Writes of Passage

2031 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, FL 33020

… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, TA

Are the bell pepper mold or from cooking?

We planned to have dinner at Miami tennis Open but I didn’t realize (so me…) that I purchased qualifying round which means they close shop early.

We’re hungry. And found this Chinese, on the way to home with 4+ star rating. So Chinese it is.

Meter parking. Upon entering, the fish tank perks me up. At 7pm on a Tuesday, it’s empty. There is only one couple. The decor is dated and dark.

I see two women, one serves us and one is working around the dining hall, like
restoring or the like.

I asked if they’ve Chinese menu, she said no.

We’ve ma po tofu 麻婆豆腐and shredded pork Sichuan style. We’ve been sweating under the sun at the matches and wanted salt. The hot tea is soothing. (at bill time did I know it’s free, so is the rice.)

They’ve wine by the glass but I didn’t order which is rare. Something isn’t right.

Both dishes are sweet. Ha … And as we’re winding down and I’m picking on the last few strains of bell pepper, I see the mold. Horrified, I told the woman who comes to ask if we’ve done.

She is defensive and asks me if I know how to cook and the ‘molds’ are the birthmark of the wok.

“But they’re so tiny and concise, how could a wok make such marks?”

The woman goes away and returns with a container full of sliced bell pepper, raising her voice, “this is what we use. We don’t use moulded bell pepper…”

To be fair to them, I showed the photo to a few Chinese friends who cook, mold or cooking marks. Their answers, without knowing the above story, mold.

Oh well. What do you think?

911 North Broadwalk
Hollywood, FL 33019

… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, TA

Will return.

Fresh flowers.

We pass by it every time we’re on the boardwalk – next to our hotel, and finally find time to come – breakfast.

Their white furniture looks more Greek than Italian. Regardless, it’s inviting.
They’re on the boardwalk, is busier than their next door neighbor.

As we’re waiting for our food, (which turns out to be 30 minutes) watching people and pigeons passing by, I notice a tiny neatly folded paper, perhaps sugar bag or a receipt in the creamer tray.
To write about this is anal, Chinese has an idiom for it: picking bone among eggs – nitpicks.

When we finally get our food, toasts, sausage links, bacon and eggs are cold, so is my home fries, large and small pieces and brown, which I like. My husband’s fries, however is super hot and tidy. Our next table came much late but gets their eggs fries right after us. Ok, let me be Sherlock Holmes here: after they cooked our eggs, bacon, links and done toasts, the last bit of home fries is only enough for my plate. So they make more – that’s why all foods are cold, except the tidy fries … how is my detective skill?

Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort
1111 N Ocean Dr,
Hollywood, FL 33019

All because of a simple song, resulted in this all decked out restaurant, on the ground floor, inside the namesake hotel, which is on the Atlantic Ocean / N Broadwalk in Hollywood, FL.

Its name has a few variations:

1. Margaritaville Cafe on the check
2. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville on Google Maps
3. Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurant on Yelp
4. Margaritaville Restaurant on TripAdvisor

There are probably more if I search more…

Before off to Miami Open, we stopped by for breakfast. Here is my review:

It’s great for kids and groups.

We’re here at 9am and people started to trickle in.

It has a few sections, indoor and out, that looking out to one of their pools.

Our server has a big smile and complimented my purple hair highlight. She’s well prepared. At check time, she asks with a smile: room check or regular. I like the small detail she or management puts in.

We’ve smoked salmon and SW skillet: both are good. The slice of grapefruit isn’t freshly cut. I crave bagel but haven’t found one shop that makes as good as New York’s – perhaps due to the water?

Their portion is a little bit too large, and I hate to waste food – coming from Beijing before the economic boom, we were or at least I often went hungry. This little sentiment comes from the Smith tea bag, which was established in 1949…

Jimmy Buffett (1946-2023) was a prolific song writer who died in Sag Harbor on Long Island on Sept 1, when the foliage begins to turn and New York is at her prettiest.

RIP

Your legacy is preserved. And we’re well fed -:)

A simple song spawn an industry. Well done.