Tag Archives: Deli

October 31, 2011 · 12:52 PM

b-Blue Natural Bar & Deli ****

Armenia 1692

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Palermo SOHO

(+54) 4831.7024

There are an infinite number of cute sidewalk cafes and restuarants in Buenos Aires. There are little vegetarian spots, tea houses, ice cream parlors, and even places strictly devoted to the sale of coffee and chocolates. The task of choosing just which one to spend your afternoon at can be quite overwhelming, especially in the crowded Palermo area. As I was walking to the gym the other day, I passed by at least 18 adorable cafes, each one begging me to abandon my work out plans and indulge in something delicious and homemade. I tried to fight the urge, but finally caved when I passed by bBlue Natural foods. I could see the salads being served in enormous porclain bowls and almost every table had a brightly colored fruit smoothie on it. I couldn’t resist.

I took a seat and ordered the b-Pollo Salad, which is a bed of mixed greens with shredded chicken marinated in honey, soy sauce, and dijon mustard, topped with sundried tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, carmaleized onions, and croutons, and tossed with your choice of dressing (39 pesos). Personally, I like the bBlue house dressing with olive oil, vinegar, blueberries, lemon, honey, and mustard. It adds a sweet fruity flavor to the salad, which is a nice contrast with the sundried tomatoes. So far, this place serves the best salad in Buenos Aires (in my opinion, of course!). The portions are huge and they aren’t stingy with the meats or the cheeses. Also, the ingredients are incredibly fresh and absolutely everything is homemade. Ohh and finally a place that serves a non-mayonnaise dressing!! Major brownie points for that!

Since my first time at bBlue, I have become a regular and I have yet to have a bad meal. Another favorite salad of mine is the b-Deli Salad, which is a bed of baby spinach, lemon-marinated mushrooms, cubes of brie cheese, and toasted almonds, tossed with your choice of dressing (39 pesos) (I like to put the homemade pear dressing on this salad).

In addition to the salads, bBlue also makes incredible gourmet sandwiches!! They have all sorts of spreadable cheeses and aiolis, so the sandwich isn’t dry. My personal favorite so far is the Pollo Sandwich served on French bread with chicken marinated in honey and soy sauce, sliced tomatoes, caramelized onions, portobello mushrooms, melted gruyere cheese, with dijon and mayo (38 pesos). The sandwich is then served with side of incredible herb roasted potatoes and a ramekin of ketchup. The picture really doesn’t do it justice, but imagine a gourmet chicken cheesesteak, and that’s this sandwich.

Ohh, and I almost forgot….the POMEDLADO!!!! It’s like a lemonade, but one hundred times better becasue it is made with grapefruit juice, honey, fresh ginger, and a hint of mint (13 pesos). Seriously? It redefines refreshment.

Gusto Fino Italian Deli & Market ****

Chicken Louie Louie with Chicken Milanese, Portobello Mushrooms, Melted Mozzarella, and Creamy Marsala Sauce

Sadly, I boarded a plane and headed back from Colombia this morning. Of course, being a part of the flight safety watch list (long story—starts with a carry on, ends with a butcher knife and interrogation), I was searched several times, holding up the entire group I traveled with. They unpacked and unfolded every piece of clothing in my luggage twice, and they questioned me relentlessly at customs, while the rest of my friends just walked through with a “welcome back.” It was frustrating, but all the hold ups at the airport gave me time to ponder whether or not I would resume my carb-free 4-hour body diet when I got home. I had been pounding arepas, fruit, and chocolate to the face all weekend and didn’t seem to look any different. I certainly felt different though! I felt alive again—like someone had given me a blood transfusion and injected me with energy and pure life. Carbs are the fuel of my existence and the source of my happiness. I will not go without them ever again!

So the first thing I did when I got back to Miami was go get a delicious fully carb-loaded sandwich.

What does fully carb-loaded mean? It means I got white bread, not wheat. It means I ate both sides of the bread, instead of open face. It means I got breaded and fried chicken on that sandwhich, instead of grilled chicken. Carb on top of carb….two are always better than one!

This sandwich sounds a bit gross and overwhelming, I know. But it was absolutely divine. It is called the Chicken Louie Louie from Gusto Fino Itlaian Deli in Miracle Mile. The Chicken Louie Louie, is a hot sandwich with breaded chicken strips, sautéed onions, Portobello mushrooms, melted mozzarella cheese, and a creamy marsala sauce. Cheers to ending that carb-free diet!

That sandwich was awesome. The creamy marsala sauce (which I had some skepticism about) was incredible. Totally buttery and fattening, but you got to walk into this meal knowing that your going to waste you’re entire days with of calories on one sandwich. The bread that the sandwich was served on was also fabulous, a little thick for my liking, but since I’ve been depriving myself of carbs for so long, I ate it! It’s rare to get such good bread in Miami, so I was most impressed by that. I was also thrilled with the meal because it was served piping hot! I had to wait for the sandwich to cool off before eating it, and I love hot food, so brownie points for that!

My roommate, Ariana ordered the Mario’s Ultimate, which is a cold sandwich served with parma proscuitto, fresh mozzarella cheese, pesto sauce, tomatoes, and arugala salad, topped with olive oil and balsamic glaze. It was tasy, but paled in comparison to the Proscuitto Sandwich from La Sandwicherie. We have gotten so accustomed to our proscuitto sandwiches with their delicious secret sauce, that this one felt lacking without it. She actually took it home and put our stash of secret sauce (we steal a bottle from La Sandwicherie every time we go) on the sandwich and ate it for dinner!

Overall, this place has an enormous menu and you can get an extraordinary amount of food for just $10. There are combo options for soup and a drink for just $1.69 extra. It’s such a great value for your money, and its always refreshing to see a deli joint in Miami!

Bagel Emporium ***

Poppy Seed Bagel Toasted with Cream Cheese

305.666.9519

1238 South Dixie Highway

Coral Gables, Fl 33146

CHECK OUT THE MENU!

My New Year’s Eve can either be considered a huge success or miserable failure, depending on how you look at it. I certainly got my money’s worth at the open bar, but consequently ended up huddled over my garbage can in bed before 2 O’Clock. My roommate, Ariana, and her boyfriend sat at the end of my bed rubbing my feet and coaching me to drink water (great friends, I know). I managed to survive the evening, but felt like death when I woke up in the morning. Naturally, I figured that some food would cure me of all my ailments (head ache, stomach ache, throat ache, ect…)! Since I was still in no shape to drive, Ariana and her boyfriend, Harry, decided to go to breakfast with me (yes, still taking care of me 10 hours later!). We agreed upon Bagel Emporium. As we headed there, I sat in the backseat trying to strike up deals with God. You know, promising I would never drink again if only he would make my headache go away (we’ve all done it at some point or another!). Needless to say, he didn’t take me up on my offer—I think he knows better by now—and so I am writing this post over a nice glass of red wine!

Back to my review though! Bagel Emporium is a college hot spot located on US 1 across from the University of Miami campus. When you live in the dorms freshman year, you go to Charty’s (the campus dining hall) to recap your drunken escapades from the prior evening. When you live off campus, you go to Bagel Emporium (which is now more commonly referred to as just Bagel Emp by girls that feel the need to abbreviate every word in their vocabulary). I would say that about 70% of the diners at Bagel Emporium on any given weekend are UM students; 50% of which are hung-over, 10% which are still drunk, and the other 10% of which are some combination of the two and still in their clothes from the night before. Yes, bagel emporium is one of the few breakfast’s spots where you are guaranteed to see a girl in a mini-dress with 5-inch heels and eyeliner half down her face. And no, she did not just come from church…that micro-mini and those stripper heels are not exactly worship apparel. But, I am not passing judgment, as I have been that girl once or twice–its a writ of passage into womanhood, I think.

Bagel Emporium is so popular because the portions are huge and the prices are cheap (they also have the best bagels in Miami!). Furthermore, it is the only food place in South Florida that reminds me of home because it is like a Jewish Deli crossed with a diner, neither of which exist anywhere else in Miami. I like to start my meal off with a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup, which is prepared with their homemade chicken noodle soup and a singular large matzo ball. It is such comfort food—warm, salty, and delicious. I also oddly enjoy their French Onion Soup, which is not particularly gourmet but successfully satisfies a sodium craving! As my main dish, I usually order the Vegetable Omelet with Broccoli, Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Tomatoes. I also add cheddar cheese to that, and all omelets can be made with egg whites for just a $1 additional charge. Each and every massive omelet is made with 4 eggs and served with your choice of grits or home fries or french fries or sliced tomatoes and toast or bagel or bialy with butter or cream cheese. So for just $7.95, I get a 4-egg omelet with home fries and an everything bagel toasted with cream cheese. It’s such a great value. I don’t really like the home fries very much because they are oily and lacking in flavor, but the bagels are absolutely incredible! Just make sure that you request for your omelet to be cooked well-done because they often undercook them, resulting in runny eggs. Ewe!

I would recommend ordering breakfast at Bagel Emporium, but I have also enjoyed their Greek Salad with Romaine Lettuce, Feta Cheese, Kalamata Olives, Boiled Egg, Cucumber, Pepperoncini, Red Onion, and Tomato. The food is not gourmet, so keep it basic and order diner classics like salads, and reuben sandwiches, and bagels. The Sweet Potato Fries are notably good, and served with a ranch dipping sauce.

Overall, I like Bagel Emporium primarily because it is classic college spot serving massive amounts of food for cheap. I think that Greenstreet in Coconut Grove has a way better omelet (and the most incredible home fries) for a comparable price, and I would recommend it for a more gourmet breakfast seeker. However, Bagel Emporium has a larger menu selection, much better bagels, and larger portions. So it really depends what you’re looking for.