Around 7 PM, I picked up my friend Ana. Ana is the type of person you can be with all the time and not get annoyed by her. She just goes with the flow and I love to think I can boss her around. She also is someone who likes to eat... a rarity among females in college. We arrive and there is a 25 min wait... not a surprise for KBC. They are always on wait... even during the week. They recently expanded to outdoor seating and this has shortened the wait time dramatically but I can be impatient at times especially when I am hungry. There is a solution for this... ask them to look at the menu while you wait. I am telling you the combinations in one dish are mesmerizing. Like this for example: Annato-rum glazed sea scallops, garlic marinated tomatoes, and citrus risotto.
Not too long after, we were seated outside and immediately served ice water. A nice touch because it is still warm here even at night. The waitress came right away (a surprise) and took our drink orders. I had this waitress before and Ana had a feeling she was "on something." I insisted that googley eyes were simply part of her personality. A little while later she came to take our dinner order and I had to remind her about the iced teas she hadn't remembered. Not a big deal, really, but it is warm out and they have damn good iced tea. You just know if tea is brewed or instant and theirs is definitely brewed. Outside seating is a fun option but beware if you are seated closer to the edge. The flies can creep up on your plate and at some point during this particular visit I was attacked by some sort of flying, fluttering thing.
While she ran off to get our drinks we decided to make a final decision on what to order. I love to taste everything so I always order a couple appetizers. I think its a more fun way to eat and I feel like I'm not missing out. I'm really drawn towards Mediterranean cuisine The flavors are always so fresh to me and the spices are very simple, not taking away from the ingredients themselves. With that in mind, I opted for the Red Pepper Hummus served with olive tapenade, scallions and warm pita points. I also ordered the Lentil Falefal, which is traditionally a Middle Eastern dish composed of smashed, spiced beans shaped into a patty and then fried. It was served with a veggie cuc salad and was drizzled with tzatziki sauce and olive oil. Ana loves Latin cuisine and KBC definitely incorporates Latin ingredients into there plates. Tonight, however, they had a full-fledged Latin feast for a dinner option: Glazed pork chops, mango red pepper salsa, cilantro rice, sweet plantains, and black beans. It was like a Cuban explosion on a plate and growing up with a Cuban father I was well aware of what this dish could do to your digestive track. But Ana insisted the dish was calling to her so she went for it. And lucky for me, too, because I could compare it to the authentic Cuban cooking I grew up on.
While waiting for our food we sipped our tea and noshed on the crusty whole grain bread served with whipped butter. The food came a while later so if you are looking for a super quick dinner, I would opt for another location. This place is really about the whole experience and the anticipation of the food on its way is part of it. Googely Eyes sat the plates down and I dove in. I tried the Falafel first. It is a very dense fried ball similar to a hush puppy so we are not looking for lots of different textures or complex flavors here. BUT paired with the tzatziki it was perfect. I do however think they skimped on the ziki. For such a dense appetizer you need an ample amount of sauce to soak the Falafel. My hummus was also delicious. Very strong flavors here. Tangy red pepper, salty capers, spicy scallions, and fresh black olive tapenade went so well smeared inside warm pita bread. Ana's dish looked delicious and she gave me a taste of everything. The pork was good paired with the salsa in the same bite. The rice was a beautiful light green color and each grain was separate from the next. Mushy rice is a no-no. My favorite part were the beans. In some Latin and South American cultures they sugar their black beans and so does KBC. In my opinion, it is the only way to have them. It completely rounded out the meal.
Overall, a good dining experience. If you are going there for the first time I would definitely recommend any of the fish dishes. I would say probably some of the freshest tasting seafood I've had in Florida and that is saying a lot considering we are a peninsula. The scallops have been my favorite so far.
The fair for dinner is relatively high. Entrees range from $20-$30 with apps and salads around $10. In my opinion if you love good food and wine, it is definitely worth it again and again.
Don't forget they are also open for lunch!
http://www.koolbeanz-cafe.com/
Not too long after, we were seated outside and immediately served ice water. A nice touch because it is still warm here even at night. The waitress came right away (a surprise) and took our drink orders. I had this waitress before and Ana had a feeling she was "on something." I insisted that googley eyes were simply part of her personality. A little while later she came to take our dinner order and I had to remind her about the iced teas she hadn't remembered. Not a big deal, really, but it is warm out and they have damn good iced tea. You just know if tea is brewed or instant and theirs is definitely brewed. Outside seating is a fun option but beware if you are seated closer to the edge. The flies can creep up on your plate and at some point during this particular visit I was attacked by some sort of flying, fluttering thing.
While she ran off to get our drinks we decided to make a final decision on what to order. I love to taste everything so I always order a couple appetizers. I think its a more fun way to eat and I feel like I'm not missing out. I'm really drawn towards Mediterranean cuisine The flavors are always so fresh to me and the spices are very simple, not taking away from the ingredients themselves. With that in mind, I opted for the Red Pepper Hummus served with olive tapenade, scallions and warm pita points. I also ordered the Lentil Falefal, which is traditionally a Middle Eastern dish composed of smashed, spiced beans shaped into a patty and then fried. It was served with a veggie cuc salad and was drizzled with tzatziki sauce and olive oil. Ana loves Latin cuisine and KBC definitely incorporates Latin ingredients into there plates. Tonight, however, they had a full-fledged Latin feast for a dinner option: Glazed pork chops, mango red pepper salsa, cilantro rice, sweet plantains, and black beans. It was like a Cuban explosion on a plate and growing up with a Cuban father I was well aware of what this dish could do to your digestive track. But Ana insisted the dish was calling to her so she went for it. And lucky for me, too, because I could compare it to the authentic Cuban cooking I grew up on.
While waiting for our food we sipped our tea and noshed on the crusty whole grain bread served with whipped butter. The food came a while later so if you are looking for a super quick dinner, I would opt for another location. This place is really about the whole experience and the anticipation of the food on its way is part of it. Googely Eyes sat the plates down and I dove in. I tried the Falafel first. It is a very dense fried ball similar to a hush puppy so we are not looking for lots of different textures or complex flavors here. BUT paired with the tzatziki it was perfect. I do however think they skimped on the ziki. For such a dense appetizer you need an ample amount of sauce to soak the Falafel. My hummus was also delicious. Very strong flavors here. Tangy red pepper, salty capers, spicy scallions, and fresh black olive tapenade went so well smeared inside warm pita bread. Ana's dish looked delicious and she gave me a taste of everything. The pork was good paired with the salsa in the same bite. The rice was a beautiful light green color and each grain was separate from the next. Mushy rice is a no-no. My favorite part were the beans. In some Latin and South American cultures they sugar their black beans and so does KBC. In my opinion, it is the only way to have them. It completely rounded out the meal.
Overall, a good dining experience. If you are going there for the first time I would definitely recommend any of the fish dishes. I would say probably some of the freshest tasting seafood I've had in Florida and that is saying a lot considering we are a peninsula. The scallops have been my favorite so far.
The fair for dinner is relatively high. Entrees range from $20-$30 with apps and salads around $10. In my opinion if you love good food and wine, it is definitely worth it again and again.
Don't forget they are also open for lunch!
http://www.koolbeanz-cafe.com/
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