Lou's, the beer garden of choice,,,

Ever feel like drinking as the Belgians do but instead of being in a crowded little backyard terrace, you're sitting by a picturesque pool in the back of a posh little hotel, feeling the ocean breeze and having some seriously good eats? Well you don't need to look any further because Lou's Beer Garden is just that, nestled in the exterior of The New Hotel located on 73 St and Harding Ave.

I had been there with a friend before but this time the party multiplied and it was about 20 people at a table and I must tell you, it was a wonderful time. With a great selection of draft beers, those imports were flowing like nobody's business. Need I mention it was a Friday night?And you know what happens to people on Friday's right?

It's like this: Picture yourself trudging through a dry, dusty dessert from Monday through Thursday and on Friday just when you've almost given up your search, you come across a plush, vegetated watering hole!

And the obvious thing to do at that moment of course is to jump in. Well my friends, that is what Friday feels like for so many of us and that is what we did that night at Lou's. I think if given the opportunity, we would have drank every last drop of beer that evening but that pesky thing called "last call," crept up on all of us unusually fast!













Regardless, I must say Lou's Beer Garden is highly recommended and not only for the beer but for the food too. Lou, a known local chef, is cooking up some yummy delights out there by the pool. The spicy shrimp is to-die and the hearty meat and cheese platter is not for the faint of heart.

Oh and one more thing, the fries. On my search for the perfect fry, I am obligated to mention that the french fries at Lou's were PHENOMENAL. Two thumbs up on those guys!

Definitely swing by and check it out day or night, you'll be glad you did. And tell them Ms. Commish sent you!

Toodles!

Oh Spring is awakened alright!!

This past weekend I was very pleased to be invited to see a new little show we have playing at the Arsht Center called Spring Awakening.. You know that little musical that won 8 Tony Awards in 2007 for everything from best musical to best book and score and has been playing on Broadway since 2006?

Not only was the music phenomenal, but the storyline was great. Its set in an early 19th century German prep school and as you can imagine what goes on in kids minds at that pubescent age, well lets just say there are more than flowers blooming.

This musical takes you on a journey of love, sex, desire and the confusion of puberty. And if you can believe it, it is actually an adaptation of a controversial German play from 1891 that was banned due to its portrayal of adult content such as, masturbation, homosexuality, rape, bondage, child abuse and suicide.

I could just imagine how ahead of its time this play was in that era. I was blown away and I thought I was pretty liberal. Some of the scenes caught me a bit off guard. I was like, "Is that boy really masturbating on stage and did he just take off his pants?"

Hey nudity, rock and roll and kids defying their parents, what more can you ask for out of a musical!

For the most part it was fun and upbeat. Some of the songs they performed jump out at you and its electrifying! But there were some songs I felt were just too serious and/or sad, but then I realized, teenagers going through puberty are supposed to be depressed and emotional so I guess they had to put some of that in there.

One of the things that stuck to me was the story about how a girl begs her mother to tell her about sex and the mother refuses. But since her mother refuses to tell her about sex how is she supposed to detect it when its happening? She now knows nothing about it so when faced with it what is she supposed to do?

This is the same conundrum girls have been faced with forever. Because to tell boys about sex is easier, dad's usually have less gripes about talking to their sons about it.

But when it comes to the daughter, both parents just freak out! Its a no-go! The last thing they want is for their daughter to be having sex, so they figure that by not telling her about it, they are protecting her from it some how. BIG MISTAKE!

Just as the girl in the play, she is still going to do it at some point no matter what so wouldn't you rather she was at least prepared for it when it does happen?

I really liked the musical for the clever way it portrays touchy issues. I recommend getting seats close up so you could see the facial expressions and the cool hair doo's. I also noticed that audience members were ushered to seats on stage before the show!

I wonder what I'd have to do to get a pair of those seats? Flirt with the teacher I assume... ;)

tah tah..

Eating in New Orleans!

This past weekend I had the wonderful pleasure of visiting one of the best cities in the US. A city where food and music are of most importance and if you're not too timid the people there show you how its really done!

One night we ventured to this little spot called Cafe Degas located near the grounds where the Jazz Festival was being held. Its a little restaurant and all the tables are outside but its covered by trees and all sorts of vegetation which makes you feel you are sitting in a garden terrace of some sort. Very cool and comfortable vibe.

The food was delicious! We started off with a champagne cocktail they have called French 45 which is basically champagne and cognac. Very good. I had a French Onion Soup to start which was so rich I needed a knife to get through the thick, melty cheese! And then for the main course I had a Soft Shell Crab Salad. Yes, I know I thought it sounded strange too and when it got to the table it looked like this:

It was AMAZING! From the dressing to the crab, which was flash fried meaning it wasn't too greasy, giving it the perfect texture of crispiness and softness. the salad was SO GOOD. And then they sprinkled it with Goat Cheese which was a sweet surprise cause anything with Goat Cheese in it and you got me!!

The dessert was what threw us all for a loop. It was a "Frozen Chocolate Souffle," which in theory sounded quite interesting, even scientific but in reality it just didn't go over well. It was more like spongy chocolate mouse or something and was shaped into a tower which made it almost impossible to eat. The tower collapsed in case you are wondering.

But all in all it was a pleasurable experience. We were surrounded by Jazz Festers and the ambiance was energetic and fun. I highly recommend a visit next time you are there. Let me know what you think!

Here's to New Orleans!!