Tutto Pasta and Zucchero, Miami, Florida

A few years ago, I was nominated for the Godmother of Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas.  I made the top one hundred finalists and, as such, was invited to Miami to sail with the other finalists on the relaunch of the Majesty of the Seas after their dry dock and refurbishment.  I was allowed to bring a guest so I invited my dear friend and forensic nurse colleague, Sherry Arndt.  I took an overnight flight from San Francisco but Sherry wasn't due to arrive until evening.  I was ravenous so my hotel recommended a litttle place about a block from them - Tutto Pasta.  Little did I know, that restaurant would become one of the top favorites of my lifetime and its owner and chef, Joao Carlos Oliveira - who most people call, Juca, would become a friend!

I walked over from the hotel and found myself in a rather crowded restaurant that had both outdoor dining and inside tables, plus counter seats that looked onto the open kitchen where several cooks were busy preparing meals for their patrons.  The menu was quite extensive, with all sorts of temptation and I was told that Tutto Pizza, next door, also belonged to Chef Juca
I was waited on by a very charming young man, Christian Escuti, from Latin America who knew
everything about the menu and was well informed on the many wine choices.

While Tutto Pasta is basically an Italian restaurant, Juca, who is from Brazil, adds his own special touch to the dishes.  They are unique and tantalizing.  Tutto Pasta began delighting visitors in 1994 and the Miami Herald named this restaurant one of the best in Dade County. On my first visit, I was so impressed at lunch, I brought my friend, Sherry, back for dinner and I
ordered the exact same meal!!  Tutto's passion fruit mousse is to die for ( I had two at lunch that 
first day )!  


When Chef Juca saw me back that same evening, he came over to say hello.  Sherry and I were delighted when a complimentary focaccia di capra - a focaccia with truffle oil and goat cheese -
joined the parade of other fabulous food we ate that evening.

The wonderful facaccia di capra - with truffle oil and goat cheese

Mozzarrella with tomatoes,  and basil

Facaccia Salad

Arugula, goat cheese, and figs - my favorite salad on the menu - I have it every time I eat

at Tutto Pasta

Ever since I visited Argentina and went to Mendoza in the Andes, where they grow the grapes

for Malbec wines, they have been one of my favorite reds.  This Pascual Toso was 

wonderful and I had two bottles in one day!  My friend, Sherry, arrived to help me with the second one!

Rare ahi with shrimp, scallops, arugula and mango salsa

With wonderful waiter, Christian Escuti, during one of my early visits to Tutto Pasta

Lamb chops with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables

My favorite dessert, passionfruit mousse - I have been known to eat two at a meal!

Passionfruit mousse on my November 2009 trip to Tutto Pasta

Sherry Arndt and me with Chef Joao  ( Juca ) Carlos Oliveira on our first trip to Tutto Pasta

The great guys behind the dishes 

November 2009 visit - Gabriel, who is managing Tutto Pasta since Chef Juca has opened

Zucchero, his new restaurant  - and my favorite waiter, Christian

Whenever a cruise brought me to Florida, I would fly into Miami so I could eat at Tutto Pasta, even if it meant renting a car and driving the 220 miles to sail out of Port Canaveral!

Just this past month, I was invited by Royal Caribbean to sail for the weekend on their new mega ship the Oasis of the Seas, complimentary, in a balcony cabin, and I was allowed to bring one guest with me.  I invited a forensic nurse friend from San Diego.  We were due to sail on Friday, November 20th but I flew into Ft. Lauderdale on Wed, November 18th, rented a car and headed to Miami.  After checking into the Hyatt Regency, I went immediately to Tutto Pasta.  It had been an entire YEAR since I had last been there.  Much to my delight, my favorite waiter, Christian Escuti was on duty and I was warmly greeted by him and other staff.  I had a wonderful dinner and heard the news that Chef Juca had opened a new restaurant, Zucchero, not very far from

Tutto Pasta.  Someone called to let him know I was in town and would be there for dinner the following night.

I checked out of the Hyatt at noon on Thursday, stopped by Tutto Pasta for lunch and drove to

Ft. Lauderdale to meet my friend, Claire Nelli, at our hotel there.  After a brief rest, we were on 

the road to Miami again.  

We arrived  at Zucchero and were quite impressed with the new restaurant.  Since Juca was busy cooking, we chose to sit at the counter rather than dining at a table.  It was the perfect spot to get a look at the procession of fabulous dishes.  The aromas emanating from the stove were

heavenly.

Zucchero Restaurant, Miami, Florida

Zucchini flower stuffed with cheeses

Zucchero chefs at work - Angelo, left and Juca, right

Wonderful appetizers

Linguini pasta with shrimp and mussels

Outstanding staff at Zuchero

Kobe beef meatballs

Chef/owner Joao Carlos Oliveira - Juca - 

of Tutto Pizza, Tutto Pasta, Zucchero, and Tutto Pasta Factory

Interior of Zucchero's

Insalata di rucula

Gnocchi di papate verdi, cannelloni with crabmeat, ravioli di arigosta

Cheers - with great sangria!

Cannelloni with stuffed crabmeat

Burratta

Xavier

Angelo and Juca

Pave with coconut and pineapple

.  

Soffiato di guayaba - running a close second in my favorite list to that passionfruit mousse -

this is a guava concoction with  a hot guava filling that runs out when punctured!

Angelo, chef at Zucchero

Claire Nelli and Carmen Henesy at Zucchero

We were so stuffed after our wonderful evening at Zucchero, it was hard to navigate the thirty miles back to our Ft. Lauderdale hotel.  I felt sad saying goodbye to Chef Juca and was sad I hadn't gotten to see his lovely wife, Patricia, this visit.  Now  that I'm retired, I have no idea when I'll be back in Miami since the change in my income doesn't allow me to travel as I once did.  During my working life, a whole year without eating at Tutto Pasta would have been unthinkable!

During this time of recession, both of Juca's restaurants are offering incredible specials to allay some of the costs of dining out.  If you are in the Miami area, be sure to call and find out what they are.  One night a week, wines are fifty percent off and, other nights, pastas have special pricing.  

Living in the San Francisco area, I am used to a huge choice of excellent retaurants.  Chef Juca's Miami restuarants can compete with the best of these!  I wish I could move Juca and Tutto Pizza, Tutto Pasta, Tutto  Pasta Factory and Zucchero out here.  Believe me, if he ever opens West Coast branches in this area, I'm going to ask him to let me  handle his public relations!  I am one of his biggest fans!

A Friend's Visit

A good friend stopped by for an hour today.  We had a great time, drank a couple of Grey Goose martinis and  laughed and carried on like teenagers.  Before she left, she gave me this magnet.  I don't know what she meant by this!  Does she think we are old?

A Love Not Found

A Love Not Found

She looked back on her life,

She had accomplished much,

Degrees from famous colleges,

Accolades and such.

She was acclaimed a beauty,

Envied all her life,

But, in spite of perfect features,

She had never been a wife.

She saw the wonders of the world,

And traveled parts unknown,

Though people thronged about her,

She always felt alone.

Her home was like a palace,

Filled with the grandest things,

Cold inanimate objects,

The kind that money brings.

She ate at gourmet restaurants,

And sipped exquisite wines,

And dallied in romances,

But she read between the lines.

When her life was ending,

She had one regret profound,

In spite of everything she had,

She mourned a love not found

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) May 2009 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved. 

65th Birthday Celebration - Final Photos - Barcelona

It has certainly taken me awhile to get my 65th birthday celebration blog completed!  These are the final photographs from that trip.  Our last four days were spent in  Barcelona, Spain.  We took an early morning flight on Vueling Airlines from Malaga.  Originally, there were fares for only about $100 U. S. one way but, because we procrastinated in our ticket purchases, it ended up costing us $159.00.  We had pondered with the idea of going by train, thinking it would be less expensive.  When I began checking that out, it became a nightmare.  Most train schedules had us being routed through Madrid and the trip would have been about thirteen hours and would have cost about a thousand dollars!

As it was, we had the horrible experience of having to pay nearly $300 U. S. per person for overweight luggage on Vueling which definitely limited our enjoyment of the last few days of the trip.  Most of us had flown to Europe on U. S. carriers to begin our cruise which had offered a higher luggage allowance and, what with souvenier shopping and the like, our bags were going home much heavier than when they started!

We stayed at the Hotel Lleo, conveniently located at the top of La Rambla, near the Placa

Catalunya, close to the Metro.  It was initially recommended to me by Steve Clark, a former British Air pilot - he and his lovely wife, Jenny, were tablemates on a southeast Asian cruise in 1997.  We became great friends and, once, we met and spent a weekend at the Hotel Lleo in Barcelona.  Last year, for my 64th birthday, they again met me in Barcelona to celebrate.

Busy bar in Ambios Restaurant at Placa Colon

I love this restaurant - I eat here every time I'm in Barcelona.  There are numerous restaurants in this huge outdoor square not too far from the port, at the other end of La Rambla from Placa Catalunya.  I've tried a couple of the others but I think this one has the best food!

This waiter came up to me and said hello.  He told me he remembered me from my visit last

year.  I couldn't believe it.  We did eat here twice and I chatted with him in Spanish.  Perhaps

he recalled us because we ( my cruise friend, Sherry, and the Clarks, from England, consumed an incredible amount of food and an even larger amount of wine! )

Almost always, in these wonderful Mediterranean countries, I order grilled seafood.  This

was a delicious octopus grilled in wonderful Spanish olive oil and garlic...delicious.  Usually,

my companions don't even want to try it!

The fountain at Placa Catalunya

We sat here for about two hours, just people watching.  It is a delightful place to see families with their children, couples strolling, tourists, street entertainers, vendors.  We sat here till the sun set and we knew it was time for cocktails and dinner!

A Barcelona alley 

 

A street near our hotel

Healthy balcony plant - wondering what kind of plant food they use?

Xaica Restaurant

We were so fortunate to discover this restaurant, near the Hotel Lleo.  It had great breakfast for about five euros, compared to the Hotel Lleo's which were double that or more.  Lunch and dinner, typical Catalan fare was very reasonable and they also offered buffets and Catalan desserts.  I was so suprised when I got back home to find it had several reviews in Trip Advisor.  I just wish I had know about Xaica years ago - since now that I am retired and on such a limited budget, I am not sure I will ever get back to my beloved Barcelona.

The counter where we ate breakfast two mornings

Sally Thresher and Phil Zaragosa at Xaica

The cheerful chef at Xaica

Street of beautiful street lights

Close up of lights

Entrance to El Poble Espanyol

El Poble Espanyol was built for the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929.  It was meant to be a real "village" in the middle of the city, representative of all towns and villages of the peninsula.  The village consisted of over a hundred buildings, streets and squares, built to scale, and it was meant only to last six months, until the exhibitions end.  Its buildings are representative of many of the regions of Spain and many of the actual edifices still exist.

The village houses more than forty craft workshops and shops sell beautiful gifts created

in Spain.  Lovely fans, ceramics, lace, and jewelry are just some of the items available.  Spanish wines and olive oil can be purchased as well.

The entrance to Poble Espanyol

Exotic windows

Archways at Poble Espanyol

Madonna and Child 

Intricate steeple

Barcelona turrets

Alligator at Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

Spires of Sagrada Familia

Paella

Another pretty Barcelona building

 

Angel in Training

photo by caseyheukshorst

Angel in Training 

Tiny little wings,

Flapping in the breeze,

A topsy, turvy halo,

Racing through the trees.

Often late to classes,

St. Peter's getting gruff,

But for fledgling angels,

The first few days are rough!

There isn't any recess,

Prayers take so much time,

You have to learn the proper way,

To do all things sublime.

We have all sorts of chanting,

And rituals most elite,

By day's end, a little cherub,

Is absolutely beat!

When Saturday has arrived,
And an angel gets a break,
She has a million things to do,
If she can only stay awake!

Carmen Henesy

Copyright © 2007 Carmen Henesy. All Rights Reserved

Wordless Wednesday

 

Why I Write

I Must Write

It doesn't take much effort,
My thoughts are always there,
For me, it helps to write them,
Whether poetry or prayer.

The words express my daily life,
The pain I sometimes feel,
Putting it in writing,
Is the way I start to heal.

I write to tell a story,
Of my travels far and wide,
Of sharing different cultures,
All differences put aside.

When I cannot find the words,
To speak to someone dear,
Sometimes I take a pen in hand,
Writing what they want to hear.

I write poems for everyone,
It's always been that way,
For occasions sad and happy,
Or just an ordinary day.

Writing helps my sanity,
As we live upon this earth,
I've been jotting chronicles,
Almost since my birth!

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2007 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved.