Spring break in Florida! Woo-hoo!

Spring break trips weren’t a big thing among my group of friends when I was in college. So it was fun, even though I'm well past 30, to take a spring break trip to Florida with a couple of friends from work.

Katie, Amanda and I headed to southern Florida to visit our friend Danielle. We stayed in Boca Raton, away from the beach and the spring break madness. Not that there was too much madness. We were really a week early for spring break, which was probably a good thing. Plenty of room on the beaches. And plenty of seats available in restaurants.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers

Delary Beach

mellowmushroom.com

Our first meal in Florida was at one of Danielle’s favorite pizza places -- the Mellow Mushroom. It was a nice night, so we sat outside. I think that was a good choice, because the interior was very industrial, with high ceilings, exposed ducts, brick and lots of stainless steel -- and noisy with a couple of big groups celebrating something.

Amanda and I ordered The Capri salad as an appetizer, while Danielle opted for a half spinach salad. Plenty of greens to keep stave off the hunger that had been building during a long day of travel from Utah.

For dinner, we shared a Kosmic Karma pizza. Red sauce base, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta, roma tomatoes and a pesto swirl. The medium was just right for three people to share. Plenty of toppings and a wonderful crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-chewy-on-the-inside crust that was slightly sweet.

Katie got a “build your own” salad, topped with a ton of veggies and buffalo chicken. The pricing was by ingredient, with the lettuce at $3.25 and toppings ranging from 75 cents to $1.75. The salad was huge, but the price was right on target with the “ready to order” salads on the menu.

Cascades poolside grill

Delray Beach Marriott

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pbidr-delray-beach-marriott/

Our first full day of Florida fun found us at Delray Beach -- this time to the actual beach. Using a trick taught to Danielle by one of her friends, we valet parked the car at the Marriott and walked across the street to the beach. It was a relaxing morning on the beach, just enjoying the ocean and the sun. I got stung slightly by a jellyfish, but that’s another story.

For lunch, we went back over to the Marriott and ate at the poolside restaurant. We had a high table at the edge of the bar, so our waitress was also the bartender. So we maybe didn’t get the attentive service we should have. That was evident when, 30 minutes after placing our orders, we still didn’t have our food. Of course, our waitress didn’t notice because she was too busy catering to the demands of the folks sitting at the bar.

The menu offered fairly typical fare -- sandwiches, salads -- but with a bit of a twist. Amanda and Danielle got the fish tacos. Katie and I had salads. I had an Asian salad, which contained udon noodles among the greens. But I think my salad was missing a few ingredients that were listed on the menu. Katie had requested a few ingredients be left off her salad, but since our order had been lost, her request wasn’t honored. She had to send her salad back twice to get it the way she’d ordered it.

Needless to say, we got a 50 percent discount on our food from the manager. They still charged us full price for the drinks, though. Oddly, this was my only alcoholic beverage of the trip. And I make a better margarita. Of course, my margaritas aren’t served poolside in the warm Florida sun.

Once we’d eaten, it was back to the beach. Ahhh .... (No, we did not wait 30 minutes before swimming.)

City Oyster and Sushi Bar

Delary Beach

We went a little more upscale for dinner one night, dining at City Oyster and Sushi Bar.

A popular place, with outdoor seating, a huge bar and a sushi counter. Prices were as expected, with sharing an appetizer and ordering an entree costing about $30.

We had calamari for an appetizer, and I was impressed with how it was prepared. Little sheets (rather than rings) of calamari were lightly breaded, and they curled up when perfectly fried. The flavor was good, not overpowering. The aioli sauce was the better of the two dipping sauces.

The menu was extensive, but I just couldn’t decide what to order. So I ordered off the sushi menu. I’m not a raw fish fan, so my sushi ordering is usually limited. I opted for a shrimp tempura roll and a roll called the mango tango. I didn’t realize that one would have raw fish on it. But I took a chance and tried it -- and it was pretty darn good.

And can someone tell me how to eat the end slice of the shrimp tempura roll, the one with the tail sticking out? That darn thing always falls apart on me.

Flanigans Seafood Bar and Grill

http://www.flanigans.net/index.html

There are a ton of Flanigan’s locations around Boca Raton, so I’m not sure at which one we ate. But since it was St. Patrick’s Day, the bar was decorated to the nines. As were the waitresses. And even though it was before noon, beer pong was well under way out on the terrace.

Outdoor dining that day was limited to corned beef and cabbage. So we opted for a booth inside. Classic Florida photos, maps, nautical stuff and memorabilia decorated the walls ... at least the part of the walls we could see through the green decorations. The tabletops were old nautical maps, which provided some pre-lunch entertainment as we tried to figure out what area the map showed (our map had the legend down in the corner, so it didn’t take too long).

The menu is quite extensive, with a ton of lunch and drink specials. Ribs are a house specialty, but none of us were willing to eat those in public. (They even make deep-fried egg rolls with the rib meat.) The menu listed a “fresh dolphin sandwich.” Danielle assured us that’s a fish, not that friendly Flipper kind of dolphin. Still didn’t order that, just in case.

Two of us ordered the Caribbean Burger, which was 10 ounces of beef slathered in a special BBQ sauce and melted cheddar cheese, topped with two strips of bacon. By the time I added the lettuce, tomato and onion, there was no way I was getting the burger into my mouth, so I ended up eating it with a fork and knife. Amanda fared a bit better, but still couldn’t eat the whole thing. Neither of us loved the BBQ sauce (and we’re both big BBQ sauce fans), as it was on the sweet side and didn’t really have a kick to it.

Danielle loves the clam chowder. Clams ... ewwww.

We even got to take our 32-ounce soda cups with us as souvenirs.

Jaxon’s Ice Cream Parlour and Restaurant

Dania Beach, Fla.

http://www.jaxsonsicecream.com/

After a big lunch at Flanigan’s and a drive down the coast, I wasn’t sure I was ready for dessert. Until I saw the ice cream sundaes at Jaxson’s.

This place is tucked away at the end of a strip mall. The restaurant has been around since the 1950s and has been featured on Food Network and in Bon Appetit and Southern Living magazines.

We got there in the middle of the afternoon, so it wasn’t too busy. When you walk in the front door, you’re in a mini candy store, which is stocked with sweets you haven’t seen since you were a kid. (I had to buy a box of candy cigarettes, for old time’s sake.) And some candy you haven’t seen before -- like a gummy bear that was about 5 inches tall and weighed at least a pound.

Based on the photos from the website, the decor hasn’t changed much since the early days, with the walls lined with license plates and antiques. Tables were close together, and the old-style soda fountain chairs weren’t that comfortable.

Three of us shared two desserts (one person had to abstain from sweets for dietary reasons) -- a turtle sundae and a Two on a Blanket sundae.

The turtle sundae had vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, butterscotch sauce and plenty of pecans.

The Two on a Blanket was two slices of pound cake, topped with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, hot fudge and nuts.

Both sundaes came with a 3-inch high swirl of whipped cream -- colored green for St. Patrick’s Day -- topped with a cherry and an American flag. (An Irish flag would have been more appropriate, one would think.)

We made a pretty good dent in the sundaes, but there was no way we could eat all of that! Too bad ice cream doesn’t make for good leftovers.

I do regret that we didn’t order the “sidecar” of hot fudge. That would have been awesome.

Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

Orlando

Yes, we’re crazy. We drove three hours to Orlando one day just to go to Universal Studios -- so we could go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Yes, we’re geeks ... we freely admit that.

And when you’re in the world of Harry Potter, there are two drinks you must try -- butterbeer and pumpkin juice. I opted for the latter.

The pumpkin juice came in an appropriate capped bottle. The ingredient list says it is made of apple juice, apricot puree, pumpkin puree and spices. It reminded me of sweet pumpkin cookies, as the spices were heavy on nutmeg and cinnamon.

Katie and Amanda had butterbeer, which was available regular or frozen, in a regular plastic cup or collectible mug. Katie was nice enough to let me taste hers -- it was like drinking butterscotch.

Of course, both of these beverages cost us a pretty penny. It is theme park food, after all.

One thing you can skip is Harry Potter world is the chocolate frog. We bought ours at Honeyduke's sweet shop. They're cute, but don't waste your $10, because the chocolate is horrible.

We had a late lunch at Lombard’s Seafood Grille, on the Universal Studios side of the park. Even at 3 p.m. we had to wait 30 minutes. We were seated next to the fish tank, which is always fun, although you wonder if the fish inside were friends with the fish on your plate. After several hours of walking around and standing in lines, it was nice to sit down in air conditioning for a bit.

The menu wasn’t anything special. I had a steak sandwich, was was heavier on the bread than the steak. Katie’s salad was just average. Amanda’s meal was apparently so average that I can’t remember what it was.

Panera Bread

Boca Raton

www.panerabread.com

Yes, I know this is a chain restaurant. But we don’t have any in Utah. Not a single one! And it is one of my favorite places to eat. Sure, I know the fat content and calories in their salads and sandwiches are sky high, but I honestly don’t care. That bowl of cream of chicken and wild rice soup was worth it.

Legal’s Sea Foods

Boca Raton

www.legalseafoods.com/restaurants/boca-raton-town-center

I thought these were just in Boston, but there was one at the mall in Boca Raton. The menu was very similar to what was available in Boston. I had the lump crab cakes, which were served with a light side salad. Yum.

Living the Cold Life

OK. This blog is about Living the Good Life, but we all know it's not all good.

So, in the interest of balance, I have to discourage you from visiting the Chicago area in the winter.

I was hanging out in Glenview, a Chicago suburb, a couple of weeks ago, and it was right after Snowmageddon, when about two feet of snow got dumped on the area.

About the best I can say about the experience is that these people know how to move snow. If snow like that had fallen in Amarillo, we'd all be stuck in our houses for a week, but in Glenview, the roads were clear and dry, albeit lined on both sides by six-foot mounds of frozen leftovers.

The temperature, though, was another thing all together. While I was there, the high was 14 degrees for most of the week until a heatwave moved through, and it got up to 24.

So, as fun as Chicago can be and has been, I'd say stay away in February.

To me, Livin' the Good Life doesn't involve wearing a big-ass coat, gloves and a scarf and still freezing your butt off.

With that said, if you find yourself in the Chicago suburb of Glenview, here are a few dining suggestions:

Chilean Sea Bass prepared Shang Hai style - steamed with fresh ginger
and scallions, served with sticky rice, spinach and rice wine soy sauce

Mitchells' Fish Market
I didn't realize that Mitchells' was a chain, but don't let that deter you. This ain't no Red Lobster. The upscale restaurants are mostly located in the eastern half of the United States. My friend and co-worker Jeff Robertson and I dined there our last night in Glenview. According to Mitchell's Web site, their menu is printed twice a day to reflect the freshness of their fish.

I felt like going all out, so I started with a half-dozen oysters. I got the mixed plate with three East Coast and three West Coast oysters. While both were good, the East Coast oysters have a milder, cooler taste while the West Coast oysters are little more briny.

I opted for a Titanic Wedge Salad with bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese dressing (leaving off the egg). Wedge salads are my new favorite. Why? I just think it takes a lot of chutzpah to throw a quarter of a head of iceberg lettuce on a plate, sprinkle it with bacon bits and a few cherry tomatoes and call it a salad. Hell, I've been doing that for years. Who knew I was so trendy?

The piéce de résistance, though, was the Chilean Sea Bass. Now, I know what you're thinking, but the menu said their Chilean Sea Bass was certifiably sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, so I laid aside my guilt and ordered it the recommended Shang Hai preparation — steamed with fresh ginger and scallions, served with sticky rice, spinach and rice wine soy sauce.

If you've never had Chilean Sea Bass, you're definitely missing out. It's like no other fish I've ever had. The meat is silky and tender. It's like the tenderloin of fish. Even if you don't like fish, I bet you'll like sea bass. There's absolutely no fishy taste and the texture is divine. It's probably the most expensive fish you'll ever order, but it's worth it.

If you ever get a chance to try Mitchell's, don't pass it by.

RA Sushi

RA Sushi is another chain I'd never heard of. In fact, the idea of a Sushi chain seems sort of strange to me. I'm not sure why. RA Sushi has a creative menu, and is shooting for the hip, LA look. The liquor bar was as big as the sushi bar, so I'm guessing it's a happening place at night, but for a late lunch, it was almost empty.

I ordered the Ra'kin Shrimp Roll, which wasn't bad, but the supposedly tempura-fried shrimp on top of each piece was more like a regularly fried shrimp rather than the lighter batter normally associated with tempura.

The other comment I'll make is a complaint about this trend toward super-sized sushi. In my mind, sushi should be bite-sized. Not only is it easier to pick up with chopsticks, but you can also pop the whole piece in your mouth at once. But like the Happy Meal, Americans seem to be taking a good thing to the extreme. These Ra'kin shrimp rolls were more like three-bite pieces. While it was easy enough eating the shrimp off top, sushi rolls really aren't designed to be bitten into. They don't tend to hold together that well and one of the delightful things about sushi is how all of the flavors come together. Come on America, do we really have to super-size everything we eat?

With that said, RA Sushi was pretty good and would be worth visiting again. The menu has some creative items on it, and I would like to go with a group. It's always more fun to order a bunch of different things and share.

For you Texas readers, there are RA Sushi locations in Plano and Houston.

Johnny's Kitchen & Tap
A staff member at the Pioneer Press office in Glenview recommended that Jeff and I try Johnny's Kitchen & Tap. I was a little wary when the menu stressed that they served "real mashed potatoes." I mean, let's face it, is that really a big deal? Anyway, I chose the Skirt Steak Salad and Jeff picked one of the house specialties — Rotisserie Roasted Pork with pine-nut stuffing, real mashed potatoes, housemade applesauce and natural pork gravy. They only serve it a few days a week. 

There wasn't anything wrong with the food at Johnny's, but it wasn't anything special either. The one highlight was an introduction to a new beer (for me) —  Bell's amber ale, which is brewed in Michigan. Very nice. I need to see if I can find some in Texas.

Gulliver's Pizza and Pub
You can't go to the Chicago area without trying Chicago-style pizza. Gulliver's was located right next to our hotel, which meant we only had to walk 25 yards in the 0-degree weather. That was reason enough to try it out. The pizza was good, but the service was harried. Our waitress usually delivered items to our table from about three feet away, requiring her to hurl them at us rather than set them down gently. 


If you haven't had deep-dish pizza, just a word of warning, order a small. These pizzas are a good 2 inches thick, and it doesn't take much to fill you up.

More Boston eats

A few more places to consider if you're heading to Boston ...

Montien

www.montien-boston.com

This Thai restaurant/sushi bar is right next to an adult bookstore, so it would be easy to keep on walking by (although maybe the location would be a draw for some people). I never would have stopped if someone at the office hadn't recommended it. (The red awning on the far right of the picture, not the place on the corner.)

The place was fairly empty when I arrived, but it filled up fast as there was a show at one of the many theaters in the area.

The menu is extensive, both of Thai food and sushi. The lemongrass chicken and basil chicken were recommended, but I opted for the drunken noodles -- chopped up flat rice noodles sauted with chicken and a lot of veggies. The dish was marked as "hot and spicy" on the menu, but my nice waitress requested it be less spicy for me. The sauce had good flavor but could have used just a bit more of a kick.

I ate half of my dish, leaving plenty for leftovers for lunch the next day. So I ordered the mango sticky rice for dessert. Normally when I've had this dish, the mango has been chopped up and mixed in with the rice. This restaurant serves the two side-by-side. The sticky rice was excellent, but the mango wasn't that great (not quite ripe enough). But it's winter, so I'll cut them some slack on the mango quality.

Tantric

www.tantricgrill.com/home

It looks fancy from the outside, with the heavy decorated doors and a counter in the vestibule, but it's just run-of-the-mill inside. Service is haphazard, and you're not sure who you are leaving a tip for. Sometimes the big screen TVs are on, but there's usually Indian pop music playing.

Food was average, although a bit pricey by my standards. The night I was there, it seemed the staff was more concerned about making space for the belly dancers than serving the customers.

The lunch buffet is a bit more reasonably priced. And the selection is good -- fresh naan, veggie patties, soup, rice, two or thee vegetarian dishes, thee meat dishes and two desserts (anyone else had those dough balls in the sugar syrup? yum!). Plus you get some sort of crispy crepe stuffed with potato.

Purple Shamrock

www.irishconnection.com/index.php?id=46

Just ate here once, and it's only worth mentioning because it's in the same row of restaurants as Union Oyster House down in the Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall area. It's a old bar, with a bar menu. We ordered lobsters, and although the price was right, the lobster was so-so. I'd never ordered a whole lobster before, and I fought with that *&%#$@ thing to get all the meat out.

Rock Bottom Brewery

www.rockbottom.com

Yes, this is a chain, but not one we have in Utah. I've been to these elsewhere in the country, so it was nice to see one just down the block from the hotel. The Asian chicken wrap small plate appetizer hit the spot one night when I didn't want a heavy meal. I've had the Italian burger (with turkey burger) a few times. Side choices are fries or homemade malt potato chips, the quality of which varies. I opt for a side salad.

TD Garden concession stand

www.tdbanknorthgarden.com

Ate at the Garden when co-worker Katie and I went to a Celtics game. Sausage with peppers and onion. Pretty darn good, although a tad hard to eat in the stands. Lots of beer stands, for those who want a brew with their basketball (or hockey or concert or other event). There was even a stand where you could get a shot of hard liquor. Not sure why you'd need a tequila shot to watch basketball ...

A Friday evening giggle

I'll have more about eating in Boston later, but thought I'd make a short post on a Friday afternoon to start your weekend off with a giggle.

Just how durty is she?

One week I was in Boston, my co-worker Julie was also there. So after work, we'd go wander the city for a few hours and have dinner. We passed Durty Nellie's pub one night when we were in the wharf area. We should have gone in. (The tents are for the market that was the next day.)

I wonder if this is what fish really think

I used the T a lot of Boston, especially when I stayed a weekend and explored the city. As I was leaving a green line station at Boston Common after a 4+-hour visit to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (a MUST if you're visiting the city), I saw this billboard. Too funny to pass up taking a picture!

Where everybody knows your name

Yes, there is an actual Cheers bar in Boston. This is the one they used for the exterior shots. I wanted to eat there, but a look at the menu told me it was all overpriced bar food. So I passed. Spent my money on a T-shirt.