PAUL Bakery
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Fogo de Chao
What's better than a delicious juicy steak?... Well.. UNLIMITED amounts of that steak.. right? (at least for meat lovers like myself that holds true)...
This weekend we ate at "Fogo de Chao", a quite famous Brazilian Steakhouse located in the heart of Miami Beach... our experience was quite fabulous...
Our reservation was set for 8pm and our table was promptly ready and set up. The place was packed since the Miami Spice festival is happening until Sept. 30th, so the atmosphere was quite pleasant and entertaining. There is valet parking right at the door, which goes for $10+ tip, good service.
The salad bar was great, they offer a great selection of vegetable, cold cuts and fancy cheeses, which are a great way to start off the meal... I thought the salad bar was missing a choice of soup, but I guess nobody will die without it...
Then comes the meat.. oh my! what an awesome selection of meat cuts.. they offer multiple options including filet mignon, garlic steak, sausage, churrasco, chicken and of course the most famous Brazilian cut, the succulent Picanha.. wow... all juicy and well seasoned...all the meat is accompanied with delicious mashed potatoes, bananas and Brazilian polenta.
To top if off, the menu also offers a delicious variety of desserts, drinks and top wines...
On the down side, I felt a little overwhelmed with the "meat guys" walking around so fast and I also thought some of the meat cuts were a little salty for my taste...for that I'm only giving this place 4.5 out of 5 stars... Although I strongly recommend this place to any meat lover, it isn't "perfect" just yet!
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Miramar Aquatic Center
As a mother I am often looking for places to take my girls to and activities to do with them. It is so hard to find a safe, clean environment for children so when I find one, I like to share the information with my fellow moms..
The Miramar Aquatic Center is a great place for toddlers and moms. It features a water playground that is open to the public. The pool is shallow and the slides are safe; they are designed for kids 50" and under.
There are lifeguards around continuously so it is safe for the children. There are umbrellas where adults can sit in the shadow while the kids play around. The restrooms are clean and they have full showers available as well.
It costs $10 for children and $7 for adults (for Broward county residents).. Non-county resident prices are slightly higher...
The only downside of this place is that it doesn't offer food for purchase, so if you go, make sure you bring your own snacks, drinks...
For more information visit: http://www.ci.miramar.fl.us/Communityservices/pool.html
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"Kukaramakara" is a Latin night club located in downtown Miami (1250 S. Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33130); it features a live band which plays Latin music and it a great bar with an awesome list of drinks; the atmosphere is quite pleasant and the entertainment is top notch...
On the down side, I thought it was extremely packed as they apparently let way too many people in...the bouncer at the door was less than nice and it felt like his behavior was discriminatory (I guess all club bouncers are like that); he was very rude and definitely needed to get off his high horse...
At times, it felt like the music was too loud and the service at the bar was less than great..
Drink prices were on the high side but the cover fee was decent ($10, which we didn't pay)...
I believe this place has potential but the employees (starting from the bouncer) need to be retrained and encouraged to treat people nicely....It's a great place to go out to dance, but make sure you arrive there before 11:30pm, otherwise, you'll be waiting at the door for a while with no hopes to get in!
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Chick-fil-A
This time I will be reviewing one of my favorite fast food places and a very famous American franchise. My review is specific to the "Chick-fil-A" located in Miramar (3211 SW 160th Ave, Miramar, FL). What an awesome place for fast food; this restaurant is such a great idea for an early dinner for kids. The food is the most awesome fast-food there is possible and the service makes it so much better.
I went there with a couple of friends and our kids (a total of 7 kids) and the experience was great. Their food is real chicken and they offer several healthy options such as salads, yogurts, orange juice among others. Their facility is clean and has a nice playground area for the children to play, while the moms sit down and relax. Their employees were constantly showing concern for us, offering us hand towels, mints and even drink refills brought to our table. The kids had a blast and we had such a wonderful time.
I strongly recommend this place to any mom, who has kids between the ages of 1 and 6. Great option for good fast food.
The place also offers free WiFi and the option of online ordering. It doesn't get much better! ;)
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Kid's Hub Cafe
Kid's Hub is an indoor play cafe located in the city of Sunrise (13055 W Sunrise Blvd). It was first opened in January 2011 and it is such a great place for children, ages 6 months to 12 years old.
Kid's Hub is the ideal place to relax and enjoy some good food, while your kids run around and enjoy themselves. It has several "stations/areas", where children can do various activities; from art work to video games...this place has it all. It also offers a full cafe, which has an amazing menu of wraps, paninis, crepes and homemade gelato. Delicious!
Admission fees aren't crazy and the service is decent. I personally met the owner, Ronald, and he was very caring and seemed genuinely concerned for his customers.
We recently celebrated the girls' birthday party at this place and have no complaints. Everyone was happy and the party came out perfect... just like I had envisioned.
Feel free to visit their website: http://www.kidshubcafe.com/, if you'd like additional information.
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Elevation Burger
I recently visited "Elevation Burger" in Pembroke Pines, which has been open for a few short months. It is located on 15910 Pines Blvd, a great spot for a burger joint.
I willstart by saying that the service is surprisingly pleasant and the people that work there look like they actually enjoy what they're doing, which is always great for a business.
I had an "elevation" burger, which contains two patties, cheese (real cheddar) and whatever else you may want to add. The burger was tasty and it left me wanting more. I did not try their fries, but I know they're fried in canola oil. Their ingredients claim to be organic and I really think they are.
This is a great place to go with your kids. It is very clean and the service is fast and proper.
I usually make a quick stop and grab a chocolate-almond croissant (which is delicious) and go on with my day..
Well.. the other day, my mom and I made the mistake of going to PAUL for lunch.. let's just say it won't happen again!
My mom ordered the Mustard Chicken, which was dry and overly seasoned.. On top of that, she asked the guy what "Scallions" were and he replied "potatoes".. It turns out they're little onions, which my mom is allergic to.. so go figure..
I complained and their reaction was super rude, although they did give me the money back.. The service was "blah" and the food was terrible..
My mom did say she enjoyed the lobster bisque, but also said she's had better....
I will say though, the chocolate-almond croissants are still delicious! I will go back just for that! ;)