When Inside is Outside

     Continuing on the Las Olas Food Tour our group once again crossed the boulevard and made a bee line to Sweet Nectar Charcoal Grill.  In their webpage they describe themselves as "a local neighborhood spot with a relaxed atmosphere, natural environment, friendly conversation and a well-thought-out dining experience."  But what caught my attention was that the restaurant/gathering place had no walls.  What they described as being inside was really outside!  

     I always look forward to favorable weather here in the Keystone State so I can enjoy the luxury of meals on the patio , or eating al fresco to use a fancy term.  But in south Florida that is an everyday event.  Sweet Nectar has community tables under cover with additional "boulevard tables" made of sustainable and reclaimed materials out in the open.

     What makes this restaurant unique is the custom designed charcoal grill that uses lump wood charcoal to prepare their menu items employing a traditional Japanese cooking method.  Charcoal, they claim, provides a healthy heaping of aroma compounds and adds a special flavor to food.  Their description reads like a medical school manual...

     Aromas are released when you bite into your food.  They travel up your retronasal cavity and light up your olfactory receptors.  That neurological signal mixes with whatever your taste buds are saying and tells your brain what's going on in your mouth.  

Translation:  cooking over charcoal makes your food taste like bacon!  While that may be a singular taste, there is no shortage of items on the menu that makes its way to the charcoal grill:  asparagus, squid, prawns, lamb, octopus, chicken, oysters, short ribs, sweet corn, and mushrooms are but a few.  But we enjoyed something off the menu, char-grilled chorizo: