Page 10 - Boca Exposure - March '20

Page 10, Boca Exposure
Dining Out:

The Monster That Resides Below This Loch!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire. the chef left her hungry and unhappy. Four scallops sitting on idea of a good gesture to the fishermen’s families saddened by
Hungry Al’s love of food started two plantains with a handful of shredded leeks just didn’t cut their absence at sea, this little company became the state of
young. Never satisfied at the the grade. Maryland official dessert, resulting in thousands of cakes daily
family dinner table with his Hungry D. picked the Grilled Atlantic Swordfish as her being shipped to all 50 states.
Mom’s dishes, he started to cook entree and, here again, she was not that excited with her choice. I inquired with our waitress if this was actually a genuine
his own way through her Betty For me, swordfish has to be grilled to very medium temperature Smith Island cake, but was informed it was their version. After
Crocker cookbook. His food or the texture gets slightly too dense and loses some flavor. This one bite I realized they were right. The cake batter mix seemed
journey consisted of working is actually what occurred here. Thankfully, the sautéed fregola to be unbalanced, and the chemistry left the flour with more of
many restaurants both as server and cook, attending pasta and chick peas were a good backup. a pudding consistency than what I preferred.
numerous cooking classes, and traveling the world in an I, Hungry Al, deviated from these fish mongers and simply Check Please: As you can tell, Hungry Al and his group
effort to expand his palette of different flavors and cuisines. went for the Fried Chicken. Interestingly, this land mover was were not actually flopping their fins in this Loch. So, either we
As a professional writer, Hungry Al will give you his the winner for the evening. The air-fried half chicken was moist came on an “off” night or the Loch Bar is simply bringing in an
perspective on current food trends and guide you through and the batter satisfying. In comparison, the side of garlic mash empty net. Regardless, it would make sense that with the heat
your local restaurant choices. potatoes were minus the garlic and tasted much like “Simply low in the kitchen, this chef or cook would have had time on
Potatoes” from Publix. their side to deliver dishes to perfection.
Loch Bar From The Dessert Tray: The decision here was easy. The The only thing I can walk away with from my visit to Loch
Mizner Park Loch’s menu had stated a Smith Island layer cake. First, there’s Bar is my urgent necessity to invest
346 Plaza Real no better dessert for Hungry Al than a flour layer cake. Then in an air fryer. Otherwise, I hope this
Boca Raton, FL 33432 to advertise that you’re delivering a Smith Island-like cake and “Loch” doesn’t fall victim to the same
(561) 939-6600 you’re setting the bar very high. demise as their sister “Bay” on the other
As for Smith Island: This small fishing village with only side of Mizner Park. So, unfortunately,
Food For Thought: It was a Friday evening, approaching 250 residents opened the Smith Island Bakery in 2009 with the the Hungry Squad are going to bait this
7 p.m. during the height of our season when I entered. It was mission to share their cakes with the world. From the original monster with two golden sea dragons.
my first time at the Loch Bar restaurant, and as I crossed the
entrance threshold I stopped short in my tracks.
seats inside and out, 5,000 square feet including a raw bar, it Poet’s Corner: Ode to Lorant Botha
There before me was a vastness of empty. With over 150

made me question whether I missed a health warning sign on
the window (no, there wasn’t one). By Jerry Yass, a Broken The waterfall as one entered was thrilling and bold.
Truthfully, if I wasn’t here on a recommendation or seeking a Sound resident. The It was certainly a sight to behold.
review I would most likely have done a sharp U-turn and found following was written Each table was set with such beauty and care.
another eating alternative. But I kept to my mission and the four by Mr. Yass on Nov. Flowers so lovely added beauty to the affair.
of us were seated in this fishbowl of uncertainty. 11, 2019, to honor Mr.
Which brings me to a place of curiosity as to why anyone Botha, who is Broken I entered the room with my granddaughters on each arm.
would venture into this business with the uphill climb to Sound Club’s food and Music playing, smiling, happy for they were full of charm.
overcome the Mizner rent demands and the unpredictable diners beverage director. Helen and I did the first dance to a wonderful old song.
in our fluid community. Then there is what I call the “ghost “This is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening” could not
factor.” By my own definition, it’s where no restaurant has My latest thing is to do be wrong.
been able to succeed in one particular location. Odes.
This very spot, which is now occupied by Loch Bar, has seen This note to you is no The rest of the evening was really out-of-sight.
its share of dining venues come and go. For some of us there are exception, so here goes. Except for Helen’s fall, which gave us all a fright.
fond memories of GiGis, and for others the disappointment of I need to thank you for all You were there to catch her before she fell.
the short-lived Spin Ultra Lounge. Yet Mizner Park is never a that was done. Thanks to you she continued to party and no one could tell.
definite guaranteed formula for restaurant triumph. In the past It was a happening where everyone had fun.
few years we have said our farewells to Trulucks, Uncle Julio, The party planning could not have been better.
Juniors Deli, Racks, and the sister company of Loch’s Bar. .. I’ve been told it was the party to beat them all. It happened with precision and perfection to the letter.
Ouzo Bay. Hmmmm... For all who were there said they had a ball. To the staff that worked my party I hope they had fun.
First Impressions: If I had to describe the ambiance of this The theme for this affair was “Singing in the Rain.” Forward my gratitude for a job well done.
restaurant it would be a cross between a New England nautical It was more than perfect – it was insane.
fish house and a Vegas hotel eatery. Maybe it looked bigger than I cannot end this Ode before I say.
it was because of the absence of diners. As for the raw bar in You are a gem and I thank you this day.
the rear of the restaurant it seemed to serve little purpose. With
only eight seats the space was mostly occupied with the iced
raw display and the blackboard menus on the walls.
In contrast, the bar area both inside and out was perfectly
designed as a committment to a lively bar scene. The Loch Bar
also advertises music entertainment nightly, except for Sundays.
Prime Your Taste Buds: Here at Loch they start with a
delivery of a homemade loaf of bread that looks more like a
puffed crown served in a petri dish than a baker’s baguette.
Unfortunately, none of us cared for this airy and tasteless flour
creation.
As for our starters, we limited it to one soup and two salads.
Hungry G. decided on the Maryland Crab soup. This version
was more slighted to Louisiana than Maryland, with a Gumbo
spice and heat. One sip and I was refilling my water glass.
Hungry D. opted for a classic Caesar Salad and it fared
well. But if you can nail down the dressing it’s hard to mess
up a Caesar. Romaine, cheese, a single anchovy, and croutons.
Can’t expect more!
Hungry J. and Hungry Al (that’s me) chose the Iceberg
Royale. The good news was the lettuce was cold, the bacon
crisp, the onion sweet and the Roquefort dressing tasty. But,
sadly, the included pickled tomato cast a bad taste in this Royal
court of approval.
Straight From The Kitchen: Since the Loch Bar is
primarily a seafood restaurant, it made sense to test their
ability to deliver a quality fish dish. Hungry G. went with
a recommendation from our waitress for the Florida Black
Grouper. This fish happens to be one of my favorite variety of
swimmers.
Here the fish was cooked perfectly, but in Hungry G.’s
opinion it was overwhelmed with the accompanying blue crab
succotash, lima beans, roasted corn and coconut mango sauce.
Most of the time less ... is more.
Hungry J. selected the Maine Diver Scallops. The
scallops were slightly undercooked to her liking, but her real
disappointment came with the fact that there was not much else
to eat on the plate. In an effort to present an eye-appealing dish,