A Modern Twist on American at Southern Swank Kitchen

Yesterday, I brunched at Southern Swank Kitchen*, a modern American joint in South Florida.  The restaurant decor is highly predictable from the establishment’s name… swanky Southern, surprise surprise.  SSK just opened in September 2013, so it’s still a relative newbie in my book.

Okay, enough talk about the history of SSK… let’s talk about the food!  I ordered Chicken & Waffles off the brunch menu.  Chicken thighs FTW!  (Clearly, I’m not a huge fan of white chicken meat.)  The picture on the restaurant’s website made it look so good I thought I’d give it a try.

The white stuff that’s drizzled on top is hibiscus marshmallow sage sauce, or in simpler words, melted marshmallow.  It actually made every bite of the meal rather sweet, which in my book, brought things down a notch.  As much as I tried, I couldn’t seem to get away from it!  Bah…

Not sure what the red sauce on the side is called, but it definitely had a sharp kick.  Maybe it was supposed to counteract the marshmallows?  *shrug*  Either way, I would definitely rate it above the marshmallow-y stuff.

Overall, the meal wasn’t super flavorful — super sweet does not count — so I’d have to rate it an “okay” (3 on a 5-point scale) or maybe a “fine” (4) considering its novelty presentation.  Slightly disappointing, considering the $16 price point, excluding tax and tip.

I do need to give a shout out to the bacon jam though, which was delicious and very flavorful.  It actually contained small, yet noticeable, bits of bacon.  Guess that’s why it’s called bacon jam, right?

Try any interesting food combinations lately?

*Location:
4198 S University Drive
Davie, FL 33328

Craving Modern Colombian? Check Out Bazzura Cafe!

Today I lunched at Bazzura Cafe*, a modern Colombian establishment in Miami, Florida.  Did you know… that “basura” (same pronunciation as “bazzura”) translates to “trash” in Spanish?  The restaurant even had trash can parts hanging up on its walls inside!

Contrary to what one would think from its namesake, the entire Bazzura menu looked pretty tasty — and I don’t actually say that often, so needless to say, I was pretty excited to order and eat!

I decided on the Pollo Bazzura Bowl, which was served with rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, potato sticks, and garlic sauce.  The ingredients were layered in the bowl and the contrasting colors added to overall visual appeal.  Potato sticks weren’t new for me, but potato sticks with rice and lettuce was.  Not a problem though.  I’m ALWAYS up for a culinary adventure.

Anyone drooling yet?

I’m a pretty big fan of garlic in general, so you can probably guess I was super excited for the garlic sauce.  I actually ended up adding more about halfway through the meal.  Of course, I made sure to pop some mint gum into my mouth afterwards before running to my afternoon meetings.

Overall rating of the Pollo Bowl, you ask?  Just fine!  I’d likely eat it again, but probably after I try some other items on the menu!

*Location:
10437 NW 41st Street
Doral, FL 33178