Luca Bella Family Style Italian in Aventura

When you are ready for a Family Style Italian dinner think about going to Mickey Maltese's Luca Bella at 19088 NE 29th Ave in Aventura. Mickey, formerly with Matteo's on Hallandale Beach Blvd, has taken this family style restaurant to the next level.

Large portions, big enough for two or more are complimented with excellent service and great tasting food. Mickey makes the rounds stopping to talk with each patron asking whether their choices were up to their expectations and inviting them back. It just makes you want to come back again and again.

Kings County Pizza is a Contender for Best Pizza in South Florida

I have been reading some great reviews about Kings County Pizza located on W. Dixie Highway a few blocks south of Miami Gardens Drive in North Miami Beach. Several food blogs have spotlighted this small place as possibly having the best pizza in South Florida. I finally had a chance to drop in and pick up a slice and talked with Rob, the owner for a few minutes.

I ordered my slice of cheese pizza to go as I had an appointment several miles away and took my first bite as I headed towards I95. I was totally surprised with the first bite. The crust held up well and had a perfect crunch as a bite snapped off in my mouth. The robust tomato taste was immediately followed with the feel and taste of melted mozzerella cheese.

Cadillac Ranch at Gulfstream Village

I've been wanting to check out Cadillac Ranch at Gulfstream for quite awhile and I finally had the opportunity to drop in on a recent Thursday evening. We walked around the outside of the building until we found the entrance which was completely opposite from the valet parking and we were promptly greeted by a hostess who scooped up a couple of menus and walked us through an almost empty restaurant area to an empty table surrounded by ten or twelve other empties. After seating I immediately excused myself and asked Michelle to order an iced tea and I headed for the restroom.

The bathroom was very impressive but messy with small puddles and used paper towels littered across the floor. Not a good sign for this "upscale eatery." I expected to return to our drinks but Michelle informed me that no one had been by to take the drink order. Finally our waiter arrived and we ordered drinks and at the same time he asked if we were ready to make our food order. I guess he was trying to hurry us along because we had been sitting so long.

Michelle chose the roasted chicken dinner and added a $5.95 cup of chicken and wild rice soup. I, of course, picked my all American favorite: the Cadillac Steak Burger. The soup arrived quickly and was just the right temperature. It was tasty but should have been called cream of chicken and wild rice to better describe the consistency. Michelle said that her chicken tasted just okay: cooked correctly on the outside but a little undercooked on the inside. My hamburger was good, cooked correctly and visually appealing. The accompanied french fries were about par for a cheap fast food joint.

During our meal a party of ten was seated right next to us even though the entire restaurant was empty. We felt like our privacy had been invaded. At about the same time another patron, who might have had a few two many drinks, tripped as he was going to the restroom and ended up face down with a very loud splat. A server close by turned and looked but did not offer any assistance or even ask the man if he was okay.

I observed some employees standing around making idle talk among themselves and blocking the way to the exit and we almost got run over by someone delivering a vat to the bar. The $55.00 check included an automatically added 18% tip and even though I usually tip in the 20% range it offends me to have the restaurant add it in automatically.

I had a fantasy that I would love this place before I arrived but that fantasy has been shattered and I will probably never return. Cadillac Ranch might be a cool place to go for a few drinks but the food is far from stellar. Had it not been for my $25 Restaurant.com coupon I would have called the night a total bust.

Christine Lee's at Gulfstream Park

I was introduced to Christine Lee's at Gulfstream Park about two years ago and have been going there almost regularly ever since. If you haven't been there it is on the third floor of the Gulfstream Casino/Racetrack. Valet parking is available or you can choose a self-parking spot in the vast parking area. Michelle was able to secure tickets for a recent Beatlemania Now (see more below) show at Gulfstream and we followed the show with a late night dinner at Christine Lee's.

John's Hero King

I heard that John's Hero King of Brooklyn NY had opened a Florida location with the "world's best heroes," so I thought I would give it a try. I was expecting your standard Italian sub shop fare that we are used to here in South Florida but not so. John's specialty hero is the roast beef with "muutz," (mozzarello,) onions, and gravy.

P.F. Changs Chinese Bistro

Here’s a place that almost everybody enjoys. P.F. Changs has a few locations in S.FL. so you don’t have to travel too far to get to one. They have a varied menu and most can find something that compliments their taste.

We went on a Thursday night and made a call ahead reservation for 8PM for a party of six at the Aventura location. You can make advance reservations online for up to six people. When we arrived we were surprised

to see the place was bustling. Many people waiting and more coming in. Our table was ready in about ten minutes.

                         

We gave a drink order and then proceeded to inspect the menu. Michelle and I opted for the “2 dinners for $39.00.” I got the Orange Beef, my favorite, and asked for it to be extra spicy, ‘cause I like it HOT! Michelle got the Shrimp Cantonese. We both had Egg Drop Soup and split an appetizer of Chicken Lettuce Wraps which we both enjoyed. I was disappointed in my entrée because it wasn’t very spicy and was very dry. The sauce was kind of thick and pasty. I was able to add enough of the various hot sauce/mustard/peppers to make it super spicy but the thick sauce made it impossible to mix well with the white rice.