by Strawberry Jam | Feb 4, 2011 | Local Business
By Strawberry Jam
Last week, an impromptu Google search for dinner led me to Sara’s Kosher Restaurant in Hollywood. Having been a vegetarian for four years and growing up in Hollywood, I was pretty surprised to not have heard of the place, especially after the waitress said its been there eighteen or twenty years.
Shish kabob
My inner vegetarian was thrilled to see there is absolutely no meat served (with theexception of fish), even though I do eat it now every once in a while. The multi-page menu offers dishes of every kind including Cuban, Israeli, and Italian- all with meat substitutes. You could say the place is pretty plain-looking, considering how long its been there, and the staff seems to be just as matter-of-fact and upfront as the decor. After looking over the menu for about five or ten minutes, we finally decided on a shish kabob with cup of soup and falafel platter. What tasted like a vinegar-based coleslaw was served on the table, which was fresh and light.
The shish kabob was served with potato chips and a choice between two soups. Inside the shish kabob pita was tahini, Israeli salad (chopped cucumber, tomato, peppers, and onion) and “meat”. I chose the split pea which had bits of carrot and was hearty with a smokey flavor which was nice considering it wasnot ham-based. The falafel platter was served with pita, Israeli salad, tahini, french fries, and sauerkraut. The falafel was crunchy but soft in the middle, and the rest of the sides were probably what you’d expect from a place like this.
Falafel platter
All in all, nothing to really blow you out of the water, but an awesome place to know if you are vegetarian or veg-friendly. This is the place to go when you’re craving a meaty dish but you don’t eat meat, and more than likely they’ve got what you’re looking for.
My recommendations for the real deal: Sub the shish kabob for a gyro at Sahara on Hollywood Beach, and get your falafel platter at Exotic Bites off Harrison Street in Downtown Hollywood.
by Strawberry Jam | Jan 27, 2011 | Fort Lauderdale
This weekend is jam packed with goodness. Here are just a few of the happenings around town:
Friday
The second Critical Mass bike ride for Ft Lauderdale will begin at 6pm at both Brew locations (Himmarshee and Vic Park). Click the link for more info and the route. Show your support so we can make this a regular thing.
Take your pick between NOFX and Bouncing Souls at Revolution (Doors at 7pm, $24) and Tokyo Police Club at Culture Room (Doors at 8pm, $14.99).
Saturday
Art Heart is having an event at Pompano City Center. Check out art from over 20 artists and music by DJs Andie Sweetswirl and Sensitive Side. Bring craft supplies (crayons, pencils, rulers, pads of paper) to donate to Los Colores, an organization that’s committed to providing art supplies to needy children in Greater FTL.
The 6th Annual Dania Beach Antique festival will take place from Friday night through Sunday and feature art, crafts, and live music.
Vatican Splendors at the Ft Lauderdale Museum of Art is opening. Mom points, anyone?
Dan Marino’s Walk About Autism is happening at Sun Life Stadium from 10am to 2pm. Click the link above to register or support someone who will be walking.
Watch the “legends” play at Joe DiMaggio’s Legends Game at Ft Lauderdale Stadium.
Sunday
Go outside! There’s no football on TV.
by Strawberry Jam | Jan 24, 2011 | News
By Strawberry Jam
After decades of tug-of-war over how to redevelop quaint Hollywood Beach and increase revenue, the city has decided to sign a 99-year lease to a Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville complex. The project, which will cost an estimated $130 million, will supposedly be funded by foreign investors in exchange for a green card– what?!
It may be somewhat understandable that some sort of revamping is necessary for Hollywood Beach, especially if business owners feel so, but Margaritaville, really? People drive from near and far to this beach for its old school feel and to enjoy a $1.50 soft-serve while checking out the Canadians. 349 hotel rooms, 35,000 feet of convention space, a wave pool, restaurants, an entertainment venue, a new parking garage, marina and beach cabanas just don’t seem to add up with that equation. I don’t think I’m going overboard when I say that the majority of this beach’s visitors come for reasonably priced food and drink, relaxation, and, gasp!, the beach.
City officials and others have long argued that HWB needs to be more like Ft Lauderdale Beach or South Beach but wouldn’t it make sense that if that’s what consumers were after they would be exactly there- Ft Lauderdale or Miami? Who decides this stuff? I hereby solemnly swear to never step foot in Margaritaville. Read these Miami Herald comments and you’ll find I’m not the only one who feels this way. To reiterate my own thought… “If other hotels on the beach are called “eyesores” and The Hollywood Beach Hotel is a “sleepy white elephant” what would you call a giant concrete building with parking garage and restaurants, a screaming rhinoceros? If this is going to be a trend in development this is going to contribute to the downfall of this beach’s charm and drive the people that currently flock to it away. What’s so great about a chain? What’s so great about bigger and better? That mentality and the popular belief “go big or go home” are the reason why the country is the way it is now. In a time when things get worse and worse and people are losing their jobs I think people genuinely enjoy places that still remind them of better days.”
At least we can breathe a sigh of relief that the Bandshell remains safe… for now.
by Strawberry Jam | Jan 17, 2011 | Music
By Strawberry Jam
By now, most people have heard a thing or two about chillwave. Its signature lo-fi sound and dreamy melodies has spawned many haters but equally as many lovers. The genre caught on like wildfire in 2009, igniting a plethora of do-it-yourself bands and fans all over the country, and is still around today. Artists fed off each other by sharing techniques, and even covering and remixing each other’s songs. For those who enjoyed it, the summery sound was the perfect background for hot days and the steamy, dark night.
On top of musicians already struggling to provide an entertaining show of a man and his laptop, critics complained that anyone could make music on a computer. These challenges prompted acts such as Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, and Coral Springs’ Millionyoung to make some changes. South Carolina’s Toro y Moi has since added members to his live performances, and now Millionyoung tours with a band. But why? Why the shift instead of pleasing your fans?
One of the hallmarks of the sound of chillwave is the sense of nostalgia it evokes. Despite the fact that it is (or was) entirely made digitally, its sound is very much analog. The feeling like you’re listening to something old and grainy takes you back and kind of away from reality. Throwing a band into the mix seems somewhat counterintuitive.
Though he’s had a couple dozen other songs and remixes, Millionyoung’s first full-length, Replicants, dropped last week. It features actually recorded instruments with a slightly different style, which seems to be less lyrics and less energy. Below are two songs, pre- and post- “band”. You be the judge: would you prefer your own personal shower of glittery nostalgia, or a full band with a more polished sound?
Millionyoung – Hammock (from The Sundreamm EP, 2010. Download for FREE on millionyoung.com)
Millionyoung – Gravity Feels (from Replicants, 2011)
by Strawberry Jam | Jan 9, 2011 | Local Business
Find out where you can get this delicious dessert after the jump.
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