Calling all bartenders, servers,
bussers, managers, chefs, and cooks! Those "in the biz" are invited to enjoy the ambiance, and most
importantly, discounted food and beverage, at Bongos Cuban Cafe and
Tatu, two heavyweight restaurants at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in
Hollywood.
Just a few weeks after launch, the restaurants hope draws the countless service industry employees in Broward and
Miami-Dade who are looking for a place to go on their nights off. As
restaurant event coordinator Halley Fitzsimmons put it, "On our
off days, we like to go out and get catered to after serving others
all week." So cb5 Restaurant Group is extending more generous
industry discounts than the vast majority of restaurants in South Florida. Oh yeah, and they're looking to increase business on their
slower days.
Bongos Cuban Cafe, with its casual Sky Lounge on the rooftop (never a cover charge), host an industry night on Sundays. The offer includes two-for-one drinks
and $100 bottles of Jack Daniels, Don Juilo Blanco, Grey Goose, and
Bacardi. Having opened in December, the restaurant is a beautiful,
classy space with sexy lighting and clean, white furniture. It puts
the Bongos at American Airlines Arena (and its tacky, touristy vibe)
to shame. An item on the menu worth checking out is the
ceviche mixto ($12) with shrimp, calamari, grouper, and octopus. It's prepared with an incredible coconut milk and lime marinade and
served in a young coconut for a spectacular presentation. The sticky
glazed spare ribs ($16) are falling-off-the-bone, slow-cooked baby
back costillitas glazed in guava-pepper. The bistec palomilla ($25)
is a Cuban style seared steak with garlic mojo and grilled onions, served
with a large side of rice. The steak is an enormous cut that can
easily feed two.
Tatu serves up Asian dishes with
Cantonese, Mandarin, Szechwan, Vietnamese, and Thai influences. the joint extends a 50% discount on all sushi rolls and 50% off select
sakes on Monday nights, from 9pm to midnight, to industry personnel. Featuring an extensive
sushi bar, private tatami rooms, and a two-level interior overlooking
Paradise Lake, Tatu can accommodate groups of almost any size with
ease. Their signature rolls include the marilyn monroll ($19) with
shrimp tempura, jumbo lump crab salad, fresh scallops, cucumber,
avocado, and spicy mayo, as well as tropical citrus salmon roll ($14)
with salmon, mango, avocado, tobiko, and lemon slices. A cocktail
worth snatching up from the roving bartender, preparing drinks
table-side, is the strawberry and Thai basil martini ($14), made with
Bombay Sapphire and cranberry juice. The green tea mojito ($12) was
an unfortunately sweet cocktail made with Charbay green tea vodka, basil
simple syrup, and crushed limes. The exotic presentations of both
food and beverage are splashes of color against the dark, trendy
atmosphere with a movie screen over the sushi bar playing Bruce Lee
movies.
Why Sundays and Mondays? "Because
those are the nights people in the biz usually have off,"
Fitzsimmons says. In order to claim the discount, anyone working in
the hospitality industry must bring a pay stub or business card as
proof of employment. Halley Fitzsimmons invites those in Miami, Fort
Lauderdale, and anywhere else one might be employed by a restaurant
or bar, to come check them out. No word on whether they're accepting resumes or not.
Bongos Cuban Café at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
5733 Seminole Way, Hollywood
954-791-3040
Tatu Restaurant at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
5750 Seminole Way, Hollywood
954-583-1499
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