A Fiesta of Flavor

With this weather, it’s not surprising that I’m dreaming of margaritas on Cabo San Lucas. But this coming Saturday (May 5), Cantina Laredo brings Mexico to South Florida for Cinco de Mayo.

Putting a 21^st century on this traditional celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, Hallandale Beach’s Cantina Laredo’s street party will feature live entertainment by LIV regular DJ Marc Adams and appearances from the gorgeous girls of Maestro Dobel, Corona, Cointreau and Cabo Tequila.

The street party will feature outdoor bars with $4 beers, $8 Casa Ritas, $11 Margaronas (a margarita with a Corona) and $8 tequila shots. If you’re like me and your stomach cries “Ole!” for great Mexican food, then you can enjoy two-for-$3 chicken or beef tacos.

At Cantina Laredo in Palm Beach Gardens, Tairon Aguilera will perfrom high energy Latin dance music while dancers from Alexander’s Ballroom will demonstrate their hottest moves. Specials include Dos Equis bottles and drafts for $4.55. Do not miss out on their amazing margaritas- the Cinco Mas ‘Rita ($11.50) blends five tequilas flawlessly with Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar for a smooth finish while the Sweet Heat ‘Rita ($11.50) packs a punch with strawberry purée and Monin habañero lime.

If you head inside the restaurants, then do as I do and splurge on Cantina Laredo’s fantastic guacamole made table-side ($9.99) or satisfy your sweet tooth with Mexican Apple Pie ($6.79), a slice of pie prepared tableside in a skillet with Mexican brandy butter and a scoop of decadent cinnamon ice cream. Another sweet selection is the fluffy Tres Leche ($6.99) with blueberries and a mango cream sauce. Who needs Cabo San Lucas, anyway?

The Deal: Drink specials and two-for-$3 tacos

Saturday May 5 2012

Cantina Laredo

The Village at Gulfstream

501 Silks Run

Hallandale

954-457-7662

4635 PGA Boulevard

Palm Beach Gardens

561-622-1223

www.CantinaLaredo.com

Society Savings

Is there anything more wonderful than the feeling of excitement and relief when the workday ends on a Friday? When you get a great deal and great cocktails for just $5, it is the epitome of wonderful. Friday officially becomes Funday.

PRIME in Delray Beach has kicked off Society Fridays, a chic evening of sexy DJ beats, vodka tastings and martinis. From 9-10 p.m. you can enjoy a $5 Ketel martini and receive free admission to Delray Beach’s most popular nightclub, Il Bacio.

At $5 a martini, this Hot Scot can sip away her shyness and still have money for a pair of sky high vertigo-inducing stilettos … just in case I meet that special someone at Il Bacio.

If you work on the weekends and your “Friday” is actually a Tuesday, never fear because Hot Scot has a deal for you whenever your “Friday” is. Check out my other blog entries for specials every day of the week.

Have a great weekend!
 
The Deal:  $5 Ketel One martinis
Fridays 9p.m.-midnight
Free admission to Il Bacio with purchase

Fridays 9-10p.m.
PRIME Steak Sushi Seafood 

110 East Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
561- 865-5845

www.PrimeDelray.com

Keep the Vampires Away this National Garlic Day

I don’t have an Italian bone in my body. As a Scot, my experiences with “Italian cuisine” have been reduced to late night take-out food and a family holiday in Italy for the 1990 World Cup. My only food memory from that trip was the daily scoops of strachiatella (chocolate chip) ice cream I used to binge on. But one step inside Café Prima Pasta’s cozy red-lit Miami Beach location makes anyone feel like an insider to Italy’s proud culinary heritage. As award-winning chef and television personality Mario Batali says, “There are two types of people: Italians and those who want to be Italian.”

Café Prima Pasta is one of my favorite restaurants due to its hearty portions, warm ambiance and great customer service. Celebrities have been spotted here as well, including Michael Jordan, Matt Damon and Lenny Kravitz.

Baby Prima Martini

With all of that in mind, Café Prima Pasta is honoring National Garlic Day (Thursday April 19^th) by reducing some of its favorite garlic-infused appetizer prices to just $4.19. The specials include Brushcetta; Calamaretti Frtti; and Sauteed Spinach with Cannellini Beans. Between each garlic-filled bite, sip on Baby Prima Martini, a Dracula Red Bloody Mary, a Vampire Vodka Surprise and Pinot Noir, also just $4.19 each.

Bruschetta

If you’re willing to splurge, I recommend the Salmon Tokyo for $14.95--one of my favorite dishes ever! The Asian/Italian-fused dish features thinly sliced medallions of blackened salmon with a lemon soy sauce, served with an arugula salad with green apples and Parmesan. The dish is just perfectly divine: The seared slices of salmon blend perfectly with the peppery arugula and sweet apples. You could also try the Branzino Livornese for $23.95, a Mediterranean sea bass baked with tomatoes, capers, onions and kalamata olives, served with roasted rosemary potatoes and Parmesan asparagus.

Salut!

Salmon Tokyo

The Deal: $4.19 appetizers and drinks
Thursday, April 19, 2012 (National Garlic Day)
 5 p.m.-close
Café Prima Pasta
414 71st Street, Miami Beach
305-867-0106

http://www.cafeprimapasta.com/

Tax Day Tuesday Specials

Pembroke Pines location

For once, I’m pleased to say I won’t be scrambling to finish my taxes online tonight. Although I’m disappointed by my low tax refund, I know I can still indulge in great food at local restaurants.

In “celebration” of Tax Day Tuesday (April 17), RA Sushi is extending its Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to closing time. Regularly the Happy Hour is available Monday through Saturday from 3 to 7 p.m. and features drinks and food ranging from $2 to $7. 

"RA"ckin' Shrimp

$7

Viva Las Vegas roll / tuna tataki/ kaisen ceviche/ rainbow roll/ “RA”ckin’ Shrimp

Kirin and Sake (22oz), Kirin Light and Sake (22oz), Shiso Naughty, Sea Monkey, Mango Martini, Pamatini, Emperor’s Cucumberita

$6

Salmon asparagus roll/ shrimp tempura/ crispy spicy tuna/ Pacific roll/ grilled short ribs/ calamari tempura

Kirin (22oz), Kirin Light (22oz), Premium Well Drinks, La Terre Chardonnay, La Terre Merlot, Kinsen Plum Wine, Hakutsuru “draft” sake, saketini, sake sangria (red or white)

$5

Tootsy maki/ spicy yellowtail roll/ crunchy calamari roll/ shishito peppers/spicy sesame chicken wings/chicken yakitori/ sweet onion salmon/ garlic citrus yellowtail/ crispy onion albacore/ salmon carpaccio/  seared tuna

$4

Tuna nigiti/ yellowtail nigiri/spicy shrimp roll/California roll/ spicy salmon roll/ vegetarian roll/ pork gyoza/ pineapple-cheese wontons/ dengaku tofu

Sapporo/ Sapporo Light/ Corona Extra/ Stella Artois

$3

Salmon nigiri/ shrimp nigiri/ avocado roll/ seaweed salad

Sake/Budweiser/Bud Light/ Miller Lite

$2

Edamame/ cucumber sunomono

Tootsy Maki

The Deal: Extended Happy Hour

Tuesday April 17 3 p.m.- Close

Downtown at the Gardens: 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave., Palm Beach Gardens / 561-340-2112

The Shops at Pembroke Gardens: 201 SW 145th Terrace, Pembroke Pines / 954-342-5454

www.Facebook.com/RASushiPalmBeachGardens

www.Facebook.com/RASushiPembrokePines.com

Sake Sangria

A Breakfast for Champions

Parents, the FCAT finally arrives on Monday. After all the extra homework and a good night’s rest on Sunday night, there is one thing left to do on Monday morning: Treat them to breakfast. 

“Whether students eat at home, at their school or at McDonald’s, it’s important for children to eat breakfast as it may improve performance at school,” says Cindy Goody, PhD, Senior Director of Nutrition for McDonald’s USA in a press release.

For the second year in a row, McDonald’s is feeding our future by giving students in grades 3 through 11 an Egg McMuffin, apple slices, and a choice of 1% low-fat milk, fat-free chocolate milk or orange juice for free. Last year, 190,000 students in Florida participated in the program, so make sure to get there early!

The Deal: A free breakfast for students in grades 3 through 11

Monday April 16 6 -8:30 a.m.

McDonald’s locations

http://www.mcdonalds.com/

Another Lobster Please … And Another … And Another ….

Very few things are as decadent and as enjoyable as lobster, but Kitchen 305 has something better: All-U-Can Eat lobster on Wednesday nights for $35.

Located in Sunny Isles Beach, between Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Kitchen 305 in the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort is known for its South Beach-like atmosphere due to its weekly events, fashion shows and celebrity clientele. Of course, Kitchen 305 is more than parties, its great food at reasonable prices.

Wednesday is also Ladies’ Night with complimentary drinks, so make it a date with the girls. The feast begins with the soup of the day or a salad; my favorite is their New England Clam Chowder, which is like a warm hug in a bowl. Flown in from Maine, the fresh lobster is served with roast potatoes and corn-on-the-cob. Be sure to get your dollar’s worth and skip lunch that day so you can order lobster after lobster after lobster.

Afterward, I suggest heading to the hotel’s beach cabanas to digest and reflect on how good life is!

The Deal: All-U-Can-Eat-Lobster with soup, salad, corn on the cob and roast potatoes for $35

Wednesdays 6-11 p.m.

Ladies drink free

Wednesdays 9-11 p.m.

Kitchen 305

Newport Beachside Resort and Hotel

16701 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach

305-749-2110

www.NewportBeachsideResortFlorida.com

Make it El Agave Azul (every night)

I love the fine dining experience; the crisp white linen cloths, the exceptional customer service, the artful presentation and the attention to detail. But I’d give up the five-star treatment at any of South Florida’s finest restaurants for one casual eatery--El Agave Azul, a tiny restaurant located off 595 in Davie.

 People on a budget are avid fans of Mexican joints like Tijuana Flats, Zona Fresca and Baja Fresh, while people with more money splurge at Dos Caminos and Rosa Mexicana. I don’t care what your budget it, El Agave Azul equals the best Mexican food in South Florida! At the start of the year, El Agave Azul expanded its tiny storefront location (seating was a two-seater high top under a TV and two high tops outside) into a full fledge dining room, which is bright, clean and furnished in pale wood. Place your order, pick it up at the counter and help yourself to the salsa options and sit down for a taste of ecstasy. 

I’ve wanted to write about El Agave Azul since I first encountered it last summer but they never had promotions until now. Offers include buckets of 5 beers for $12.50, including Dos Equis, Tecate or Corona. Of course, you need to try the food. Try the fish or shrimp taco for just $3. Last week, I ordered both plus a beer last week and paid less than $8. One bite and I regretted my past visits to all those other sub-par establishments. The food at El Agava Azul is unbelievably fresh and everything is made in-house, from the tortillas to the salsas to the seasonings. Who knew that a taco required so much time and detail from a loving staff? But trust me, you’ll taste that love.

Before the restaurant expanded, my friend and I would picnic in the parking lot as we knew we couldn’t last the 10 minute drive back to his house to indulge. Due to the hefty portions and our tight budgets, we would order the Combo 2, with rice (best in the South), beans, three tortillas and two fillings for $8.49. Other filling options include three chicken items, three beef choices, four varieties of pork or three vegetarian choices. We would always choose the Tinga combo, which is pork in a chile ancho and chipotle sauce, and the champiñones (mushrooms) con chile de arbol. So we wouldn’t be fighting over the last tortilla, we’d order three more flour tortillas for 99-cents making our five-star date only $9.48.

 What are you waiting for? Get on the road now!

The Deal: Five beers for $12.50 but most importantly, unbelievable food at low prices

Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. -10 p.m.

13040 W. State Road 84

Davie

954-530-4321

http://www.elagaveazul.com/

Splurging for Easter

Readers, you know I love a deal- whether it’s Happy Hour; half-price appetizers or two-for-one entrees. I’m all about saving a buck. But sometimes you need to splurge. Fort Lauderdale’s Sunfish Grill is definitely the right place to treat yourself for fine dining and the prices, though higher than my usual frugal foodie budget, won’t break the bank and have you in financial peril for the next month.

Known for its high-quality ingredients and artful presentations, Sunfish Grill has a few specials perfect for those wanting to indulge for Easter. The feast begins with a red and yellow tomato gazpacho with lump crabmeat, avocado puree and microgreens for $11. The first course special is a tempura soft-shell crab with fresh green pea coulis, celery salad and white truffle vinaigrette for $1. Hold on a minute, I think Sunfish Grill is reading my diary; gazpacho with crabmeat and avocado and tempura crab with a pea coulis? All my favorite ingredients!

Entrée specials feature speck-wrapped grilled cobia steak with artichokes, green lentils and lemon thyme beurre blanc ($28) or Key West pink shrimp rigatoni with prosciutto, rapini and white wine artichoke cream ($26). Still got room? Finish dinner off with a heavenly slice of “Mile High” carrot cake for $12.

Now, excuse me but I desperately need to make a phone call and book a reservation!

Happy Easter!

The Deal: Fantastic Easter specials for reasonable prices

5-10p.m. Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7

Sunfish Grill

2775 E. Oakland Park Blvd

Fort Lauderdale

954-561-2004

www.sunfishgrill.com

Family Night Out

In celebration of Easter, Philippe by Philippe Chow Boca Raton is fashionably turning up the volume on the traditional egg hunt with an outdoor fortune cookie hunt. Each cookie contains a kid-friendly fortune.  After working up an appetite during their search, kids will get an extra treat: a three-course kids meal. This isn’t any ordinary kids’ menu of grilled cheese and chicken tenders, this menu features Phillipe’s signature Asian dishes. Young gourmands can choose an appetizer of wonton soup, chicken satay or a vegetable spring roll; followed by an entrée of chicken and broccoli, sweet and sour chicken or crispy beef with white rice. Dessert is a choice of one scoop of sorbet or ice cream.

This three-course menu is available for only $12.99 and kids under five years old eat for free. Parents can also enjoy a three-course menu with appetizer choices like chicken, beef or vegetable lettuce wraps and steamed vegetable dumplings, entrees of pan crispy salmon and spicy velvet chicken and a dessert of assorted sorbets or ice cream from 4-7p.m for $29. This prix-fixe special is available Sundays through Thursdays.

Happy Easter!

The Deal: Special $12.99 three-course kids’ menu and kids under fiver-years old eat free

Easter Sunday April 8 4-11p.m.

Adult $29 prix-fixe three-course menu

Sundays- Thursdays 4-7p.m.

Philippe by Philippe Chow

200 E. Palmetto Park Road

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Philippechow.com

An Easter Treat for Everyone

With Easter Sunday approaching, this week I’ll be finding you the most beautiful and decadent restaurants promotions in South Florida. After Sunday’s church services, gather with family for an over-the-top indulgent brunch buffet at Delray Beach hotspot, PRIME.

PRIME's Buffet Brunch features signature menu items including sushi, a carving station where you can load up on prime cuts of meat, and decadent desserts. You can also choose favorite breakfast and lunch options such as French toast, waffles, poached salmon, crab cakes, seafood paella, braised short ribs, chicken saltimbocca, or create your own omelet--the list is never-ending! Since Lent will be over, you can finish it off at the chocolate fountain and celebrate Easter with a little (or a lot) of everything!

The Deal: Buffet Brunch $34.95 for adults and $12.95 for children

Easter Sunday April 8 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

PRIME

110 E. Atlantic Avenue

Delray Beach

Reservations: 561-865-5845

www.primedelray.com