Mahi Mahi and Marilyn: Duval's New World Cafe (Sarasota, FL) and the movie "My Week with Marilyn"

The top two most read posts on Lily On The Lam are my details about dinners at Duval's Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida.  So when I heard that Duval's had closed their restaurant on Tamiami and opened "Duval's New World Cafe" on Main Street, I felt I owed it to my readers to drive down to Sarasota and check out the new restaurant.

OK and I love Duval's food ... so I'm not 100% selfless here!  (To be honest!)

I think the new location on Main Street is a great fit - lots of foot traffic and Duval's upscale cuisine is a nice compliment to the other restaurants on that end of Main Street.

The menu is very similar to Duval's Restaurant and the food items I discussed in my two previous blog posts (Duval's and Return to Duval's) are still on the menu of Duval's New World Cafe.

The first thing I noticed about Duval's New World Cafe is the decor.  The dining room has around 25 four top tables (give or take a table - I was doing a quick scan!)  It is decorated in purples, grays and black with funky light fixtures.  It looks more upscale than the previous three locations of Duval's Restaurant.  Even though the decor is upscale, it still feels welcoming and homey.

The waitstaff seem more professional in their service than at the previous location.  My server Ron was definitely interacting as if I were at a high end steak house.  Very good quality customer service.  He recommended the mahi mahi sandwich special.  As I was determined to try something new, I went with his recommendation but then ordered a small side of the Napa salad - my favorite salad at the former Duval's Restaurant.  I was very happy to see that it was still on the menu of Duval's New World Cafe.

When my sandwich and side salad arrived, my server told me that the Ceci, one of the owners recommends that you press the sandwich like a cuban and cut it in half.  Very good advice.  The mahi mahi was cooked beautifully and seasoned to perfection.  Duval's knows how to do great seafood.  I have never been disappointed with the way they cook seafood here. 

However the overabundance of what I assume was remoulade sauce completely overpowered the fish and combined with the juices of the fish made for a very sloppy, drippy sandwich.  I ended up taking the mahi off the roll, scraping off the remoulade sauce and eating the fish plain with the Napa salad and that was a much better taste combination for me.  However I will say that the crusty roll the mahi mahi was served on was very fresh with just the right amount of crunch.  I'd recommend asking for the remoulade on the side if you order one of Duval's sandwiches.

This is one huge sandwich with a very thick Mahi Mahi steak!  Bring your appetite!

My favorite Napa side salad - Napa Cabbage, Pesto, Tomatoes, Garlic and other loveliness!  Delicious!

The Napa salad is usually perfect at first bite.  However this side salad was definitely lacking salt and did not have as much garlic as I have had in this salad in the past.  Luckily Duval's has salt grinders and pepper grinders on all tables.  A quick grind of sea salt restored the Napa salad to the wonderfulness I am used to devouring!

The dessert menu includes cheesecake, carrot cake, flourless chocolate cake, a seasonal fruit tart (today it was apple cranberry) and Duval's world famous bread pudding made from homemade danishes.  While I had told myself that I was going to try new things on the Duval's menu, I just could not say "no" to their famous and fantastic bread pudding.

Ultra-rich and will guarantee at least a week in the gym!

The restaurant is one open dining area and therefore the acoustics are not the best.  At the far end of the restaurant is a servers' station.  While I enjoyed the cuisine at Duval's and the great quality customer service from my server, the rest of the waitstaff hung out at the open servers' station and were chatting up a storm.  Because of the acoustics of the dining area, the waitstaff's conversation could be heard loudly through the restaurant.  No offense to the waitstaff, but their chit-chat was not the most interesting and was quite disruptive.  The only wrong note in a lovely meal. 

Otherwise, Duval's in their new incarnation as Duval's New World Cafe, continues to be tops for quality seafood.  Check it out the next time you are on Main Street in Sarasota, Florida.  If you're a seafood lover, you will not be disappointed!

After a wonderful meal at Duval's New World Cafe, I headed over to Regal Hollywood 20 movie theater to see "My Week with Marilyn" based on Colin Clark's memoir of working with Marilyn Monroe on the set of the movie "The Prince and the Showgirl." 

I have seen many different actresses portray Marilyn Monroe, but I have to say that actress Michelle Williams probably did the best job I have ever seen of showcasing Marilyn without turning her into an overt caricature.  In today's day and age, I think it is harder to fathom a delicate, vulnerable shell of a woman, constantly collapsing under the weight of her own psyche.  But Michelle Williams pulls it off. 

Michelle Williams' Marilyn is not one dimensional - needy, vulnerable and delicate - yes ... but also calculating.  Like a modern Madame Bathory, Michelle Williams' Marilyn needs the strength and love of men to keep herself going.  Like all of the other characters in "My Week of Marilyn," I was transfixed at Michelle Williams' portrayal of Marilyn Monroe.  The lighting crew and the make-up artists deserve an Oscar, in every scene Michelle Williams' skin had this amazing glow as if she had a spotlight inside her.  She was radiant and luminiscent even in the darkest of scenes.  The perfect portrayal of Marilyn Monroe.  

RottenTomatoes.com currently gives "My Week with Marilyn" 82% out of 100% on their Rotten Tomatoes scale.  I would definitely recommend a viewing.  I now need to find a copy of "The Prince and the Showgirl" to see if Michelle Williams' portrayal matched Marilyn Monroe in that movie.  

Mahi Mahi and Marilyn ... a great way to spend a day! 

Return to Duval's Restaurant: Sarasota, Florida

Update Nov 2011:  Duval's New World Cafe in downtown Sarasota is now open and the Duval's Restaurant on Tamiami is now closed.  Check their website at this link.  Also check out my November 2011 review of Duval's New World Cafe, by clicking here. 


I started "Lily on the Lam" in December 2010.  Of all the posts I have written since then, by far the most popular blog post I have written is a review of Duval's Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida.  This post has been read 900% more times than the 2nd most popular post.  A factoid that completely astonishes me!  (2nd most popular blog post - my cooking class with Top Chef Masters Winner Floyd Cardoz.  Although my post for Ciro's Speakeasy and my recipe for Nutter Butter Cheesecake Truffle Balls are dangerously close to taking Floyd's spot.  Time to call all Floyd Cardoz fans to rally!)


I decided that I needed to return to Duval's and see if the same old magic was still there.  The timing of my visit was quite fortuitous because I learned from my server (who was bedazzled with tattoos of cupcakes and candy corn) that Duval's was going to be opening a new restaurant in downtown Sarasota.  I have heard that Duval's will eventually close their current location sometime after the downtown restaurant opens.  However, that seems to just be rumor and speculation so far - so don't count on me for the reliability of that story!


The new location is going to be called Duval's New World Cafe.  The menu has been reported to include some convenience items for faster service for the downtown patrons "on the go."  I have heard that the soft opening for Duval's New World Cafe will be in late October.  Guess I'll have to make another trip to Sarasota soon!  The website for Duval's New World Cafe can be accessed by clicking this link.


But before Duval's New World Cafe opens, let me tell you about my lunch at Duval's Restaurant.  If you have read my previous blog post on Duval's, you'll know that I am a big fan of their New Orleans-style cuisine.  I was first introduced to Duval's several years during a particularly bad first date.  While it would prove to be my first and only date with this man.  (The world's worst kisser -- he basically covered my entire face in saliva!)  It definitely would not be my only visit to Duval's.  I have been back there many times and have taken many friends and family there.  Duval's food is incredible and is worth going back to again and again.


On one occasion, I was having lunch at Duval's while the owner Cici was working.  I had my purse sitting on the floor underneath the table.  Cici asked me if I would mind if she moved my purse to the chair instead of the table.  Evidently there is a custom/superstition that if you put a purse on the floor, you'll have bad luck with money.  Putting the purse on the chair allows for "money to jump into it."  I'm still waiting on my cash windfall, but it is the kitschy, charming tales like this that lend more hominess and charm to Duval's Restaurant.


On this particular day, I started my lunch with their soup of the day: a butternut squash soup.  It was a warm, comforting hug in a mug.  It was served lava hot with a crouton.  The temperature was the only thing that kept me from downing this delicious goodness like a shot.  Scrumptious deliciousness!

   


If this was an episode of Bravo TV's "Top Chef" and the challenge was to make a dish that had all the emotional and culinary feel of Thanksgiving, Duval's butternut squash soup would win hands down.  Emotionally, it was warm, homey and unpretentious.  Taste-wise, it was perfect.  Just the right seasonings and mouthfeel.  I know I overuse this word on my blog, but it was just yummy.  If you need a hug from the inside, try this delicious soup.  It really needs to be a standard on Duval's menu.  It is that hearty and delicious.


One of my major issues with going to Duval's is that I have a difficult time ordering new things, because I am the #1 fan of their shrimp and crab cake, their flash-fried calamari and their Napa salad.  The salad is a marvel - garlic, pesto, crunchy Napa cabbage.  It is tart and tangy and plays well with the moist, hearty shrimp and crab cake.  (Try their Po' Boys too-- they are incredible!) 


I know I wrote about the shrimp and crab cake and the calamari in my previous blog post on Duval's Restaurant, so in this post I want to show you step by step with photos- Mr. Bad Kisser's method for eating the shrimp and crab cake.  I actually think Mr. Bad Kisser was taught this method of eating the combination by Owner CiCi.  So I am giving misplaced credit here, but I just love saying "Instructions by Mr. Bad Kisser."


Here we go ... 


Step One: Learn how to kiss properly.  (OK OK, you can skip this step if you must - but your significant other may disagree!)


Step Two:  Order the shrimp and crab cake, the calamari and a small Napa salad.  It will arrive with three dipping sauces and some toast point/croutons.

Step Three: Take a toast point/crouton and spread a generous layer of remoulade sauce on it.  (Side note: one of my favorite cafes in New Orleans?  Remoulade!) 

In case you're not sure which of the three dipping sauces is the remoulade sauce, it's the orangish colored one, seen here below.

This is what I call a "generous layer" of remoulade sauce on my crouton.

Step Four:  Take a spoon full of Napa cabbage salad and place it on top of your remoulade sauce covered crouton.

Step Five:  Place a large forkful of shrimp and crab cake on top of the Napa salad. 

Step Six:  Take a bite and enjoy!


Step Seven:  If you plan on kissing afterward, get a breath mint because the Napa salad is chock full of garlic goodness!


While I absolutely loved the butternut squash soup, it was incredibly hearty and I had no room for my traditional dessert at Duval's - their bread pudding made out of danishes.  Which is a tragedy!  But Duval's, being ever so wonderful, served me a Key Lime pie square with my check.  Just the right size of sweet to end my hearty meal.

   

I was so full from the butternut squash soup that my tattooed server dished the rest of my Napa salad and calamari into two separate to-go containers.  (Don't want soggy calamari!)  I was so intoxicated with the wonderful New Orleans-style cuisine that I walked out of the restaurant, leaving the to-go containers at the table.  I walked around to the side lot, got into my car and was looking for my sunglasses when I heard a tap on the window.  My server had spotted the to-go containers and had found me in the side parking lot to give me my leftovers.  Total A+ for customer service!  I was glad I left her a good tip before I left the restaurant!

I am eager to try Duval's New World Cafe when it opens, but until then - get yourself to Duval's Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida.  More information can be found in my previous blog post on Duval's Restaurant.  Check it out.  You will not be disappointed!

Update Nov 2011:  Duval's New World Cafe in downtown Sarasota is now open and the Duval's Restaurant on Tamiami is now closed.  Check their website at this link.  Also check out my November 2011 review of Duval's New World Cafe, by clicking here. 

Duval's in Sarasota, FL

Update Nov. 2011: Duval's has opened a new restaurant called Duval's New World Cafe with a similar menu to the former Duval's.  Duval's on Tamiami is now closed.  Read all about Duval's New World Cafe at their website here. 


 Check out my October 2011 post: "Return to Duval's" and my November 2011 review of Duval's New World Cafe for additional information!


Restaurant:  Duval's
Location:  5758 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL  (Now Closed:  check out their new restaurant on Main Street)
Date Visited:  December 2010


A couple years ago I went on what could best be called an awkward date.  He was intelligent and sweet, but also decorated his home in big pictures of a pained Jesus dragging the cross.  Again I say ... awkward!  But the best thing that came out of that date is that he took me to a small restaurant in a strip mall in Sarasota called Deja Vu.  In Tampa, "Deja Vu" is the name of a strip club ... so I was somewhat reticient to go there.  But what Sarasota's "Deja Vu" lacks in strippers, it made up for in delicious food.  We shared the shrimp and crab cake, the best calamari I have had in Florida and bread pudding with a gigantic plop of whipped cream.  But not just any bread pudding - bread pudding made with danishes.  It was so rich; it tasted almost deep-fried.  My taste buds rolled over and let out a collective gurgle of delight.  It was New Orleans-style cuisine heaven.


While I chose not to go out with Mr. Jesus Paintings again, I did go back to Deja Vu again and again and again.  But last July, I drove to Sarasota - visions of flash-fried calamari dancing in my frontal lobe.  And what did my seafood lovin' soul discover?  Deja Vu was closed!  It was like being dumped by a guy out of the blue.  I wanted to press my face against the glass windows and cry out "What did I do?  I'll change!  Come back to me, Deja Vu!"  Confused, sad, let down ... I made my way back to Tampa in tears.  OK, no actually I did some shopping and ate somewhere bland and sad and then went home.  But you get the point.


Given the high drama of my discovering Deja Vu was closed for good, I was ecstatic to find out that Deja Vu has been reborn in November of this year.  It is now Duval's - named after the owners - and the menu is very similar to Deja Vu's menu.


I headed down to Duval's on a Saturday after seeing a matinee of the movie "Black Swan."  Because what else goes better with psychosexual thrillers than calamari?  The movie was intense and delightful and so was my lunch at Duval's.  I was concerned that maybe the food would not be as good as I remembered, but it was spot on.  I started with the shrimp and crab cake with calamari appetizer.  It comes with a cocktail sauce, a heavenly remoulade sauce and an aioli.  The shrimp and crab cake was moist and flavorful.  The calamari was light and tender.  Duval's flash fries their food and claims less oil is left in the food without any greasy taste.  This was definitely a true claim for the calamari - it was not greasy at all. 

Shrimp and Crab Cake and Calamari with 3 sauces

I then had the Napa salad.  At Duval's they will make food however you want it, so the menu advertised that you culd get Napa salad with whatever you wanted on it.  I chose pan-fried tender sea scallops.  Duval's uses a pesto concasse with garlic and olive oil to dress the shredded Napa cabbage.  When I die, I want to be dressed in the pesto concasse as well.  It is robust and very garlicky-tangy.  It truly makes one's mouth sing!  The delicate scallops held their own against the tart salad. 

I forgot to take the picture before I liberally covered
 the salad in pepper and ate half a scallop!
 No one said I'd win food stylist of the year!

And of course for dessert - the afore-mentioned danish-filled bread pudding.  It actually tasted a little lighter than I remembered - not so deep-fried tasting.  However that might just be my caloric denial!

Delicious and decadent!

I was really happy to discover that Duval's quality food is still as good as it was when they were Deja Vu.  If you're in Sarasota, FL - check out their fine New Orleans-style cuisine -- exquisite seafood, Po Boys, hearty soups and terrific salads. 

Update Nov. 2011: Duval's has opened a new restaurant called Duval's New World Cafe with a similar menu to the former Duval's.  Duval's on Tamiami is now closed.  Read all about Duval's New World Cafe at their website here. 


Check out my October 2011 post: "Return to Duval's" and my November 2011 review of Duval's New World Cafe for additional information!