me that, of all the restaurants in the area, Girassol's was where he ate (other than his own place, of course). When I asked why, I was told that "This is the food of my home in St Michael's".
With praise like this coming from the owner of one of my area favorites, I had to check it out.
So, I went to dinner one night, on my own, to experience it. In all honesty, I thought I was in the wrong place. This is not a fancy restaurant; more of a bar with a room where you can eat.
The quality of the food and the service removed any thoughts I had of questioning his recommendation. Everything was fresh, tasty and the restaurant itself looked clean. It's hard to fault any of that.
Lessons learned: Always try to get to know the owners of your favorites and don't be afraid to ask them where they eat when they go out. Don't judge a restaurant by the way it looks, unless it looks unsanitary. You could miss out on a hidden gem.