Savor Our City Takes A Bite Out Of The Big Apple
Hello Foodie Friends,
Wanted to share my recent visit to NYC…
I stayed at the Club Quarters Hotel in Midtown Manhattan . View from the 27th floor, Happy Hour every day at 5pm, Dinner at the hotel’s steak house, Davino’s
The Vessel at The Hudson Yard; A visit to Koreatown at Barn Joo 35 Eataly – This was the venue selected & 911 Memorial sampling their Bulgogi Hotstone Bowl by our client ADP for a personal tour & tasting of the market followed by a private hands-on pasta making class
Grand Central Station and Market
On my walk to Central Park. (clocked in 19,500 steps on this day). Walked along famed 5th Avenue passing the high end stores of Sak’s, Tiffany’s & then St. Patrick’s Cathedral
8th ANNUAL BOCA BURGER BATTLE, A GRILLING AFFAIR!
On Saturday, July 13th in Sanborn Square Park, downtown Boca Raton, our very own Marti Soroka with her two beautiful daughters in tow, was one of a handpicked panel of judges to decide who will be the “Best Grill Master”.
Twelve local chefs sweated it out both outside and, on the grill, to create and present a grilling masterpiece to the prestige table of Grill Master Judges in this Burger Battle Competition. But these chefs were not only competing to be the “Best Grill Master”, they were also competing for the “People’s Choice Award.” Guests were indulged with unique burger creations and flavors, while jamming to live entertainment, enjoying craft beers, summer wines, and seasonal spirits.
Battle Contenders represented South Florida Cities from Jupiter to Fort Lauderdale, featuring grilling sensations from;
- Boca Raton – M.E.A.T. Eatery & Taproom, Cheffrey Eats Food Truck, Burton’s Grill & Bar, TooJay’s Gourmet Deli, Crazy Uncle Mike’s
- Deerfield Beach – Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox and their Boca location, Legends Tavern and Grille and their Lighthouse Point and Sunrise locations
- Delray Beach – Bru’s Room Sports Grill and their 8 other locations
- Fort Lauderdale – Funky Buddha Brewery
- Jupiter – Double Roads Tavern
- Lake Worth – CWS Bar + Kitchen
- West Palm Beach – La Perrada del Gordo and their location in Boca Raton
BOCA BURGER BATTLE WINNERS
JUDGE’S PICK for “Best Grill Master” went to:
· 1st Place: M.E.A.T. Eatery and Taproom in Boca Raton and Islamorada
· 2nd Place: La Perrada Del Gordo in Boca and West Palm Beach
· 3rd Place: C.W.S. Bar and Kitchen in Lake Worth
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD for “Best Battle Burger” went to:
· Cheffrey Eats
Congratulations to all of the Boca Burger Battle Winners!
The Boca Burger Battle, A Grilling Affair!™ is not affiliated with any other Burger Battle in Florida. Other Affair productions include the Boca Raton Wine & Food Festival, A Culinary Affair! (taking place November 9th, 2019), Florida Wing & Dessert Battle, A Blazing Affair! and coming next year in February 2020 is the Taco Battle!
A Portion of the proceeds from the Boca Burger Battle benefit PROPEL, People Reaching Out to Provide Education and Leadership, a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization located in Boca Raton. PROPEL’s mission is to promote education, character and leadership through mentorship, apprenticeship and life skills training for “at risk” youth.
*Battle Contenders also have other locations in Bird Road, Boynton Beach, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines, Royal Palm Beach, Sunrise, Islamorada, Vero Beach, Stuart, Naples, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Dania Beach, and Hallandale Beach
Summer Staycation Ideas: Hotel Edition, Part 2
Hello my Dear Foodie Friends,
Today’s post is about an amazing tropical oasis located in the Grandview Heights Historic Neighborhood of West Palm Beach. It’s called the Grandview Gardens Bed & Breakfast and is owned and operated by Peter Emmerich and Rick Rose. (They also own and operate Palm Beach Vacation Rentals). Rick is a third generation Floridian born and raised in the Palm Beach area and is the official historian and tour guide for the Worth Avenue Association. I had the pleasure of meeting Rick a few years back while taking his tour.
Nestled in a tropical garden on Howard Park across from the West Palm Beach Armory Art Center, this historic 1925 property has been carefully restored to reflect the original Spanish Mediterranean architecture inspired by many famous architects in South Florida over the last century.
It’s conveniently located within walking distance of Grandview Public Market as well as other great dining and entertainment destinations such as Rosemary Square (formerly known as City Place).
There are 5 luxurious and spacious suites (each approximately 400 sq. ft.) at the B & B and all are accessible with a private entrance and French doors opening to private terraces overlooking the swimming pool. Each guest suite is individually decorated to reflect the style of the Spanish Mediterranean house and features a king size bed or two queen beds, a desk, a walk-in closet and a sitting area with sofa and arm chair. All rooms feature: En suite bathroom with bath/shower combination, Air conditioning and ceiling fans, Cable TV and Radio, Direct dial telephone, High speed internet access, including wireless, Tea and fresh coffee making facilities, complimentary bottle of water, Refrigerator and Hairdryer. In addition to the B & B Suites, guests can also choose from 5 superbly renovated historic vacation rentals which are located adjacent to the Bed and Breakfast. These 2 and 3 bedroom vacation homes are ideal for families looking for spacious, fully furnished rentals with self catering kitchens.
I got to stay in the Royal Poinciana Suite. From the moment I arrived, I knew I was in for the royal treatment as I stepped through the doors and was warmly greeted by name and told they were expecting me. I was shown around the lovely home and told about breakfast in the morning before being escorted to my suite. The room was very well appointed with the finest of amenities listed above as well as nice bathrobes which came in handy. The service was definitely top notch. On my second day, I decided to take a dip in the very inviting pool and before I knew it, a float “mysteriously” appeared beckoning me to hop on followed by a glass of ice water that one of the staff brought for me to enjoy when I got out of the pool. Talking about attentiveness- I left the room to attend a brief meeting at The Breakers in the morning and returned back to the room within one hour to find that the room had already been tended to. Wow, now that’s service!
Breakfast is of course included at the Grandview Gardens B & B and I took advantage of it on both days. A nice assortment of fruits, yogurts and granola as well as eggs, bacon and toast along with choice of coffee, tea and juice were offered. Everything was delicious.
Bikes are available for guests to use during their stay, although I didn’t take advantage of it this time. I just might have to do that on my next visit back. I did venture off to Darbster’s for dinner on one of the nights I stayed. I’ve been to this place once before and remembered how unique it was and was looking forward to going back. It also has a tropical oasis vibe found in a most unusual location directly under a billboard under I-95. It’s a Vegan restaurant, and although I do not lead a Vegan lifestyle, I am always down for good food and good creative food is what they specialize in at Darbster’s. I absolutely adore their Palm Cakes. Other dishes I got to try were the “Tuna” Club served on flax bread, butter lettuce, tuna (pulled almond), dill mayo, eggplant bacon, avocado, tomato—served with a side house salad. I swear I couldn’t tell I wasn’t eating real tuna. It tasted so yummy! The flax bread was definitely a new taste/texture for me. Bread is a weakness of mine and since I began doing the Keto Diet a couple weeks ago, I am mindful of staying away from bread, so this flax bread was a cool alternative. I also got to sample the Barley Risotto which was made with barley, oyster mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, butter, garlic, cashew goat cheese, Arugula, cherry tomatoes, cashew Parmesan cheese. This dish was very tasty as well.
Contest: How would you like to win an autographed copy of Rick Rose’s Palm Beach The Essential Guide To America’s Legendary Resort Town? One lucky winner will be selected on Friday, August 30th. All you have to do for your chance to win is TAG @RickRoseWPB #GrandviewGardensBandB and @SavorOurCity #Staycation (Instagram) and tell us who you would bring with you on your Staycation at the Grandview Gardens B & B in West Palm Beach, FL and WHERE you are coming from. Good Luck!!!
To wrap this all up, I loved my little Staycation in West Palm Beach and would highly recommend you visit each of the places I mentioned here in my post. Just click on the links below for more info.
Grandview Gardens Bed & Breakfast
Until we eat again…
I send you delicious wishes, xo
Taking A Big Bite From The Big Apple 🍎
Lisa Lotts of Garlic & Zest
You know what’s cool? Discovering new foods. New flavors. Interesting textures — things that make you sit up and take notice. You know what’s cooler? Having over 200,000 of those new bites under one roof. That’s the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York — and its where I’ll be for the next 4 days. I’ll be sharing on Social Media while I’m gone, so please stop in to Facebook or Instagram for the latest.
Get the scoop on the latest Food Trends in this Preview of the 2019 Summer Fancy Foods Show . From healthy snacks to convenience items that get wholesome dinners on the table in minutes, and whimsical cooking tools, you want to check out what’s coming.
In case you’re hungry, I’ve also got an amazing, hearty salad for your weekday lunches. This one has staying power. First, to keep you comfortably satisfied without weighing you down. Second — this barley salad holds up in the fridge all week, for easy brown bag meal prep!
This healthy Pearl Barley and Kale Chopped Salad will stand up to dressing for several days in the refrigerator, making it a great brown bag lunch option. Add mix-ins like feta cheese, chicken, chopped nuts and sprouts at the last minute to keep it interesting and fresh.
New Italian Chophouse in town – Tuscan Prime on Las Olas!
Tuscan Prime, Las Olas
There is a new Italian Chophouse in town and that is Tuscan Prime on Las Olas. Located at the corner of Las Olas Blvd and SE 5th Avenue this new restaurant offers a unique twist of meats, fish, award winning Italian cuisine, great wine selection, exquisite ambiance and an amazing list of “Prime Happenings”.
On Wednesday, June 19, 2019 Savor Our City was invited to get a taste of this newest addition to the Las Olas food scene and let us just say we left with our bellies full and smiles on our faces. So where to begin? Let’s start with one of our favorites, the Truffle Arancini. Wow the flavors of the crispy rice, porcini mushrooms, parmesan and truffle aioli were out of sight. Another delicious appetizer which soon followed was the Baked Eggplant, which we agreed was another favorite of ours. It had a wonderfully smoky flavor and was made with baked mozzarella, ricotta, and smothered in a tasty tomato sauce and served with garlic crostini. Those two dishes alone had us happy, but we were just getting ‘started’. Next, we decided to try something a little lighter and went for the Roasted Beet salad. The salad was comprised of the name sake, along with frisee lettuce, goat cheese and candied walnuts and was served with a balsamic dressing. We liked the dish, although none of us were big fans of the frisee. Pro tip: you can substitute the frisee lettuce with Romaine. Truthfully, I would have enjoyed it without any lettuce at all, but it did act as the perfect vessel for guiding that liquid yumminess into our mouths, lol!
Following the salad came the Bucatini made with San Marzano tomato, pancetta, pecorino, onions and a drizzle of parmesan cheese on top. Who said no pasta today? You can tell the noodles were fresh and they were cooked to a perfect al dente. The flavors blended together harmoniously, and the chef was generous with the pancetta. We could not resist ordering the octopus – seared to perfection with fresh herbs, tricolor potatoes and peppers. So, with full bellies and smiling faces, we reluctantly got ourselves up from the comfy booth to say our goodbyes and gave a BIG thank you to our hosts Anna Sagliano, Falyn Goldstein, and Gennaro DiMeo for having us in to enjoy such a scrumptious lunch. We vowed to return to try some more tasty items another day. Maybe brunch is next, or it could quite possibly be happy hour…
Fortunately, at Tuscan Prime there is a whole line up of Prime Happenings during the week with Happy Hour every day from 3-7pm with special offerings each day and some late-night specials for those who like to play after 10pm. A definite must see, must taste restaurant!
Tuscan Prime is owned by The Monte Restaurant Development Group, based in Annapolis, MD managing other restaurants such as Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen, Squisito Pizza & Pasta, and Meatballs, Etc. with more than 13 locations across Maryland and Virginia, and now they have made their mark in the Sunshine State. To make a reservation or check out their Prime Happenings visit https://www.tuscanprime.com/ and tell them Savor Our City sent you.
Wine Tasting – It’s Fun, Educational and Good for the Brain!
Wine holds a significant role in many cultures around the world for its ability to bring people together and share in the experience. Over the years Savor Our City has partnered with Wine For Humanity (WFH), that provides private in-home Wine Sampling Events providing hosts and their guests, an afternoon or evening of fun and education on how to better appreciate fine wine. More importantly wines that are purchased from WFH raise funds for local charities that assist families who are struggling to make rent and utility payments. In addition to learning, enjoying, sharing the experience and doing something good for your community, in a recently published book by Gordon Shepherd, a Yale neuroscientist, Neuroenology: How the Brain Creates the Taste of Wine, he argues argues that wine tasting actually stimulates your brain more than allegedly highfalutin activities like listening to music or even tackling a complicated math problem. Additionally he points out that tasting wine “engages more of our brain than any other human behavior.”
So if you are ready to engage your brain, taste some fabulous wines, and of course raise funds for your favorite charity, Contact Savor Our City to learn more about our Wine Tastings.
Chianti Classico Miami
On Monday June 3rd, 2019, Savor Our City attended the Chianti Classico Experience in Miami at the Miami Culinary Institute sponsored by IEEM – International Event and Exhibition Management, LLC. IEEM specializes in delivering high quality wine events and has become one of the most well-regarded Italian wine event organizers in the world.
With over 50 people in attendance, Jeff Porter lead a tasting on the diversity of the unique terroir of Chianti Classico. To explore the terroir of the Chianti Classico, you need to understand the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate, and today we learned just that. As we were guided through 8 different wineries of the Chianti Classico, we learned that the terroir is a shield of clayey schists (marl), with layers of scaly clay, alberese and fine limestone sandstone. The dark brown soil in this case tends to not be deep, with structures ranging from clayey-sand to stony with average clay content. These different types of clay, sandstone, and soil all make up the type of grape that the region and wineries produce, each with its own unique and distinct taste. The wineries presented included La Sala, Principe Corsini-Villa Le Corti, Lamole De Lamole, Carobbio, Conti Capponi – Villa Calcinaia, Bibbiano, Castello de Albola and Tolaini. As we tasted each wine of Chianti Classico, winery principals explained the background of each vineyard, the complexity of the grapes, soil type, vine density and altitude in which the grapes were grown, providing more depth to the tasting experience. Following the tasting attendees enjoyed a light lunch at Tuyo, located on the eighth floor of the Miami Culinary Institute providing a panoramic view of the city. The lunch included ceviche crostini, pulled beef and grits, orzo salad and of course additional tastings of the wines presented and an opportunity to speak with their respective principal. While a few wines caught the attention of Savor Our City to include the Carobbio and Conti Capponi – Villa Calcinaia, each wine had a taste for everyone to enjoy. There is nothing better than tasting wine, having a delightful lunch with panoramic views and meeting new people. Chianti Classico well done!
Boca Magazine’s Fourth Annual Mixology: A Craft Spirits Event
Friday, April 26, 2019 – Savor Our City attended Boca Magazine’s Fourth Annual Mixology: A Craft Spirits Event. This is an annual event that showcases local craft spirits, mixologists, and South Florida’s growing craft cocktail culture scene. The event was held at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and while enjoying access to the Museum’s latest exhibition – Beyond the Cape! Comics and Contemporary Art, attendees were “Mixing… Sipping… Eating and definitely Repeating” as the slogan was for the evening. The ladies of Savor Our City and many other attendees enjoyed sampling some of the nation’s top and new craft spirit brands such as Brockmans Gin, Tsamma Watermelon Juice, RockNRoll Tequila, Florida Kush, No. 209, Straight Edge Bourbon Whiskey, Four Roses Bourbon, Zodiac Black Cherry Flavored Vodka, Crazy Uncle Mike’s and more. So, while we mixed and sipped, we made sure to eat some very tasty samplings from local restaurants such as Morton’s, Rebel House, Oceans 234, Ouzo Bay, Tanzy, Loch Bar, Harvest, Ramen Lab, Pacari Premium Organic Chocolate and Cosa Duci to name a few. With some great tunes in the background everyone was moving and grooving, running into familiar faces while meeting new ones. The evening weather was perfect for the partial outdoor event and the vibe was well, like we said “Mix… Sip… Eat and Repeat.”
New Partner / New Tour: Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort
Savor Our City & Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort have partnered up for our brand new #tasteofwyndham. This new #savorourcity food tour will be open to the public and for private group bookings. First tour is scheduled to take place, Thursday, May 2nd at 5:30pm and then will take place every Thursday at 5:30.
Advanced reservations required. To reserve your ticket, email info@savorourcity.com
or call 954-410-3177 or simply click here to BOOK NOW!
Florida Wing Battle March 2019
On March 30th in Sanborn Square Park in downtown Boca Raton, our very own Denise Righetti, recognized and sought -after local food authority, media/food critic and judge was out on the beat tasting some amazing wings and other delectable treats at this new event – the Florida Wing Battle.
This event was put on by the same people who brought you the Boca Raton Wine & Food Festival, the Boca Burger Battle and more and was definitely an event for Wing lovers and those with a sweet tooth. Nothing could be better than strolling through Sanborn Square Park, smelling the sweet aroma of barbecued chicken wings, sampling some amazing desserts, craft beers, seasonal spirits and of course jamming to some live entertainment. The 20 grill master chefs and 20 pastry chefs came out to showcase some of their best work.
Congratulations to all of the Wing & Dessert Battle Winners!
