A Great New Mexican Restaurant in Wellington

Casa Tequila Mexican Cuisine is a new restaurant in Wellington, FL. I went there the other day with some friends, including a three-year-old child. I was really pleased with everything about the restaurant, and will definitely be back.

The décor is lovely, with enough flare to let you know you are in a Mexican restaurant but not enough to be tacky. There is a lovely patio for outdoor dining and a full bar. The atmosphere makes Casa Tequila appropriate for any occasion from a family meal to a first date.

The wait staff was friendly and attentive.

The menu is extensive and reasonably priced. My three-year-old friend enjoyed the child’s menu, complete with crayons. She was able to point to a picture of what she wanted and order for herself.

The thing about Mexican food is this. Great Mexican food is great. Bad Mexican food is horrible. My dining companions and I all agreed – Casa Tequila Mexican Cuisine serves great Mexican food. Everything was fresh, flavorful and exquisitely prepared. Even the standard rice and beans were remarkable.

Le Petit Cafe of Dania Beach

Someone once said Florida was little more than strip malls and palm trees. On the outside, the strip malls seem remarkably similar. It is easy to forget where you are because everything looks the same.

The truth is that many of these generic-looking strip malls contain absolutely unique restaurants. My friend and I just discovered Le Petite Café of Dania Beach. Le Petite is a French restaurant with a menu that includes crepes and other French specialties. It is a bit pricey, but we thought it was well worth it.

Once inside Le Petite we forgot we were in a strip mall. Each table was decorated with fresh flowers. French music played in the background. Most of the other diners were speaking French.

Our meal included a choice of soup, salad or fresh fruit. My friend had the salad, which came with a special dressing that we both liked, but neither of us could identify. The dressing was creamy and tangy. It turns out it was a mustard vinaigrette that had been whipped to a creamy consistency.

I had a delicious potato and leek soup.

Our entrees arrived on large square plates. We were each served peas, carrots and potatoes. I enjoyed duckling with orange sauce, topped with peach slices. My friend chose the steak with pepper sauce.

For the more adventurous, or the more traditional, there were snails and frog legs on the menu.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Although we weren't really still hungry we decided we would be remiss if we did not end the meal with a light, creamy chocolate mousse.

If you enjoy French food or want a change from the ordinary and don't mind spending a bit of money for a nice meal, Le Petit Café is a truly enjoyable experience.

EatPeruvian Restaurant: Some Things are Worth the Wait

EatPeruvian
3210 Lantana Rd
Lake Worth, FL

This past weekend I had business in Palm Beach County and needed a quick meal. We saw EatPeruvian restaurant on Lantana Road and decided to give it a try.

EatPeruvian is an easy-to-miss storefront in a seedy strip mall across from the local airport. Despite its unfortunate surroundings it had a wonderful glow about it, and the aroma wafting into the parking lot was irresistible.

The menu at EatPeruvian is extensive. I ordered a chicken dish, my friend ordered beef. I was in a hurry to get  to my engagement or I would have tried something more adventurous, like the seafood.

Our food was beautifully presented and delicious. The problem was that service was incredibly slow. We were only one of three tables in the restaurant and it still took more than half an hour to get us our food!

The atmosphere was lovely - if I hadn't been on a time schedule I would have enjoyed a glass of wine and waited patiently.

I recommend EatPeruvian highly, as long as you have the time to enjoy a luxurious meal. The prices are reasonable and the food is fantastic!

Hop Won Dinner Club

Hop Won Dinner Club and Skinny Bar
4825 SW 148th Ave
Davie, FL 33330

It had been a long time since a restaurant meal delighted me. That's a shame, too, because I really enjoy dining out.
 

The other night my friend and I went to the newly refurbished Hop Won in Davie. Davie is a nice little town filled with equestrians, churches, parks and tropical plant nurseries. We have a Waffle House and an Outback. It's not really a place where you might expect a place like Hop Won.
 

Hop Won is tucked into a plaza with a Publix, a Subway and a few other shops. The first think you notice when you walk in is the décor. Red, black, pink and white are the colors. They work together to create an atmosphere that feels chic, upscale and casual all at the same time. The bossa nova style music playing and the fun selections at the "Skinny Bar" lightened my mood immediately.
 

Hop Won calls itself a "Dinner Club and Skinny Bar." If every about it weren't perfect that would sound pretentious.
 

The menu at Hop Won boasts authentic Chinese food, Chinese American food and some interesting fusion. The skinny cocktails include a Cucumber Martini and a Cosmo with half the calories of a traditional Cosmopolitan.
 

My friend ordered the Churrasco Steak and I had the Singapore Noodles with Spicy Shrimp. The food was presented beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked.
 

The service at Hop Won was friendly and fast. The prices were easy on the wallet. We'll definitely be back.

Great Hibachi at Japan Inn

I was so happy when my friend told me she wanted to take the drive from northern Palm Beach County to my new home in Broward County to take me out to dinner for my birthday. Now all we had to do was find a great place to eat. I'm new in town and haven't had a chance to try out the local eateries.

My friend wanted me to choose something I love but haven't had in a long time. After some deliberation, we settled on Japanese hibachi, or teppanyaki. She found Japan Inn's two locations on line; we decided to meet at the one in Plantation.

The great thing about good friends is that it doesn’t matter where you go or what you do; you always have a great time in good company. But good company at a good restaurant is hard to beat, and that is exactly what we had at Japan Inn.

Of course, the anxiety of hibachi is this. Will we have good table neighbors? Hibachi is often advertised as "dinner and a show," but it is always best if you share it with fun people. On this particular night we got the best table ever. Our table mates were two young couples who cheered for everything as it went on the grill (even the butter) and asked us to do a sake bomb with them. Now, I don't care for either beer or sake, but the sake bomb was crazy fun!

Our chef was terrific, and the food was wonderful. Everything was fresh and plentiful. The service was good, and the atmosphere managed to be both urban chic and relaxed at the same time. I've enjoyed a number of hibachi restaurants up and down the East Coast; Japan Inn is one of the best.