Category: Florida

Graffiti Junktion – Clermont, FL

I was visiting my sister and she was excited to take me to Graffiti Junktion. She said they had amazing burgers. She also knew I would want to write about them too.

The first thing I noticed when walking to the restaurant was their beautiful view. They overlook the town since they are on a pretty big hill (Yes, there are parts of central Florida that have hills).

The inside of the restaurant is wild and fun. They definitely stuck to the graffiti theme. There were great works of art on the walls and tables.

     

If you are a Pokémon fan, they have a table for you.

Since my sister has Graffiti Junktion before, I took her recommendation of what to order. Since we got there in time for happy hour, we made sure to order something to kick off our visit.

They have zucchini fries on the menu that my sister says are a must have. These zucchini were sliced thin and covered in seasoned breadcrumbs. They were fried till extra crispy. All I needed to do was sprinkle a little salt on top and these beauties were ready to eat.

The zucchini was tender and not too soft. The crunch from the breading was perfect. The seasoning they use was delicious. It was a great starter to share.

There were a dozen different burgers to choose from on the menu. Plus you can build your own. I went for the Graffiti Double.

This was two of their all beef patties that are made fresh to order. The burger was extremely juicy. The meat was so tender too, it’s like it melted in my mouth when I took a bite.

The burger also came with creamy slices of American cheese (you can choose a different option if desired) and crispy pieces of bacon. The bacon added great crunch to the burger. It also came with a side of fries that were fresh cut.  No burger would be complete without fries.

The burgers at Graffiti Junktion were amazing. My sister was right, plus they were also voted Orlando’s Best Burgers. You should definitely check them out. www.GraffitiJunktion.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

Harborside – Winter Haven, FL

Central Florida is not shy of water. There are dozens of lakes all around. Recently I visited Lake Shipp in the Winter Haven area. Unfortunately when I got there one of Florida’s famous pop-up rain showers started. So since hanging outside was out of the question I decided to check out a restaurant right along the lake called Harborside.

They had a great view of the water.

As soon as I looked at the menu the red sangria called out to me. It was very classic with oranges and maraschino cherries added in. The only thing I would have changed was the ice. Now that may sound really strange but the reason for this is because they used crushed ice. So every time I took a sip a bunch of ice came with it.

The waitress brought a fresh basket of garlic bread. This bread had just come out of the oven because it was piping hot. It was soft on the inside with a slight crunch with the crust. There was a ton of garlic and butter on the outside of this bread that additional butter on the inside was not necessary. I could have eaten the entire basket myself. But I knew if I did then I would have no room for anything else.

After tasting the bread, I knew the perfect accompaniment would be a bowl of clam chowder. This was not a thick chowder. However, even though it was not thick, it was still extremely creamy. I really like that it was not thick. I felt like the flavor was more powerful. I could taste the herbs they used. The chowder was also loaded with tons of fresh clams and chunky potatoes. The clams were tender, not chewy. They added a meaty taste to the chowder.

To continue my meal I ordered the crab cake. This crab cake came out in a metal pan because they broiled it instead of frying it. This crab cake was loaded with fresh lump crabmeat. They did not use any breadcrumbs to make it. I loved this because they made this all about the crab.

There was a creaminess to the crab cake that was enhanced because it was broiled. It was amazing. it also came with a side dish of my choice. I went for the mashed potatoes. They used red potato and left the skin on. I love them prepared this way because it adds more texture to the potato. I also love red potatoes because they are sweeter.

I also wanted to make sure I wrote about the lobster roll. Now I did not order this but someone at my table did. It looked really good so I got to try a little of it. This roll was loaded with large chunks of lobster. The meat was tender and somewhat sweet.

This lobster roll did not use mayo. The lobster was just prepared with butter and lemon juice. It was served in a roll that looked slightly like a hot dog bun.

I am really glad it rained that day I visited Lake Shipp. Because of Mother nature, I was able to try a great new restaurant.  Check out their menu at www.harborsidefl.com

Enjoy!

T

400 Beach – St. Petersburg, FL

Going out to dinner with friends is a wonderful experience. When friends of mine learned I write a food blog, they made sure to pick a new restaurant for us to try. That is one of the reasons we went to 400 Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida. The other reason is because it was my birthday.

It was a beautiful place with seating both inside and outside. Since it was way to hot to eat outside, we sat inside to stay nice and cool. There were tropical decorations everywhere.

  

We kicked off my birthday with cocktails. I ordered the Raspberry Cosmomosa. This was raspberry vodka, fresh lime juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, and simple syrup. They topped it off with sparkling wine. My waitress surprised me and included a candle for my birthday.

  

After being totally embarrassed and blowing out the candle I took a sip. It was tasty. it was very sweet and I could not pick out just one flavor. All the juices and liquor worked really well together. I liked the added bubbles that the sparkling wine brought to the drink.

Since we were there with a group, we ordered tons of appetizers to share at the table. Every single one of them was amazing.

First up was the fried calamari. It was lightly battered so that the tenderness of the calamari shined through. It came drizzled with a garlic aioli and topped with shaved parmesan cheese. The cheese gave it a slight saltiness.

The grilled sea scallops were my favorite appetizer. The scallops were extremely tender, almost like butter. They were also very sweet. What made this dish stand out was the Soba noodle salad that came with it. It was cold pasta but the sauce they used was amazing. It had hints of sesame oil for a nutty taste. Even without the scallops, this would have been great.

We also ordered the Artichoke Manchego Fondue with crab meat. I thought this would be like any typical artichoke dip but I was totally wrong. The Manchego cheese was super creamy. It spread nicely on the tortilla chips. The crab added extra texture along with the artichokes but the cheese hide those flavors. This dish was all about the cheese.

400 Beach offered several options when it came to oysters. We went for the Oysters Rockefeller. They were the perfect size for everyone to get to try one. They were loaded with spinach, bacon, and a delicious Hollandaise sauce. The salty, smoky flavor from the bacon really accented the brininess from the oysters. They were cooked well, so that the oysters were not chewy.

The Seafood Louis salad was also great for sharing. This salad was loaded with shrimp, scallops, and crab on top of Romaine lettuce, sliced hard boiled eggs, sliced avocado, and tomato. They covered it in a chili lemon Louis dressing. This was a fresh tasting salad.

It was time for another cocktail before the main dishes came out. The Sunset Martini sounded perfect. It was a combination of orange juice and mango rum. They added a little Chambord to add a little extra color. This was sweet but not as sweet as my first drink. With the orange juice it reminded me of a mimosa. the added mango flavor really made this a tropical drink.

For my main dinner I ordered the jumbo shrimp. I had them grilled. they came with rice and fresh vegetables. It was a lot of food. The shrimp were grilled nicely. They were great dipped on the fresh made cocktail sauce. The rice was really just filler, nothing special. The fresh vegetables were sautéed with a little salt and pepper. The natural flavor of the vegetables really came through.

I had the best time at 400 beach. I was there with great friends, I had a wonderful waitress, and the food was fantastic. I would definitely want to go back and try one of their other dishes. Check them out at www.400beachseafood.com

Enjoy!

T

Taco Lu – Jacksonville Beach, FL

I was visiting Jacksonville Beach, Florida and a good friend told me I had to visit her favorite Mexican restaurant, Taco Lu.

This family owned establishment has been serving up homemade tacos and Mexican specialties since 2008. I was reading about how they started and it is an awesome story about taking risks and being an entrepreneur.

  

The décor is very colorful. There are sugar skulls everywhere. There is beautiful artwork hanging on the walls. It is a cheerful and fun environment that makes eating there a positive experience.

  

  

I had to start off with chips, salsa, and queso. The salsa was fresh with nice chunks of fresh tomato. There was just a slight heat, nothing too overpowering. The queso was extremely creamy. it was not too thick, meaning when you dip a chip in the chip does not break. And speaking of the chips, they were thin and light. They had the right amount of salt sprinkled on them.

Taco Lu offers all the traditional types of tacos. However, what makes them so popular are the unique flavors and combinations of tacos they have. My friend recommended I try the cheeseburger taco because it is her favorite.

This taco truly had all the components of a cheeseburger. There was ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, chopped up pickles, and drizzled with mustard. When I took a bite I could have sworn I was eating a cheeseburger. The flavor was spot on, what sold me on this was the mustard. it was delicious. The tacos are all sold a la carte so you can get as many as you want.

Rather than get a second taco I went for a side of the Mexican street corn. It was off the cob so it was easier to eat. The sweet corn was covered with cotija cheese, a chipotle crema, and fresh lime juice.

The taste was amazing. The cheese and crema added a slight tanginess to the sweet corn. I enjoyed eating this off the cob because it was less messy. I highly recommend trying this side over a more traditional side of beans.

I really enjoyed my visit to Taco Lu. There was a constant crowd of people my entire time there. I am so glad my friend gave me this recommendation. Check out their menu at http://www.tacolu.com/ And as they say on their website “See You @ the Lu”

Enjoy!

T

 

The Floridian – Treasure Island, FL

There is a restaurant in Treasure Island, Florida, not far from Tampa, that has been serving up Cuban sandwiches since 1993. They have won several awards including being voted “Best Cuban Sandwich in Tampa Bay”. At the suggestion of some great friends, we went to The Floridian to see what they were all about.

It is a small place that has a few tables inside and a large patio so customers can eat outside. That is where we ended up sitting.

Ordering is simple, just go up to the counter and tell them what you want. They make everything right there in front of you.

  

I was lucky enough to get a picture with the guys making my sandwich.

The Cuban sandwich had all the necessary ingredients: sliced ham, spiced pork, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, and pickles. It was served on a toasted roll with mustard and mayo. The bread was extremely fresh and toasted perfectly. It had great crunch when I took a bite. Since the sandwich was warm, the meat was warm and it slightly melted the cheese. The flavors of the meats worked extremely well together. The mustard and mayo was mixed together for a creamier texture. I am not a mustard fan but the way they prepared the mixture made me fall in love with mustard.

I have had several Cuban sandwiches in and out of Florida and I agree with all the reports – this was the best I ever had. And as you can see from the picture, my friend Hunter agrees with me.

The Floridian has several other things on their menu besides Cuban sandwiches. The black beans and rice looked really tasty. I tried an item called a stuffed potato. I was very curious what this was.

It was a simple item, mashed potatoes that were stuffed with spiced beef. It was then lightly breaded and fried. It reminded me of croquettes that I have had before but instead of ham and cheese it was the spiced beef.

  

I really enjoyed this dish. The taste of the meat was amazing and was not too spicy. It was simple but it pack a lot of flavor. An order only came with one potato ball but I could have eaten a few more. I would highly recommend this item.

The Floridian is a great place and I am so glad my friends took me here. I will definitely stop by again when I am in the area. Check them out at http://www.floridianrestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Beverly’s Restaurant – St. Pete Beach, FL

Before spending the day at the beach it is important to start off with a good breakfast. Beverly’s has been serving up hearty breakfasts since 1989.

It is a simple place that had people lined up outside waiting for a table, including myself.

They serve all the classic diner dishes. I went for a simple breakfast, eggs, grits, bacon, and toast. I got my eggs scrambled and mixed in the crunchy bacon. The grits were ok but I needed to add butter to them to make them a little creamier and saltier.

I did not get the homefries but I heard they were pretty popular. I was able to try a few off of my friend’s plate. They had great flavor from the seasoning they used. It tasted like they used a little chili powder and paprika.

Watching what the other customers were ordering it appeared that the pancakes and waffles were pretty popular. The pancakes were huge, practically the size of the whole plate they arrived on. The waffles came with tons of whipped cream on top, plus you can add chocolate chips.

The menu also includes several deli sandwiches that sounded good. However, you have to get there early because they are only open till 2:00pm.

Check them out at http://beverlysotb.com/

Enjoy!

T

 

 

Kafe Kokopelli – Dade City, FL

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is have brunch. It is a great way to relax with family and friends plus enjoy some creative foods and cocktails. It was suggested that I try Kafe Kokopelli for brunch. They are located in a building that is over 100 years old. What I learned was the building was originally owned by Ford Motors to see their Model T. I thought it was amazing they were able to restore this location and repurpose it to something for the whole community. They have some pictures of the old building in the wall to keep the history alive.

Now upon looking at the rest of the décor around the restaurant, it feels more like a hunting lodge. There are stuffed bobcats, goats, and boar heads on display.

  

They use antlers to decorate the bar, walls, and lamps. If I didn’t know I was in Florida, I would have thought I was in the mountains.

  

I started off brunch with a mimosa. They make a unique one that combines prosecco, passion fruit vodka, and orange juice. It was a unique flavor that was not that sweet. I could taste more of the passion fruit than the orange juice.

Since I was eating later in the afternoon I was not feeling like any egg dishes. I wanted some more savory dishes. I ordered the almond crusted fried brie as a starter. The brie was lightly breaded for a slight crunch. Drizzled around the plate was fresh honey along with a little honeycomb. The saltiness of the cheese complemented the sweet honey perfectly. There was also a berry compote that came on the side. It was a blend of blackberries and blueberries. They were a blend of sweet and sour. When combined with the cheese the initial taste on my tongue was the sourness but after chewing the sweetness was the star.

By this time I was ready for another drink. I tried their tropical punch. It was a nice blend of rum, banana liquor, orange and pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine. This drink was really sweet, completely opposite of the mimosa.

Since I was sticking with savory foods, I ordered a cup of the she crab bisque. It had lots of lump crab meat throughout the thick and creamy base. Normally with she crab there is supposed to be some sherry on top. I did not taste that element in my cup. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it. I am glad I only ordered a cup because this bisque was really filling, especially with all the crab meat.

Now at this point the service was kind of slowed down. I am not sure if they were really busy in the kitchen. I am sure this was just because the restaurant was busy.

I was hungry again by the time my meatball arrabiatta came to the table. These were homemade meatballs that came with fresh pasta. The meatballs themselves were moist and spicy. The sauce that it came in was a garlic and pepper flake tomato sauce. This sauce added additional heat to the entire dish. It was extremely enjoyable. The sauce was also light and did not weigh down the pasta. I loved the fresh linguini pasta they used. I could tell it was fresh by the texture, it was doughier.

The food I had at Kafe Kokopelli was amazing. I only tried a few things from their extensive choices. I would definitely go back to try some other dishes. You can read about their history at http://www.kafekokopelli.com/

Enjoy!

T