not even close to barbecue. Ironically, in the center of the brisket, well away from bark, it did taste somewhat close to barbecued brisket. There was a tiny hint of smoke flavor in there somewhere.

Four types of sauce are available to choose from: BBQ, sweet, hot, and XXX. I went with BBQ and sweet. The description for the BBQ says it is mild, vinegar-based. They got the mild part right. Kind of weak but it did have some decent flavor. I preferred the sweet (the description says it has a tangy, bbq-molasses flavor) because it had more flavor. I could taste the sweetness. Did I detect a bit of hickory smoke in both sauces?
I alternated between adding the BBQ and sweet sauces on the brisket but there was no saving it. It just tasted too much like pastrami.

Next, I tried the tri-tip. According to the menu, this is prime cut sirloin, marinated and smoked until medium rare, then sliced and grilled. It is definitely grilled; you could see the grill marks. But where’s the smokiness? I didn’t detect any. It looked more like carne asada, with a taste on the bland side. On top of that, it was a tad overcooked.

Moving on to the Memphis pork ribs. The menu says it is rubbed top to bottom with their blend of dry spices, slow smoked, then grilled and lightly basted with their house BBQ sauce. It certainly was easy to pull off the bone. This was the closest to barbecue taste of any of the meats so far. I could taste a little bit of the spices used in the rub. Alternating between the sauces here was enjoyable to an extent. It moved the flavor up a notch.

The Texas beef rib is “smoked on the bone” but no mention of any spices used. It was basted probably with their own barbecue sauce. Thick, thick meat but it only covered about half of the bone. The bones were flat like bars of a xylophone. I’m guessing they probably used short ribs. True to its claim about being tender, the bone pulled right out.

Two beef ribs were in the order. Satisfactory flavor on the outer portion where the sauce was. But it lost spice and flavor the closer I got to the bone. The spice and sauce then gave way to a real beefy flavor. When I reached the bone, there was no barbecue flavor or spice to be found, just the taste of cooked beef. I tried putting the extra sauce on. Alternating between the sauces changed things up a bit. No real preference for how each sauce combined with the ribs but it did improve the taste a little.

Not sure what kind of link the smoked beef link was. I was expecting a link like a Louisiana hot link or something similar. Though a beef link, it tasted like a hot link with all the personality (and heat) taken out of it. One positive was that it was a good size, filling the bun I put it in. Also, the casing had a good consistency and held the contents together through every bite.

The cornbread caught me by surprise. It had a brown color, much darker than I’m used to. It almost looked like sweet potato bread, if there is such a thing. Kind of dry, too. Inside the slice, I encountered a couple of kernels of whole corn. It had a strange flavor to me that was saved only by the honey flavor I think I detected.

How about those fixins? The collard greens had large leaves. They could (and probably should) be cut smaller. I was not used to the taste. They had an overbearing pork flavor. A little heat came through in between bites. Readers of this blog know my stance on ordering greens at a restaurant. For those of you who are new to Kanale Eats, the short version is almost everyone on both sides of my family and my wife’s family cooks greens very well. So I am admittedly biased when it comes to greens and as a result it is hard to impress me. The greens here are an example of why I don’t order greens at most barbecue places. They did taste better the next day, however, but only marginally.

The potato salad featured chunky red, skin-on potatoes, and generous cuts of celery. The mixture was somewhat peppery. It could use a bit more mayonnaise, but otherwise it was pretty good. A hearty and filling side dish.

A lot of people like Baby Blues as attested to by how long they’ve been in business. It is pretty popular as attested to by the number of times I’ve seen Baby Blues mentioned in lists of top barbecue spots in LA. Though born and raised a So Cal city boy, my parents are from down south. My in-laws are from down south, too. So it is with a Southern predisposition that I approach barbecue.

With that in mind, I must sadly admit I came away disappointed with what I got here. Very little to no smoke flavor on any of the meats. High prices for the meats didn’t help. I kind of expected things to be a bit expensive here given the area but the market price for the Texas rib caused my jaw to drop.

In my opinion – and this is just my opinion – although they are pricey, stick with the ribs.

Baby Blues BBQ – 2.5 forks. Passible. They do cater.

 

Bludso’s Bar & Que

April 30, 2018

Los Angeles, California – Somewhere around ten years ago, this place showed up on my radar. A popular magazine had rated it among the top ten barbecue places in Los Angeles. Quite a claim considering the number and quality of barbecue joints in this city. Ever since then I’ve been trying to visit to test this assertion, but my schedule and their business hours didn’t synch. A new schedule (for me) and a new location (for them) made it possible for me to check them out today.

According to the story on the website, owner Kevin Bludso was born and raised in Compton. His roots go back to Texas where five generations of his family have been mastering the pits. During his summers in Corsicana, Texas, a young Kevin learned the art of ‘cue while working with his grandmother. As he grew older, he avoided the inevitable family history as long as he could. In 2008, Bludso finally heeded the call. The result? You’re reading about it.

The original Bludso’s site is in Compton, but it has been closed for some time now. Word is they will re-open at some point in the future. A second location was opened in Los Angeles just outside Hollywood. The building had enough space to add a bar. So Bludso did. The other spot is in Melbourne. As in Australia. Not Florida. Which means now Bludso’s is truly an international affair.

I could smell the smoke from five blocks down the street. The first whiff got my attention. To the best of my recollection of the area, there are no other barbecue places in the vicinity. The closest one would have been 6 blocks south. Downwind of where I was. So this glorious smell of pit-fired barbecue filling my nose had to be coming from Bludso’s.

Bludso’s is easy to spot from street. The building is painted grey with a red “Bludso’s” sign over the entrance. An awning covers the small patio on the sidewalk. A menu is displayed in a cutout on the wall outside just as you enter.

Be sure to pay attention to the parking signs wherever you park, no matter whether it’s on La Brea or one of the side streets. Parking Enforcement is notorious for diligently (and swiftly) enforcing the posted regulations in this area. Parking tickets are dished out like flyers at a concert. Trust me on this.

Now that we’ve found a place to park, let’s go inside.

The hostess station is located immediately to your right as you enter. A bench sits in the waiting area to your immediate left. Further inside you’ll find a mix of dark, wooden benches and tables. Lighter colored metal-legged wooden chairs attend wooden tables in the center of the dining area. A long, amply-stocked bar with plenty of bar stools takes up the entire south wall of the dining area. Maybe a dozen flat screen television screens encircle the room, all playing sports.

When I arrived, there were two guys at the bar. A couple sat at one of the tables. This was right after dinner hours began so it was pretty quiet at that time. While I was there, blues, old school soul, and R&B was playing on speakers.

The décor certainly does not look like your typical barbecue joint. However, the paper towel rolls and bucket with utensils on each table remind you that, yes, this place really might know a little something about ‘cue.

While looking over the menu, I noticed that the meats are portioned by the quarter, half, or full pound, while the ribs come in either a half or full rack. I wanted to sample as much as possible so I prepared myself for a big bill.

I decided on: Meats – ½ lb. brisket ($14), ½ rack pork ribs ($17), ½ rack beef ribs ($17), two Texas Red Hots (beef link) ($6 each). Sides – ½ pint collard greens ($6), ½ pint baked beans ($6), ½ pint potato salad ($6), two pieces of cornbread ($1.75 each). For dessert I went for a slice of pie. The Chocolate Chess Pie ($7) sounded interesting.

Of course, all of this would be to go. (Dining in? Your meal will be served family style).

I was amazed at how quickly my to-go order came out. And with fast, friendly service. Then again, I arrived only a couple of minutes after they opened for dinner. My rather large meal came in one of those aluminum catering trays with a cover. Everything was carefully packed. It was arranged so well that it resembled a Tetris game. (No photos, but the food actually looks like the pictures on the website)! Everything was still warm when I arrived home nearly two hours later.

Bludso’s uses their own special dry rubs on their meat. After that, the meats spend as much as 14 hours smokin’ low and slow, with fire fed by whole hardwood logs and charcoal. That’s how it’s done here.

After breathing in the bouquet of smoked meats for the past couple of hours without being able to do anything about it, I was more than ready to dig in when I finally arrived home. Here’s the rundown:

The brisket had a mellow, smoky flavor through and through. Each slice had a nice char on the edges. Nice color. Impossibly tender. It fell apart while trying to pick it up with a fork. The rub Bludso’s uses is on the salty side, but still good. Even so, I would prefer Bludso’s use a bit less salt.

There is a noticeable amount of fat on the brisket. The lean version has less fat but costs more. On the other hand, that fat really amplified the flavor of the brisket. Surprisingly, the flavor of the brisket was stronger than the barbecue sauce. I ended up not using sauce on the rest after tasting a few bites with it. It was so good, it didn’t really need any.

The pork ribs were extremely tender! Good color. The smoke flavor comes through nicely. Again, it didn’t need any sauce. Though the barbecue sauce didn’t really go well with any of the meats, it worked best with the pork ribs. At least the mild sauce did. The hotter sauce kind of clashed. I really like how well the rub goes with the pork ribs. The rub is what makes these ribs stand out from the crowd.

As with other meats, the beef ribs were very tender. They had a light flavor of smoke. Not as strong as others, but the presence of smoke is definitely there. I opted not to try them with the sauce.

Careful. There’s some heat in those house-made Texas Red Hot beef links. They really live up to their name. Firm texture. Nice bite. Lingering heat. I put one of them in a wheat bun I had at home and ate it that way.

All of Bludso’s’ meats are seasoned (and smoked) extremely well. They really don’t need any sauce. That’s a sign of great barbecue.

A lot of meat calls for a lot of sides. Bludso’s’ sides are all scratch-made in house. I decided to take a chance with the collard greens. Readers of this blog know how I feel about greens. For those who are new, most of my family and my wife’s family cook greens. Really good greens. For this reason, it is not often that I will order greens from a restaurant. And when I do, I admit I am quite critical.

The smell of the collard greens was much stronger than any other aroma emanating from the bag. They had a strong, hearty flavor to match. There’s some pepper in there somewhere. Smoked pork takes these greens up a couple of notches. Later I saw the flakes of red pepper. The greens tasted even better as leftovers once the seasoning had had a chance to work through. So how do these greens fare? They absolutely pass the test.

I noticed the baked beans on the menu. I figured they would complement the greens. They had a nice, semi-sweet flavor. Included in the beans are bits of brisket you can actually see. When you have an outdoor barbecue, this is what you imagine when it comes to baked beans. They became addictive after a couple of forkfuls.

Since this is a barbecue place, I had to get the potato salad, right? It is topped with paprika. Chunky potatoes and celery really earn this salad its stripes. Delicious! Not sure what else to say about it.

To go with all of this, some type of bread would be nice. Two pieces of cornbread filled the bill. It tastes like regular cornbread, with a tiny hint of extra baking powder. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it comes with honey butter. Whipped honey butter at that. The light taste of the honey and the butter goes very well with cornbread.

Two types of barbecue sauce are available. I got both the hot and mild sauces on the side. Both sauces had a slight sweetness. Aside from the very light sweetness, overall, both sauces were nearly bordering on neutral. I had to taste each sauce three times before I could tell which was hot. The hot does leave a lingering bit of warmth once it finally hits. Unfortunately, I have to admit I was not really feeling either sauce. It put me more in mind of mole rather than barbecue sauce. It didn’t really pair well with any of the four meats I ordered. Seems like it’s missing something. Maybe some smoke flavor to blend better with the meat?

Bludso’s serves pies by Nicole Rucker. You may have heard of her. She is a National Pie Championship Blue Ribbon award winner. I had never heard of Chocolate Chess Pie before. It looks and tastes like a brownie in a pie crust. Very moist, very good. Chocolate is definitely in charge here. It would be even gooder served ala mode – which Bludso’s will do if you want for $2 extra. Maybe I’ll try that next time.

Bludso’s’ fare is a bit pricey but they do serve large portions. Definitely no skimping here. It’s a good bet you’ll be taking some home. If you enjoy their seasoning, Bludso’s sells their brisket and pork rib rubs in store and online. They even have their own app.

About that claim I mentioned at the beginning of this review: Yes, I would wholeheartedly agree that Bludso’s does deserve its spot on that top 10 list.

Bludso’s Bar & Que – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. Their name says all you need to know. Check hours if planning to visit on a weekday. Catering? Yep, they do that, too.

 

Lee’s Caribbean Restaurant and Market

September 11, 2017

Inglewood, California – I had unknowingly passed by this place several times during my visits to Inglewood. It wasn’t until I stopped at a traffic light some time later that I saw it in the corner of a strip mall. When I noticed it was a Jamaican restaurant, I made plans to visit the next time I was in the area.

As I mentioned, Lee’s Caribbean Restaurant and Market sits in a strip mall. There’s plenty of parking in the lot, but be aware that a couple of the stalls are in tight and/or precarious locations. 

Once you walk in, you’ll find yourself in a large area of mostly unused space. Not sure if they use all that space for any other purpose but it certainly could be used for dancing and/or dining for larger events.

The interior of the space is painted green. A large map of Jamaica and her parishes is painted on the north wall. Maybe a dozen tables with chairs are scattered across the room. The counter has a handful of stools posted in front of it. There is a flat screen TV above the counter.  A small ‘market’ sits off to the left side of the counter. It felt like being in a market in Jamaica.

After perusing the menu for a minute or two, I decided to get a large order of Jerk Chicken ($13.50), a side order of short ribs ($11.25), a Ting ($2.75), and a Tropical Rhythms Fruit Punch ($3.25). I got all this to go.

While I waited for my order to be prepared, I checked out the market. I was sold when I saw that they carried all my favorite Jamaican foods, sauces, and drinks all in one place. In addition to the meals, I ended up with some jerk BBQ sauce (you have got to try this on jerk pork ribs), Walkerswood jerk seasoning (I use this when I make jerk chicken at home), and a can of callaloo. 

Let’s get started: The jerk chicken comes with rice and peas with ‘gravy’ on the rice, plantains, vegetables (cabbage), and festival. 

Those vegetables will wake you up. They are seasoned with lots of pepper. The broth they cook them in is flavorful yet still allows the taste of the cabbage to come though. I enjoyed these.

As you may know by now, I am not a fan of plantains so I ate these fairly quickly without paying much attention to the taste. The festival was good but did not make much of an impression on me beyond that.

The rice in the rice and peas was pretty fluffy, not dry. I was glad to see that. The extra ‘gravy’ also carries some heat. That is not something I expected. Mixed together, it takes just a tiny bit of attention away from the flavor of rice and peas while at the same time taking the taste up another level.

Careful, that jerk chicken packs some heat. It’s just about right for me but if you are sensitive to very spicy foods, you might want try a different dish. Lee’s does a good job cooking the chicken; it was very tender. Though it is quite spicy, it is not overly so; you can still taste the chicken itself.

I had the Ting with the jerk chicken. Even though it is a carbonated drink and doesn’t do anything to alleviate the heat of the chicken, it is very cool and refreshing. I’ve come to believe that Ting is the perfect accompaniment to jerk chicken. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that Ting always reminds me of the first time I had it in Jamaica.

Moving to the short ribs, they were very tender. So tender in fact, meat from one of the ribs had already fallen off the bone by the time I opened the container. As far as the taste, it carried a subtle but hearty beefy flavor. The ribs were cooked well and still had a lot of the juices. The Tropical Rhythms Fruit Punch went very well with the ribs.

I was very glad I stopped in here. A restaurant with good food and a market with my favorite Jamaican products in the same place? What more could a lover of Jamaican food want?

Lee’s Caribbean Restaurant and Market – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A virtual one-stop shop for Jamaican food and drink. Except the rum part.

 

Lee Esther’s Creole & Cajun Cooking

July 29, 2017

Palmdale, California – Some friends told me about this place several years ago. Ever since I heard about it, I had been wanting to try it. Years went by and still no visit. I figured the only way to make this happen was to clear a Saturday afternoon. Which is exactly what I ended up doing.

Lee Esther’s Creole & Cajun Cooking was started by chef Michael Brignac and named after his mother, Lee Esther. Chef Brignac has been cooking since the young age of seven, learning at the feet of his mother. This place is his dream come true.

The restaurant is located on a side street and is very easy to miss even though the street is short. I missed it the first time I visited. When you are driving there, look on the south side of the street. Once you locate it, you should be able to find plenty of street parking.

I was greeted promptly when I walked in. A man and a woman were the only customers inside at the time, but a steady stream of customers came through to pick up phone orders.

There are four tables in the main area when you first walk in. This section also serves as a waiting area and the counter where you place/pick up to-go orders. They opened up the main dining area off to your right about two years ago. That area seats maybe twenty diners.

I really enjoy Creole and Cajun food so it was difficult to choose what I wanted today. I finally decided on the Catfish Po’ Boy ($11.99), Shrimp Étouffée ($14.50), and an order of Red Beans and Rice ($3.50).

I decided to get my order to go. You may have a wait of over 15 minutes while your food is being prepared. I would suggest calling ahead. The server told me it would take about 20 minutes for my order but it was ready in less time than that.

By the time I arrived home, I was quite hungry and really anticipating this meal. Everything was well packaged. I could smell garlic as soon as I opened the foil that contained the garlic bread.

First up was the catfish po’ boy. It is served on French roll. The catfish was fried in a cornmeal batter. I shook some Tabasco hot sauce on the catfish, mostly out of habit. Lots of lettuce to work through but when I got to catfish, I noticed it was cooked to about medium firmness, yet still flaky. The batter added just the right amount of crunch. I like the house-made Creole marmalade they serve on the sandwich.

I noticed there was julienned zucchini throughout the po’ boy. The zucchini altered the smell and taste of the sandwich. I was not liking this so I removed as many zucchini as I could find. This was a different taste for me in a po’ boy. Next time I will make sure to request no zucchini.

The red beans were nice and hearty. A perfect ratio of beans to rice. Nice flavoring. You’ll find shredded ham and/or turkey in the dish. You can usually tell a good Cajun/Creole restaurant by their red beans and rice. After a couple of forkfuls of the beans and rice, I got a good sense of the authenticity of this place.

Garlic bread comes with the étouffée. It was toasted French bread, buttered with some other spice I couldn’t recognize, and salted. It was toasted just right. Not much else to say about it.

The étouffée was served in a bowl. The presentation was such that it looked like a mound of rice set in sauce. Imagine an island of rice surrounded by a sea of roux-thickened red sauce, with shrimp swimming around it. You can see the onions, pepper, celery, and tomato in the sauce. Lee Ester’s features smoked Tasso ham in their étouffée. There was plenty of shrimp; shrimp in just about every forkful. You can choose the heat level of the dish. I chose 4 of 5. When I ordered, they said 5 was ghost pepper hot. 4 has some heat but it is a big jump from here to ghost pepper level. Good flavor and authentic taste, though.

Daily specials are a good bet if you can’t decide what to get. They serve what they call Zydeco BBQ on Fridays and Saturdays. I think I will have to try that next time.

Since everything is cooked fresh, it may take a while to prepare some items. A little patience goes a long way, but it is worth the wait. Better yet, call ahead unless you plan to dine in.

Lee Esther’s Creole & Cajun Cooking – 4.0 forks. Recommended. Locals know and love this place.

 

Rudy’s “Country Store” Bar-B-Q

July 8, 2017

Corpus Christi, Texas – Last time I was in Texas, I was just passing through. (Yeah, it took a LONG time). This time we were attending an event in Texas. Though our time here was limited, I knew I wanted to have either a Texas-sized steak or some barbecue before I left the state.

I had seen this place a few times over the weekend as we passed by it. It came time for dinner on our last full day in Corpus Christi and we still had not decided where to go. It became a now-or-never proposition. Pretty much on the spur of the moment, we decided to try this place.

I found out that Rudy’s “Country Store” Bar-B-Que has about 40 locations across five states – 32 stores in Texas alone. This particular location looks like it used to be a gas/service station in its former life. As such, it was easy to find and easy to access, right on South Padre Island Drive.

We walked in and headed toward the back. Inside, the place seems to be divided between market and counter, and the dining area. You’ll probably have to get in line to place your order (don’t worry. It moves pretty fast). To keep the line moving, try to decide what you want before you get to the front. What you’ll find once you get to the front is a counter with all of the different meats available on display.

The meats are sold by the half-pound. Not sure what you want? They provide samples. Barbecue prime rib was one of the meats on offer. I absolutely love prime rib. I had made up my mind to order some but got a sample anyway.

Rudy’s meat options number a baker’s dozen. Sandwich lovers have half a dozen sandwiches to choose from. I was happy to see they offer about ten sides, one of which is green chile stew. I’ll have to try that next time. The menu also lists over a dozen breakfast tacos. Yes, breakfast tacos, not breakfast burritos. Desserts? Yes. There are six of them.

All of Rudy’s meats are cooked in a wood-fired pit with oak as the wood of choice. They also make their own special dry rub. To compliment your meats, choose from two types of “sause” (that’s how they spell it): Original and Sissy.

After pondering over all of the available items, I finally made my decision.
My order today was a half-pound each of brisket, prime rib, and pork spare ribs. My drink? Sweet tea, of course!

Once our orders were prepared for us, we took our bounty over to the dining section and sat at the picnic tables. With a nearly full room, long rows of tables covered with gingham tablecloths, and food spread out over the tables, the dining area looked like a large, indoor barbecue. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

Normally I will have unsweetened tea. But it was nice to have some sweet tea for a change. It certainly complimented all of the food we had today.

The barbecue prime rib was not quite what I expected. I guess I was somehow expecting some of that slow-roasted flavor. But, this is a barbecue joint. No ‘slow roasted’ here. Must be me not being used to smoke flavor in prime rib. Once I got my mind right, I began to enjoy it.

The ribs had a nice flavor. They were tender and juicy. The sauce went well with them. I appreciated that these were the larger type ribs.

I wasn’t prepared for how the brisket hit me. It was fall-apart tender. Properly smoked. Rudy’s rub adds to the flavor while still allowing the meat to be the star. This was the best brisket I have ever had! I couldn’t stop eating it. It was so good I had to tell one of the workers how much I enjoyed it.

Ever decide to stop somewhere based solely on intuition and have it be way better than what you imagined? That is what happened at Rudy’s today.

If you didn’t get enough at the store, some of their meats and ‘sauses’ are available online.

Rudy’s “Country Store” Bar-B-Q – 5 forks. Very highly recommended. Surpassed all of my expectations.

 

Angry Marlin and Coolwater Bar

July 7, 2017

Corpus Christi, Texas – I’ve driven through Texas twice, but this was my first time actually traveling to Texas. We were in town for a graduation ceremony. It was my son’s idea to dine here today. He’s pretty good at taking us cool places, so we gladly went along expecting yet another nice outing.

We drove down South Padre Island Drive toward the gulf, across the causeway, and onto South Padre Island itself. Then, suddenly, we turned off South Padre Island Drive (interestingly, it is frequently abbreviated as S.P.I.D. but never pronounced “Spid”.) and pulled into a dirt parking lot. I thought we had arrived at the wrong place. Maybe my son had to run an errand first. Nope. He said this was the right place.

We got out of the car and started walking back toward the road. A paving stone path branched off and meandered around a building covered with sea-themed murals. The building’s trim was painted in bright colors. Soon, I heard Reggae music playing and knew we were in right place.

The sign next to the door said, “Enter here”, so we did as instructed. Since we immediately moved outside to the patio, I don’t remember much about the interior other than the walls were painted in a sea green color. I hear the bar area features a handmade translucent bar.

The patio provided a nice atmosphere for our late afternoon event. One of the first things you’ll see as you head out to the patio is a post with marker signs nailed to it showing the distances to destinations like Charleston, SC; Santa Fe, NM; Albuquerque, NM; and Dumas, TX. My favorite was the marker for Paradise. It says 0 miles.

The poles and the patio cover were painted in bright colors to go along with the trim of the main building. There are several wooden tables, lots of sand, and patches of grass and gravel. A turtle pond is on premises. Palm trees and other flora abound. It felt like being in the Bahamas. Even if you aren’t dining here on the patio, it looks like a relaxing place to just walk around before or after your meal inside.

We asked the staff to light the tiki torches for us, mainly to help keep mosquitoes away. It was not completely effective. That’s probably why there is a mosquito warning posted. A word to the wise should be sufficient.

According to the menu, the founders of The Angry Marlin Restaurant and Coolwater Bar, Glenn and Ricky, met 20 years ago in Dallas, Texas. Both worked in and managed different restaurants but kept in touch throughout the years. While Glenn was back visiting The Island, as South Padre Island is sometimes called, Ricky showed Glenn a place that had the potential to become something wonderful. Glenn got on board, moved to The Island, and The Angry Marlin was born.

The restaurant incorporates New Mexico fusion, which is found throughout the menu and in a special dinner entrée section at the end of the menu. Angry Marlin uses fresh local ingredients and flavors of Santa Fe. How did that end up on a Texas restaurant menu? Glenn, one of the founders, is from New Mexico. Actually, I should have guessed that from the Zuni sun symbol on the menu.

I also noticed lots of blue corn featured on the menu. The blue corn serves as crusting for items from shrimp to onion rings to fried chicken to hot wings (!).

My dinner selection came down to a choice between a green chile burger and a Pueblo Indian Taco ($11). The Indian Taco replaces the traditional tortilla with Indian Fry Bread. I opted for the taco because it’s much easier to find a green chile burger than it is to find real Indian Fry Bread. I’m always on the lookout for fry bread. And since the menu has a whole section dedicated to New Mexico fusion, I figured they’d know a little something about Indian Fry Bread. I ordered some tea ($2.49) to wash it down.

Within our group of six, we had a lot to talk about. With so much conversation going on, it seemed like our food came out fairly fast.

My tea arrived while we waited. It tasted brewed but just didn’t quite get me excited. Nothing really noteworthy but it did clean my palate and it was refreshing on a hot and humid day.

Now let’s talk about the taco. The Pueblo Indian Taco is served open-faced. ‘Inside’ is pulled pork, cheese, lettuce, pinto beans, raw red onions, tomato, and red or green chile. I ordered mine Christmas style (both red and green chile) and no tomato. It comes with a side of dirty rice.

Dirty rice was a unique choice as a side for an Indian Taco. It’s not often I get dirty rice, let alone see it served in a restaurant. I was pleased to see it being offered here. The ingredients elevated the flavor of the rice itself, but it was far overshadowed by the Pueblo Indian Taco.

My, oh my, what a combination of tastes that taco had! Just perfect. The pulled pork blended very well with the sweetness of the fry bread. The thickness of the fry bread held up very well to the all of the liquid the other ingredients contained without getting soggy. I would have been happy with just the pulled pork on the fry bread, but the beans, cheese, and lettuce added that much more flavor. And then the chile adds enough punch to knock the whole dish out of the park. True to its Texas upbringing, this was a big meal. I ended up taking the rest of it back to the hotel for later.

Dining solo, as a couple, romantic lunch or dinner, groups, everyone will feel comfortable here. The menu is varied enough to please nearly every palate. Plus, it’s the only place I know of where you get a little bit of Texas, New Mexico, The Gulf of México, and The Caribbean, all in one place.

Though ‘Marlin’ appears in the restaurant’s name, there is no marlin on the menu. But they do have live entertainment. And they will cook your catch for you, even if you caught some marlin.

Angry Marlin and Coolwater Bar – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A true “diamond” on The Island!

P.S. Sorry, no photos. I didn’t even consider reviewing this place until the next day.

 

Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ

May 31, 2017

Fontana, California – For quite some time now I have been trying to find some good barbecue in the Inland Empire. This restaurant’s sign was visible from northbound I-15. I would see it as I drove by during my trips up and down I-15. The only way to satisfy my curiosity would be to stop in and visit one day. A little bit of planning and today I was able to make that happen.

The owners of Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ compete in barbecue competitions in Houston, Texas. And have won. If you can compete in a ‘cue competition in Texas – and win – you know you are doing something right. We’ll see if they were able to carry those creds over into their restaurant.

Let’s talk about parking first. The place is very easy to spot off the freeway. Not so easy to get to once you get off the freeway. Follow this tip and it will save you some frustration. (I already experienced this so you don’t have to). From I-15, whether you’re approaching from north or south, exit at Base Line. Head back under the freeway to East Avenue. Turn south on East Avenue. Look for the first driveway and turn left. Big Dane and Beale’s is located at the back of the shopping mall.

When you walk in, you’ll see the counter where you place your order. There is a roomy waiting area for those taking out. After you place your order, walk over into the main dining area. They will bring your food to you.

Inside the main dining room you’ll find four flat screens televisions on the wall. They are usually all on sports channels. There are several barbecue-related signs on the wall. Some are quite humorous.

Different types of tile flooring can be found in the restaurant with one style in the waiting room, and a different, lighter color in the dining area. There seems to be a theme of black and brown running through the restaurant. The walls are painted in a tan color. Around the perimeter of the room, vinyl-backed bench seats are a milk-chocolate brown, and the tables have wooden tops sitting on black metal poles. The chairs in the center of the room are black wood with a couple of black metal and vinyl ones here and there. The tabletops attended by these chairs look like marble framed with dark wood, and the whole top looks varnished.

I really wanted to find out what Bigg Dane and Beale’s could do with a range of meats, so I ordered the Triple Choice ($24). As you might guess, the Triple Choice comes with your choice of three meats. My choice today was St. Louis ribs, tri-tip, and brisket. The combo platters come with two sides. I went with collard greens, and mac n’ cheese.

To round out my order, I got a hot link on the side ($3), and a small drink ($2) to wash everything down.

At the fountain, I poured a Gold Peak tea and took a seat in the dining room. The Gold Peak dispenser must have been running out of syrup; it was nearly all water.

To pass the time while I waited for my food, I read the signs on the wall and watched some of the events on the televisions. A short time later, my meal arrived.
Score some presentation points here: the meal is served in a metal tray lined with paper. At the top ‘row’ of the tray were separate cups of mac n’ cheese, and the greens, accompanied by two small containers of barbecue sauce. I had to take a minute to enjoy the careful arrangement of the ribs, side-by-side, sliced and layered tri tip, and side-by-side thick-sliced brisket looking so moist and tender it was hardly able to stand on it own. The whole thing looked like a product shot. I really didn’t want to destroy this edible work of art, but this was my dinner.

The greens had a special ingredient I couldn’t place. It was almost citrusy in flavor. Lots of pot liquor. There must have been some pepper in there somewhere because it delivered a bit of a kick. Delicious!

The macaroni and cheese tasted homemade. A bit of black pepper could be seen. Not too heavy on the cheese, which is a good thing. It had a creamy texture and taste.

You are given a choice of barbecue sauces when you place your order. I asked for a mix. They provided one container of hot, one of medium. The hot wasn’t very hot. It tasted like its heat came from the addition of Tabasco. The medium was mild. I ended up mixing the flavors.

As for the meats, in ascending order of preference:

Hot link: It was a Louisiana Hot Link so most of the flavor was already in the link. The smoke enhanced it. There was nothing else that made it stand out.

Tri-tip: It is coated with rub. This particular batch looked slightly under cooked. A drizzle of bbq sauce runs across the slices. I added a bit of the sauces. It enhanced the flavor a bit, collaborating with the rub.

Brisket: Wow! Immediately you could tell the brisket got to be real good friends with the smoker. You can see the smoke ring on each slice. The menu in the store says it is smoked 15 hours with Old #2 Brisket Texas BBQ Rub. One of the owners said this batch was smoked nearly 24 hours. It was part of a special run. Very tender, and flaked easily when cut with a fork. I didn’t even use the knife. It was so good even without sauce. I only put sauce on about a third of it just to see what it would taste like. I preferred the ‘sauceless’ part.

St. Louis ribs: It was a slow period in the restaurant at that time. The owners stopped by to see how I and the one other diner were doing. I told one of the owners how much I liked the brisket. Then I tried a rib. All I could say to him was, “These ribs…” They were that good. They use their own special rub and then baste with a little sauce during the grill time. You could tell they had also spent a lot of time in the smoker. You could see the smoke rings. No need for any extra sauce. They were excellent without any need to add anything to them. The owner said they compete in competitions with these ribs.

My intent was to take half of the meal home and have it for diner the next day. But the more I tasted, the more I enjoyed everything. And the more I enjoyed, the less there was to take home. Definitely not complaining, though.

I’m glad I stopped in here. Both my hunger and curiosity were satisfied. I am already making plans for my next visit and what I will order. With the high caliber of ‘cue I just had, I am really looking forward to another award-winning meal.

Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ – 4.75 forks. Very highly recommended. They also cater. Closed Tuesdays.

Update: October 31, 2020 – Bigg Dane and Beale’s Texas BBQ is no longer in business. Another restaurant – fittingly, a Texas-style barbecue place – is in Dane and Beale’s old location. Brett Beale has opened his own spot in Huntington Beach, California called Beale’s Texas BBQ.

 

Olives Mediterranean Café

December 31, 2016

Lancaster, California – I was in the area and saw that this place was one of the very few restaurants that would be open tonight. So I decided to bring my wife here for a spur-of-the-moment New Year’s Eve dinner.

Olives Mediterranean Café has two locations: Palmdale and Lancaster. The Lancaster site is located on what’s known as “The Blvd”, or Lancaster Blvd. for those not from the area. The speed limit through The Blvd is very low – 15 mph, I think – and it is enforced. Olives sits in a storefront and is easy to miss if you’re driving past, even at that slow speed. You’ll find it if you look on south side of street.

We arrived around 7pm. When we walked in, the hostess greeted us promptly and said, “Sit wherever you’d like.” Inside it was not nearly as crowded as I expected. There was one group of a dozen or so people, and a couple of other diners. The dining area has about 16 tables with chairs. The tables are covered by white tablecloths, which are topped by a sheet of glass. About a half-dozen paintings hang on the wall. One looked like a rendition of a scene from Cinque Terre as viewed from a covered terrace or patio.

Since it is the Christmas season, the place was lightly decorated for holidays, including a tree trimmed in green, white, and gold.

Music is usually featured nightly. Tonight, a lady was playing music on a keyboard. She played several, various tunes in styles ranging from Christmas to Classical to the classics. All the songs she played were instrumental; she did not sing. However, a vocalist did come up later to join her and sing a few songs.

Olives has a low-key atmosphere with very friendly servers. The selections on the menu are fairly wide-ranging. Healthy cooking is the rule here. Most of their dishes, including salads, are prepared using olive oil.

Last time I was here I had the Lamb Gyro. I figured I’d try a different dish this time. This evening’s fare consisted of Beef Lula Kabob ($13.99). I ordered a Merlot ($5.99/glass) to go with the kabob dish but forgot to note the name.

The menu advises diners to allow 20 minutes to prepare your order because it is cooked fresh.

The Beef Lula Kabob plate comes with rice pilaf, salad, hummus, grilled tomato and grilled pepper. That pepper is a jalapeño, just so you’ll know. Joining the meal is Lebanese pita bread, sliced in half, and served in a basket. All you can eat.

The salad was very crunchy. A reassuring characteristic of its freshness. It is topped with a light oil-based dressing that I could not identify. Nice and fluffy rice pilaf was a tad bit salty but otherwise good.

That hummus was delicious! It had some real flavor to it. Maybe it was the proportion of lemon juice and tahini that did it. It is served with olive oil on top and sprinkled with paprika. I can think of several things this hummus would go great with.

I skipped the tomato but ate the pepper. It looked completely charred. You might think that charring the jalapeño pepper might mellow down the heat. And you’d be wrong. The pepper I had retained its full strength. Trust me.

Kabobs bore the evidence of being slid onto a flat blade skewer, then grilled. You can really taste the herbs and spices in the meat. The kabob is cooked to about medium. Two kabobs grace your plate. I cut a portion of one, placed it in the pita bread, then dipped in hummus. I enjoyed the diverse flavors that came from that combination. A squeeze of lemon would take this up a notch. I’ll try that next time.

After sipping the merlot, I realized it did not make an impression on me. When tasting it after a bite of the kabob, it was evident that it was not the best pairing for what I ordered. Not sure what else to say about it other than I will have to try a different wine next time.

For desert I ordered Baklava ($3.99). On my last visit this was highly recommended by my friends. I see now why they suggested it. Freshly made in house, flaky dough, just the right amount of honey… Very, very good!

Their hummus was so good, I had to get a small order to go ($5.99).

If you have a craving for Greek or Mediterranean food at a very reasonable price, look no further. In my opinion, visiting as a couple or as a group makes for a more enjoyable experience. I say that only because you’ll have the opportunity for conversation to pass the time while your meal is being prepared. Dining solo? No problem, but I’d suggest bringing something to read while waiting for your meal.

Olives Mediterranean Café – 4.25 forks. Recommended. Catering and online ordering available.

 

Madrid Tapas y Vinos

June 16, 2016

Miami, Florida – We were going to be here in Miami for a couple of days and wanted to find a nice place for dinner. I looked on Google maps for someplace not too far from our hotel. This place looked very interesting. For some reason I decided to check out Restaurants.com to see if this place was listed. It was. That’s dinner solved then. No need to look any further.

The owners of Madrid Tapas y Vinos started out as a paella-catering business. That led to them opening their first full-on restaurant in West Flagler. It quickly gained popularity. The success of that first location allowed the owners to launch this place in 2010, just two short years after opening the first one.

My wife and I arrived late in the afternoon on a Thursday. There were less than 10 patrons inside. Something prompted me to stop in and make reservations when we walked by earlier in the day. That turned out to be a good idea. When we came back for dinner, we were seated near the stage, right in the thick of the action that was to take place later in the evening.

The entrance seems to divide the restaurant. To the left is the main dining area. Wooden tables and chairs frame the walkway. It is kind of narrow and feels a bit tight. The aisle ends in a small stage. To the right is the bar, sheltered by tile awning. A few well-worn wooden tables and stools sit near by. The bar features a very large collection of wines.

Windows face west and get full sun in the afternoons. They have wooden shades to control the intensity of the sunlight when needed, but can be opened later so you can catch the sunset.

Patio dining is available. The patio actually seemed more spacious than inside. Short hedges separate it from the sidewalk. Folding umbrellas provide shade. Madrid sits under glide path of the planes landing at Miami International. You can watch the planes descend overhead while you dine.

When our server arrived, I tried to speak Spanish to him. That started a conversation. Since there weren’t many other customers to take care of, we got to talk to him for a while, in between his other responsibilities. He talked to me in English and Spanish while I did my best to talk to him mostly in Spanish. We found out he was from Spain and wanted to come to the US. An opportunity to migrate came up and he took it. His intent was to improve his English but being here in Miami didn’t give him much of a chance to do so; most of the people he talked with spoke Spanish, especially his customers.

It took a little longer than usual to decide what I wanted to order given that this was my first time in a Spanish restaurant. I knew I had to order one of the tapas. Since the owners of Madrid started out catering paella, there is a separate section of the menu just for paella. My wife ordered one of those options. I finally chose:
From the Tapas Clásicas (Small Plates) section of the menu, Gambas al ajillo (Garlic shrimp) ($12.95). For the main course, Arroz Campesino (Campesino rice) ($20.50) got the nod.

I was completely lost on the wine list because it featured all Spanish wines. And they stock a lot of wines. I took our waiter’s recommendation of Paco & Lola ($36/bottle, $18 happy hour), an albarino white, and it was spot on.

While we waited for our meals to be prepared, the bread arrived at our table in a basket. The bread was kind of like sourdough bread with a hard crust. It comes with a garlic spread that was like whipped butter and garlic…or maybe the other way around. Fresh garlic made itself known. The bread itself was delicious.

The wine was from the renowned Rías Baíxas region of Galicia, on Spain’s southwestern coast near Portugal. The bottle arrived chilled in a clay wine bucket with a napkin tied around it. A taste of the albarino revealed it to be very smooth and not too sweet. A good compromise between dry and fruity. This albarino tasted great by itself and paired really well with everything else we ordered.

Our tapas arrived next. The shrimp is sautéed and comes sizzling to your table. There were six medium to large shrimp bathing in butter and garlic. The shrimp were sautéed just right. Kudos to Madrid for cooking this dish to perfection where the garlic enhanced, not overpowered the shrimp.

My Arroz Campesino was served in a skillet. Several meats are added to this dish, including sirloin, bacon, Spanish sausage, and morcilla.

The bold flavor of the rice surprised but pleased me. That may be due to the rice spending some quality time with the meats, absorbing their flavors along the way. The Spanish sausage looks like franks. Different spices give it a different taste. Almost like cocktail franks but with much more character. Lost in the rest of dish was the flavor of the sirloin. Maybe it had already imparted its savor. The bacon tastes like…bacon.

Is morcilla…an organ meat? Nope. It is a Spanish blood sausage. Ohhh-kay. In this instance I’m glad I did not know what morcilla was before I tasted it. Since its flavor was pretty much indistinguishable from the rest of the dish I couldn’t really taste it but you can definitely see it in the rice. Its consistency was like that of a bean burrito. That’s the only frame of reference I have for it. I added a few drops of lemon juice from the lemon slice on the side but found it kind of took away from the flavors of the dish instead of enhancing them. There was enough food here for a meal and a half.

By now, the sun was sinking below the horizon and the Flamenco show was getting started. More people had arrived by this time. I was very impressed by the show. I have heard Flamenco music many times and really enjoy it, but this was my first time seeing it performed live and seeing the dances that accompany it. The dancer was very expressive and energetic, really bringing life to the songs.

Madrid Tapas y Vinos is a very engaging place. Though solo diners are welcome, to me Madrid feels like it is enjoyed best by couples or groups or families. It seems to have the feel of the place in town where friends and family meet up to cap (or start) their evenings. The flamenco shows are infectious. I’ve heard they frequently get the customers up and dancing. The atmosphere is very friendly.

I have not been to Spain yet (the Madrid-Barajas Airport doesn’t count, does it?), but this is what I would imagine a bar/restaurant in Spain would be like. I felt like I was being immersed in Spain, even if just for an evening.

Madrid Tapas y Vinos – 5 forks. Very highly recommended. Fridays and Saturdays carry a $5 cover charge if dining inside. Don’t miss the Flamenco show!