Page 18 - Boca Club News - September '24

Page 18, Boca Club News

The Good Life: Dining, Drinks, Destinations
The Good Life: Dining, Drinks, Destinations

Dining Out: The Kee to This Door is Great

for Some but Not for Everyone!

By Alan Serinsky of Bocaire If I roll the truck back I dimly recall it was the go- Our Caesar Salads ($11.95) were fine but don’t expect
Country Club. Hungry Al’s love to place for seafood. Makes sense living in Florida! anchovies or freshly shredded Parmigiana cheese. The
for food started very young. Interestingly, the Ke’e Grill is still popular and many table decided on a share of Fried Calamari ($16.95).
Never satisfied with his Mom’s nights as I drive by on Military Trail I see hordes of Unfortunately, fried was an understatement.
dishes, he started to cook his people standing in its entrance waiting, always wondering Both the Yellow Tail Snapper ($39.95) and the Salmon
way through her Betty Crocker what I’m missing. ($32.95) were prepared simply, and both overdone in
Cookbook. During the years At one time of your life it’s all about being part of temperature. The plate was accompanied by an adequate
to follow he spent many hours the scene. Energy, noise, music, socializing, being seen. baked potato and two token asparagus. The Branzino
working in restaurants, both as server and cook, attending It’s great until it’s not. Thankfully, Boca has enough ($40.95) fared better with a minuscule-looking sweet potato.
cooking classes and traveling the world in an effort to expand dining options to satisfy everyone’s individual tastes and From The Dessert Tray: Not wanting to risk any
his palette. As a professional writer, Hungry Al offers his comfort. Thankfully, I have not reached this pivotal time disappointment from the dessert cart, the waiter was nice to
perspective on current food trends and guides you through of my life. But I’m sadly closing in! offer a birthday celebration dessert we all could share. With
your local restaurant options. Second Impressions: Interestingly, what I discovered loads of enthusiasm the waiter presented a large dollop of
on my return is that basically nothing has changed. The whipped cream surrounded by one strawberry sliced in two.
Ke’e Grill same décor, the same seating arrangement, the same Can’t make this stuff up. Oh, don’t let me forget the candle in
17940 N Military Trail #700, empty bar, and the same tables and rugs. I also observed the middle delivering a birthday Instagram photo for the ages!
Boca Raton, FL 33496 that the same patrons are there but with one change: they Check Please: I will confess that this early-bird type of
(561) 995-5044 got a lot older. That’s fine, because as we age our tastes dining (tables were cleared out by 7:30 p.m.) is great for
and dining demands also change. those who like a predictable menu and a setting of comfort
Food for Thought: How long do you wait to return to Prime Your Tastebuds: As for our starters, we waited and familiarity. But if you’re looking for a trendier dining
a restaurant? Would 18 years seem unreasonable? Well, in patiently for the wait staff to recognize we wanted a experience you might want to start pedaling fast in reverse
the case of Ke’e Grill it’s really been that long. Strangely, I cocktail before dinner. I’m sure the bartender was happy to find a more fitting dinner option.
only live two minutes away. Ok…what took so long? Well, I to get busy on a slow drinking night. Two vodka martinis As for us, we pushed through and concluded it will
guess you can say they didn’t make a lasting impression the slightly dirty, chilled well. Easy peasy! Sadly, our two be another decade before
first time around and with an invite to a birthday celebration cocktails were warm. Yes, like straight out of the bottle. we, too, will return with a
it was hard to duck the second time. And a bit too heavy on the dirt. Wine was reasonably whole different perspective.
So, here I am to give it another go around. It’s been priced but it’s all self-pour. With that said, I give Ke’e
interesting to hear all the different personal reviews of the Straight From the Kitchen: If you give me the Grill four golden keys for
Ke’e over the couple of decades. Some good and some not so allowance not to pick apart every dish we consumed I will opening a welcoming door
good. I have determined that this restaurant serves different give you a simple, concise opinion on the food quality for a demographics of diners who need a basic meal without
diners for different reasons. and service. opening their ovens or traveling too far.
Grape Expectations: Tribute Bands and Wine

By Ed Wolfarth, who recently as “tribute” wines. They’re made in a similar style from Reserve and Leeuwin from Australia, all rated 93 + for under
moved to South Florida after the same grape and give the consumer a similar wine $45 a bottle.
retiring with his wife, Vicki, as experience, much like their more expensive counterparts. If you like the “big” reds from California but can’t afford
Professor of Sports Sciences & In blind tastings this has been proven many times over. When the cult Napa Cabernets such as Screaming Eagle, Harlan
Physical Education at both Queens you don’t know what you are drinking and leave it up to your Estate or Opus One, why not try their “tribute” wines, which
College and Hofstra University. senses that $25 Merlot could pass for a Petrus to all but the most include Spotteswood, Newton or Jordan Cabernet, for a
He is a nationally ranked senior discerning drinkers. If you recall the Judgment of Paris in 1976, fraction of the cost.
tennis player and long-time USPTA in a blind tasting all California wines outscored their French There are so many alternative tribute bands, and so many
Elite Teaching Professional. Ed has counterparts, much to the consternation of the French. wonderful wines that offer the consumer a similar experience.
written many educational and tennis articles in the past. Instead of the Le Montrachet from Domaine Romanee You simply have to seek them out. While you may miss
Over the past few years, Ed has turned his hobby of wine Conti, a Chardonnay selling for thousands of dollars, I’ve the arena concert and all that entails, you’ll be more than
collecting into a way of continuing his passion for writing, had Kumeu River from New Zealand for $35 and rated 95 thankful with the extra cash in your pocket and the ability to
and has written on the subject for publications. As a self- by Robert Parker. I’ve also enjoyed Kistler, Beringer Private buy another bottle of that “tribute” wine you so enjoyed!
proclaimed “wine snob,” he has collaborated on many
wine lists for private clubs and a few restaurants. Ed can
be reached at wolfarthe@msn.com.
As I follow the news about Taylor Swift’s record-
breaking world-tour concerts, an accomplishment I am
certain is well deserved, I am reminded of the times I have ARCHIVE GALLERIES
attended shows by my own daughter’s band, The New York
Bee Gees. (I know what you’re thinking here: The Bee Gees
never had a female singer. Tammi sings all the songs written
by the Bee Gees for people like Streisand, Dolly Parton, PAYS HIGHER PRICES FOR FINE ART AND ANTIQUES
Yvonne Elliman, Dionne Warwick and Samantha Sang.) It is
the umpteenth time and I am reminded of wine–everything
reminds me of wine! • Oil Paintings • Sterling Silver • Collectibles
In any case, here I am getting the Bee Gee experience for • Oriental Rugs • Objects of Art • Fine Crystal
a fraction of the cost of seeing the originals. Okay, minus the • Tapestries • Sculptures • Orientalia
pyrotechnics, the light show and the hype, but still a terrific
experience. Both Barry Gibb and this New York group’s • Fine Furniture • Bronzes • Tiffany Items
Peter Mazzeo hit those same high notes. The musicianship • Service Plates • Porcelain • Clocks
is the same. Same songs. Is Robin Gibb a better singer than
Tom Flyntz of this tribute band’s Bee Gees? Is there a better
guitar player than Mike Flyntz? I think not. We Also Purchase Men’s And Ladies’ Items Including:
I mean, going to a Stones concert with Mick Jagger is a
great musical experience, but spending hundreds of dollars • Old Watches • Cufflinks • Smoking Items • Coins • Antique Jewelry
plus the travel time may not be that much better than the • Designer Handbags • Fine Modern Jewelry • Vintage Costume Jewelry
tribute band with local musicians playing at the local bar. I
think you get my point. Don’t get me wrong: The originals
are great but so are many of these tribute bands. Did you ever One Piece Or Entire Contents Purchased
hear the Jersey Boys do Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons,
or Mike DelGuidice do Billy Joel? Fabulous entertainment, CALL NOW FOR A FREE CONSULTATION, NO OBLIGATION
similar musical experience without the hassle and the cost.
And so it goes with wine.
Wow, that was some segue! I’ve never had a taste of
Château Petrus, the world’s most expensive Merlot at $4,000 CASH 561-498-7536 COURTEOUS
a bottle. But I have enjoyed Leonetti and Waterbrook from PAYMENTS IN HOME
Washington State for less than $50. I’ve also had Pride UPON REQUEST SERVICE
Merlot from Napa Valley for $40 and Château Ste. Michelle
for less than $25 a bottle. Let’s refer to these alternatives