Michael Jordan does more than play basketball

Apparently Michael Jordan likes steak.  I had the "opportunity" to eat at his steakhouse at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut during a soccer convention that I attended for work.  This is not my typical blog post, but it made the cut due to MJ's surprisingly good taste in food.  

My partner had the filet mignon while I went for the ahi tuna steak and roasted brussel sprouts with bacon.  Both good, a far cry from San Francisco's foodie finds, but a job well done.  The best part was that every single item down to the butter was monogramed with his initials.  I suppose his ego had to be boosted post NBA somehow.

Ahi tuna with roasted rice cake

Filet Mignon

Roasted sprouts with bacon.  Amazing!

The Rusty Spoon - Orlando

After spending nearly a week in Florida sampling everything from lobster to sweet plantains, it wasn't until I discovered an innovative restaurant in Orlando that Florida finally earned a place on my culinary map.

My meal at the Rusty Spoon in Orlando was by far the best meal I had in my 3 week trip.  I started with a cucumber martini (best I've ever had) and a spin on deviled eggs with olives and sundried tomatoes.  Rich, creamy, deliciousness.  I followed up with braised lamb and cheesy polenta.  The photo, sadly, does not do the meal justice, but it was the bomb-digg.  I also dabbled with my friend's roasted cornnish hen, sweet potato mash, and roasted brussel sprouts.

All perfect. Lovely company. Worth a trip back :)

Stuffed Eggs - Lake Meadow Eggs Stuffed With tapenade, herbs & Oven Dried Tomatoes 

Braised Lamb and Polenta special

Lake Meadow Cornish Hen - 1/2 a Hen with Smashed Sweet Potatpes, Herbed Brussel Sprouts & Natural Jus

Joe's Stone Crab - Miami

My life is pretty amazing.  In the last month, I’ve been able to travel to Miami, Orlando, New York, Connecticut, Boston, and Sao Paulo for work.  My favorite part is getting to try all the local specialties and discover new restaurants.  Last week, I had the privilege to explore Miami’s culinary offerings.   

My first stop was at the highly recommended Joe’s Stone Crab, so popular that they don’t need to take reservations.  There are probably 500+ seats in the place and not a single one was open.  The wait was over an hour, but after nearly gnawing off my left hand in anticipation I was left wondering – was it worth it? 

The stone crab claws were good, but fresh crab is hard to beat.  The stuffed tomato was awesome.  The key lime pie was tangy amazingness, but overall my socks weren’t knocked off.  It was a nice change compared to my typical seafood-less argie meals, but I wouldn’t be enthused to go back for anything other than the pie.

Bread basket

Stuffed Tomato

Halibut seafood chowder maybe?

The famous crab