LeTub - Hollywood, FL

There is really only one thing you need to know about LeTub........13 ounce sirloin burger.  End of story.  Nothing else even matters. Yes it sits right on the water, yes it is has the feel of an old beach bar that only the locals know about. Those "nice to haves" disappear when the food is brought out. Fact is, the burger at this place was named best burger in America by GQ magazine (famous for skinny guys who know nothing about burgers), "1 of the 20 Burgers You Have to Eat Before You Die" by style.com and even featured on the Oprah Winfrey show.  Turns out, Oprah likes a good juicy burger just like the rest of us.

As I checked out the menu, I noticed the perceived lack of options on the burger.  You have few choices.  Swiss or American cheese or plain.  No bacon (I still think it is funny that we use bacon as a condiment in America), no chili, no special secret sauces, nothing else.  I comes with a thick slice of tomato, onion and some lettuce but that is all.  I chose the swiss cheese and added a small order of fries.

The burger was grilled perfectly. I pride myself on being pretty good on a grill but getting 13 ounces  of thick sirloin burger to where the outside has a firmness (not burntness) about it and the center to the point that there was just a hint of pink (exactly how I asked for it) is no easy task.


I have only one complaint about LeTub.  If you have read any of my earlier posts, you will know that I believe something's are just made to serve cold and I don't like them if they are even kinda warm.  The ketchup sits on the tables all day.  That just ain't right. I want cold ketchup on my hot fries. Lesson learned here was, DON'T GET THE FRIES!!  They taste great, but you will have to make a choice, eat the burger or eat the fries, I chose the burger.  


One last recommendation at LeTub, this goes back to the lack of choices as to what to put on the burger.  I almost put some mayo and ketchup on here, but my mind wondered back to why they didn't have any options for add-ons on he menu and I didn't.  That was the best choice I made about this burger. It does not need anything else on it.  Pick it up, eat it, let it run down your arm and get on your shirt and don't really care because you are lovin' this burger!!

Easily one of my top 2 or 3 burgers ever.

Atmosphere - 9,  Food - 9.5  OUTSTANDING. Would have given a 10 if the dang ketchup was cold!!

http://www.theletub.com/

GG's Waterfront - Hollywood, FL

GG's is located just north of Hallandale Beach on A1A .  The location sits on the Intracoastal Waterway and provides a very relaxed atmosphere for an early evening dinner.   The feature half-price drinks and appetizers from 4-7PM during the week which is why I chose to check this place out.

First glances proved to be dead-on as I went inside.  I had thought to myself as I drove by, "That looks like a place that a lot of alimony could be spent".  I would say the early evening crowd was 5-1 Female to male.  Not a bad thing if you are a single guy.  However, most of the patrons here were WAY above my pay grade!!!  Besides, I only stopped so I could share my dinner experience with ya'll. :)

I started dinner with what they call the Floribbean Crab Cakes. A mixture of lump crab meat and seasonings (there was a lot of taste so I didn't even try to pick out all the flavors). These were pan seared and served over a black bean and corn salsa with a roasted red pepper sauce.  They were absolutely delicious.  I thought they were a little on the small side when they arrived, but the richness of the flavors would have been to much if the serving had been larger.

Main course was the Ahi Tuna steak.  Now the menu said it was served with shallots.  Being that I am from south Alabama, I wasn't sure what a dang shallot was!!  So I googled it as I enjoyed the crab cakes before I ordered it.  As it turns out, shallots are just little onions.  You know the kind Grandma used to grow in the little garden and we'd cut the green part off and use for a straw? I had the tuna cooked medium which was more than the chef wanted to cook it but since I was paying and didn't need any bait today, I decided to have it cooked through.  The sauce that the tuna was served over was  very "citrusy" and had a layer of pure honey on top of it which proved a very nice combination.  It was very tasty and was served with sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, carrots and rice. As you look at the picture, the rice looks a little yellow.  THAT IS BUTTER YA'LL.  I don't know who told the southern Florida chef that you could put REAL BUTTER in white rice and make it amazing, but somebody did.  I suspect he has visited south Alabama before (Holmes County, FL at a minimum).

If you find yourself on A1A and don't want to get all the way down into the craziness that is south beach, stop by and have a bite at GG's.  

9 on atmosphere, 8 on food.  

http://www.ggswaterfront.com/

Argentango - Hollywood FL.

Well it has been awhile since we posted to the TGs but I will do my best to give you some updates this week from South Florida.  I am traveling solo this trip so you won't have Jonathan's view to oppose or agree with mine.  You'll just have to take my word.  We start the trip with dinner at Argentango in a really cool area of downtown Hollywood, Fl.

 I went here on a recommendation from one of the music producers friends from ATL.  I should have taken a couple of things into consideration that I did not.

1. A lot of people in the music business have very strange hours that they choose to eat.
2. A lot of people in the music business partake in substances that make you very hungry (munchies).
3. When you have the munchies, EVERYTHING is good.

View looking up from my table

I try to conform my hours to whomever I am working with but 8-9PM is just too late for this southern boy to eat dinner. I do not partake in substances that make you "munchie" hungry,therefore, EVERYTHING is not always good.

I hate to give a place a bad rap but this place was just bad. It started with me asking for water with lemon to drink.  I thought that was pretty hard to screw up.  As it turns out, the lemon must have been  an issue because it wasn't in the water and when I asked for it again, it still didn't happen.   Am I being trivial about lemon in my water? Yes, but I wanted lemon and never got it.  I found out where all the lemons were going when they brought my appetizer.

I chose to go the safe route by ordering a shrimp cocktail.  Check out the lemon!!! Carved beautifully and more than half the entire lemon.  NONE LEFT FOR WATER!!!!!  Ok.  I'm over the lemon. Was there a memo about eating seafood at room temperature that I missed?  I like shrimp cocktail cold.  Cold like it's been in the fridge or on ice or (here is a novel idea) cover them with ice to chill them before serving and THEN bring them out.  If they are warm, that means they have been sitting out of the cool "area" for a while.

These were served with an an average cocktail sauce and what they called "Golf Sauce".  I guess most cocktails sauces are really pretty average.  I like to make it myself with COLD Heinz ketchup and horseradish.   That's all, nothing else.  Nothing green.  Pretty dang simple.  "Golf Sauce", as it turns out, is mayo and ketchup blended very well.  I like that on almost anything but it just didn't work for me here.  May have been because the shrimp were WARM!!

Main course was the "PETIT “ENTRAÑA".  This is a 14 oz skirt steak.  I chose the "petit" version because the regular is a 28 oz portion billed as the "World's Longest Steak".  First of all, something just sounds wrong about having the "World's Longest" anything on a menu.  Secondly, 28 oz was way more than I wanted to undertake.


The steak looked really good.  It was, however, perhaps the most bland piece of meat I've ever eaten.  As you can see, there were herbs and spices, but it tasted like these were mixed in olive oil and just poured on the steak after it was cooked.  They added nothing and made the steak's texture seem greasy.  I chose mashed sweet potatoes as my side and these were the highlight of the dinner.  They could have used more cinnamon and butter, but I defy you to find something that couldn't.  


I will not be back to the eatery if I have a choice.  Sorry Argentango but you are a "no go" for me.


3 out of 10.
http://argentangogrillhollywood.com/

Mac's Speed Shop - Charlotte, NC

So we have been going to several of the top ten recommendations based on urbanspoon ratings and Mac's Speed Shop is rated number 1, with good reason.

The subtitle for this place reads, Beer, Bike, BBQ.  All were there and all were totally at ease in this room.  They have an outside eating area complete with 15-20 picnic tables. The inside dining area was several high top tables with tall stools, a few booths, and seats at the bar.  We sat at a high top this trip.

I didn't order an appetizer for one reason and one reason only:  THE MAC DADDY!  
                                  
                                                                                    

This sandwich was huge.  It was a large bun with six inches of pulled pork, it was probably closer to 4 inches but hey, I'm a guy, we tend to measure things larger than they really are. Anyway, it was a lot of pork.  The meat was juicy and tender and had a delicious flavor.  They also piled the homemade slaw on high. There were four sauces available for the meat. The classic vinegar, a red sauce, a sweet sauce and a mustard based sauce that would have been good on a lot of other things.  I just didn't care for it on the BBQ.

The wait staff was mostly college aged girls that were smokin' hot.  Never a bad thing in a BBQ joint.  This is Kelli.  She was our server and did a great job,  Thanks Kelli!!!

I love this place.  Great BBQ, great sides (I didn't even mention the mac-n-cheese but it rocked), cold beer (I  don't drink but they had quite a selection in bottles and on tap). Plus cute, tatted up wait staff   = big score!

Solid 8, I may go again tomorrow!!!!
http://www.macspeedshop.com/

Bill

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza - Charlotte, NC

So we have pizza two nights in a row. Strike one.  We go to a franchise restaurant.  Strike two.  It's not a big time franchise yet.  I say yet because if they can get the service to match the food, they'll probably sell a lot of franchises and I kinda hate to see that happen.

The place is located beside the hotel we are staying in. There is a common theme developing here.  Spend hours out in the sun, get back to the hotel, park the car and get some food.  We have not been in the frame of mind to explore much at night so we have been sticking close for dinner.

The restaurant does not get a strike three from me for one simple reason.  The food was outstanding.

I started with the bruschetta which was made with marinated roma tomatoes, fresh basil and crumbled feta.  It was served with what they called garlic crustini.  In south Alabama, we call it little pieces of garlic bread. Everything tasted fresh and was very refreshing,  I have rediscovered how much I like the simplest dishes this spring and preparing a brushetta is simple, easy and makes a great snack or starter for dinner.  Also as a standalone lunch would work.

This is why I like checking pizza places that have a unique menu.  Brixx does.  I ordered the Pear and Gorgonzola.  Fruit besides pineapple on a pizza? Oh yeah, this is really good.  Thin crust lightly brushed with a good  olive oil.  Mozzarella and gorgonzola cheeses topped with caramelized onions and roasted walnuts. It was a delicious combination that I would order again and again.

I have had a variation of the pizza in Atlanta with Serrano ham and Granny Smith apples that was really good as well.



The atmosphere was nice.  Had a circular feel in the dining room which made it easy to people watch while you waited.  Which was the only complaint I had.  I didn't think we were ever going to get a waitress. But, in her defense, she was just closing out two big tables when we got there so I understand why we might have taken a minute to get too.

If Fuel Pizza is a 5, Brixx gets a 7 from me.

Bill
http://www.brixxpizza.com/

Cabo Fish Taco - Charlotte, NC

I read about this place and had looked forward to visiting ever since. It is tucked away in a artsy part of Charlotte with several other neat looking shops and restaurants.

I started with the Cabo Roll.  This is a wrap made with crabmeat, blackened shrimp, roasted red peppers, several grated cheeses, and tomatoes.  It comes with a large serving of guacamole and is topped with a white cilantro sauce.

It is described on the menu as served "sushi" style.  As best I can tell, that means cut into pieces that are just a little big for one bite and will fall completely apart if you try to make it two. The filling was very good but the cilantro sauce was a bit bland for what I was expecting.  Good but not great.  The guacamole was very good I thought although it finished with a slightly bitter aftertaste.  I have had a lot of guac that did this, maybe that is what is supposed to do.  Hey, I'm from Dothan, AL.  Not exactly the guacamole center of the universe.

For the meal, I had the Honey Wasabi Tuna Burrito.  WAAAYYYYYY GOOOOD.   The filling was grilled yellow fin tuna, rice, carrots, celery, tomatoes, mixed cheeses and the white honey wasabi sauce.  The tuna was cooked perfectly for me.  Medium leaning slightly towards medium rare.  Almost any fish is very easy to cook to much and make very dry, this was tender and juicy, Very nice.  The mixture of the fresh veggies and rice was also very good.

I was worried about the celery because I am not a huge celery fan, but, as with many dishes, I hardly noticed it was there.  That is a good thing in my book.  The honey wasabi sauce was good but I only got that open your nose and throat and entire head feeling without being  overwhelmingly hot feeling that only wasabi gives you, once.

The side was a brown rice topped with a mango-pineapple chutney.  Typical brown rice but the chutney was nice.  Sweet but not overly. Enough tang to taste the pineapple which was really good.

I only had one complaint about the entire meal, the flour tortilla wrap itself.  The wrap was very heavy and added nothing except being an easy way to hold your food.  I actually asked the waitress if you could order the meal without the wrap and she said that you could.  I would do that again in a heartbeat.

Nice atmosphere with, again, a very diverse crowd.  Not overdone, just sufficient.  Give them a try if you are in town.  It  is definitely worth the trip.

Very solid 7 for me, maybe better if I leave the wrap off next time.

Bill

http://www.cabofishtaco.com

Fuel

Fuel gave us exactly what we needed after a long day out in the North Carolina sun - sustenance. It was pizza by the slice, more than acceptable, but not mind blowing. If you did a blind taste test between Fuel and Sbarros, I'll bet it'd get interesting fast.

While the grub didn't wow us, the atmosphere was pretty cool, as was the clientele. It's right down the street from the arena and a bunch of clubs so a really diverse crew was in and out while we ate our slices. I enjoyed it, especially the giant black guy who for some reason assaulted the plastic chain that indicated where the line was and the drunk girls barely able to stand who paraded by as we rolled out - clothes fitting snugly for better or worse.

Rating: 5 of 10.