Central Florida is not shy of water. There are dozens of lakes all around. Recently I visited Lake Shipp in the Winter Haven area. Unfortunately when I got there one of Florida’s famous pop-up rain showers started. So since hanging outside was out of the question I decided to check out a restaurant right along the lake called Harborside.
They had a great view of the water.
As soon as I looked at the menu the red sangria called out to me. It was very classic with oranges and maraschino cherries added in. The only thing I would have changed was the ice. Now that may sound really strange but the reason for this is because they used crushed ice. So every time I took a sip a bunch of ice came with it.
The waitress brought a fresh basket of garlic bread. This bread had just come out of the oven because it was piping hot. It was soft on the inside with a slight crunch with the crust. There was a ton of garlic and butter on the outside of this bread that additional butter on the inside was not necessary. I could have eaten the entire basket myself. But I knew if I did then I would have no room for anything else.
After tasting the bread, I knew the perfect accompaniment would be a bowl of clam chowder. This was not a thick chowder. However, even though it was not thick, it was still extremely creamy. I really like that it was not thick. I felt like the flavor was more powerful. I could taste the herbs they used. The chowder was also loaded with tons of fresh clams and chunky potatoes. The clams were tender, not chewy. They added a meaty taste to the chowder.
To continue my meal I ordered the crab cake. This crab cake came out in a metal pan because they broiled it instead of frying it. This crab cake was loaded with fresh lump crabmeat. They did not use any breadcrumbs to make it. I loved this because they made this all about the crab.
There was a creaminess to the crab cake that was enhanced because it was broiled. It was amazing. it also came with a side dish of my choice. I went for the mashed potatoes. They used red potato and left the skin on. I love them prepared this way because it adds more texture to the potato. I also love red potatoes because they are sweeter.
I also wanted to make sure I wrote about the lobster roll. Now I did not order this but someone at my table did. It looked really good so I got to try a little of it. This roll was loaded with large chunks of lobster. The meat was tender and somewhat sweet.
This lobster roll did not use mayo. The lobster was just prepared with butter and lemon juice. It was served in a roll that looked slightly like a hot dog bun.
I am really glad it rained that day I visited Lake Shipp. Because of Mother nature, I was able to try a great new restaurant. Check out their menu at www.harborsidefl.com
Enjoy!
T
