Don Ramon's Restaurant

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

Cuban food: It’s my people’s contribution to the American public since way back when. Well, that and Ricky Ricardo. But Cuban cuisine, although loaded with some complex dishes, follows a basic recipe of a few staple ingredients.

Italians have tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. You can make a perfect authentic sauce out of those 4 things. Cuban food is pretty much the same way: You can create most Latin inspired meals with the base of: Garlic, onions, cumin and limes.

Enter Don Ramon’s, an eatery located in West Palm Beach that is hidden in a clean and updated plaza. However, walk in the restaurant and it feels like you’ve entered one of those small cabanas you happen to see in the movies, when the actor is vacationing in Cuba or another Spanish location.

It’s got about 20 tables, if that, and it’s quaint and old-world feeling. The prices follow suit, especially considering what you get for your dollar. The missus and I stopped in after a show, and were greeted by a basket of hot Cuban bread, garlic-buttered and dusted with parsley flakes. At that moment I had a feeling this would be an authentic experience.

We ordered the plantain chips with mojo to start with: Thinly sliced, fried crispy and served with a real mojo, comprised of like 20 cloves of garlic, vinegar and olive oil. It was heavenly. Their special for the evening was a ‘Cuban Combo’ ($17.99), and we both decided that we’d give it a shot.

The food arrives, and I have to be honest…anywhere else in Boca, this would cost twice the price. There was a mound of steamed white rice, with a side bowl of salty black beans that had this amazing creaminess to them.

Next to that was about 4-5 fat, sweetened plantains fried up to order. These things literally hit your tongue and were content to simply dissolve; no chewing necessary. And then the main dish: The Cuban Combo.

This thing had a 6 oz. flank steak, 6 oz. Chicken breast, and about 8-10 oz. of shredded pork and onions. The steak was seasoned very mildly, and I appreciated it. Why? Because the char-grill flavor really had a chance to shine here, and it was one of the best pieces of meat I’ve ever had.

The chicken breast was pounded super thin, with grilled onions over the top. It was marinated in the sour orange that is common with Cuban food, and it was cooked to perfection; juicy and tender.

The shredded pork was a knock out: Soaked in that famous mojo concoction, and simmered with the sautéed onions and parsley. Just moist, tasty porkiness that had you coming back for more until it disappeared from your plate.

A Cuban coffee and tres leches to complete the meal and it was a home run for me. I highly recommend making the trek out here if you’re in the mood for just excellent Spanish eats. Attentive staff, inviting atmosphere and, well…

…Da(m)n Good Food.

Don Ramon's Restaurant
300 Clematis St.
West Palm Beach, Fl. 33401
(561) 832-5418
http://www.donramonwpb.com/

VEGAS, BABY!! – The Foodie Tour – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 4 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

Our final stop before hitting the airport and heading back home was at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino, at the longest name for a restaurant that I’ve ever heard. Honestly, it’s like the acclaimed country star tried to write another song in the title alone. Whatever happened to simple eatery titles? ‘MEAT’. ‘YUM-YUMS’. ‘FRIED EVERYTHING’.

Regardless of the lengthy moniker, this joint carries with it some tasty vittles. At Toby’s, it’s one of those 'Americana with some kick' type of places. Country music in the background and posters of himself everywhere, it feels pretty much like a Roadhouse or Ale House.

Fresh hot rolls as you are seated, beverages served in Mason jars...just a semi-noisy hodown kind of restaurant…well, Bar & Grill. My wife had ordered the BBQ chicken with mac & cheese, and I had the meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

The meatloaf was moist and very flavorful, topped with a thick and meaty gravy. The mashed potatoes were creamy and whipped up nicely (no lumps, so sorry to you lump fans).  Her BBQ chicken (to which I am not usually a fan) was incredibly tasty, juicy and had a nice peppery tang from the sauce.

The mac and cheese was nice and velvety without being drastically heavy. You knew you were eating a bowl of cheese with some noodles tossed in for good measure, but it didn’t FEEL like you shouldn’t be eating this.

I would definitely go back here to try some of their other dishes. I witnessed other patrons ordering flat iron steaks, humongous salads and ribs a plenty, hanging off the plate. The service was friendly and it had that honky-tonk bar feel. I probably don’t share Mr. Keith’s ‘love’ for this Bar & Grill, but I did like it enough to stop back in for a quick meal if I’m ever back ‘round those parts.

All in all, it was a great vacation. You should definitely hit LV for the fun, shows and excitement. It’s just a magical town, really.

And don’t forget…there’s plenty of Da(m)n Good Food out there, while you’re out there.

VEGAS, BABY!! – The Foodie Tour – Harrah’s Flavors Buffet

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 3 out of 5

So far we’ve covered breakfast. We’ve talked about lunch. We delved into the wonderful world of dinner. But throughout this Vegas tour- de-food, we haven’t tapped into that underrated ‘4^th meal’. No, I don’t mean Taco Bell.
I’m speaking of course about brunch, that meal between your first and second that incorporates both for the late risers. It’s a little breakfast, it’s a little lunch. And done right it’s a lot awesome. On our last day in LV, the wife and I woke up late and headed to Harrah’s Hotel & Casino.

We heard their buffet wasn’t bad, and we wanted something to hold us over until dinner. At Flavors, you can have the brunch buffet (about $17.00/pp) or for $4.00 more, the champagne brunch with constant refills (after 10:00am.)

My bride opted for the booze; I just wanted the eats. As it was brunch, I hit the trough and hooked up some waffles, fried chicken, eggs and bacon to start. Now with buffets, the usual fare is the usual fare. It relatively tastes the same from place to place, so I’m going to cover the unique dishes I’ve encountered.

The fried chicken, for example. Yes, it’s typical for most buffets. But this one wasn’t greasy, and didn’t taste like it’s been soaking under a warming light for 4 hours. It was hot, crispy, juicy and well seasoned. Oh, and it accompanied the fluffy, slightly crunchy waffle beautifully.

She of course tackled the crab legs and was happy. I decided to try various flavor combinations (I mean, I WAS in a joint called ‘Flavors’), such as a salty and sweet carved ham, rare prime rib, and scooped to order ice creams in a waffle cone.

Here, my friends, is the unique part. They have cotton candy. On a stick, at the ready. What? Yes. That’s what I said. I’ve never seen it, never even would have thought to find it here, yet it makes perfect sense. The ultimate carnie food, as much as you want (or until your Diabetes kicks in). My father I believe is planning a trip to Sin City for that reason alone.

As I said, it’s got your usual buffet foods you’d expect, but a few things are done just better than ‘usual’, and if you wake up late and need to get your grind on, this is quite the deal. It’s affordable (and one of the cheaper ones on the Strip), it’s quality, and..

Well, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

VEGAS, BABY!! – The Foodie Tour – Gallagher’s

Price: Bring your paycheck
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
Quality of Service: 4 out of 5
Food Overall: 5 out of 5

This restaurant, located in the center of the New York New York Hotel & Casino on the Vegas Strip, is home to the 28 day dry aged steak. Now I’ll be honest, I’ve seen TV shows featuring dry aged steaks. I’ve witnessed the process through various programs. But I’ve never had it personally.

Until now.

We were greeted by fresh bread and a friendly waiter who provided us a no frills menu: Roughly about 10 choices on there to select from, 90% of those choices were or included beef. As the wife and I are serious carnivores, we had no problem ordering steaks.

I had a Caesar salad to start with (she had an apple-tini). Nice, cold and crisp lettuce, not overdressed…you could definitely tasted the anchovies and garlic, the fresh lemon zest; every element came together nicely for my opener.

But I know, a salad is a salad is a salad. And you didn’t come all the way from your PC to this blog to hear about rabbit food (but if you did, check my Eiffel Tower review). You’re here for the beef, as I was. So here we go.

The steak arrives: 16 oz. medium rare 28-day dry aged sirloin, bone in. It literally has 3 pieces of fresh spinach next to it, topped with 1 singular kettle chip, and a roasted head of garlic. The rest is eye porn that’s intended for your stomach (I mean…just look at it!)

First bite in, it is juicy. It is warm, and simply seasoned with salt and pepper. It is, texturally, like eating warm butter. The dry aged process brings a sort of creamy element to the meat, and it’s just indescribable.

My wife ordered the 16 oz. ribeye, which was also a wonderful cut of beef. Seasoned with a touch of garlic and topped with onion straws, this was one of the better ribeyes I’ve tried. We also shared a mashed potato dish that was made with white cheddar and asiago cheeses. Salty, sharp, creamy love in a skillet. 

This is another very nice restaurant, where dress up isn’t required, but if you’re footing that bill, you may as well (like Paris, it was about $180.00 w/tip, however we were given much more food here for our dollar. Just not quite the experience part of the meal that was the other hotel.)

But like The Eiffel Tower restaurant, it’s totally worth it. If you’ve never eaten a dry aged steak before, you owe it to your belly to have one. It works hard. It digests all the stuff I advise you to cram in your gullet. Why not reward it with something nice every once in a while?

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

VEGAS, BABY!! – The Foodie Tour – KGB’s

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

Hamburgers. It’s Americana. It’s patriotic. It’s every red-blooded male and female’s responsibility to consume the classic combo of bun-meat-bun in all of its glorious and varying forms.

Wandering the hot streets of Vegas will make anyone famished after a while, and since our hotel shuttle stopped at Harrah’s Hotel & Casino as a mid-way point, the wife and I decided to go in and look for some grub.

The first place we noticed was called ‘KGB’, which stands for Kerry (Simon, world renowned chef)’s Gourmet Burgers. And boy were they. The menu reads like you would expect a burger joint to read: Several different burger choices, and non-burger selections like hot dogs, salads and chicken.

But KGB’s puts an interesting spin on their meat sammich’s. Take my lunch for example: The build your own burger (BYOB). You first choose your bun style, such as sesame, Kaiser or wheat. Then your meat: Turkey, chicken, beef, or lamb. That’s right: LAMB. Then, several cheeses and topping options await your tastebud’s decision.

I opted for the following combo: All beef patty, topped with smoked gouda and caramelized onions atop an onion roll. Oh, with a ‘side’ or sweet potato tater tots. I say ‘side’ in quotations because this was a massive spiral cone of ‘tots. Tiny, sweet taters with a side cart of Ranch for dipping them in. Delicious.

The burger? Outstanding. The onion roll was soft with that tiny bit of chew you’d expect from a freshly baked bread product. The beef was juicy and flavorful, cooked to a nice medium rare. The gouda added a nice hint of smoke with that tang that only this cheese can bring to the table, and the caramelized onions brought a sweetness to close the package up nicely.

My wife had the braised short rib sandwich, which appeared to be more of a sloppy joe type of concoction. The meat was finely shredded and seasoned with a great flavor combo; sauced perfectly and melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

It truly was a great lunch, and we almost stopped in there again before we headed back to FL (until we found another joint to try; Toby Keith’s). I highly recommend this as a quick stop off for lunch amidst your gambling and wandering in LV.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

VEGAS, BABY!! – The Foodie Tour – Bayside Buffet

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

Ah, breakfast: The first meal of the day. Some say the most important meal of the day. I myself happen to find it’s my favorite meal of the day (mostly because a rarely sit down and enjoy a ‘good’ breakfast, and it usually comes with coffee.)

As we were headed to the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino for touristy stuff, we decided to grab breakfast at their Bayside buffet. Rows and rows of tables stretched far and wide, and the savory and sweet smells danced in your nostrils like a food ballet.

Like with the Bellagio, there is a typical fare in these types of eateries. Scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, sausage links, bagels, assorted muffins and the like are available for your consumption. Upscale versions of eggs benedict (with hollandaise!), biscuits and sawmill gravy, and a create-an-omelet bar really pushed this buffet to join the list here.

 Of course, I’d be selling it short if I didn’t talk about the pancakes. These were some of the best pancakes I’d ever had. Rolled up like an edible cigar, and stuffed with fresh blueberries, this was like one of those long decorative pillows you see at 5 star hotels. But with fruit in the middle.

Great coffee (which is key, in my opinion, to any great breakfast) and other delicious delectables like cheese blintzes with strawberry coulee or fresh carved salt ham make this a must stop on your early morning food hunt in Sin City.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

VEGAS, BABY!! – The Foodie Tour – Eiffel Tower Restaurant

Price: Bring your paycheck
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
Quality of Service: 5 out of 5
Food Overall: 5 out of 5

Ok, this one is reserved for a high roller/big balla/romantic evening out. I say this because it is pricey (for my wife and I it was $185.00 after 1 drink, 2 entrée’s with a ‘just enough’ portion, and a shared dessert), but it’s what I would call ‘a complete dining experience’.

Located on the 11^th floor of the Paris Hotel & Casino on the Vegas Strip, this ‘experience’ begins with the elevator ride. Once you meet the hostess downstairs and advise of your reservation (yes, you need one here, and it’s business casual…no T-shirts or shorts allowed here), she shows you to the elevator.

Upon arriving at the top, the doors open to a bustling full-view kitchen, with chefs tossing, sautéing and filleting various delicacies, and wait staff running to and fro with trays of edible delights for the hungry masses.

The restaurant itself is dimly lit, producing that romantic vibe I spoke about earlier. We reserved a table for two and as it was our honeymoon (I was sure to mention that), we got a seat right by the expanding glass window.

I know, you want to know about the food. But honestly, this whole experience is important to understand why I was perfectly fine dropping almost $200.00 for dinner. Not to justify it to myself, mind you, but so you realize why YOU need to go there.

The view was of the entire strip, and right in front of us was the Bellagio, with the amazing fountain show going off every 15 minutes while we dined. It created such a breathtaking and (yes, I know I’m abusing this word here) romantic atmosphere.

Once seated my wife had a pomegranate martini and a peach black tea for myself. Our waiter produced a huge tray of various homemade, warm breads: Rustic sourdough, French baguettes and poppyseed rolls. Perfectly soft and flaky.

She orders the black cod, which is served in a cellophane bag in a white wine reduction with chanterelle mushrooms and pearl onions. I’m not a fish guy, but it smelled divine and she loved it. The sauce, which I did taste, was light yet rich tasting at the same time.

(NOTE: I apologize for no dinner pics; we were too busy enjoying the meal. Guess you have to go out there and try it for yourself...)

 As we were in Vegas, I decided to leave my comfort zone and try something new: Organic boneless rabbit with a mustard jus, garden carrots and a potato gratin. I have to be honest: the rabbit? Out of this world. There were several small medallions of the meat, which were slightly pork-ish in flavor (texture as well).

Then there was a large cylinder of rabbit: Shaped like a sausage out of its casing, and stuffed with wilted spinach and chopped rabbit meat, this one tasted more like a salted rotisserie chicken, with the aftertaste of a grilled pork chop. Absolutely delicious.

The carrots were picked in that ½ bright orange, ½ bright yellow stage, and that mustard jus helped them to provide the perfect balance of sweetness and savory. The potato gratin was creamy, cheesy (but not overly rich) and earthy. Here’s the really weird item on the plate, however…

There was a tiny fried ball of…something. I had no idea what it was, so when I went to cut it with my fork, the breading split and a rabbit kidney shot out across my plate. I’m not an organ eater by any means, and swore I’d never eat one. Ever. But, in the spirit of new things being consumed this trip, I cut it in half and gave it a bite.

Creamy, soft textured goodness. Yes, I’m serious. I couldn’t believe it. Now, would I order it again (kidneys, I mean)? No, probably not. But this was a nice and interesting addition to a perfect meal.

We finally settled on dessert after our scrumptious dinner: A tasting chocolate plate. The waiter, prior to bringing us this, delivered a bittersweet mousse in a shot glass for us to share for our honeymoon, courtesy of the manager (who also stopped by to congratulate and thank us). It was perfectly…well, bittersweet.

The dessert arrived with 5 different types of chocolate. The first was a sort of ice cream/gelato type thing, then a lava cake on top of a pistachio anglaise,  a mousse ‘tower’ with an edible choco-shell surrounding it, a chewy cookie with a chocolate whipped cream, and a chocolate napoleon. All of them simply elegant and exquisite.

A nice espresso to wash it all down with, and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had, and truly the top experience of our vacation. The romance, the view, the meal, the service; just amazing all around. The manager even emailed me when we got home to again thank us for coming in and to make sure we enjoyed ourselves.

This? This was so much more than Da(m)n Good Food. This was perfect.