For those who like to travel to Costa Rica but can’t, the next best thing is to arouse your tastebuds and senses by dining at the Amazon Bar and Grill in Sherman Oaks in California.
Amazon Bar and Grill is the recreation of the Rain Forest, which gives you that sense of actually being in the tropics. You can even gaze at the stars in the ceiling and listen to the waterfalls. They even had a mermaid by the waterfalls. My buddies and I had one heck of a good time, and we enjoyed our culinary journey. The menu is mainly Caribbean but it also offers the flavors of Italy. A tasty blend, indeed.
We had tropical drinks, such as Mango Tango, which is made of pineapple, Caribbean rum and other secret goodies. By the time you finish any of those power punched, passion fruit drinks, you’ll feel like you’re in a tropical heaven.
Dining with me were friends Antonio Mecheri, with ArtistandReporter.com, and Alex Ayzin, a business developer. We enjoyed the Seafood Soup, which had a nice zest to it with its spices, fresh shrimp and vegetables. I had the Brazilian Chicken Soup, which certainly had that notable blend of spices so typical of that part of the world.
Other items included the Chicken Kabob served with stewed vegetables, and several dishes with salmon served with plantains. If you prefer a spicier taste, try the Black Salmon. The Stuffed Salmon is a full seafood plate with shrimp and crab with sauce. The Salmon Marlette is also stuffed, but it has a calamari and shrimp surprise inside.
Rounding out the flavors of the Caribbean on the menu are Curry Chicken and Curry Shrimp.
Now, for the desserts. Everything was sweet, sumptuous and delightful! Tiramisu, made by the owner himself, was sensational. The Flan was perfect; it wasn’t too sweet and it was velvety smooth.
After dinner, we enjoyed the scenery and the fresh outdoor atmosphere on the patio. It was more interesting because of the culturally diverse mix of people.
Along with the tastes and beautiful sights, another important memory I take with me from our experience at Amazon Bar and Grill is the attentiveness of the staff and the chef’s careful preparation of each dish. Everything was just right!
Amazon Bar and Grill is located at 1469 Ventura Blvd.. The hours are 11:30 a.m. for lunch until 11:00 p.m. for dinner nightly and until 2:00 a.m. on Saturday for late night dining connections.
Call (818) 986-7502 or visit the website at www.amazonbarandgrill.com. Tell Ernest and Sergio that Pete Allman sent you.
The rating for Amazon Bar & Grill is 9.
