Any restaurants you guys want me to "scout?"

[StewartG]

One of my favorite things about traveling is trying new places to eat. My wife and I love to "guinea pig" ourselves (even if we "take one for the team" every once in a while.) Y'all may have noticed my posts about Playa restaurants.

We're going to be down there for 10 days in a few weeks. Does anyone have any requests for a restaurant that doesn't receive a lot of "press" on the board that you would like us to scout out and review? We generally eat off the beaten path and avoid the typical tourist places, but I'm taking suggestions/requests!

(Mod gods - if this thread should go in Changarros y Mas please feel free to move it!)

[StevedeSD]

Stewart,
See if you enjoy this reasonable Italian place on 8th St & 10th Av. I posted a review in March. Boun appetito.

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by StevedeSD

Stewart,
See if you enjoy this reasonable Italian place on 8th St & 10th Av. I posted a review in March. Boun appetito.

I'll run it by my group. We haven't eaten at many of the Italian places in town. If I eat there, I will post a review. In fact, I won't read your review first (even though I am curious) just so we can see if we are "on the same page" about the place!

[WannaBeach]

Originally Posted by StevedeSD

Stewart,
See if you enjoy this reasonable Italian place on 8th St & 10th Av. I posted a review in March. Boun appetito.

Had dinner there a few weeks ago. Excellent steaks and pasta, service with a smile and reasonable prices. Will deffinetely go back.

[Jesus]

Can you check TGIF Please,

and I found a place on the north part, can´t remember the street, but here is a photo, I had planned on eating there, but didn´t happen to walk by that street again. Is called Cockteleria El Pirata. The street is perpendicular to the beach and should be a couple blocks north of Constituyentes.

In a zoom-in I see in their menu: salpicón de mariscos and ceviche, so I guess that you should enjoy seafood, otherwise skip it.

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by Jesus

Can you check TGIF Please,

and I found a place on the north part, can´t remember the street, but here is a photo, I had planned on eating there, but didn´t happen to walk by that street again. Is called Cockteleria El Pirata. The street is perpendicular to the beach and should be a couple blocks north of Constituyentes.

In a zoom-in I see in their menu: salpicón de mariscos and ceviche, so I guess that you should enjoy seafood, otherwise skip it.

You missed my earlier review on TGIF? Let me summarize - IT SUCKED!

(This goes for any other national chain such as Bennigans, Chilis, Applebys, etc.) I hate souless corporate chains!

Seriously Jesus, I'll be glad to check the place out if I can find it. I LOVE seafood. Did you catch my comments on El Cejas from my last trip report? James gave us a heads up on that place in a post a few months ago. Good food, loved the ceviche selection.

[Michele]

Originally Posted by StevedeSD

Stewart,
See if you enjoy this reasonable Italian place on 8th St & 10th Av. I posted a review in March. Boun appetito.

Really nice owners. Good, fresh well prepared, well priced food. We like it very much.

[carmen01]

see jwp007... I was with him

[jwp0077]

[quote=Jesus]Can you check TGIF Please,

and I found a place on the north part, can´t remember the street, but here is a photo, I had planned on eating there, but didn´t happen to walk by that street again. Is called Cockteleria El Pirata. The street is perpendicular to the beach and should be a couple blocks north of Constituyentes.

“El Prirata” is between ave 5 and ave. 10 on 40th. We stayed across the street from it a few years ago. A pickup with fish in coolers would pull up in front every morning and the owners would select fish for the day. From noon until 4 pm the place was packed; the street full of customers’ cars. At night they would stack up the chairs and tables and park a pickup in the dining room. We ate there, the fish was great.

[Jesus]

Originally Posted by StewartG

You missed my earlier review on TGIF? Let me summarize - IT SUCKED!
(This goes for any other national chain such as Bennigans, Chilis, Applebys, etc.) I hate souless corporate chains!
Seriously Jesus, I'll be glad to check the place out if I can find it. I LOVE seafood. Did you catch my comments on El Cejas from my last trip report? James gave us a heads up on that place in a post a few months ago. Good food, loved the ceviche selection.

I´m just teasing you,
Imagine, in my tour around Mexico with a famous Mexican singer, we had to eat corporate fast food a lot of the time (40 days is too much) as that was the most convenient way to feed 70 guys. Fortunately I got to eat in very good local eateries also. I day we were at the Mayan Palace and as I had to take a lot of laundry to PdC I took advantage to make a quick visit to Pizza Pazza, how lucky I was.
Back to el Pirata, thanks to jwp0077, we now have an adress, now your mission if you decide to accept it, is to eat there and also at La Tarraya and make a step by step comparison between those two and those in comparison with El Cejas.

[heater]

if you haven't tried chicago don jose's, it's a must. i could have eaten there every night of our last trip and would have been happy. the owners are so nice and cordial. they are going to be in food and wine magazine in july. john gray's definitely has some stiff competition. although, my new favorite is chicago don jose.

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by heater

if you haven't tried chicago don jose's, it's a must. i could have eaten there every night of our last trip and would have been happy. the owners are so nice and cordial. they are going to be in food and wine magazine in july. john gray's definitely has some stiff competition. although, my new favorite is chicago don jose.

Well, the only thing is, CDJ has gotten several reviews already. I'm looking to try places that don't have a lot of "press" on here yet.

Also, one thing about CDJ that really irks me (and I don't mean to go off on a tangent here, but...) I had a chance to chat with the owner last month. During our chat, she mentioned how proud she was of her meat and how it was all imported from Chicago. I asked her if she used wet-aged prime or dry-aged prime. Her response was that she used only "certified Angus beef."

This "Angus" thing is a real pet peeve of mine, as it is nothing more than a marketing tool by the beef (specifically Angus) industry. Certified Angus tells you NOTHING about the USDA grading of the meet, it ONLY indicates the breed of the cow from which the beef came. The ONLY true indicator of beef quality is the USDA rating system, with steaks in restaurants generally being of grades "select" (most of what you see in your typical grocery store), "choice" (better than select - most common grade served in average restaurants like Outback Steakhouse, etc.) or "prime" (the uber steak served in the uber-steakhouses).

Then, when you get to "aged" beef ("aged" is NOT a formal classification just a description of how the meat is prepared), the beef can be "wet aged" or "dry aged." BIG difference in the quality of the meet depending on the aging process. "Wet aged" beef generally involves aging in a vacuum packed bag for up to 20 or 30 days. "Dry aged" beef is hung in a cooler in the air for usually 10 to 20 days and a crust is allowed to form around the meat. This crust of the outer portion of the meat must be trimmed before the steaks are cut, so up to 20% of the product is lost. Dry aged beef is FAR superior in flavor and texture, but because it is a more expensive process (due to the 20% wastage), most restaurants use wet aged beef which is less expensive. Most of your super high end steak houses use dry aged USDA prime.

Back to CDJ and my "certified Angus" pet peeve. If you go to rent a car, you want to be able to choose whether you will be renting a compact, intermediate, full size, luxury or SUV, right? *THAT* is an accurate and descriptive way to let you know what kind of car you can expect! That is similar to the USDA grading system. When a restaurant advertises that they use "certified Angus" beef, its like going to a car rental agency and them telling you "We rent only certified Ford manufactured vehicles." That doesn't tell you whether you will be getting a Ford Festiva with no a/c and a standard transmission or a fully loaded Lincon Navigator with leather, DVD screens in the seat backs and a build in navigation system.

When I eat beef, I don't CARE what breed the damn cow was (Angus, Simmental, Longhorn, Charolais, etc.) I want to know the GRADE!!! So when a restaurant owner responds to my question about the GRADE of beef they serve by telling me its "certified Angus" I get very suspicious...

That being said, I've heard enough good things about CDJ that I will likely eat there at least once (Angus marketing pet peeve or not!), and will be glad to post a review!

[angelhouston819]

Stewie,

Sending you a PM about what I thought about CDJ. Miss ya honey!!


A'

[StewartG]

Originally Posted by angelhouston819

Stewie,

Sending you a PM about what I thought about CDJ. Miss ya honey!!


A'

Hey A'! The certified Angus thing is just a technical thing for self-professed steak brats like me! I'm looking forward to CDJ, I'm sure we will all have a great meal.

I need to talk to you at some point about making a "must do" restaurant list. I consider you my "partner" in the unofficial Playa restaurant review thing! I've met very few people with taste and sensibilities in dining like you and jscarbor.

Have a great weekend on the lake! I'm VERY jealous!!!

[angelhouston819]

Originally Posted by StewartG

Hey A'!

Have a great weekend on the lake! I'm VERY jealous!!!

You and Kelli are MORE than welcome to come over to the lake house. We would have a kick butt time eating, drinking, boating, drinking!!


A'