Chattanooga is a fun town that keeps growing every year. There is a fun Southern restaurant downtown called Flying Squirrel. They have a unique menu that I felt had an Asian influence in dishes and flavors. There were several items on the menu that came highly recommended.
The Charred Cauliflower were cut into bite size pieces that were breaded in a spicy chili batter and deep fried till crispy. They covered the cauliflower in a sweet ginger cream. The ginger flavor was subtle but helped sooth the heat from the chilis in the batter. They tossed the cauliflower with toasted hazelnuts that added extra crunch. There was also a hint of lime juice and mint. The cauliflower had great flavor and were still tender on the inside after being fried.
The Spicy Miso Brussels Sprouts were amazing. The brussels sprouts were chopped up to make them easier to eat. They were charred up perfectly so there was a nice crispiness to them. They were covered in a glaze made of honey, orange, mint, and a miso-sesame mayo. The earthy flavor from the miso-sesame complemented the bitterness from the brussels sprouts. The honey added a subtle sweetness.
The Karaage was a Japanese fried chicken. They chopped up tender pieces of chicken and tossed with a black garlic molasses, Japanese mayo, and togarashi (a Japanese chili pepper mixture). This dish was the spiciest I tried this evening. The garlic molasses added a great sweetness that complemented the heat of the togarashi. The Japanese mayo was creamier than a typical aioli. It too helped calm the heat with adding some tanginess.
The final item was the House Cut Fries. These were fresh cut fried that were covered in garlic and spicy seasoning. The fries were crispy and slightly sweet. They were not too spicy; however, they used a ton of garlic. All this garlic made the fries so flavorful that no ketchup was needed.
I enjoyed all the dishes I tried at Flying Squirrel. I would love to go back and try several of their other dishes on the menu. They also have a beautiful bar that you can sit at for a nice, crafted cocktail.
Downtown Chattanooga has really grown and redeveloped over the last several years. They have so many restaurants and bars to choose from. If you are wanting good pizza, then Community Pie is a must visit.
They have many pizza options to choose from, pus you can create your own. All their pizzas are cooked in their wood fire ovens.
During my visit I ordered the Little Italy pizza. This pie included Italian sausage, pepperoni, fresh Ricotta cheese, Calabrian chiles, fresh garlic, basil, and pecorino Romano cheese.
The crust had a great crunch and charr on it because of the fire oven. It added a slight smoky taste. This is the best way to have pizza cooked. The sausage had a fantastic fennel taste to it. The pepperoni was extra crispy because of the oven too. I loved crispy pepperoni. The Ricotta cheese added a creaminess to the pizza; it also helped calm the spiciness that came from the Calabrian chiles. The chilies were smoky and spicy and packed a punch of heat.
This was a delicious pizza. The one thing I wanted to note about their red pizza sauce, it does contain bacon. It adds a great flavor but obviously would not be suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians. They do have other sauce options.
If you are in Chattanooga and get hungry, stop by Community Pie.
In downtown Tampa, not far from the hockey arena, there is a seafood restaurant called Harpoon Harry’s Crab House. The restaurant is very large; there are tables on two levels. They have a great bar on one side of the restaurant. You can sit there and order from the full menu. I have done this a few times.
On this visit I was with a big group of friends, and we decided to get a table. We started off with cocktails while we looked over the menu. I got a red sangria. It was not super sweet, so it was refreshing. They had a nice amount of fruit mixed within to give it a natural sweetness.
We ordered almost every appetizer that was on the menu. We just passed them around the table so that everyone could have a taste. The Coconut Shrimp came out first. These shrimp were butterflied which allowed them to be a little crisper once they were fried. The coconut flavor shined through and had a nice sweetness. They served a pineapple red chili agave on the side for dipping. I love how pineapple and coconut blend so well together. It creates such a tropical flavor that is perfect when combined with shrimp.
The next thin out was the Tater Kegs. These sounded interesting. These were homemade tater tots made with mashed potatoes, chives, bacon, and cheddar cheese. They were formed into large tot shapes, breaded, and deep fried. They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. There was a great bacon flavor in the potato and the cheddar cheese made the inside extra creamy. They served a chipotle aioli on the side to dip. That aioli made the flavor of the tots more like a twice baked potato.
The Crab Cake was just one. This one was slightly harder to share. We each cut off a little piece to try. They mixed a large amount a blue crab meat with different herbs and seasonings. The mojo aioli added a little tangy taste, but I really felt the sweet crab cake was good on its own.
Conch Fritters are a must have at a Florida seafood restaurant. These fritters were packed with fresh, tender Bahamian conch. These were also crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. These really stayed hot until I cut them open to cool off. The Cajun mayo added a little head. I really liked how much conch they had in these.
The Truffle Mac & Cheese was a super-rich dish. They blended gruyere cheese with breadcrumbs and white truffle oil. The breadcrumbs gave it texture on top of the creaminess from the cheese.
The last appetizer that came out was the Shrimp Cocktail. This was very traditional, nothing out of the ordinary. The shrimp were jumbo in size and the cocktail sauce has a great tanginess to it.
After all of these appetizers, I ordered something a little lighter for my main dish. I got the Tuna Tataki. This was thinly sliced yellow fin tuna that was coasted with a sesame crust. They covered the tuna in a delicious pineapple ginger teriyaki sauce. A sriracha aioli was drizzled on top. This added a little heat. There was a seaweed salad on the side. The seaweed tasted great with the teriyaki sauce, it acted almost like a dressing. The tuna was extremely fresh and melted in my mouth. This is definitely a must order for anyone who loves fresh tuna.
I also got to try a little of the Grouper Shrimp & Grits. This dish had a lot going on. In addition to the flakey grouper and shrimp, there was grilled andouille sausage. The grits were in the form of a cheddar grit cake, which was very cheesy. There was a spicy tomato reduction on top. This did not add too much spiciness. There were also vegetables on the side. I really thought the grouper was the best part of the dish. The sausage was a nice surprise too, which had great flavor.
Finally, it was time for dessert. We only ordered one and we hared it around the table since we all had eaten so much already. We asked our server what the best dessert was, and the Banana Pudding was recommended. They served the pudding in a mason jar. It was layered with caramelized bananas, creamy vanilla pudding, and vanilla bean whip cream. The bananas were amazing. I could have eaten just a bowl of these. They were soft and sweet. The whip cream was also a nice touch; since it was freshly made it was light and fluffy.
Everything I tried at Harpoon Harry’s Crab House was amazing. They have so many things to choose from, including a full sushi menu. They get busy so try to make a reservation. If that is not possible just put your name on the list and head over to the bar for a cocktail while you wait. Check out their menu at www.harpoonharryscrabhousetampa.com
