Month: January 2018

Avondale Common House – Birmingham, AL

I have written about several great restaurants in the Avondale area of Birmingham, Alabama. There is another new place I have added to the list – Avondale Common House. I had visited them before for cocktails but this was the first time I have eaten there.

The restaurant was booming. There were hardly any seats left. I lucked out and was able to get one of the last seats at the bar. I got a great view into the kitchen which was extremely busy. Those cooks were constantly creating different dishes. It all smelled so wonderful.

I started off with one of their specialty cocktails. I ordered the Raspberry Gin & Fizz. I am not a gin fan but the bartender said this was one of her favorite drinks so I decided to take a chance. The gin was mixed with raspberry syrup, fresh lime, and soda. This drink was surprisingly sweet, but not too sweet. I could not taste the gin at all. The raspberry is what stood out. The splash of soda they use added the right amount of bubbles to make the drink fun.

One of the menu items that stood out to me was the Loaded Totchos. These were loaded tater tots. They were covered with crispy pieces of bacon, green onions, queso, and sour cream. This was definitely something that needed to be eaten with a fork.

This dish had all the necessary ingredients for nachos and a loaded baked potato. It was the perfect blend of both dishes. The tater tots were crispy on the outside but then drenched in creamy queso. The bacon added even more salty taste and crunch. The sour cream added a slight tangy taste. It was a fun dish to start with.

My second cocktail was another one of their most popular – Spring Street Smash. It was a tongue-twister to order. It combined vodka with muddles basil, cucumber, lemonade, and topped with saison. The taste was slightly bitter, especially compared to my first drink. By the second sip I could taste the freshness of the cucumber.

The wonderful scents coming out of their kitchen continued to make me hungry. I glanced over their menu again and my eyes fell upon the Crispy Kung Pao Cauliflower.

They fried up bite size pieces of fresh cauliflower. It was tossed in a teriyaki sauce that was both sweet and salty. They also threw in red peppers and scallions. The peppers added the heat that gives the dish the “Kung Pao”. This dish also had chopped up cashews in it, so if you have a cashew allergy beware of this dish.

It had been a long time since I had fried cauliflower. It is also not something you see on many menus. I really enjoyed how the breading soaked up the sauce. It helped cut back some of the bitterness that cauliflower can sometimes have. The cashews added a hearty crunch. It was an interesting and creative take of Asian ingredients.

Avondale Common House was a fun place to visit. They were constantly busy while I was there. The bartenders are extremely friendly and make wonderful drink recommendations. I would highly suggest you check them out if you are ever in Birmingham. Visit their website at http://avondalecommonhouse.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

Commonwealth Kitchen – Enfield, CT

It had been over a year since I visited Connecticut. This visit I was about 20 minutes outside of Hartford, in the town of Enfield. I was looking for a local place to have dinner. It was recommended that I try Commonwealth Kitchen.

It’s a cute restaurant that had a warm, welcoming feeling. I was greeted right away by the hostess.

  

Glancing over their drink menu I zeroed in on the Beach Feels. It was vodka, fresh lime juice, mint, and ginger beer. This was basically a Moscow Mule. It was sweet because of the ginger beer. The mint was just a garnish; it really did not add any flavor to the drink.

Their menu was filled with comfort foods. They had everything from Sheppard’s pie to fish & chips. They also added a specialty twists to classics like their lobster grilled cheese sandwiches. I chose to try the lobster mac n’ cheese. It was loaded with huge pieces of Maine lobster, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. Then they were tossed with noodles and a three cheese sauce.

The lobster was extremely fresh and tender. I was so surprised with how much was included in the dish. The sweet flavor from the lobster paired nicely with the saltiness from all the creamy cheese.

The additions of the spinach and tomatoes elevated the mac n’ cheese to more of a sophisticated pasta dish. The cheese sauce made this very rich and filling. The portion was really big for just one person. It would be great to share, or at least you could take home the leftovers and each them for lunch the next day.

Commonwealth Kitchen was a really nice local restaurant. Their comfort food would really warm you up on a cold winter in Connecticut. Check them out at http://commonwealthkitchenct.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

Columbia – Tampa, FL

I have found myself writing about the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor Coty again. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Tampa and every time I visit I try to have one meal there.

As with all my previous visits I made sure to order a pitcher of sangria. This time I got the Blanco Sangria that was made table side.

  

It was made with CR Generations Sauvignon Blanco (this is wine specially made for Columbia), brandy, and fresh citrus juices. This visit the sangria was put in a beautifully decorated pitcher.

The sangria was sweet but not overly sweet. It just tastes so fresh to me. Maybe because I get to watch all the ingredients come together. I wanted to share a video I took, so check it out on my twitter account (@GatorGirl_swamp).

Like my other visit I made sure I ordered the famous 1905 salad. The tangy dressing that is on this salad is extremely addicting. When it combines with the cheese, ham, olives, and tomatoes I feel like I am in heaven.

I love the fact they make this table side too, especially when I can tell my waiter to add extra cheese. Check out the video  I took on twitter (@GatorGirl_swamp).

The last time I visited I order the Queso Fundido. I enjoyed the cheese, olives, and tomato sauce so much I ordered it again. I loved that it came with toasted Cuban bread slices. They added crunch to the soft cheese mixture.

Now up to this point I have written about all of the items that I had before. I loved them all so much I wanted to share them again. I did order two other items that I never tried before.

The first dish was the Cakes de Cangrejo. These are large crab cakes that are loaded with fresh blue crabmeat and grilled. The crabmeat was extremely sweet. They drizzled a passion fruit aioli sauce over the crab cakes. This added a little extra sweetness to the crab.

For the first time ever I left room for some desserts. I tried a little homemade flan. Their flan was a milky custard with a dark caramel sauce. It was a delicious cross between custard and cheesecake.

The other dessert I ordered was the white chocolate bread pudding. This was the perfect choice after the saltiness of the 1905 salad. They use their fresh Cuban bread, white chocolate, and it is covered with a rum sauce.

It came with 2 slices so it was perfect for sharing. The bread pudding was super sweet but still slightly creamy. I think it was the rum sauce that kept me going back for more bites. I would recommend that everyone try this dessert.

I love Columbia Restaurant. I have written about them two other times and think I will continue to write about them every time I visit. I encourage everyone to check them out at http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

T

Jimmy Hula’s – Brandon, FL

When driving past Jimmy Hula’s in Brandon, Florida, I could not help but notice the bright green building and colorful signs. It looked like a fun place to grab a bite to eat.

Jimmy Hula’s is a family run business that started in Winter Park, Florida. They have expanded to several locations around Central Florida. When I walked through the front door I felt like I was transported to a surf shack at the beach.

There were surf boards everywhere. The tables were set up like tiki huts.

Instead of typical booth seats, they used old car seats. It was a really fun environment.

When it came to ordering, I just walked up to the main counter and ordered. You can sit wherever you want and they bring your order to you. Everything is a-la-cart so if you show up with a big appetite you will want to order a few things.

  

I got one of their Street Tacos. I ordered the chicken version that comes with lots of cilantro, onions, cotija (a Mexican cheese that is similar to feta cheese), and sriracha sauce. It was supposed to have guacamole on it but they were all out of it and avocados when I visited.

The taco was packed full. The chicken was chopped up very fine. It had awesome flavor. The onion added crunch. The cilantro added a little heat but most of the heat came from the sriracha sauce. The cheese added tanginess not creaminess. It was a great taco and I wish I had ordered more than one.

The other thing I ordered was the Crack’d Corn. This was their version of Mexican street corn. It was a whole corn cob. It was drenched in crema, chili powder, cotija, and cilantro.

This corn was extremely messy to eat. After taking each bite my face was covered in the crema and cotija. The corn was extremely sweet and paired well with the tangy flavor from the cheese. The spice from the cilantro was muted by the crema’s creaminess. It was a great side dish.

I really enjoyed what I ordered at Jimmy Hula’s. I will definitely check out one of their other locations and try the other tacos on their menu. Check them out at www.jimmyhulas.com

Enjoy!

T

 

Kobe Ichiban – Brandon, FL

I was really hungry for sushi when I was visiting Brandon, Florida. Not far from where I was staying was Kobe Ichiban. It is a Japanese steakhouse that had a pretty big sushi menu.

  

This restaurant had so many hibachi tables and every single one was full. Apparently people love coming to Kobe for their birthdays. The waiters bang a drum to celebrate.

  

I sat at the bar because it was easier for me. I figured the service would be a little faster.

I started off with the fresh salad with the ginger dressing and miso soup. The dressing on the salad was great. It was not creamy like some others I have had. It had a nice salty taste that added interest to the lettuce and cucumbers in the salad.

The miso soup had a very vibrant flavor. There was a lot of onion and mushrooms. This added extra flavor and a little texture. The one thing that was missing from the soup was tofu. That would have been a nice addition.

I ordered a spicy tuna roll. This is my favorite roll and I always make sure to order one. There was nice heat to it because of the wasabi. They sprinkled a little panko breadcrumbs on top which added a slight crunch. There was also a toasted accent that came from the sesame seeds on the outside of the rice.

I had ordered the sushi dinner. It was an assortment of sashimi, nigiri, and a California roll. I had no idea it was served on a little wooden boat. I laughed as soon as my waiter brought it out.

The sashimi included fresh ahi tuna, yellow fin tuna, and salmon. The nigiri included more tuna, yellow fin, salmon, plus shrimp, and eel. My favorite of all these options was the eel. The sweet sauce they drizzled over the eel was spectacular.

The California roll was very mild. It was a great filler and had a great crunch because of the cucumber that was inside.

If you are in the mood for sushi or want some fresh hibachi, you need to check out Kobe Ichiban. They have several locations all over Florida. Visit their website at www.kobesteakhouse.com to find one closest to you.

Enjoy!

T