Author: gatorgirl.outoftheswamp@gmail.com

Fancy Q Sushi – Lakeland, FL

I love sushi and it had been a whole since I had some. I wanted to try a different restaurant. There was a little place that had gotten great reviews that I decided to try, called Fancy Q Sushi in Lakeland, Florida.

It is not very big inside, so I am glad I got there when I did. Otherwise, I would have been waiting for a table. When I got seated at the table, the waitress brought over a fried sushi roll as a welcome appetizer. It was a nice surprise. It was really tasty. It was a crab and shrimp roll that was tempura fried. They drizzled a yum-yum sauce and soy sauce on top.  The sauce was sweet and creamy. The soy sauce was not overpowering and added a slight salty taste.

The miso soup came out next. This was a simple broth that helped cleanse the palate before the sushi came out.

I ordered the sushi plater that is perfect for sharing. It offers up a little bit of everything to try. This platter had a spicy tuna roll, a California roll, and fresh cuts of fish – mackerel, tuna, salmon, and white fish.

The spicy tuna roll had the seaweed wrap on the outside. There was a nice amount of wasabi on the inside, which gave it a kick.

The California roll is the simplest roll that actually is simple in taste as well. I like to add a little wasabi to make it spicy. They also have extra yum-yum sauce at the table, so I made sure to drizzle that on top of the roll. It helps give extra sweetness.

The tuna and salmon were extremely fresh. They were tender and melted in my mouth. The white fish was interesting, it is not something I would have ordered on its own. It was light and had a mild taste. I did dip it in some soy sauce that I mixed wasabi in. I really like when there is a little heat. It added some additional flavor to the fish itself.

The mackerel was also very interesting. I had never had it before, it was a little oily and did have an oily taste. It was a little too fishy for me. Even with adding the yum-yum sauce, it did not care for it. The texture was also different from the other fish I normally eat.

I had also ordered a side of shrimp fried rice. It was so good. I dove in as soon as it came to the table. I did not even remember to take a photo. The shrimp were grilled up and had a great ginger flavor. The rice was perfect with a slight salty taste and a few crispy edges from the grill.

This was a great place to sushi. They have many other things on the menu, including some Thai dishes. I am looking forward to going back. Check them out at www.fancyqlakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

National Pretzel Day

Make sure to enjoy some pretzels to today on National Pretzel Day!

Enjoy!

T

Omusubee – Lakeland, FL

It was a beautiful Spring morning and I headed to downtown Lakeland for the Saturday Farmers Market. It is a great place to go help support local businesses.

Each time I go I find something, and this Saturday was no exception. I saw a sign for a Japanese rice ball, and I was curious what that was all about.

They had a pretty large crowd around their booth. It seemed that everyone was interested in these rice balls. These are made with Japanese sushi rice that is stuffed with different filling and then wrapped in a seaweed sheet. It was also not in the shape of a ball but a triangle. The entire item was fascinating.

I took a chance and ordered a tune rice ball. Even the wrapping around the rice was unique.  You needed to pull the red arrows on the wrap in order to remove it, otherwise the seaweed might all have come apart.

It was creamy tuna salad in the middle of the soft rice. The rice did have a slight vinegar taste just like sushi. The seaweed wrap added a little crunch when I took a bite and it kept the triangle shape. It acted almost like an editable napkin.

The entire item was delicious. All three of the elements worked so well together. It was super easy to eat and easy to walk around the market.

They do have a website where you can order some other flavors. Then you can pick them up at the following weeks market. This is exactly what I did. I ordered another creamy tuna since I enjoyed it so much. I also ordered the eel. This was strips of cooked eel (just like I get when I order sushi) topped off with the sweet eel sauce. Then it was covered with the seaweed.

It was like eating a jumbo sushi roll. I actually popped it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. That made it a little easier to bit in to the eel.

I am so glad I found the at the Farmers Market. These rice balls are a nice snack and very easy to eat. Check them out and order a few at www.omusubeefl.com

Enjoy!

T

Red Hook Cajun Seafood – Memphis, TN

I was lucky to get to visit Memphis recently. It had been years since I had visited. So much had changed, so much growth. There were many new restaurants I was having a difficult time choosing one to try.

After looking over the different cuisine offerings, I set my eyes on Red Hook Cajun Seafood. They are a New Orleans style place, offering a wide range of seafood, po’ boys, oysters, and NOLA favorites.

The atmosphere was fun inside the restaurant. It was a great place to bring a family.

I started off with a half dozen of their chargrilled oysters. These are my favorite and I have written about these many, many times.

The oysters were tender. The slight briny taste was masked by the flavor of the garlic and parmesan cheese. They used a lot of cheese which added great saltiness but also a creaminess. They were hot when they came out, so if you order them, make sure to let them cool off before you touch the shells.

On this cold Memphis evening, I thought a bowl of gumbo would help warm me up. This gumbo had a little of everything, peppers, sausage, some shrimp, and rice. The flavor was fantastic. There was a rich savory taste with a hint of salt. The shrimp and the sausage were very tender. The rice helped thicken up the gumbo.

For my dinner I went for one of their seafood boils. Each boil came with corn on the cob and potatoes. The seafood choices were endless, everything from the traditional shrimp and crawfish to crab, lobster, or mussels. I was feeling traditional, so I went for the crawfish.

The boil came out in an interesting way. All the crawfish, corn, and potatoes were sizzling in a giant plastic bag. This helped keep it really hot and prevented too much of a mess before it got to the table.

I made sure to keep on the gloves and the bib. I knew I would end up being messy. I cut open the bag and let all of the ingredients fall onto the metal tray. Then I dug in. The crawfish were seasoned wonderfully. They were juicy and the meat was so tender. These were large crawfish too so there was a lot of meat. The potatoes soaked up a ton of the seasoning flavor. The corn on the cob added a nice, sweet element.

I cannot believe I finished this whole thing by myself. I am glad I wore the gloves because my hands got dirty. Now I would not smell like the boil for the rest of the evening.

I really enjoyed the seafood at Red Hook. I would go back and try one of their other boils. Check their menu out at www.redhookseafood.com

Enjoy!

T

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

I hope everyone has a fun and safe St. Patrick’s Day

Enjoy!

T

Daylight Donuts – Johnson City, TN

The mountains in Eastern Tennessee are absolutely beautiful. I was visiting Johnson City and the campus of East Tennessee State University. While driving around I came across a local donut shop not far from the campus. Daylight Donuts was calling my name.

When I walked in, I could smell the sweet donuts in the air. I could not wait to get my hands on one. To my surprise, they also had kolaches that they made fresh. I would never have expected to find these in Tennessee.

I ordered a sausage, jalapeno, and cheese kolache. They warmed it up for me. The cheese that oozed out was nice and crispy. When I took a bite, I could taste the sweetness of the yeast roll. The sausage had a slight heat from the jalapeno, nothing overwhelming. The creaminess of the cheese helped calm down any sign of spice.

Since I was originally there for donuts, I made sure to grab two. The first one was the maple donut. This was a yeast donut that was light and fluffy. The maple icing was sweet and full of fresh maple flavor. It was perfect on a cool morning with a cup of coffee.

The second donut I shared. I was starting to get full. This was also a yeast donut and I selected the chocolate icing with multi-colored sprinkles. The icing had an awesome chocolate taste and the sprinkles gave it a nice crunch.

These donuts were very satisfying and the kolache was a great surprise. The staff at Daylight Donuts was great. They were really friendly. If you are in Johnson City check them out. Grab a donut or a dozen.

Enjoy!

T

55 South – Brentwood, TN

Several years ago I visited the original location of 55 South in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. Since that time they have opened up two more locations. I was looking forward to checking out their Brentwood location.

What I remembered about 55 South is they have influences from New Orleans in their dishes. They have chargrilled oysters on the menu, which can be found all over New Orleans. Plus these are one of my favorite dishes. Their oysters were topped with garlic-lemon butter and parmesan cheese. There was a nice salty taste from the cheese. The lemon in the butter gave it a nice zing.

The parmesan cheese was cooked to be a little crispy. I enjoyed picking it off of the oyster shells. The grilled toast they provided helped me soak up the extra garlic butter.

The other dish I ordered was the Garlic Parmesan Crab Fries. These were fresh, crispy French fries that were tossed in garlic butter. Then they smothered the fries in lemon mayo and lump crabmeat. These fries were addicting. The garlic flavor shined through and paired perfectly with the tangy taste from the lemon mayo. The crabmeat added sweetness. They used a generous amount of crabmeat. They did a great job combining all of these ingredients to make a unique dish that was very satisfying.

I really enjoyed the food as 55 South. There were several new dishes on the menu since my previous visit. I cannot wait to come back and try some other things.

Visit their website at www.Eat55.com

Enjoy!

T

Conforti’s Bakery – Brick, NJ

There is a family-owned Italian bakery in Brick, New Jersey called Conforti’s Bakery. They always have a ton of cars in their parking lot, so I decided to check them out.

They make fresh a full line of Italian breads, pastries, desserts, and cakes.

Because of the Covid restrictions that were in place, I was not able to actually go into the shop. That was a disappointment because I did not get to smell all those baked goods in the air. That is the fun part of walking into a bakery.

They did have a walk-up window that allowed you to order. It was a pretty efficient process.

They boxed up the sweet treats and then you are off on your way.

I ordered one of their cream puffs. It was larger than most cream puffs I have seen. They put a decent amount of powdered sugar on top to add extra sweetness.

The pastry dough was light and airy. This allowed for the vanilla cream filling to fill every nook and cranny. There definitely was a lot of filling. It was so smooth and creamy. I loved how the pastry added texture to the smooth filling. Because this cream puff was so large, I had to eat it with a fork. This helped me prevent a huge mess.

This stop for some dessert was great. I look forward to going back and trying something else. I am also looking forward to when everything gets back to normal and I can go inside the bakery.

Check them out at www.confortisbakery.com

Enjoy!

T

Boardwalk Hot Dogs – Brick, NJ

Nothing has made me happier than getting to travel again. The planes starting to get a little fuller, the roads a little more crowded, and the restaurants are opening (even if it is in just a limited capacity). I was happy to be back in New Jersey and getting to visit Boardwalk Hot Dogs, that has been around since 1982.

Now they have more than just hot dogs on their menu, but I was there specifically to try their Italian Hot Dog. I was not aware of what this style hot dog was, so I was anxious to try it.

They took a footlong hot dog and grilled it up on the flat top. Then they placed it inside a roll that looked almost like a pita pocket, but it was freshly made bread. Then inside the pocket they stuffed it with homemade home fries, which were nice big chunks of potatoes that were fried up till crispy on the outside. They then topped it off with sautéed peppers and onions. They were cooked till caramelized, and sweet which complemented the salty taste of the hot dog. This was the most filling hot dog I have ever had. It is perfect for sharing. And because its inside a pocket, it is not that messy to eat.

I could not leave without trying a classic Chili Cheese Dog.  The footlong hot dog was placed on a traditional hot dog bun. They smothered the hot dog with chili (which was meat only, no beans). Then liquid cheese was spread on top on the chili. The smoky taste from the hot dog paired well with the savory taste of the chili. It was extremely messy to eat this hot dog.

I was happy to get to travel and visit a new restaurant. Check out their website at www.boardwalkhotdogsnj.com

Enjoy!

T

Harry Waugh Dessert Room – Tampa, FL

After enjoying a wonderful steak dinner at Bern’s Steakhouse. I had two options for dessert. I could either eat there at my table in the restaurant or I could head upstairs to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. Naturally I went upstairs for a unique experience. Luckily, we had a reservation, otherwise we would not have been able to get in.

We were seated in a semi-private space. It was intimate enough for small groups without making you feel like you are closed in.

Their menu was filled with dessert and dessert like cocktails. I orders one of each. The actual dessert was shared with the table.

The specialty drink I ordered was called Dreamsicle. The drink was vanilla ice cream that was blended with orange juice, orange liqueur, and a splash of Valencia orange vodka.

This drink was rich and creamy. The orange flavor was extremely impactful and paired with the ice cream perfectly. It truly reminded me of a creamsicle/dreamsicle that I would get from the ice cream man in the summer.

For dessert, as if the cocktails weren’t enough, I ordered the King Midas. This was a nut infused carrot cake. The moist, spicy cake was topped with a Macadamia Nut ice cream and a slice of thin chocolate. The ice cream was sweet, and the nuts gave it a unique flavor that paired well with the nutty carrot cake. As the ice cream melted, it got soaked into the cake, which made it even more moist.

I am so glad that I went to the Dessert Room for dessert. It was the best way to end my evening.

If you want to learn more about the Dessert Room check out the website for Bern’s Steakhouse: www.bernssteakhouse.com

Enjoy!

T