Category: Florida

If you want a southern restaurant with a modern twist, check out Fresco’s in Lakeland, Florida.

Grab a seat at the bar and start enjoying some of the great cocktails they have to offer.

The Blackberry Basil Cooler is sweet and refreshing. It blends vodka, basil, blackberry syrup, lemon, and orange bitters.

An Aperol Spritz is a classic cocktail that Fresco’s does well. It includes Aperol, lemon, simple syrup, Prosecco and a splash of soda for bubbles. If you want something that is not overly sweet, this is the cocktail for you.

Their Old-Fashion keeps with tradition, smooth and your choice of bourbon.

Plus the bartender like us so I was able to get a few of those special cocktail cherries just for myself!

If you like whiskey, then make sure to do a Whiskey Flight. You get the sample four options. We got to try:

1. George Dickel 8 year

2. Stranahan’s Colorado single malt

3. Barrell Seagrass Rye

4. Barrell Dovetail

Fresco’s has more than just drinks. They have a great menu offering unique takes on classic dishes. They also have great appetizers that are able to be shared.

The FSKB Loaded Baked Potato Wedges are amazing. The potatoes are covered in pimento cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream with herbs. The pimento cheese is a unique element. It adds a saltines and a creaminess.

The Deviled Eggs have the southern style creamy filling, but they give it a unique twist with bacon crumbles and candied jalapeños. It’s a nice salty sweet combination.

The Fresco’s Eggrolls are different. They use chicken, bacon, cheese, and salsa inside crispy wonton wrappers. They serve an avocado cream sauce for dipping. It’s a unique take on southwest style eggrolls.

They have a few flatbreads on the menu we ordered the Fig. The sweet dough was covered with an apple fig chutney, mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, arugula, and slices of apple. The pizza overall was sweet and the arugula gave it a slight pepper taste.

I loved everything we tried at Fresco’s. Check them out if you’re in the area.

www.frescoslakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

There is a wonderful Italian restaurant in Lakeland, Florida that is only open for dinner. And it is a small place, so it is impossible to show up without a reservation. It had been many years since I had been there, so I decided to check them out. We had a reservation for a Monday, it made it a little easier to get a table.

As soon as you walk in you must check out the chalkboard. This is where they list all their specials for the day.

We were one of the first groups to be seated so the restaurant was still a little empty. But by the time we got our drinks the place was full.

Freshly made bread and olive oil came to the table as we were looking over the menu. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft inside. The olive oil with an Italian blend of seasonings, was creamy and had a buttery texture.

The first appetizer we ordered was one of their daily specials, Strawberry Balsamic Brie. We were excited to try this because it is the start of strawberry season in Florida. They took a beautiful brie cheese and baked it in the oven with honey, balsamic vinegar, sliced almonds, and fresh strawberries. The dish came out sizzling to the table; it took a few minutes for it to cool off slightly. They served toasted ciabatta bread on the side. The crunch from the bread was a nice complement to the softness of the cheese. The sweetness from the strawberries and honey paired perfectly with the saltiness of the cheese.

The other appetizer that came to the table was the Eggplant Rollatini. They served 2 pieces which was perfect to cut in half to share. The eggplant was thinly sliced and fried until crispy. Then it was rolled with ricotta cheese and baked until the cheese melted. Then they topped it off with a freshly made marinara sauce. The eggplant was cooked wonderfully allowing the outside to be crispy and the inside soft, not mushy.

Two of the dishes ordered for dinner were the special, Spinach Artichoke Chicken. They grilled the chicken and topped it with a creamy spinach artichoke dip. They ran it through the oven to make the dip a little crispy. They served the chicken with a side of orzo rice and grilled zucchini and yellow squash. The creaminess of the spinach artichoke made the dish very rich.

I ordered the Chicken Florentine for my meal. They chargrilled this chicken as well with amazing Italian seasoning. They served angel hair pasta and fresh spinach on the side. These were drizzled with olive oil and garlic. It was simple but delicious. This was some of the best spinach that I have ever had. There was no bitter taste the way it was prepared.

The last meal that was ordered was the Lasagna. This classic dish was layers of cheese, sauce, and noodles. It came with 2 large homemade meatballs. The meatballs were tender and juicy. They were a nice accompaniment to the lasagna.

It was time for dessert. They had many options to choose from. We ordered the Crème Brule. This sweet dessert had the crispy melted sugar on top covering the creamy filling. The filling was cool, and the sugar crust was warm. It was a wonderful contrast of temperature.

The Tiramisu was delicious. It was layers of lady fingers soaked in espresso. Then they were layered with a mascarpone cheese mixture and dusted with chocolate and powdered sugar. The espresso flavor was not too strong as it was mellowed by the cheese filling which was extremely creamy.

The food at Scarpa’s was fantastic. Our waiter was attentive and very friendly. It was an amazing evening out. Give them a call and make a reservation that next time you are in Lakeland. Check out their menu at www.scarpasitalian.comEnjoy!

T

If you are in downtown Lakeland and looking for a wonderful Spanish influence restaurant then Nineteen Sixty-One is the place to visit.

There are many great starters that are perfect for sharing around the table. The Brussel Sprouts were one of those dishes. They were flash fried and tossed in a maple balsamic vinaigrette. Then they were topped with raisin caramel and Manchego cheese. These were the sweetest Brussel sprouts that I have ever had. The maple vinaigrette and raisin caramel were a flawless combination of flavors that mellowed out the bitterness of the Brussel sprouts.

The Peruvian Ceviche was marvelous. The ceviche was made with Corvina (a sweet fish) and soaked in Leche de Tigre (the liquid from the fish mixed with ginger, lime juice, & cilantro). There was cancha choclo mixed in with the fish. Cancha Choclo are whole corn kernels that have been soaked so that they puff up. They served plantain chips on the side. The ceviche was full of immense flavor.  It was tangy from the acid in the lime juice which accented the sweetness of the fish.

The Chips, Avocado Mousse, & Tomatillo Salsa was another great sharable. They made homemade tortilla chips to dip into the mousse and salsa. They also included plantain chips. The avocado mousse was extremely creamy and a little tangy. It was delicious on the plantain chips. The tomatillo salsa was a blend of roasted tomatillos and jalapenos. It was not as spicy as I was expecting with the jalapenos.

To help enjoy these appetizers we ordered a bottle of red wine called Finca La Mata. It was a Tempranillo, which is a black grape from Spain. It was bold but smooth in flavor.

I got to try the soup of the day which was a creamy clam chowder. There was an overall sweet flavor to the soup. The clams were tender.

I made sure to order the 1961 Salad. I heard that this was a best seller. They had chopped up lettuce tossed with Manchego cheese, baby Swiss, and manzanilla olives. They coated the ingredients with a homemade house dressing. The dressing reminded me of both an Italian and Greek salad dressing. It had a tangy taste, but I could not get enough of it.  I wish I could have bought a bottle of this dressing for home.

For my dinner I ordered the Arroz Chaufa. This was a Peruvian style Chinese fried rice. They used Peruvian spices, bean sprouts, soy sauce, cilantro, and scrambled eggs. They drizzled a Fresno aioli on top and sprinkled green onions all over. I ordered the rice with chicken. They had tender pieces of chicken chopped up throughout. They had marinated the chicken which added extra flavor to the rice. It had a nice smoky taste to it from the Peruvian spices.

The Seafood Paella was also ordered. This took a little extra time to make so it needs to be ordered right away so that it will come out with the rest of the meals. This was a traditional Spanish paella with bay scallops, lobster tail, shrimp, clams mixed with calasparra rice (the traditional Spanish rice used in paella), cantimpalo chorizo, bell peppers, onions, peas, saffron, cilantro, and sofrito (onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes in a sauce). This paella had extraordinary flavor. The saffron in the rice pairs perfectly with the seafood. The lobster was tender, but the bay scallops were my favorite part. They were sweet, which was a contrast to the saltiness from the other components.

The other dish that was ordered was the Churrasco Steak. They marinated a flat iron steak in aji panca (a Peruvian red pepper marinade). It was cooked to a perfect medium. It was served on top of a black bean chorizo risotto. On the plate they included an avocado crema, salsa criolla, and chimichurri. The steak was tender and full of bold flavor. But it was the black bean risotto that was the star. It had a hint of spice and a creamy texture. It was something unique that I was not expecting when I hear risotto.

Each dish was amazing at Nineteen Sixty-One. We did not save room for dessert so we will definitely have to go back another time for that. Check out their menu at www.nineteen61.com

Enjoy!

T

We went to The Back Nine because we heard their brunch was amazing. They do have a specific brunch menu for Saturdays and Sundays, but you can also order items off their regular menu.

Since I was there with a large group of friends, I was excited to see all the different dishes that we were going to order.

The staple item that we always order when we come here are the Par Three Fries. These are amazing French fries. Everyone loves sharing them because they come with 3 different types of fries: Curly, Crinkle, and Traditional straight. They are cooked perfectly, and they fry them up to order because they are always piping hot when we get them. Make sure you ask for some of their homemade cheese sauce on the side. This is perfect for dipping the fries in.

One of the brunch dishes ordered was the Chicken and Waffles. This was breaded chicken tenders that were placed on top of a waffle. Then they were topped with fresh fruit and sprinkled with powdered sugar. The chicken was amazing. The breading was crispy and had great flavor and the chicken remained moist and juicy. I loved dipping it in maple syrup for extra flavor.

The Classic Breakfast Plate was truly a classic. It came with 2 eggs (these were ordered scrambled), sausage patties, toast, homefries, and fresh fruit. The eggs were amazing. They had such a creamy taste. It reminded me of the way my dad use to make them when I was a kid.

The Breakfast Bowl was pretty big. The bowl started with homefries being covered in the house made cheese sauce. Then there were layers of peppers, onions, and bacon. It was topped off with 2 scrambled eggs. If you like having all your ingredients mixed together for easy eating, this is the dish for you. The homemade cheese sauce helped pull the whole dish together.

A few friends did not feel like breakfast items, so they ordered more lunch type items. The Mahi Tacos looked fantastic when they came out. There were 3 flour tortillas stuffed with grilled mahi-mahi, housemade slaw, and a Cajun remoulade on top. My friend devoured all three. She said the fish was flakey and the sauce made them taste amazing.

If you like salads then the Cobb Salad would be a great choice. The mixed greens were topped with fresh grilled chicken, sliced egg, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, and bleu cheese crumbles. The bleu cheese dressing was served on the side. This was such a fresh-looking salad. The bleu cheese crumbles helped set it apart and make it unique from other cobb salads I have seen.

Lastly the chicken tenders were ordered. This was the same chicken that came on the chicken and waffles, but just with a few more pieces. It came with grilled veggies on the side which were grilled zucchini and yellow squash.

The food was amazing at The Back Nine. They never disappoint. And the staff is fantastic and always trying to take care of you.

Check out The Back Nine in Lakeland. And if you want to have fun playing the golf simulators, head to the back of the restaurant. They also have a great loyalty program, so make sure to sign up for that.

Check out their website at www.thebackninelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T