(Photo by South Florida Dines)
Join us for Happy Hour in Juno Beach. We will be visiting Juno Beach Fish House, a favorite neighborhood seafood restaurant located just one block from the Atlantic Ocean. Owned by Culinary Institute of America graduate, Glenn Cockburn, Juno Beach Fish House features a fresh, local seafood menu with a Floribbean flair. Expect friendly service, fresh ingredients and generous portions at this recently renovated casual, yet elegant restaurant.
For anyone that is planning on staying for dinner, South Florida Dines is selling $30 gift certificates for $15.
When: Wednesday, September 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Juno Beach Fish House, 13980 US Highway One, Juno Beach
Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door and is free for paid Dine Club members with an advance RSVP to info@dinemag.net.
Cost includes 1 drink (TBD) and a selection of complimentary hors d'oeuvres. More details to be posted soon.
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For a luscious ending to your day, it's time to curl up on your couch with a bowl of frozen deliciousness. You've had so many products made with artificial ingredients, that you've forgotten wbat your favorite frozen treats are really supposed to taste like until you discover Talenti Gelato. This Texas-based company makes everything from scratch, using only the finest ingredients available. From the freshly pasteurized milk to fresh whole Tahitian vanilla beans straight from to New Guinea to real chocolate imported from Belgium, you can expect nothing less than the best -- and this comes to play when you are indulging in this creamy treat spoonful by spoonful.
Talenti Gelato is available in many flavors, both Gelato and Sorbetto. Each individual flavor is sold in a sleek pint-size, reusable container. The gelato was easy to scoop out as soon as it came out of the freezer, and held the desired consistency that one would hope for. The flavors were clean and fresh -- and you knew you were eating something that was good for you. While we quickly ate up the Double Dark Chocolate dotted with pieces of Belgian Chocolate and the Sicilian Pistachio blended with roasted pistachios and pistachio butter, our favorite was the Mediterranean Mint. Forget ever going back to your childhood flavor of Mint Chocolate Chip. Mediterranean Mint is made with fresh mint leaves, giving it a distinct, clean flavor. It reminded us that this green scoop we grew up with was actually supposed to taste like -- um, real mint -- something you often forget about. Specks of bittersweet chocolate pieces added a nice balance to every spoonful.
Talenti also offers a selection of exotic Sorbetto flavors, but we'll stick with the gelato. All are available at select supermarkets or can be ordered online. Prices vary from location to location, but usually cost between $4.99 - $5.99 for a pint.
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Asian barbecue brings to mind smoky Korea Town restaurants and youthful forays to Benihana but leave it to the folks at Fatty Crab to reinvent the style. At Fatty ‘Cue, their newest outpost in Brooklyn, they have combined refined Asian flavors with down-home American barbecue. The result is culinary brilliance.
Tucked into a side street in Williamsburg, the outside is reminiscent of a PBR swilling dive bar. Entering into the front room your initial impression is confirmed with hipsters downing their “Recession Special” – a shot of whiskey, a shot of pickle juice and, yes, a PBR tallboy. A narrow hallway in the back leads into a brick multi-story room with wooden tables and crowned with a pig chandelier. For those with al fresco dining inclinations, there is an inviting outdoor deck as well.
Tempting though a tallboy might be, we went straight for the cocktail menu and found some gems. The South 6th, made of cucumber, Thai basil, lemon, ginger ale and either gin or vodka (our choice), is a refreshingly tart summer treat. The Stone Julep, a traditional mint julep made with peach, apricot and nectarine, turned out to be a perfect accompaniment to Fatty ‘Cue’s smoky fare. Yes, we consumed more than one of each.
We were delighted to see the whole pig special on the menu but joy turned to woe when our adorable waiter informed us they were out of it – and it was only 6:30. Our quest for pork continued on the “snacks” portion of the menu with the ‘cue coriander bacon served with a steamed yellow curry custard. The bacon was juicy with just the right amount of smoke but the yellow curry custard was worthy of a star turn in itself – rich yet delicate with a curry kick.
Ribs are a must at any barbecue spot and we found them in the "specialties" section of the menu. Meaty, tender, heritage pork ribs are cooked in a smoked fish and palm syrup. My dining companion, noted for her delicate use of a fork in almost all situations, sucked those ribs dry.
Having suffered at the hands of my mother’s sad attempts at a Passover brisket, I generally shy away from the stuff but took a chance here. Moist and smoky, it is served with chili jam, aioli, and red onion. Wrapped in bao, an Asian steamed bread (think steamed buns at a dim sum place) and dipped in bone broth it is a heavenly variation on a french dip. Order more bao. Trust me, you want it.
The dessert menu is fairly limited and we opted for the pie of the day because who could resist a smores pie? Topped with cream, it was worth every calorie. A warning to all of you caffeine addicts: Fatty ‘Cue doesn’t serve coffee so don’t get too excited about an after dinner espresso.
Fatty ‘Cue brings food as it is prepared so this might not be the place if you are looking for a formal dining experience (as if the décor and finger-friendly food weren’t enough hints). In spite of this, I found the service to be fantastic. So often, restaurants with hipster cred tend to hire ultra-cool servers – too cool to actually serve. Not to cast aspersions on my servers’ hip quotient, but the wait staff was genuinely nice. They checked on our table on a regular basis and kept us updated on the status of the food.
The only real downside is that Fatty ‘Cue doesn’t take reservations. So, if you don’t want to stand around pounding tallboys for a couple of hours, get there early.
Fatty ‘Cue
91 South 6th Street, Brooklyn
718-599-3090
Open: Sunday – Wednesday 5PM – Midnight
Thursday – Saturday 5PM- 4 AM (Kitchen closes at 2)
Brunch Saturday and Sunday noon- 4PM
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