Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Great Garcias !!
Good morning! Since posting the previous post about "Stadium Diner" and their Garcias I have received a few comments and text messages regarding the deliciousness ( is that a word?) of the great Garcia smoked beef sausage......mmmmmm. To understand the desire, obsession and unique taste of Garcias you must 1) be from Miami and/or 2) have tasted one. In my humble opinion, Garcias are a class of sausage that stands on its own and anyone from Miami that has grown up on them will agree. Garcias come in several varieties such as pork and beef, hot and smoked beef. My favorite of the three is the smoked beef.
I cannot remember the first time I had a "Garcia" ,as they are known, but I do recall the versatility of them. Growing up, they were the go to meat for breakfast, lunch, dinner or for a go between snack , and they still are! I loved them with white bread, boiled and then lightly fried in the pan or split. As I grew up, I evolved to cooking them on the George Foreman grill and this took them to an entirely new level. Then my mom cooked them for dinner with Zataran's Jambalaya rice and it was good! However, the fact still remains that Garcias are by far my favorite sausage.
I remember when I lived in Arizona I would have my visiting family and friends bring me some from Miami, lol! I would still have to do the same when I move to Atlanta because at the time they did not sale them here. Until one faithful day, a fellow Miamian saw that distinct green and white box in Publix and when she called me with excitement and told me about her discovery she and I both were overly excited. Ever since then, I pick up a box for an in between snack or a breakfast favorite.
Most recently, I let a friend try one and he loooooooved them! I know people that do not eat red meat but they will kill a box of Garcias and would not feel bad about it. If you are from Georgia, you may prefer the Georgia sausage but once you have a Garcia your life will never be the same because the desire will always be there for a taste of what comes in the green and white box.
So, if you have never tried a Garcia and they sale them in your area I encourage you to try one. If you need cooking tips, feel free to drop me a line and I will be more than glad to assit.
Try a box and enjoy!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Stadium Diner (Miami)
Greetings all! I hope that everyone is doing well and that you are starting to get into the holiday spirit! This past Veteran's Day weekend, I had the pleasure of traveling to the MIA for a wedding on 11-11-11, which turned out to be pretty nice. Also, during my brief stay, I had the pleasure of having breakfast at the Stadium Diner ( on 199th and 441) and it was a suprisingly great experience!
Strangely enough, in my 22 years of being a Miami resident I have never noticed the diner at this particular location. Mainly because Miami mostly consist of chain restaurants and during my younger years ( pre-Waffle House) I ate at the usual spots......Denny's and IHOP ; however, at this stage in life these are the two places I NEVER go to because they do not use real eggs (sorry folks) and according to my friends, I am an egg snob and I am proud of it !! So, in the absence of my preferred Atlanta breakfast spots (The Flying Boscuit) I love and prefer the Waffle House or the "truck stop" as some call it, lol!
On this particular breakfast date, I suggested the Stadium Diner because I wanted something different and Denny's was the only other option. To my surprise the food was excellent! The eggs were light, cheesy and fluffy, and the french toast was by far the best that I have had in a loooooong time. The best part is that they have Garcia's (sausage for the none Miami folks) on the menu!!! When I placed my order the waitress asked did I want it split, and I excitedly replied "yes!" because I was too excited they were an option.
Needless to say, the experience was great and I encourage the Miamians to try it out. However, I would caution you that their grits are NOT the best because you have to really "work" on them and after all that, there still seemed to be no hope (yes, I am a grit snob too). Other than that, the prices are right and the crowd is not overwhelming.
If you know of any great breakfast spots in Dade or Broward County.....do tell!
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving !!
Strangely enough, in my 22 years of being a Miami resident I have never noticed the diner at this particular location. Mainly because Miami mostly consist of chain restaurants and during my younger years ( pre-Waffle House) I ate at the usual spots......Denny's and IHOP ; however, at this stage in life these are the two places I NEVER go to because they do not use real eggs (sorry folks) and according to my friends, I am an egg snob and I am proud of it !! So, in the absence of my preferred Atlanta breakfast spots (The Flying Boscuit) I love and prefer the Waffle House or the "truck stop" as some call it, lol!
On this particular breakfast date, I suggested the Stadium Diner because I wanted something different and Denny's was the only other option. To my surprise the food was excellent! The eggs were light, cheesy and fluffy, and the french toast was by far the best that I have had in a loooooong time. The best part is that they have Garcia's (sausage for the none Miami folks) on the menu!!! When I placed my order the waitress asked did I want it split, and I excitedly replied "yes!" because I was too excited they were an option.
Needless to say, the experience was great and I encourage the Miamians to try it out. However, I would caution you that their grits are NOT the best because you have to really "work" on them and after all that, there still seemed to be no hope (yes, I am a grit snob too). Other than that, the prices are right and the crowd is not overwhelming.
If you know of any great breakfast spots in Dade or Broward County.....do tell!
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving !!
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