Poutine is a Delicious Mess of a Good Thing

A couple of years ago, while vacationing in Switzerland and active on Facebook, I posted that my desired last meal on earth would have to be the Canadian fave: Poutine. Today, my husband sent me this informative article from USA Today. Having recently returned from Montréal, poutine is fresh on our minds and ON our bellies. The article traces the history of poutine back to Quebec in 1963. For those not familiar with the sensation, poutine is three ingredients: French fries, cheese curds and gravy. Right?

Poutine translates into "mess"

Traceability Certified Genuine Wagyu Beef

So here's an idea for your next dinner party:

During accolades after an exquisite and intimate dining experience Friday at the Island Country Club, the talented Chef Loren presented the birth, lineage and death certificate of Bonta. Bonta was of the Japanese Black breed of cattle, which produces the incredible Wagyu beef we enjoyed during two of the eight courses.

As much as I would like to share every course description with my foodie readers, I'll stick with the Wagyu. For the first beef course, each diner was equipped with a sizzling cast iron pan set upon a hot Himalayan salt block. Guests seared their own Sukiyaki. The dish was complimented with baby onions, a quail egg and Sukiyaki sauce. We all flash-cooked our tiny egg, too. The second beef course was a Wagyu strip loin seared medium rare and served with braised daikon and garlic soy jus. OMG! Amazing and right here in my little town.

Chef Loren was just as impressed as his 14 diners with the top grade bestowed on Bonta's beef: A5, BMS 12, meeting the highest standards for Wagyu beef, as documented on the Certificate of Authenticity.

And in case you were wondering, that is Bonta's rib eye and nose print pictured. I learn something everyday!

Birthday Date Night

We got all dolled up for our celebration dinner at Zuma Japanese Restaurant. A couple of selfies were on order. The restaurant was every bit as good as our first meal at Zuma in NYC.

Upon our return to our room, we were greeted with more birthday wishes: champagne and cake compliments of the JW Marriott on Biscayne Blvd. A good 1/11/19.

January 11, 2019

I've been terribly remiss in keeping current on my travel blog. Even our quick little jaunts are worthy of posting. My long hiatus from the Beechcraft Bonanza is over. We flew to Ponte Vedra on a Santa's flight the week before Christmas and then again on Christmas Day. A beautiful and quick trip to Key West took place in late December with Stephanie and DeWayne.

Today is Bill's birthday. I made a ham and cheese strada for breakfast with a special cake. The butter-pecan Danish kringle with maple glaze would have made Bill's mom proud. Will joined us for the goodies and then we played nine holes before heading to Miami.

A quick ride from Marco and we found ourselves in another world. Friday evening we are celebrating Bill's birthday at Zuma Japanese Restaurant in Miami.

The Greatest City on Earth

This city never gets old! Familiar haunts and new faves made for a fabulous day in Manhattan. We hopped the #4 subway for breakfast at Danny Meyer's Daily Provisions in Union Square. We walked in the cold rain until we had enough. A perfect opportunity to see a matinee. "A Star is Born" worked out with the timing. Great movie. As the city dried out, we walked around the Christmas Market at Bryant Park. A fun annual tradition. Back downtown to Moxy to rest our feet and get ready for Zuma. With no reservations, we were determined to be the first at the 5:30pm opening. As our good luck prevailed, we were treated to a seat at the Chefs table. What an unbelievable two hour dining experience! Blown away with our omakase!