Mar 24 2012
Guest Blogger: Amazing Happy Hour Bites At CRAVE Coral Gables
Latterly Maria, a preferred food blogger in Miami wrote a spectacular review of CRAVE Restaurant in Coral Gables. Maria visited several places around Coral Gables as she aimed to review their Happy Hours. She generously offered to allow us to re-post it here on our Daily Crave-ing’s Blog.
Here is Maria’s post:
My last journey in my search for dazzling happy hour bites occurred atCrave Restaurantin Coral Gables, found at 4250 Salzedo Street, Suite 1425, at Merrick Park. This place actually offers ‘the king ‘ of all happy hour bites, with an intensive menu of food ranging in price from 4 to 6 bucks, and a variety of dishes from ‘kobe beef tacos ‘ to sushi. It's also a beautiful place, with a wonderful outdoor dining area where you can kick back and enjoy a nice breeze together with a luxuriously decorated interior, housing a ‘wine wall ‘ and glass chandeliers made in an idiosyncratic yet elaborate fashion. You may find an impressive sushi bar inside, cozy ‘chef-tables ‘ for some privacy, and a pleasant event room for social gatherings that seats about 50 folks. I was amazed at the size of this place, and yet it emitted such a warm and inviting ambiance; along with the conscientious client service of Clifton, the Assistant Managing Director, who was always perceivable across the eatery, talking with the patrons.
I looked thru their happy hour specials for both food and drinks and they were phenomenal. Their happy hour runs Monday-Friday from 3pm-7pm and then again from Sunday-Wednesday from 10pm-Close. Not bad. You can actually eat one or two bites, do some shopping, and come back after 10pm for a second round. After browsing through their spread of lager, wine, sake and cocktail specials for 5 greenbacks, I chose theMalibu Peach,a savoury tasting mix of Midori, Malibu, peach puree and soda. It was good; so good that I swished it down rather quickly and obviously, ordered a second. At about that point I should say that their happy hour bites menu was so amazing, that we ordered about 9 different plates. I just couldn't stop. I was craving ‘Crave ‘, what can I say? Therefore I selected my four favourite plates, which were very hard to pick because they were all so mouth-watering, and will talk of those. You’ll just have to come here to try the rest.
First up is thesushi. It's so fresh and mouth-watering that I'd have liked to continue trying different rolls. My favourite was thePhilly Roll. It was masterfully prepared with salmon, cream cheese and sesame seeds. We also added an order ofSalmon Nigiri(two pieces to an order), which was actually priced the same as their regular menu. Loved it!
Next we ordered theMini Burgers,which came with smoked cheddar and caramelized onions with a side of fries. I just can't resist sliders on a menu and these were definitely worth it. The 2 patties that came in the order were thick, and the meat was savory. I thought I would not be in a position to finish them but I couldn't put them down.
My third fave bite was theCeviche Shooterwith Wonton Chips. The pieces of shrimp and fish in the ceviche were very fresh, which was tangy with a bite that actually stood out. I had a tough time-sharing this one. It was right up there with the best ceviches I've had.
Eventually, the 4th dish I may tell you about is theMini Fresh Margherita Pizza.I bit into it, and had to close my eyes to relish the flavor explosion. It was made with Focaccia pizza dough, stove dried tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. The taste that lingered most in my mouth was the blend of mozzarella and fresh basil, which was wonderfully balanced.
Before I finish, I do must confess I couldn't resist ordering a couple of their puddings -Crave Miniatures.They are not on the Happy Hour menu, but at $2.95 a pop, you can’t get it wrong. Carla, our waitress, really gracefully laid the carrousel of delights in front of me, not aware (or perhaps quite aware) that this was my weakness. Hence in spite of being full to capacity, we ordered two to sample: TheFrench Silkand theTiramisu. I believe That I might have entered a Time Continuum while I ate these, because there are seconds in my life I do not recall anything apart from the corrupt taste of these puddings. I seriously recommend you leave some room for them when you come here, and if you don't, just stop breathing and swallow, like I did, because you will regret it if you don't. As a verifiable fact, I am making reservations for dinner the week after next because there is so very much more I'd like to try. For more information, visit Crave online at http://craveamerica.com or call them at 305-444-4595.
I am hoping you have got a opportunity to visit these fantastic happy hours and enjoy their food and drinks. The service was impeccable in all three, and the expedition, one I'll repeat very soon.
– Maria, Guest Blogger from Journeys of the Foodaholic
Follow Maria on Twitter mariasgoodtasteorvisit her blogto follow her food blogging in and around Coral Gables and Miami.
http://Adventuresofthefoodaholic.blogspot.com.
T.J. McLeod is a food lover who loves to find and follow “Crave” Restaurant. In addition to eating out, he likes CRAVE in Coral Gables, events and catering companies which supply the best service to good clients.
