My family went to Miami last weekend and while we were primarily there to visit University of Miami, it was a vacation as well.  Everyone in the family had something special they wanted to do in Miami:

My son: visit the university and experience Miami for the first time.

My daughter: swim and play on the beach.

My husband: eat Cuban food.

And me?: I wanted to eat Key Lime Pie.

I would say Key Lime Pie is my favorite dessert, so I have very high standards.  Although I order it whenever I see it on the menu, I am rarely impressed.   Rarely does it taste as homemade and fresh as when I make it at home. I’ve had good Key Lime Pie, but I haven’t had spectacular Key Lime Pie at a restaurant too often.  So even though the Miami area should have the best Key Lime Pie anywhere, honestly I didn’t expect much.

After touring the university we drove around Coral Gables/Coconut Grove to let me son get a feel for the area.  Near CocoWalk shopping area, we came upon this happening beer and burger joint, Lokal.   Specializing in locally sourced ingredients, Lokal had a funki neighborhood vibe and while I don’t eat red meat, there were non-beef options on the menu.   My husband Yelped great burger reviews and, to my surprise, they were supposed to have a good Key Lime Pie.   Always one to challenge another’s review, I ate my turkey burger, but I was really there for the Key Lime Pie.

(For the record, my husband and son really loved their burgers.  According to them, the 50/50 – half beef, half bacon – was really a winner.  That’s just an extra for you meat-eaters out there.)

Let me say again, that I did not have high expectations.  I was ordering it and eating it because I love Key Lime Pie-even mediocre Key Lime Pie.  But WHOA!  The Key Lime Pie at Lokal was amazing!  Fresh, tart and creamy-just the way Key Lime should be.  The thick crust is made with graham crackers and crushed pecans.  The pie is made with fresh-squeezed key limes and lime zest.  And the whole thing is topped with freshly made whipped cream.  Heaven.  I don’t think I’ve tasted a better Key Lime Pie.  My family tried to have a bite or two of my pie and they almost lost a finger.  I slowly ate and savored every single bite.

gorgeous!

As delicious as the pie was at Lokal, it did not come up on any google searches for “the best key lime pie in Miami.”  Joe’s Stone Crab held that distinction.   Naturally, I had to test this theory before leaving Miami.  We drove by Joe’s Take Away and got a few slices of Key Lime Pie to go (my family had learned their lesson and got their own slices).   First of all, Joe’s did not have fresh whipped cream, it was sprayed from a can right in front of me.   But the pie was good.  I mean, if it had been the first pie I had eaten in Miami, I would have thought it was very good.   But it did not compare to the Lokal’s pie, not at all.

However, to have a real taste test we would have to taste Lokal’s Key Lime Pie again.  It was only the fair thing to do.  So we drove from Joe’s in South Beach to Lokal in Coconut Grove for lunch (and pie).  This time I had the caesar salad with rock shrimp, but again, this was just an appetizer before my main course, pie.   Two pieces of Key Lime Pie in one day was a bit much-even for me-but in the name of research, it had to be done.   Another piece of the Lokal’s Key Lime Pie, and it was officially declared by everyone in my family: Lokal had the best Key Lime Pie.

Meeting and talking to the Lokal’s owner, Matthew Kuscher, we learned that Lokal had only been open a few months.  That explains why the Key Lime Pie doesn’t have the press that it deserves yet.  But it will; mark my words.  You heard it first from Funkidivagirl, Key Lime Pie connoisseur.  If Matthew keeps the same commitment to freshness and quality in his Key Lime Pie that he has now, “the best Key Lime Pie in Miami” award isn’t far behind.

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

“Remember Summer? The warm air, blue skies, and endless days in the water?  Me either.  Share a photo from last Summer that brings you back.”  - A prompt from Mama Kat.

This is the photo I think she has in mind, taken in Malibu:

Yes, the beach was glorious and I loved every minute I spent there.  But when you think of summer, don’t you also think of your favorite summer foods like watermelon, ice cream or lemonade?  I ate some delicious food last summer in California.  Here’s what I remember:

This was the best ice cream sandwich.  Ever.

Ice cream sandwich –  Coolhaus Truck, Santa Monica

Two of my favorite things on a perfectly cooked waffle.  A party in my mouth!

Lemon Curd & Blueberry Waffle – The Waffle, Hollywood

This roll was so big and buttery, even my son couldn’t finish it.

Crab roll – Fish, Sausalito

My daughter’s first banana split in her dad’s childhood spot.

Banana split – Creamery, Palo Alto

Cookies and milk-that’s all they sell and they do it well.

Chocolate Chip Toffee cookie – Anthony’s Cookies, San Francisco

A day at Disneyland isn’t complete without one.

Dole Whip – Aloha Isle, Disneyland

What are some of your favorite food memories from last summer?

I’m linking up with Mama Kat, you should too.

Pin It

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My family and I love to eat.  In the spirit of the Food Network show by the same name, we’re going to share the best thing we ever ate and hope that you will tell us your favorites too.

You already know of my love of food trucks, especially when I’m in Los Angeles.  Somehow, somewhere I had heard of  Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwiches and on one sunny afternoon during our summer stay in LA, I was determined to taste one.   I consulted my iPhone app, TruxMap, and found Coolhaus parked near a Santa Monica office park.   I  knew Coolhaus shared my eating philosophy of quality and sustainability, so I had no guilt whatsoever eating this lunchtime treat.  As for the calories?  Well, if I’m going to indulge, I want to make sure it’s worth it.

Every Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich is all-natural, handmade and organic whenever possible. Our dairy is sustainably produced and artificial growth hormone free. We use local and seasonabl farmer’s market fresh ingredients. Plus, every ice cream sandwich is wrapped in a customizable, edible wrapper that is all-natural and calorie-free.

-Coolhaus philosophy

The idea is simple: choose your cookies and choose your ice cream and Coolhaus will assemble your sandwich.  Or is that simple?  I will tell you: it is not.   With ice cream flavors like Brown Butter with Candied Bacon, Nutella Toasted Almond or Sea Salt Caramel and cookie flavors like Maple Waffle White Chocolate Chip, Brioche or Snickerdoodle, it is quite hard to decide which cookie and ice combination to make!

After much debate, Girly and I decided upon Maple Waffle White Chocolate Chip cookies with Baked Apple ice cream.    The cookies and the ice cream were delicious by themselves, but together they were incredible, a perfect combination.  It was the best ice cream sandwich I ever ate!

Pin It

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My family and I love to eat.  In the spirit of the Food Network show by the same name, we’re going to share the best thing we ever ate and hope that you will tell us your favorites too.

Of course we had all kinds of delicious food in Paris, but you know my family, we love sweets.  I had read about French macarons and was eager to try them.   Here in America macaroons (spelled with two o’s) are little mounds of coconut cookies, but French macarons (spelled with one o) are entirely different:

A macaron is a sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar,granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from an Italian word “maccarone” or “maccherone”. This word is itself derived from ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, used here in reference to thealmond paste which is the principal ingredient. It is meringue-based: made from a mixture of egg whites, almond flour, and both granulated and confectionery sugar.  The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the “foot”), and flat base. It is mildly moist and easily melts in the mouth.  -Wikapedia

To learn even more about macarons, read Serious Eats: “Introduction to French Macarons”.

We had our first macaron right down the street from our apartment at Maison Georges Larnicol on rue de Rivoli and after one bite we vowed to have as many macarons as possible while in Paris!  They are insanely delicious!  Delicate, yet bursting with flavor, each bite is heavenly.  I don’t know how they pack all that flavor into such a little tiny cookie.

At Maison Georges Larnicol we had Caramel, Citron (lemon), Bergamot, Pamplemousse (grapefruit) and our favorite at this location, Rose macarons.

Our next macaron tasting was at Le Grand Epicerie Bon Marche, an incredible “grocery store” on the ground floor of the high-end department store Le Bon Marche.  We ate macarons of Framboise (raspberry), Chocolat, Caramel á la Fleur de Sel (salted caramel) and Pêche (peach).  Our favorite macarons  from Le Grand Epicerie Bon Marche were Pêche and Framboise, although all were very good.

Our 3^rd macaron experience was at Angelina.  Since we were there to drink Angelina’s famous hot chocolate (read about it in my next blog post), we only had one macaron on the way out, Manderine Passion. Tropical and fruity, this macaron was different and delicious!  We regret not buying more macarons for later.

Finally we had macarons at the legendary Ladurée.  This was on my “must eat” list and after my first macaron at Maison Georges Larnicol, I really wanted to see if Ladurée’s macarons lived up to the hype.  I can tell you that Ladurée’s macarons were the most expensive ones we tried, but I can also tell you that they were worth every euro.  They are incredible! You can buy them at the shop or have them with a pot of tea in the tea salon next door.  We did both.  The tea was delicious and the salon is beautiful.   Ladurée’s macarons can be packaged to make nice gifts, however it is best to buy gifts at the airport location because macarons must be eaten within 3 days.  We went crazy at Ladurée and tried several flavors: Pistache (pistachio), Chocolat, Cassis Violette (black currant violet), Citron-Thym, Vanille, Coco (coconut), Framboise (raspberry), Café, Caramel á la Fleur de Sel (salted caramel), Pétales de Rose, Melon, Goyave (guava) and Fleur d’ Oranger (orange blossom).  Girly’s favorite was Pistache.  Honestly all the flavors were delicious, but the stand out was Caramel á la Fleur de Sel; it had the perfect mixture of sweet and salty and melted in my mouth.   Mmmmm….it was divine!

It’s a good thing that French macarons are not available near me because I would have a problem!

(Oh, and since leaving France I’ve had a macaron at a “French chocolatier” in Los Angeles.  Not even close.   I’ll wait until my next trip to France to have a real macaron.)

Photos:

Macarons in Maison Georges Larnicol.

Macarons in Ladurée.

Au revior!

*Read about the rest of our Paris vacation and London adventures too!

Pin It

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

If you know anything about my family, you know that we love food.  Our conversations, weekend activities and even vacations are heavily food-centric.   Last summer while living in Los Angeles for a bit, my family fell in love with food trucks.  We had rented an apartment in Venice, where many food trucks park at a local bar, The Brig, on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.  Not only was the food delicious and the prices reasonable, it was just fun eating dinner as we socialized with other patrons and enjoyed perfect California weather.

One of our favorite food trucks in LA, The Buttermilk Truck–maker of pancakes, waffles and other things buttermilk.  Yum!

Red velvet pancakes with cream cheese topping!

Back home in Atlanta we were delighted to follow a new show on The Food Network (one of our favorite channels, since we love food), The Great Food Truck Race.  A fun, adventurous reality tv show contest, The Great Food Truck Race was enthralling entertainment for my foodie family.   We were pleased to see the Nom Nom Truck on the show because we ate there often during our LA summer; the bahn mi sandwiches were delicious (and spicy)!

The Nom Nom Truck parked at The Brig during our LA summer.

Nom Nom Truck seemed to be the show front runner with their savvy marketing, but hard working Grill ‘Em All managed to hang on week after week and eventually won the entire the competition.  My family enjoyed watching the competition: the personalities, challenges and delicious looking food made for some good TV.

So when we heard that season 2 of The Great Food Truck Race was underway and the current competitors were in Atlanta for the weekend, we made it our business to hunt down the trucks and help them in the race.   There were 3 trucks left in the competition when they came to Atlanta: Hodge Podge, The Lime Truck and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese.   We didn’t get a chance to try Hodge Podge, but we ate at The Lime Truck and Roxy’s Grilled Cheese on 2 different days.

The Lime Truck was parked at Atlantic Station and even though we got there 10 minutes after the truck opened, the line was incredibly long.  This was the second day for the trucks in Atlanta, so by now the word had gotten out and everyone wanted a taste.   Also we found out that the challenge that day meant that the trucks were working with one less team member–that translated into slower food prep and slow-moving lines for the costumers.  Thankfully Atlantic Station was kind enough to put umbrellas along the line because it was over 90 degrees that day.   The menu looked interesting:

We settled on Ahi Tuna Poke Nachos, Ribeye Quesadilla, Blue Crab & Scallop Ceviche and Blood Orange Limeade.   The ceviche was my personal favorite of all the choices; I didn’t taste the quesadilla and I didn’t like the nachos.   Honestly the food overall was just not my thing, but my husband and son enjoyed everything we purchased and deemed The Lime Truck a success.

Of the two trucks we tasted during The Great Food Truck Race competition in Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese was my favorite.

At first we balked at the prices–food trucks are usually quite reasonable and $13 for a grilled cheese sandwich was outrageous–but since it was a competition (and we were hungry!) we stayed and ordered almost everything off the limited menu: a grilled cheese sandwich of private stock cheddar, foie gras, applewood bacon and peach preserve, a grilled cheese sandwich of Vermont cremont cheese, prosciutto de parma and quince, Maple Sweet Fries, Mascarpone Peach Brulee and Sweet Tea Arnold Palmer drinks.

Both grilled cheese sandwiches were incredibly delicious and surprisingly big enough for my family of 4 to share.   My husband didn’t care for the sandwich with Vermont cremont cheese because he doesn’t like stinky cheese, but the rest of us loved it.

The sandwich with the foie gras was delectable and we all gobbled it down and fought over the last crumbs.   The sweet potato fries were cooked to perfection and the maple sauce was a nice compliment.

The Mascarpone Peach Brulee was my favorite!  It was a creamy brulee with a light, fresh peachy flavor and the sugar crust was torched properly to a thin crunchy shell.  Everyone in the family tasted a bit, but I tried to east most of it myself.

My only regret is that we didn’t try the oysters; we talked to several people later who said that the oysters were fantastic.  I hope Roxy’s did well during the weekend in Atlanta.  We heard that they had a rough go while parked at a obscure spot in Little Five Points and we found the truck near 12th and Peachtree–not the best location for maximum visibility.  The food was delicious–I just hope they had enough traffic all weekend to sustain their place in the competition.  I guess we’ll find out when the new season of The Great Food Truck Race begins August 14th!

*Look for me on the show; I was interviewed by the film crew after eating at Roxy’s.  Hopefully my interview will make it on the show and not the editing room floor !

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.