by Miguel Bravo | Sep 20, 2010 | Fort Lauderdale
by Mig
If you see me in the streets, come say hi!
Every blogger fears it, but most refuse to believe it’ll happen to them….and then it hits you like a ton of Riverwalk bricks. I am referring to Blogger’s Despair, the moment when you question whether or not you should keep your web log alive. There are many causes for BD, but in my case, it’s the fact that the FTLC has lost it’s ‘collective’ of writers and the guest writers stockpile of articles has run dry. Some moved on to paid blogging gigs, others retired early, some got bloggers block (another common blogging illness). Fact of the matter is, after 71 posts, I’m the only one left among the founding fathers/mothers. Unfortunately, lots of promising South Florida blogs experience BD and die early deaths; I refuse to let the FTLC go inactive anytime soon.
In the future weeks/months, I plan on:
- finding new guest writers and potential staff members.
- making physical changes to the website to make it easier to navigate and find useful links.
- diversifying the topics of the articles. Specifically, more about local music and dining.
- organizing another party, similar to our highly successful launch party in June.
- starting a guerrilla ad campaign to attract new readers.
- continuing to stay true to the 3 F’s (Fort, Factual, and sometimes Funny)
If you enjoy writing, and would be interested in blogging about greater FTL (pretty much all of Broward County) send me an email at mig@ftlcollective.com .
Find me in the streets and say hi (that’s me in the photo above). Thanks for reading our blog. ¡Viva el FTLC!
by Miguel Bravo | Sep 14, 2010 | Funny
One the nicest areas to go for a walk in Fort Lauderdale is Riverwalk in downtown. A typical stroll down along the New River produces lots of sights: a good view of the skyline, the Jungle Queen, the massive yacht of the owner of the New Orleans Hornets, the Urban Market, Old Fort Lauderdale, the well dressed homeless guy who feeds the stray cats, the Jimmy Buffet crowd at Briny’s, high schoolers filming skateboarding videos at Huizenga Park, the Venice-style gondola, and our tallest building (a condo, go figure). Chances are, most people aren’t staring at the ground while they walk along this visually stimulating area of downtown. Luckily for you, S Jam and myself spent a portion of an afternoon with our eyes glued to the red rectangular slabs of concrete beneath our feet, searching for the best bricks in the city. The signature bricks can be found as far east as the Cheesecake Factory, but we decided to focus on the portion of bricks from The Symphony Condos to the SW 4th Avenue circle. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the bricks are boring and unimaginitive; we did manage to find some a few good ones though, and we’ve included the photos below. If you’re interested in having your own custom brick, buy one online at goriverwalk.com . Prices start at price$50.
by Miguel Bravo | Sep 9, 2010 | Fort Lauderdale
by Mig
Every city has it’s default “dangerous” neighborhood — Liberty City in Miami, Compton in Los Angeles, Harlem in New York City, you get the idea. Fort Lauderdale has Sistrunk. Most people I know haven’t traveled far down NW 6th Street because of the neighborhood’s bad reputation; sadly, this means that they’ve probably missed out on one of the tastiest budget eateries in our city, Betty’s Restaurant and Barbeque. Here’s the breakdown of my experience at Betty’s:
The Entres
I split 2 plates with FTLC blogger Strawberry Jam, so I was able to try to different meats, the fried chicken and the country ham. I preferred the fried chicken over the ham, but both meats were delicious and served in large portions. Although my fried chicken tasting is limited to the Publix deli or fast food chains, I really enjoyed the fact that the skin was less greasy yet exceptionally crispy, and the meat was juicy. The ham was thick and savory. The generous slice of pig reminded me of Thanksgiving dinners with the family.
Side Orders
By no means do I think of myself as a restaurant connoisseur like The Burger Beast or Jeff from Jeff Eats, but I’ve never tasted better side dishes in a Fort Lauderdale restaurant than at Betty’s. The mac and cheese, my favorite of the sides, had the perfect combination of cheese and noodle. The collard greens were full of flavor. The homemade potato salad helped me reminisce of my days in North Carolina. Even the rice with gravy, my least favorite of the sides, hit the spot nicely and was a nice change from my usual black beans and rice. The sweet tea will give you an intense sugar high, but was a must to compliment this kind of meal.
The Dining Area
One of the first things you will notice after you are seated is that the owners have a fondness for Obama and Michael Jackson. In fact, we counted over 30 total pictures of MJ and Obama lining the walls. You’ll also notice the old school diner seating near the front entrance and the vintage juke box that will randomly try to compete with the episode of 106 & Park playing on the TVs. All in all, it has a very unique look, something that many FTL restaurants lack in my opinion.
The Service
The staff was extremely helpful and efficient. When we asked for help choosing between the potato salad and yams, our waitress gave us her honest opinion. When our cups were empty, she quickly asked if we wanted a refill. Before we left, the cashier genuinely wanted to know how we liked the food.
The Price
Unbelievable value for the quality and quantity of the food. I ended up having enough for another dinner the next night. Most dinners run from $8 – $16 and come with 2 sides and cornbread.
Overall
Tastiest sides in town, great atmosphere, large menu, and great price — I’ll be back for sure.
Betty’s is located at 601 NW 22nd Rd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311. Their phone number is 954-583-9121.
Additional notes:
- There’s no quicker way to lose street cred than by calling Betty’s Restaurant and Barbeque by it’s full name. An African-American co-worker and local soul food enthusiast informed me, “black people just call it Betty’s”
- As soon as you pass under I95, going west on Sistrunk from 7th Avenue, you are going to have to veer to the right on a side street (NW 22nd Rd.). It’s easy to miss if you’re driving too fast
by Miguel Bravo | Sep 1, 2010 | Funny
What kind of thought process goes into creating an official nickname or motto? Personally, I would choose something edgy and city-specific (think Austin’s motto “Keep Austin Weird”). Interestingly enough, most of Broward County’s larger municipalities have chosen to go with cliche phrases or ambigious terminology that could apply to a multitude cities (if you don’t already know, you’ll never guess what city is dubbed “the Heart Of Broward County). To help make the work day go a little quicker, the FTL Collective has developed a quiz to test your knowledge of your county’s various alternative monikers and official catchphrases. Based on my research, only 22 of the 31 municipalities have a nickname or motto. Places like the village of Lazy Lake which has a two digit population (38 people lived there in 2000) or Sea Ranch Lakes (yeah, I never heard of it either) have chosen not to describe their city with a slogan or alias.
The game is simple. Match the municipality with it’s nickname or motto. Jot the answers on your own piece of paper (EX: A3, B7, C9, etc) or print out the quiz and check the answers here. If anyone scores a legitimate 100%, I heard Fat Hand will shave FTLC in the side of his head. Good luck.
FTLCollective presents: The Broward Nicknames & Mottos Impossible Matching Quiz…..
by Miguel Bravo | Aug 27, 2010 | Fort Lauderdale
As usual, lots of stuff going on this weekend. Here’s just a few of the many options for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday:
Friday
Fort Lauderdale’s quarterly Christmas, more commonly known as the Bus Loop, is back today. This time the loop focuses on the beach bars. It’s not too late to sign up. Before noon you can prepay on the website, otherwise pay at the check-in spots at Blue Martini or Beach Place courtyard. $20 beforehand, $25 at “the door”.
Afterwards, head to 1921, FTL’s premiere underground music venue, for the Hot Pants Dance Party. If you are unclear of what hot pants are, just think short shorts. Unlike most 1921 parties, there are no bands, but the world famous DJ Mig (me), will be spinning the hottest in electro house remixes, indie, and nu disco. There’s a $5 cover charge, but all proceeds go to help a friend that’s struggling with cancer. The bar is cash only. The club is located at 1921 S Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL. It’s tricky to find, so use this youtube video to find it.
Methodaires bring their brand of old school ska to Poorhouse.
Saturday
Every fourth Saturday of the month, Sea Monster in downtown Ft Lauderdale has an indie dance party known as Revel. Marvelous Kendall spinning indie and alternative music.
Ukele Festival on Ft Lauderdale Beach. The name is self explanatory.
Every fourth Saturday, Fat Village Arts District holds an open house for all the art studios in the area. Complimentary refreshments and wine tasting. It goes down from 7-11pm on Saturday night. It’s located between NW 4th St and NW 6th St.
Sunday
Go for a bike ride at Birch State Park.
