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Michele’s Dining Lounge | Read This Before You Eat There!
Update: November 10, 2011
We get a lot of people who read the articles and watch the videos on our site and one thing we never want to do is publish anything that impugns our credibility. So every once in a while you have to revisit an article and update it to maintain relevancy.
The article below was originally published on February 28, 2011. My how things have changed. In just 8 short months, the restaurant that is right in our backyard, that we raved about, isn’t the same. There have been a lot of changes at Michele’s. Not the least of which is that they have brought on a new chef.
Maybe that was needed as the recent reviews that we have read on various sites indicate that the quality of the food, service and atmosphere have taken a turn for the worse at Michele’s Dining Lounge.
But, we’re willing to give this local spot the benefit of a doubt. Instead of accepting bad reviews on face value (and lately there have been quite a few), we’ve decided to re-visit Michele’s and do a new review which we will post here in the next 7 days. Hopefully the horrible reviews that we’ve been hearing our just from competitors or disgruntled employees posting bad reviews as a way to get back at the restaurant.
It’s been done before so you never know. It seems in addition to bringing on a new chef that the restaurant would protect their online reputation and have someone taking care of their exposure in social media. Many a restaurant has ignored the “conversation” taking place online and have paid a very high price.
Many a chef and restaurateur fail to realize what word of mouth can do to a business. Especially in today’s Web 2.0 world. So before you eat at Michele’s Dining Lounge, take a read around for reviews and check back here in the next week or so and we’ll let you know what we find and what we think. Hopefully our next visit to Michele’s is as good as our initial visit was and if it is, we have no problem recommending Michele’s to our readers.
On the other hand, if the recent bad reviews are similar to what we find, then we’ll have to change our review. Let’s hope we find the same great food and service we experienced in February. It would be a shame to see another restaurant go down the tubes due to inconsistency and marketing ignorance.
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Sometimes when you go to a restaurant that you have never been to before, you are not sure what to expect. Well when we recently went to Michele’s Dining Lounge we were thoroughly surprised.
Michele Bonarigo is the owner of the restaurant that bears her name. She grew up in upstate New York where her family was in the restaurant business and where she was exposed to the industry as a server in her teenage years.
“Michele’s Dining Lounge is the realization of my lifelong passion for food and hospitality. I am excited to share that with the Fort Lauderdale community.
We have created this restaurant as a friendly, neighborhood destination where people will feel comfortable dining with us often either for appetizers and drinks at the bar or for a full dinner.”
The restaurant is located in a somewhat non-descript strip mall type setting at 2761 E. Oakland Park Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33306.
It is near the intersection of East Oakland Park boulevard and Bayview Drive, just west of the Intracoastal Bridge.
Parking seemed to be a nightmare but to our amazement they actually had valet parking available. Once inside we were taken aback by the absolutely beautiful setting. They have an excellent choice of appetizers and the wine list is fantastic.
While the menu is delicious and the atmosphere very opulent, the prices are very affordable. Note to guys…definitely a date spot that won’t break the bank.
The menu is definitely upscale from light fare to complete gourmet items like the Braised Beet Salad splashed with roasted shallot vinaigrette. It doesn’t end there as the Ahi Tuna was out of this world.
The Blackened Chairman Reserve NY Strip Steak is a must for steak lovers and even for the nibbling type there are an assortment of salads and smaller items on their specialty menu.
I could go on and on but you need to stop by Michele’s Dining Lounge and see for yourself. You will not be disappointed.
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And why should we get all excited about a restaurant advertisement?
Carlo..not sure why you think it’s an ad. FYI…it’s not. And no…we were not paid for writing this article. And yes, we actually have eaten there. Your objection would be more credible if you actually were not posting anonymously. Troll elsewhere please!