About two weeks ago I got the opportunity to come out to Tony Roma’s in Sunny Isles Beach once again for another special menu tasting. The last time I was there I got to taste all of their Fall/Winter items from their “Spice So Nice“ menu but this time I got to sample all of the dishes from their new “Hits with a Twist” limited time menu that is only available through April 28th. I was so happy to be back at the restaurant because the last time that I came my husband and I had received great service and the food was better than I had anticipated.
Drinks:
For this menu there are two signatures drinks featured that each pair well with one of the two main entrée dishes. The first is the Spiced Pineapple Romarita made with Sauza Gold tequila, Cointreau, and Pineapple Juice served with a spiced rim and the other is the Chambord Manhattan that is made with Knob Creek Bourbon, Chambord Raspberry liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup. I personally liked the Spiced Pineapple Romarita more since it was more sweeter and tasted just like a margarita but with pineapple juice in it and because it was very refreshing. As for the Chambord Manhattan I found it to be more sour with a stronger alcoholic taste than the Romarita. However, both drinks were good and did essentially pair well with the main dishes.
Appetizer:
The featured appetizer for this menu is the Crispy Buffalo-Style Cauliflower that is lightly coated with a flour and corn meal mix and is served with a side of blue cheese sauce. I honestly didn’t have the highest expectations for this dish and wasn’t really looking forward to trying it since I do not cauliflower at all but I was very shocked and surprised at how delicious it really was! Since it was crispy on the outside and completely covered in a spicy buffalo sauce it took away that distinctive cauliflower taste and in the strangest way it felt like I was eating chicken wings instead! It did not taste like cauliflower at all! Even my husband who absolutely hates cauliflower became of a fan of it so I highly recommend trying it out because you will be very surprised at how good it actually tastes! This was definitely one of my favorite appetizers that I got to try at Tony Roma’s!
Other Starters/Appetizers:
Besides the featured item I also went ahead and ordered three other items to try that are part of their regular menu such as the Classic Potato Soup, Kickin’ Shrimp, and their new Wood Grilled Jalapeno Poppers. Let me start off by saying that I am a huge fan of potato soup so if it’s on the menu at any restaurant that I dine in I always order it for the most part. This soup definitely did not disappoint because it tasted exactly how it should, creamy, cheesy, and with a few chunks of potato in it. It was absolutely delicious!
I also ordered the Kickin’ Shrimp which I previously had before and really liked so my husband and I wanted to have it again. This has now become a must to order every time we dine at Tony Roma’s.
Last but not least we tried a brand new menu item which are the Wood Grilled Jalapeno Poppers. Don’t let how they look on the outside fool you these things were so delicious and out of this world because it was stuffed with pulled chicken & white Wisconsin Cheddar cheese (one of my favorite types of cheeses) and it’s served with a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing.
If you really want a good variety of starters then I highly recommend all three of these menu items!
Main Dishes:
For my main entree I had the Harissa Glazed Salmon which is made with a glaze of maple syrup, harissa and touch of lime and is served with mashed potatoes and seared garlic green beans which is similar to what I ordered last time but with a different twist to it. What I loved the most about this Salmon was the glaze that they put on top that is made with Harissa and for those of you who don’t know what that is it is a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste from Africa that gives a zesty and spicy touch to any dish. I personally thought this made it very unique and it definitely was not like any other Salmon that I’ve had before because it was a mix of sweet from the glaze and salty from the fish which I absolutely loved! The two sides were also good so I had no complaints there.
My husband ordered the Filet Medallions & Grilled Shrimp which brings Grilled medallions topped with Steak Diane sauce and paired with five grilled shrimp and a three-citrus butter sauce served with mashed potatoes and seared garlic green beans. I got to try a piece of the steak along with some grilled shrimp and both were very good. The steak was cooked medium well just the way we ordered it and it was juicy and flavorful. What really made the medallions amazing was the Diane sauce on top which gave it a unique flavor and the three-citrus butter sauce went very well with the lightly grilled shrimp. Overall, we were both satisfied with the dishes, portions, and quality of the ingredients.
Dessert:
The featured dessert was the Sweet Heat Chocolate Cake which is a warm and rich chocolate cherry cake that is topped with basil whipped cream and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In all honesty, I really didn’t like this dessert too much because of the traces of chopped basil in the whipped cream which gave the cake a really strange taste. While it was a creative and unique combination I felt like it was lacking taste or perhaps needed a substitution. Also, I didn’t like the consistency of the chocolate cake and I felt that the cherries actually gave it a weird and distinctive taste. This would be one of the desserts that I would say to skip and order a cobbler instead.
** I would like to thank Tony Roma’s in Sunny Isles Beach for hosting my husband and I and for providing great service once again! **
** If you would like to learn more about Tony Roma’s or check out their menu and locations then visit: http://www.tonyromas.com
** All opinions are my own **