Hotel restaurants sometimes have quite the stigma, but that game has changed in recent years as more and more hotels are realizing that their guests’ experiences should extend past the comfortable rooms, complimentary continental breakfast and state of the art fitness centers—it should 100% include dining in-house, a mere elevator ride away from their cozy beds.
I recently had the opportunity to stay at The Westin Fort Lauderdale—only 10 minutes from downtown restaurants, shopping and entertainment—and try the hotel’s restaurant, Alfiére’s Mediterranean Bistro. Alfiére’s recently went through a menu renovation and now features a SuperFoods menu with dishes made from healthy ingredients rich in nutrients and antioxidants—not to mention they taste really freaking good! While I enjoyed everything, there were two stand-out dishes that definitely deserve your attention.
Coastal Crab Cakes: A pan seared jumbo lump crab cake with lemon garlic aioli and a radish salad. I’m from up north, where crab cakes are plentiful and always delicious. I’m pretty picky when it comes to the crab-to-filler ratio. Basically, get rid of the filler! You don’t need it, and it makes such a difference in the taste and texture. This crab cake fit the bill, and was especially delicious thanks to the accompanying lemon garlic aioli. It was a perfect flavor pairing!
Sesame Soy Glazed Ahi Tuna Salad: sesame soy glazed Ahi tuna with young spinach, edamame, tear drop tomatoes and diced sweet potatoes, all tossed in a pomegranate ginger dressing. It was one of the most interesting and delicious salads I’ve ever tasted, and it was a perfect marriage of ingredients—the flavors, the textures and even the colors. It was absolutely beautiful, and it tasted just as amazing as it looked. I could eat a salad like this every day and not be bored.
Read the full review on Take A Bite Out of Boca.
About the Author
Shaina was born and raised in South Jersey; she graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in journalism and media studies. After moving to Boca, Shaina created her own food blog, which has only enhanced her passion for cooking, baking, sipping and savoring her way around South Florida. Shaina is involved in many of the region’s food and wine festivals and events. Follow Shaina’s foodie adventures every other Thursday at bocamag.com—and on her own blog, Take A Bite Out of Boca.
