Ambiance
Somewhere between a sports bar, tiki bar and a windowless back alley dive bar. The building was divided into two very distinct areas. Outdoor dining was a large tiki bar with fans, loud music, TV’s everywhere, NASCAR banners on the walls and 50 of the local chain smokers. Not being real excited about eating in the smokey outdoor bar we opted for inside dining which I am not sure was any better. No windows, neon beer signs, TV’s, NASCAR banners and Boston sporting memoribilia…ahhhhh….that’s where the New England tie came in!

Menu
Fried, fried and fried. Fried fish, fried clams, fried scallops…I felt like Forrest Gump talking with Bubba!

Service
Lackluster at best.

Food
It tasted pretty good but I was worried that it would slide right through me! Portions were not a problem! I orderd the “Mate’s Platter” which was HUGE! Fried fish, fried scallops, fried shrimp, fried clams but they did offer it with a veggie…french fries and onion rings! My wife ordered the shrimp and scallops in wine sauce. I think she would have rethought that choice if she had to do it over.

Price
Prices at the New England Eatery & Pub are a little high for the Long John Silver type food. We dropped $50 plus a tip ($35 in food and $15 in beer). I think next time we will drive into Melbourne or Indiatlantic next time.

Ambiance
The past few months they have made some changes that make the place really pretty nice. Honestly, I liked the more “pieced together” interior because it reminded more of Mexico. There is plenty of sitting so there is rarely a wait. In the remodel, the owners added a bar and expanded into the space next door.

Menu
La Fogata has a full range of traditional Mexican food that will rival any Mexican restaruant! As you may or may not know, Mexico is a large country and there is a wide diversity of “Mexican Food”. One of the things I love about this place is that it offers a wide range of Mexican dishes that represent the country. One thing to check out are the weekday value menus and various specials.

Service
Everytime I go to La Fogata I get great service!

Food
This is my comfort food! It is truly authentic Mexican food and reminds me of being back in California. The chips and salsa are made fresh…be careful…sometimes the salsa can have a little heat on it! While I have had many items on the menu, my favorites are the carne asada burrito and the chicken tacos. The carne asada is made from a well seasoned skirt steak that is grilled to perfection! My wife loves the seafood items on the menu. Honestly, I haven’t had anything at La Fogata that was less than awesome!

Price
The price is a bit tricky for me to judge. The food is VERY reasonably priced, especially the lunch menu. My problem comes in when they add in the beer! When the salsa is hot, I can’t get out of there for less than $50! *joking* The pricing on the food and drink are very reasonable. I would estimate the average dinner plate runs about $8-$10 and Mexican beers run about $3.50.

Ambiance
The exterior might lead one to believe that Mondo’s is simply anopther little pizza/spaghetti joint but when you walk in…it’s a whole different world! The first thing you notice in the dimmly lit restaurant is the very impressive and elegant book matched, crotch mahogany bar. The walls are paneled and framed mirrors line the wall opposite the bar which adds to the warm yet chic feel.

Menu
Mondo’s menu is very impressive. They offer modern Italian cuisine with an American spin…geeze I am sounding hoity-toity aren’t I…I’m drawing a blank on how to describe itt’s good.

Service
Our waiter, Gus, was great! Very friendly, smiling and attentive. When was the last time your waiter took the time called his Mom to get you a recipe for her mitzthra pasta? That’s service!

Food
Outstanding! I’m not sure but I think I could quite possibly eat nothing else but their bread for the rest of my life and survive nicely! I had the Pasta Pacifico which was shrimp with garlic, basil, wine, tomatoes served over a thick noodle. It was wonderful. My buddy ranted and raved about the ruben sandwich and my wife loved her chicken sandwich.

Price
To be honest the prices were a little high for me. I will say that the pricing is a value for the quality and quantity you receive. For reference, we visited Mondo’s for lunch and my pasta was $14 and my wife’s chicken sandwich was about $10. Not too, too bad.

Ambiance
You have to love walking into a place and everyone working there knows your name. Upon arriving, we were greeted by Johnny (the owner) at the sidewalk and ushered into the bar. Dave (the bartender) handed me a very stout gin and tonic and shook my hand. It’s not a trendy place…no glitz or glamour…it’s dimmly lit, decorated with Asian art and the walls are lined with large comfortable booths. In the center of the space there is a large bar that serves some of the best (strong) drinks in town.

Menu
Sun Hai Tokyo has a GREAT menu! They offer a full range of Chinese food and if you get there before 7 pm Sun Hai offers a great early bird special. It sounds a little strange but not only do they have some of the best Chinese food I have ever tasted…the have THE absolutely best sushi! Over in the back corner of the restaurant there is a great little sushi bar where Johnny employees some of the best sushi chefs around! Some of my favorites are the birthday roll or the spicy crab roll….check them out! If you are with a couple friends you have to try a boat!

Service
We always get great service when we go to Sun Hai! Johnny is a very “hands on” owner. If he’s not taking an order, cooking or showing someone to a table…he’s back in the corner watching the waitstaff to make sure they are giving good service. The bartender, Dave, is also outstanding. He’s always on the ball and serves you with a smile.

Food
I don’t think I have had anything at Sun Hai that I didn’t like! Friday night they had an amazing special that was 1.5 lb Maine Lobster for $21.95. You had a choice of three different ways of having it prepared. Unfortunately, after a couple of Dave’s gin and tonics, I can’t remember what the name of the dish. I’m not good with names but I don’t forget food! The lobster was prepared with water chestnuts, fresh mushrooms, baby corn and a lobster sauce. Absolutely outstanding! My wife had a birthday roll which is always great.

Price
The pricing at Sun Hai is very affordable…especially if you get the early bird menu. The average plate runs $14-$16 and the early bird runs about $10 (full meal). Coupled with the great food and service, it’s a value!

Ambiance:
Actually, the ambiance is pretty nice! Located on the marina, they had a large outdoor dining area on the water. It was a typical beatuiful South Florida spring night.

Menu:
The menu was a little strange. You would expect a “brewery” located on the docks to maybe specialize in seafood but Bare Bones seem to specialize in BBQ…and from the smell of it…do a pretty good job. I guess it’s not too much of a stretch. Side note – they did have several seafood items so I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that they didn’t have anything…they did!

Service:
Well…how to I delicately put this…oh wait this is the Blunt as a Bat Blog…it sucked! I don’t know if she was having an off night or what but it was bad. We waited for nearly 10 minutes for our drink order…at which time we found out that they didn’t have their own beer. The server had the personality of a limp fish…maybe that’s the seafood tie I was looking for? She was obviously put off by us showing up and being seated in her section at 8:45pm. Yes, we were late diners but it seems like in this economy you would want all the customer you can get! I don’t understand. The whole experience was dotted with rolling eyes and spells of inattention.

Food:
For the most part the food was very good. My burger was done perfectly and the thick cut applewood bacon was KILLER! Other than the fact that my wife’s salad was drown in dressing, the food was really pretty good.

Price:
Overall, the prices seemed a little high for what we got. Bacon cheeseburger for $10…is not outrageous but a little on the questionable side.

Ambiance:
The ambiance of the restaurant is really pretty cool. They have a dining patio for outdoor dining, a really nice bar and cool entry featuring some really nice glass tile work. Unfortunately, that was the best part of the experience.

Menu:
Hummm…I don’t remember ever having a tuna fish sandwich at any other Mexican food restaurant. What the hell? A tuna fish sandwich? Aside from some crazy, out of place items on their menu, La Bamba has most of the standards.

Service:
I’m not going to say that our service was bad at all. The waiter was somewhat attentive and did a pretty good job. The food was served fast and he was very quick to fill our drinks.

Food:
Wow…I haven’t had Mexican food like this since I ate in my Springfield, MO, elementary school cafeteria! Actually, I think I would have preferred my cafeteria tacos. I’m not kidding! Bland, lifeless food! I was starving and it was all I could do to choke down my burrito, or burro as they call it…which was very suiting as it tasted like ass!

Pricing:
If I looked at the prices before I ate, I would have said they weren’t that bad. But had I tasted the food first, I would have paid double to have skipped lunch!

Ambiance:
Like I say in my profile, I’m a pretty normal guy…not rich and not poor…so I was a little nervous about going to such an upscale steakhouse. To begin with, we pulled up to the valet and unlike I have seen numerous times here in South Florida, the valet opened the door for my wife before coming around to me. *Ding* 1 Point Ruth’s Chris. The hostess was very pleasant and led us immediately to our table. Unfortunately, the table she selected was a four top in the middle of the restaurant so we discretely mentioned that it was our anniversary and that we would prefer something a little more private. She quickly ushered us back to a, perfectly suited, cozy booth in the back corner. Despite the upscale decor and reputation for being a fine dining restaurant, I didn’t feel out of place. Most of the tables were full yet it wasn’t overly loud, except for the obnoxious guy from New Jersey at the next table who insisted on making racists remarks about some of the waitstaff…I guess that goes to show you there are assholes at every level of society! Overall, the ambiance of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is excellent.

Menu Selection:
It’s a steakhouse. There isn’t a huge selection and I think that is fine. When you go to a place such as Ruth’s Chris, you are going for the steak. They had a modest offering of classic steakhouse dishes and side. Perfect.

Service:
Outstanding is all I can say. Our server’s name was Anne Marie…I only mention her name because she did an incredible job! Anne Marie was knowledgable, pleasant and had impeccible timing…which for those of you who have not waited tables at some point in your life should know, is that timing is the KEY to great service! Anne Marie had it! To our surprise they brought us a complimentary dessert for our anniversary. About four or five days after our visit, we received a thank you card from Anne Marie with a photo she shot of my wife and I celebrating our special day. Nice touch!

Food:
How can you beat a sizzling ribeye cooked to absolute perfection. I am still daydreaming about that steak three weeks later at 8:00 in the morning! The food was outstanding. The salads were fresh, crisp and lightly dressed. The bread was to die for and the wine selection was outstanding! Both of our meals were awesome and I truly mean awesome!

Pricing:
I know this is the part you all have been waiting for! You’re probably saying to yourself, “Sure they had a great time but they probably had to take out a second mortgage!” Not the case. I don’t know how long they are running the special but to our surprise they were running an all inclusive meal (bread, salad, side and entree) for $49.99! Granted, we spent WAY more than $100 because of the bottles of wine (Hey, it was our anniversary!) but I was very impressed with the special they offered! It was well worth the money we spent for a wonderful night that we will remember!