Category: Florida

Fish City Grill – Lakeland, FL

There are seafood places all over Florida. Sometime the decision can be really hard. When I decided to check out Fish City Grill it was because I saw they had char-grilled oysters on the menu. I was sold.

     

As soon as I sat down I ordered my oysters so they could start preparing them. They usually take a little while to cook properly.

Once I got my order in it was time to order a cocktail. I was curious to try the Grilled Peach Old Fashion. They used rye whiskey, St. Germain, thyme, bitters, a splash of lime, and fresh grilled peaches. There was a slight sweet taste to the cocktail and I could taste the hint of peach. It was not overly peachy.

As an appetizer the table ordered some fried calamari. This was a classic dish, nothing too fancy. The calamari was fresh, so the meat was tender. It shined through.

I ordered the crab bisque. I do not remember ever seeing this on a menu. Usually its lobster bisque. This soup was rich and creamy. It was topped off with a little Sherry. There were a few pieces of lump crab meat that settled at the bottom of the bowl. This bisque had exquisite taste. I just wish there was a little more crab meat.

Finally it was the shinning moment. My char-grilled oysters arrived at the table. They were still sizzling as if they were still on the grill.

There were a few different sizes of oyster from small to extra large. All were loaded with melted butter, garlic, and cheese.

     

As soon as they hot my lips I was in heaven. These were exactly what I enjoy when I visit New Orleans. It did not take me long to eat these morsels.

     

After the salty oysters I needed something sweet. I placed an order for the beignents. I figured I should stick to the New Orleans theme.

I was excited when they came out and I saw the piles of powdered sugar. But when I picked up the triangles of dough I realized they were very light. These beignents were made with a puff pastry. So they were not real beignents.  They were crispy instead of doughy. They were a nice dessert but not what I was hoping for.

The food and drinks were goof at Fish City Grill. They offered a nice variety of fresh seafood dishes. Check them out at www.fishcitygrill.com

Enjoy!

T

Peebles Bar-B-Q – Auburndale, FL

I love BBQ. From the smell of the smokers filling the air, to the sweet and spicy homemade sauces. I have written about so many restaurants from Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, and even as far north as Chicago. I was completely surprised to learn that there is a 70 year old BBQ joint in the tiny Florida town of Auburndale. This family run restaurant is a very unassuming on the outside. You could easily pass them and not realize it. You need to make sure to look for the sign for Peebles Bar-B-Q.

When I pulled up, their parking lot was already packed. They are only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday so that definitely explained why they were so busy. I could only assume that people actually plan their day around a visit.

As I got out of the car I could smell the smokers. There were chimneys on the roof of the restaurant that were pumping out that savory smell.

  

When I walked in I was greeted by the actual smokers. They were packed with ribs that were in several stages of readiness. It made me so hungry just looking at them.

  

You can sit wherever you want in the restaurant. There are menus already on the table. Glancing over the meat choices there was beef, pork, chicken, sausage, and of course ribs. They can be ordered as sandwiches, plates, or loaded on top of baked potatoes. Normally I order pulled pork because that is my absolute favorite. However, today I decided to make an effort to try something else.

I went for the chopped BBQ chicken plate. It came with homemade potato salad, coleslaw, and a choice of one other side. Naturally I went with the baked beans. Sometimes I can be so predictable!

The chicken was chopped up into great bite size pieces. I made sure to taste it before I put BBQ sauce on it. There was a fantastic smoky taste to the chicken. There was also still a nice juiciness to the chicken even though it had been smoked.

They offer two different BBQ sauces, an original and a sweet. The original was a little smoky and had a slight spice to it. Since I was not in a spicy mood, I went for the sweet sauce. It paired well with the smoky chicken. It also added additional moisture to the chicken. They include two slices of bread on the side. Once I put the BBQ sauce on the chicken, it was the perfect texture to then make a sandwich.

The baked beans were not sweet at all. They also had a rich, smoky taste. The coleslaw came on the side, but if you wanted to add crunch to a sandwich, adding this was the way to do it. I have noticed that people in Alabama like coleslaw on their BBQ. The homemade potato salad was exactly what you would expect at a 4th of July cookout. There were huge chucks of tender potato mixed with a creamy mayo mixture.

Now this plate I ordered did come with a lot of food, and I ordered the “small” plate. So if you are really hungry they do offer larger portions.

I had visited Peebles with some friends and one of them ordered the loaded baked potato covered in the BBQ pulled pork. It looked really delicious and I got to taste some of it, which I was grateful for. The potato was baked really well; it was tender but not too soft. It was loaded with butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Then it was piled high with the pulled pork.

The pork also had that great smoky taste. It was moist but did not have a lot of that crunchy bark that I like. The combination of all these ingredients went well with their original BBQ sauce. I think the sweet version would have overpowered all the flavors.

I would never have expected to find this 70 year old restaurant off the beaten path in Florida. I am so glad I heard about them. I would highly recommend checking them out. But remember, they are only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. And they close down for the months of July and August (Hey they need to enjoy summer too!).

Check put their website at http://www.peeblesbbq.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

The Meatball Stoppe – Orlando, FL

One of my favorite shows on the Food Network is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. I was excited to find out when I was visiting Orlando that there was a restaurant nearby that was featured on the show – The Meatball Stoppe.

     

I got such a warm welcoming when I walked through the door. The entire staff said hello. I saw right away the signed poster of Guy hanging on the wall.

I also found the colorful stencil that the show puts on the wall of every restaurant they visit.

This restaurant lives up to their name. In looking over the menu I see they offer 12 different types of meatballs. There were several unique combinations. Luckily they offered a meatball flight so I was able to taste several of the meatballs.

     

While I was waiting for the flight to come out I enjoyed the fried calamari. They used a corn meal breading that gave the calamari a unique flavor and an extra crispy coating. They served a side of homemade marinara sauce. It was on the spicy side which went nicely with the calamari.

     

I also got a fresh garden salad. There was nothing special about the salad just that it was fresh and cleansed my palate as the meatballs were brought to the table.

So I got to try 6 of the 12 meatballs:

     

  • Nonna’s Traditional – This was a classic Italian meatball. They were very moist and light. The mea had great flavor.

  • Sausage Pepper & Onions – This was a ground sausage based meatball that was topped with peppers and onions. It was the meatball version of a traditional sausage on a hoagie roll.

  • Chicken Marsala – This was a ground chicken meatball that was tossed in s Marsala sauce and accented with mushrooms.
  • Spicy Pork – This ground pork was loaded with spices that really added heat.
  • Mac & Cheese – This reminded me of a rice ball. They added rice with a ton of cheese to form a ball along with a little meat. It had great creamy flavor.

  • Lamb – This meatball had a unique flavor because of the lamb itself. Plus it came with mint jelly. I am not a fan of lamb but I knew I wanted to try this to see how it all came together. It reminded me of lamb chops.

Now I also tried two of their sides. The fresh polenta was creamy and soft. It reminded me of grits that I get at breakfast places.

The other side was a white bean Ragu. It’s a bean dish but it reminded me of a bean soup. There was amazing flavor. It had a creamy texture full of savory notes. I could have eaten a whole bowl just of this. It was very hearty.

There was one last thing I had to try – the homemade cannoli. It had a great crunchy shell that was filled with the creamy filling and chocolate chips. It was the perfect ending to the meal.

I really enjoyed everything I ate at The Meatball Stoppe, plus the staff was so nice and clearly they enjoy working there. I would recommend checking them out at www.themeatballstoppe.com . Make sure to try all the meatballs.

Enjoy!

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frescos – Lakeland, FL

I have eaten at several restaurants around Lakeland, Florida. There was one placed located downtown that I had been wanting to try for a long time called Frescos. They are known for their weekend brunches and I was excited to get to experience it for myself.

One of the best things about brunch at Frescos is their bottomless mimosas. These are not just your standard orange juice and champagne mimosas. They offer a variety of different flavors and you can try them all. There were champagne glasses being served all around the restaurant.

The first mimosa I ordered was the pineapple. I wanted to start with my favorite juice. I knew I could not go wrong.

The second flavor I ordered was the mango-strawberry. It was sweet; I tasted more of the strawberry than mango, but there still was some mango essence.

  

The third flavor was strawberry. This was even sweeter than the previous one. However, it worked well with the saltiness from my food.

Finally, the last flavor I tried was the prickly pear. This was a unique taste. It was a little on the sour side.

Now after reading all about my mimosas you might think that is all I had at Frescos. Not true. I ordered a wonderful breakfast bowl called the Ranchero bowl.

It had these wonderful cheesy potatoes that were like a hash brown casserole. Those were topped with slices of chorizo sausage, pico de gallo, and scrambled eggs (but you can get your eggs however you want). It was suppose to come with avocado however, to my disappointment they were out of avocado that day.

Each element of the bowl was delicious. I liked that type of chorizo they used because it was not too spicy and it was sliced instead of crumbled. It prevented the dish from being too oily. The pico was fresh and tasted great with the eggs. The potatoes were my favorite part because they were so cheesy.

While I was enjoying my last mimosa, I decided to try one of Frescos desserts. They had a large selection of sweet treats to choose from. They were all displayed in there case for everyone to see.

It was a hard choice but I went for the carrot cake.

It was a huge slice. The cake was moist and had the right amount of spice. The inside cream between each layer was the classic cream cheese icing. The outside icing reminded me more like a butter cream frosting.

If you love brunch then you must got to Frescos. They also have a wonderful menu for dinner. They are also the only bourbon bar in Lakeland and have live music throughout the week. Check them out at http://www.frescoslakeland.com/

Enjoy!

T

Brew Hub – Lakeland, FL

If you have ever driven on Interstate 4 between Tampa and Orlando you have certainly seen a giant industrial building with a big sign that says Brew Hub. I finally decided to check them out and see what they were all about.

When I walked in I was overwhelmed with the size if the tasting room. There were tables all around and a nice huge bar. I pulled up a seat and started talking with the bartender.

What makes Brew Hub different is they offer brewing machinery, space, and bottling to local craft breweries. This allows these local businesses to get their product out to the public. It is a very fascinating concept.

Brew Hub also has a pretty decent food menu filled with bar munchies. And they always have a local food truck on site serving up some of their specialties.

I looked over the beers and ciders they were offering. The Pineapple Hula caught my attention. It’s a pineapple cider that is 5% ABV. This cider was made by Ciderboys Hard Cider.

I have never had a pineapple cider. The flavor was amazing. The pineapple taste was strong but not overpowering. The citrus after tones made this cider very refreshing.

To go along with my drink I ordered the pretzels and beer cheese. The pretzel sticks came out extremely hot. They needed to cool off a little before I could eat them.

The pretzel dough was slightly sweet and it paired well dipped in the salty beer cheese. The cheese also had a slight tangy taste. It was the perfect snack to enjoy at the bar.

I had a great experience at Brew Hub. I only scratched the surface to what they offered. I joined their rewards program so I plan on going back. Plus I want to get their early enough to take the brewery tour.

Check them out on Facebook and at their website http://brewhub.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits – Lakeland, FL

A brand new restaurant recently opened up in downtown Lakeland called Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits. It is actually located in an old post office building.

It was really cool how they incorporated the old look of the post office into an updated chic hangout.

    

What patrons may not realize when they walk into this restaurant is it’s actually a BBQ joint. They smoke all of their own meats in the back. When they run out of a meat, then that is it for the day.

While I decided what food to try I glanced over their drink menu. They offered a red and a white sangria. They make it from scratch using wine, Sailor Jerry spiced rum, fresh raspberries, strawberries, orange and lime. They decorated the glass with a purple and white orchid. It was a beautiful presentation. Through the course of the dinner I ended up trying one of each.

The red sangria was slightly sweet. They used a dryer wine. The rum added spice as you would expect. To help prevent the sangria from getting watered down they actually froze the raspberries and strawberries.

The white sangria was very sweet. The taste actually reminded me of a rum runner rather than a sangria. It was refreshing.

They offered several BBQ starters that were ordered for the table to share. The one I was most excited to try was the Burnt Ends. These are the crispy, outside edges of their beef brisket.

These were absolutely amazing. The bark on the outside was loaded with smoky essence. The brisket fell apart as I picked it up with my fork, which shows how tender it was. The marbling of the fat throughout the brisket created a juiciness that spilled out of the meat. It simply melted in my mouth. The flavor was so strong I did not even bother putting BBQ on the pieces.

The quesadilla was perfect for sharing. The crispy shell was loaded with pulled pork, the special Mojo BBQ sauce, and both cheddar and jack cheese.

The pork was tender and very juicy; the Mojo sauce added extra flavor. The cheeses added a salty element. It did come with a side of salsa but I did not use it because the Mojo sauce was so good on it.

The fried pickles were exactly what I expected. They were pickle chips with a crispy breading. It came with a “comeback sauce” that was like an aioli. I actually enjoyed them being dipped in their different BBQ sauces.

When it comes to sauces they have five to choose from:

  • Sweet – totally sugary sweet
  • Mustard – self explanatory
  • Chipotle – had a slight pepper heat
  • Vinegar – sour and classic Carolina style
  • Mojo – a classic BBQ sauce with slight spice

Now a friend at the table ordered the Mojo Q Salad. I was able to try some of it. This salad was loaded with pulled pork, beef brisket, and chopped chicken. This salad was huge. The meats all had a great smoky taste. When covered with the Chipotle sauce it added another layer of flavor and eating it with the crunch of the romaine lettuce added a freshness.

For my dinner I ordered one of their two Meat BBQ Plates. It came with my choice of meats and sides. They offered seven different BBQ meats, which made it a hard choice. Everything sounded delicious. I went with the pulled pork shoulder and the beef brisket.

Of course I went with the pulled pork because that is my favorite BBQ meat. I also went for more brisket since those burnt ends were so delicious. The pork was super juicy and tender. There were not enough burnt edges but I still enjoyed it. The slices of brisket were amazing. They were thinly cut and the meat pulled apart with just a touch of my fork. There was just enough bark on the edges of each slice to add a salty accent.

Once I tasted the meat in its natural state I drizzled the sweet BBQ sauce on top. I really like how the sweetness worked with the smokiness. They complemented each other so well.

Now I got two sides with my dinner but there was a third that I wanted to try. The garlic cheese grits were amazing. I have had cheddar grits before but adding the garlic to them took the flavor to a different level. These were not your typical breakfast grits. They were thick and creamy and had a great savory element.

The mac and cheese reminded me of the one my mom would make. The noodles were tossed in a ton of cheese that melted into a creamy sauce. The top layer had crispy cheese and a sprinkling of breadcrumbs for added texture. It was classic comfort food.

The final side that I ordered extra was the sweet potato mash. It is not often that I see sweet potatoes on a menu, so I needed to see what these were all about. They mashed the potatoes leaving just a few chucks. Then they mixed in a little brown sugar for extra sweetness. They baked these in the oven in order to create a crispy, sugary layer on top. This way when they scoop the potatoes into the bowl, the crispy later got mixed throughout the entire serving. Normally sweet potatoes like this are served with turkey at Thanksgiving but they also go really well with BBQ.

I really enjoyed all the food and sangrias at Mojo Federal. I am planning on going back when I am in Lakeland because they have so many more things to try. Check out their entire offering at www.mojobbq.com

Enjoy!

T

Mr. Empanada – Tampa, FL

I was hungry for a homemade empanada. If you have never had one empanadas are a stuffed pastry that is filled with a savory or sweet filling and deep fried. I had asked some friends where they recommended I go when I was visiting Tampa. They all suggested Mr. Empanada.

Tucked away in the corner of a shopping center sits Mr. Empanada. If I did not have the address of where to go I would never have seen this place from the street. However, based on the line of people inside, no one else had any problems finding this place.

They have a large selection of empanadas to choose from.

  

It was a hard choice but I narrowed it down to three:

  1. Beef & Cheese
  2. Italian Sausage & Cheese
  3. Buffalo Chicken & Blue Cheese

I was really excited to dig into these. They had just come out of the fryer so they needed to cool down a little.

  

I started with the beef and cheese. The tender ground beef was mixed with a ton of cheese. It was extremely creamy because of all the cheese. The beef was full of great spicy flavor. The empanada pastry was sweet and crispy. It held in the meat and cheese as I took a bite so I luckily did not make a mess.

Up next was the Italian sausage and cheese. I was not sure what the sausage would be like inside the empanada shell. They actually took the sausage out of the casing ad cooked it up in crumbles. They then covered it in melted cheese. The sausage had amazing robust flavor. It was even more flavorful than the ground beef and was very tender.

The last empanada was the Buffalo chicken and blue cheese. They took fresh chicken breast meat and shredded it till it was very fine in texture. It was tossed with blue cheese that melted once it was fried up. The cheese and chicken were covered in a tangy Buffalo wing sauce. When I took a bite it was exactly like eating a chicken wing. The empanada shell added crunch to the soft chicken and the blue cheese toned down the tang from the sauce.

I had a great experience at Mr. Empanada. I want to go back to try one of their other varieties. They also made a fresh Cuban sandwich that looked pretty good. Another good thing about Mr. Empanada is they now can ship directly to your home across the country.

Visit their website to order your empanada or check out one of their local shops http://www.mrempanada.com/

Enjoy!

T

Tanners Lakeside – Winter Haven, FL

It was a wonderful evening in Florida. There was a new restaurant that was recommended for me to try called Tanners Lakeside.

     

It is located between Lake Mary and Lake Howard in Winter Haven, Florida. Since it was such a nice evening I wanted to make sure that I sat outside. They had a great deck that was over the water.

     

I had great seats so that I could watch the boats go back and forth between the two lakes.

I also watched all the cute little turtles swimming around and popping their heads up out of the water. Luckily I did not see any alligators swimming around the deck. But I am sure they were out there.

     

I started off this wonderful evening with the chips and mango salsa. My great waitress Vanessa recommended that I try this salsa. They make the salsa fresh at the restaurant. The fresh chunks of tender mango was mixed with chopped onions and cilantro. It was sweet over all in taste with a hint of spice coming from the cilantro. I could just eat the salsa with a fork however, it did taste good with the crunchy tortilla chips.

An appetizer that was also recommended was the fried lobster. The large pieces of sweet lobster meat was hand breaded and then deep fried. It was cooked perfectly; the meat was extremely tender. They served a melted, roasted garlic butter on the side, which was savory. However, I thought the lobster tasted amazing with the fresh made cocktail sauce.

Another appetizer I tried was the blackened yellow fin tuna. The rare tuna was slightly pan seared on the outside. It was covered with a Cajun seasoning. The seasoning had a slight kick to it. They drizzled a Creole butter sauce over the thinly sliced tuna. The sauce had a mustard taste. The tuna was fresh and perfect as it melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite.

Finally for my dinner I ordered the Grouper mango. The Gulf Grouper filet was lightly blackened and pan seared. The blackened taste, which was slightly salty, complemented the sweetness from the mango salsa that they layered on top. If that was not enough, a loaded baked potato came on the side. It came with all the fillings including cheese, bacon, butter, and sour cream.

My meal was exquisite and the views were extraordinary. It was the perfect way to kickoff the weekend. I would highly recommend Tanners Lakeside. Check them out at www.tannerslakeside.com

Enjoy!

T

Ave Bar – Winter Haven, FL

There is a cute bar I found in Winter Haven, Florida called Ave Bar. It is located between Arabella’s and Bistro Pizza.

Inside you can either sit at the bar or enjoy a seat in one of their leather chairs. It is a great place to go with friends to enjoy drinks and conversation.

     

The other thing I learned about Ave Bar is that it is owned by the same company that owns Arabella’s and Bistro Pizza. So patrons can actually order food from either of those restaurants and have it delivered to the bar.

I started off my visit with a cucumber martini. This drink had an extraordinary fresh taste.  I could taste the cucumber throughout each sip. I saved the fresh slice of cucumber to eat at the end.

     

I wanted to make sure I tried something from each of the restaurants. From Arabella’s I ordered their Zuppa del Giorno (Soup of the Day). The day I was there the soup was a fresh made minestrone soup.

The vegetable broth had a great savory taste. It was loaded with fresh vegetables, including tender cannelloni beans. They also used a generous amount of pasta which ends up being my favorite part of the soup. This was a great starter to the meal.

From Bistro Pizza I ordered the Pizza alla Boscaiola. This this crust pizza was covered with fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, and artichokes.

The crust was nice a crispy. The combination of veggies paired well together. The olives added saltiness, the mushrooms added an earthy taste, and the artichokes added a little crunch plus additional saltiness. The cheese added a smooth, creaminess that helped cut out some of the salt taste as well as the sweetness of the sauce. The pepperoni also added additional salt taste but it did not last long because I have a habit of picking off all the pepperoni and eating it separately.

Ave Bar was the perfect hang out spot for a Saturday night. The drinks were perfect and the food tasted wonderful. I would definitely go back again to hang out.

Check out what they are all about at www.arabellas.us/ave-bar

Enjoy!

T

Columbia Restaurant – Tampa, FL

Florida has a rich history that many visitors do not realize. Back at the turn of the 20th century, Ybor City was thriving with Cuban cigar factories. With all those factories, there was a need for restaurants to feed all those workers. The Columbia Restaurant was one of those places. It is officially known as the oldest restaurant in Florida, founded in 1905.

They have a few locations around Florida now, but I was thrilled to be getting to go to the original location in Ybor City.

The restaurant takes up an entire block (if not more). They also have a shop where you can buy everything from sauces to Spanish painted plates. You can take a little piece of Columbia home.

The restaurant inside was beautiful. It was extremely crowded but luckily I did not have to wait too long for a table.

 

While I was waiting I walked around and noticed they were decorating one of the main dining rooms for what looked like a wedding.

  

A meal at Columbia had to start off with a pitcher of homemade sangria that they make right at the table.

I took a few videos of them making the sangria, I posted those videos on my Twitter page (@GatorGirl_swamp).

  

 

Their sangrias are delicious. Theirs was the first sangria I ever tried years ago and it made me fall in love with them. I ordered the Sangria de Cava. It is their sparkling sangria.

They use Jaume Serra Cristalino Spanish Cava, brandy, and orange liquor. Plus they squeeze fresh juices in and top it with maraschino cherries.

This sangria is slightly sweet and extremely refreshing.

To accompany my sangria I ordered the Queso Fundido. It was Tetilla cheese from Galicia, Spain. It is baked in Rioja tomato sauce. In the cheese and sauce mixture were olives and capers. I was not expecting those. They were a nice salty surprise. To eat this dip they included toasted Cuban bread.

This is not your typical queso. The flavor was amazing. It was salty and creamy. It reminded me of an Italian type sauce that you could eat with pasta. The salty taste helped balance the sweetness of the sangria.

There is another item that is a must order when visiting Columbia. It is their 1905 salad. The legendary, award winning salad is made tableside just like the sangria. You can check out my videos of the salad being made on Twitter (@GatorGirl_swamp).

 

This salad has chopped up iceberg lettuce mixed with thinly sliced ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese, olives, tomatoes, and tons of Romano cheese. Then it is tossed with their famous dressing that includes Worcestershire sauce and fresh lemon juice.

  

This salad definitely needs to be shared. However, even sharing it, I still got a giant plateful. It is a filling salad. The dressing adds a sour taste but that is mellowed because of all the cheese. I love the fact that every element in this salad is chopped up. It makes it so much easier to eat.

Once you have tried this salad you will find yourself starting to crave it. I tried my best but the salad kicked my butt. I was not able to finish it. I felt so disappointed in myself.

  

There is one more part to a meal at Columbia that is a must try, their fresh Cuban bread. They make this fresh and it come to the table warm and wrapped up. Each person gets one. It has a crispy crust and a soft, sweet inside. Put butter in the bread as soon as it comes to the table. This way it has a chance to melt. Then take a bite – it’s heavenly.

Now if you tend to avoid carbs, let me just suggest that you use this visit to Columbia as your cheat day because you MUST try this bread.

I am hoping I made you hungry reading about Columbia Restaurant. They are a must visit when you are in the Tampa area. Check out their website to find all of their different locations http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/

And if you cannot make it to one of those locations, they do have a restaurant at the Tampa airport so you can get some food to go.

Enjoy!

T