There has been a recent drastic increase in food truck popularity in Miami. It seems as if it happened overnight. Now there’s a different food truck meet up going on every night at different locations. And I HATED the whole idea. The food trucks I came across had mediocre food at expensive prices. What the fuck is the point? I thought the appeal of food trucks is awesome cheap food. You ARE trading atmosphere and comfort in opting to eat from a vehicle but being charged restaurant prices. Makes no damn sense! 

This is what I thought (and still do think, for the most part) until I was introduced to pretty much the best food truck ever, Latin House Grill. My boyfriend, a few friends and I went to the Wynwood food truck meet up a few weeks ago. We went in with the plan of getting a few plates from different trucks to comprise our dinner. Our first stop was Latin House Grill, or LHG, because one of our friends LOVED the food. With every event or stop, LHG offers a variety of different items. What I have seen from stalking them on FB is that their staple items include muffin tops (1/4 pound mini burgers), flattons (a flatbread type of sandwich of either chicken, rib eye or shrimp) and masitas (which I haven’t tried but from the tiny photo, it looks like a shit load of stuff on top of a tortilla).

That night, they were offering a combo of a muffin top, flatton jr., nachos and a drink….for $12! My boyfriend and I planned on sharing it and we ate the nachos, ate the flatton jr and it was all good. Once we got to the burger, it was over. We looked at each other with the same thought of ordering another and ended up ordering 3 more muffin tops and their specialty dessert (I’ll get to that later.) 

After that first half of a burger, we decided that we didn’t need to go anywhere else. No other trucks could woo us away. LHG has bumped Oneburger out of its spot of “Best Burger in Miami” for me. The patty is juicy and full of flavor. And a variety of sauces are offered, such as sweet BBQ or mango chutney if you want to spice it up a little. 

On our second trip out to eat at LHG in Wynwood, one of the combos offered was 2 muffin tops, sneaky nachos and a drink for $10! 

LHG also offers an awesome over-the-top dessert, Balls to the Walls. Balls of triple chocolate brownie that is half baked then frozen then dipped in funnel cake batter then fried and finally drizzled with condensed milk. Once I heard the “dipped in funnel cake batter” part, it was a wrap! Those balls were going in my mouth and they were delicious, moist, gluttonous and completely yummy. 

LHG is everything I ever wanted in a food truck. Amazing food at reasonable prices and Michel (the chef), his wife and their employees are SUPER nice! Their friendly, welcoming personalities in conjunction with the food make me an avid follower of this food truck.

You can “like” them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter (@latinhousegrill) to stay up to date with their whereabouts.

Ok. I did it. I gave Gigi another chance. I went with a friend and my boyfriend after finishing a late night of dancing at The Pickle. I had spoken to a few other people after my first visit and was armed with a list of different dishes to try that would hopefully change my low opinion of Gigi.

We ordered the melons, the fried chicken skin and the meatloaf. When the melons arrived, we were all shocked at the amount of fruit on the small plate. Between the three of us, I think we each had a portion of one and a half pieces. There was some spiciness sprinkled on top that added a nice little kick but it would have been nicer if we had more fruit.

We decided to get the fried chicken skin because that is one of the best parts of fried chicken (and we all know how much I love fried chicken!). We received a mountainous heap of this stuff, which made it look pretty unappetizing. After eating a few pieces, it just seemed kind of gross. Since there was so much, it felt like we were eating scraps of other people’s leftovers.

The meatloaf, on the other hand, was AMAZING! So tasty and delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly and the sauce was a great balance. But it definitely was not a dish meant for sharing. Two forkfuls each and it was gone.

I ended my meal with a cute little cone of the daily flavor of ice cream, which was black cherry. My friend Phi told me about their tiny cones so I had to get one and they were only $1! The ice cream was light and flavorful.

My friend got a brownie and a side of ice cream, which was pretty good.

My boyfriend got a rice krispy treat. I feel like rice krispy treats are one of those safe food items that you think,  “Eh, they can’t really fuck it up” like rice or salad. But boy, did they fuck it up. They must have used a box of Rice Krispies from when they first opened because that shit was stale! We complained and my boyfriend got a lemon poppy seed cookie instead. It turned out to be a much better choice.

This second visit to Gigi has made it clearer to me the type of place it is. It isn’t a restaurant made for eating. It is made for snacking. The menu is set up for you to order a variety of plates for sharing but the portions are small so it’s like a tease. Gigi is basically that girl in the neighborhood that will dry hump the shit out of you but won’t let you touch her underneath her clothes. HOWEVER, the meat, like the meatloaf and the pork buns, are GOOD! They are very well done and sauced up to perfection. And the ice cream – yummy. So those are the only things I will order there – pork, beef and ice cream. The Gigi trinity.

I’ve been such a slacker on the blog posts but since my school semester is over so new posts are coming! 

Last month, I went to Morgan’s for brunch. I’ve never quite understood brunch because I will eat breakfast whenever. I’m not restricted by times. I just think brunch was invented as an excuse to make it okay to drink alcohol in the morning time. And nothing is wrong with that!

I started off with some fresh squeezed OJ, which was tasty but of regular quality and kind of expensive. $6 for a glass. Yikes. I tried to ration it out to make it last the entire meal.

I ordered the French toast and it was really good. It came with a side of cinnamon butter, which added a unique touch. The 3 huge slices were enough for my boyfriend and me to share.

I also got a side of maple basted bacon. I love bacon and the sweetness of the maple made it even better. After awhile, it was a little too much but nonetheless, it was still good.

My boyfriend ordered the eggs benedict florentine and I had half of it. I had never eaten this dish before but he said that it was done very well.

Overall, Morgan’s was good food but the pricey menu will keep it from being in my regular rotation of restaurants. The outside patio seating area is awesome on a nice, sunny Miami day. If you want to splurge one day on brunch, then this place is good. And you better order that maple bacon!

I was never a fan of B&B (The Burger & Beer Joint). I had went there when they first opened because everyone was saying how great the burgers were. I did not like. The burgers are overpriced and the one I got was dry and had wilted lettuce and tomatoes on it. And I felt like the fries were trying to hard to be like The Standard’s crack fries…and it wasn’t successful.

BUT my friend Leslie showed me the way. Forget the burgers. It’s all about the mac & cheese at B&B. Prepared au gratin, it’s baked with a nice crunchy top. You can also add extras like bacon, jalapeños or truffle oil.  

I have tried the mac and cheese three ways - 1) with no additions, 2) with bacon and 3) with jalapeños. All three have been soooooooooooooooo good! Everything is better with bacon, so I had no problems with that one. The jalapeño one had a nice kick to it but it could get too much at times. I don’t think I would ever order a plate with both bacon and jalapeños because it would be overwhelming.

I also discovered the mini corn dogs there. Since I don’t like the burgers at B&B, this appetizer is a good alternative and they are so cute!

There are two locations - one on South Beach and one in Brickell. Both are open pretty late but naturally, the SOBE one caters more to the night owls. And be forewarned - if you click on their website, it will take forever to load the “menu” which only features their burgers and doesn’t give you any info on the other food they offer. Their website kind of blows.

A new restaurant, Gigi, opened up in Midtown (on N. Miami Ave and 35th Street) advertising “Noodles…BBQ…Beer” all over their windows. Yes, yes and yes, please. Located on the same block as Bardot, Gigi has a really modern, hip feel with high ceilings and a chill atmosphere. I had heard really good things about the food.

All of the items my boyfriend and I ordered were highly recommended by the hostess, server and all the people who raved to me about how great this place is.

We started off with the roasted pork Gigi buns.

This is what showed up. My first thought, “This isn’t a bun..this is like a taco.” But then I tasted it and it was soooo good. The pork and the sauce were really yummy.

Next was the roasted corn with tofu shmeer. 

It looked nice. But I wasn’t that impressed. The tofu shmeer was supposed to mimic butter - I get that. But did it add anything special? No. The seasoning that was on the corn was a little spicy and a little tasty, though.

For the main dish, we shared the slow braised curry duck leg with coconut risotto.

Eh. It wasn’t spectacular. It was just curry. I felt like the duck was lacking that magical element that makes you want to eat more and more. The coconut risotto wasn’t that great of a match either. I felt as if someone was like, “Coconut is good with curry. It will help with the heat. Let’s do it.” It didn’t really work out.

For dessert, we had the Gigi Bar - Ovaltine dusted on a layer of chocolate Bavarian creme which sits on top of a layer of chocolate rice krispies and chocolate.

It was pretty good but nothing mind blowing. And it was tiny. Like it could be consumed in 3 spoonfuls. 

I really, REALLY wanted to like Gigi. I truly did. The space and decor was cool, they are open really late and the prices aren’t crazy. But the food didn’t convince me. I’m willing to give it another try but I hope it’s worth a second chance.

I feel a little spoiled. I have some of the best places to eat a few steps away from each other. Lemoni has the tastiest paninis, salads and dinner specials. Buena Vista Bistro is a cute little French spot that has the best snapper and crab cakes ever. The owner and chef, Claude, opened up a deli on the corner earlier this year. I would go to the Bistro just to eat desserts sometimes. I’m not a big fan of apple pie but the way Claude prepared it was too good to pass up. Swiss-style with sliced apples on top and a perfect amount of filling, complimented by the perfect crust and a scoop of ice cream. So good.

The Buena Vista Deli is like Cheers but with yummy pastries instead of beer. If you visit often enough, you will definitely feel welcomed in this little neighborhood joint. Claude and his pastry chef, Damian, wake up at the ass crack of dawn to prepare the pastries fresh every day. My favorites are the raspberry tart, mille-feuille, duchess and the croissants. I also LOVE the raspberry jelly. I never was too big on jelly because I hate the consistency but Claude’s jelly is different. Home-made and fruity, not gelatinous. 

The Deli also serves salads, sandwiches and an array of breakfast items. I’ve heard the pate is really yummy too. They are open from 6am-9pm, plenty of time to stop by for a little snack or a full meal.

Yakko-San in North Miami Beach is one of my favorite places to go when I want to treat myself. Yakko-San serves authentic Japanese food so the average sushi-eater probably would not have experienced at least half of the items on the menu before. There are definitely some things on there that made me go “WTF O_o” on my first visit. Most of the menu consist of Japanese “tapas” - little plates that are meant for sharing. 

Now that I am a seasoned visitor, I have my own set of things that I ALWAYS order. The spicy tuna sashimi salad is sooooo good! I can eat this EVERY DAY! The greens are always fresh, the tuna is delicious and the dressing makes me want to die because it’s so yummy. You can also order it without the heat but that’s no fun.

I also order the crispy bok choy. Usually I am not a fan of bok choy however the theory that deep frying everything makes it better proves true with this veggie. 

I recently discovered dried kawahagi, which is trigger fish jerky. Definitely not for everyone but I really love it. My friends that aren’t too into it say it’s too fishy for them. For me, it’s like sweet, crunchy fish jerky. I could see myself inhaling a whole plate of these while watching TV. 

Other items that are really fucking good that I didn’t order on this visit are:

• Black pork belly - soo yummy with a side of rice. The pork is crispy but tender.
• Black pork sausage -  great alternative to the black pork belly. Basically the same meat but in a sausage form. (that’s what she said?)
• Sea bass miso - seriously, it’s like butter. Smooth and delicate flavors.
• Yakiniku steak - Sliced BBQ steak covered in a sweet sauce.

When visiting Yakko-San for the first time, I highly recommend you go with someone who has eaten there before. They know what’s up so you know stuff is good. Whatever you do, don’t order the natto! No matter how good this cute little Asian girl makes it look. (I honestly don’t know how she’s downing it like that…yikes!)

You should obviously know by now that I am a fan of burgers. Nothing beats a fat, juicy patty covered in cheese with caramelized onions, a crisp piece of lettuce, and a tomato slice between a lightly grilled bun. Mmm..just writing that made me hungry. 

My pick for best burger in Miami (for right now, and it has been for quite some time now) is….Drum roll, please… ONE BURGER in the Gables! I was introduced to this burger spot a couple of years ago and since the first bite, it has held its place in my heart for best burger.

I always order the Black Castle, which is just a classic cheeseburger with onions and ketchup (lettuce and tomato added upon request). 

There are a lot of not-so-good aspects about this restaurant, though.

• 99% of the time, the service SUCKS. The last time I went, which was the other day, the service was surprisingly GREAT! But every time before that, it was horrible. There was this one douche bag that worked there and it seemed like he was the ONLY employee! It seemed like he hated his job, his life and you. Rude, mean and an all around unpleasant man. 
• The atmosphere is weird. The restaurant inside is all white with black chairs. The seating is pretty awkward. There are 3 two-tops in the front of the restaurant and the rest of the dining area is this little echo-y room. There is absolutely no vibe, no music. It kind of feels like you’re eating in some sterile, medical or mental institution cafeteria. 
• The decor is odd. They have black and white photos hung up around the place - some on canvas and some just printed out on paper. All of them include the restaurant logo photoshopped into the picture. For example, Homer Simpson standing in front of One Burger, the logo super-imposed on a wall that’s in the middle of a crowded beach…just cheesy.
• The food is served on styrofoam plates. They give you plastic forks. The cups are plastic. They must really hate doing dishes.

HOWEVER, I can look past all of these negative things because the burgers are THAT fucking good! They don’t do anything crazy to them (perhaps sprinkle some crack maybe?) and there’s no outrageous gimmick like selling a 50 pound burger. It’s just good. Period. The burger size isn’t too big but enough to satisfy your appetite. The patty is juicy and flavorful. The fries are pretty good. The prices are average - not super cheap but not insanely expensive. 

Even though I would get horrendous service every time I went before, I would still go back because the food was THAT good. Enough said. Wait, one more thing - I really hope they fired that douche. Ok..now enough said.

Since I only took one photo of the food, here’s a bonus picture of my puppy loving burgers as much as I do.