Weekend Dining

I met up with some friends at Hollywood Vine on Friday night for drinks before heading over to A La Turca for dinner. I've eaten at this Turkish restaurant a couple times over the past few years and the food has always been blah, but we decided to give it another try since it's been a while. I was happy to see that they've replaced their Pink Martini CDs with two Turkish musicians. It's always a treat to hear good live music at a restaurant.

Wary from my previous experience, I decided to play it safe and ordered the kofte. I was so happy when my kofte arrived with grill marks and couldn't wait to bite into one. It was fresh, juicy and seasoned just right. The rice and salad were also tasty.

S ordered the doner, which was equally delicious.

Since everything had been good thus far, we decided to test our luck and ordered the kunefe. We were completely shocked that even their desserts had improved dramatically. The pastry threads were hot and crispy, the cheese was soft and stringy and it was not too sweet (very important to me). Kudos to whoever resuscitated this cozy little restaurant in downtown Hollywood.

A La Turca
2027 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, FL 33020
954.925.5900

For Saturday dinner, I grilled some prawns and eggplant and drizzled them generously with my curry sauce. Served it with pulao and some avocado salad.

The Borders cafe on the Intracoastal Waterway is one of my favorite places to enjoy a cup of coffee and read on the weekends. I had forgotten how nice it is, especially at sunset.

My wet cappuccino. Although not as good as Peet's Coffee, the barista here certainly took more care in making my drink than at any Starbucks.

It was not until after an hour on the deck and the sun had almost set that I noticed white linen tablecloths fluttering on the other side of the waterway. It was packed with patrons, so we decided to drive around to the other side to check it out on our way home. The restaurant is called Serafina, a place that C & N had highly recommended. I hope it will be just as good when we try it this weekend. :)