I love to hear about food trucks that become overwhelming successful that they are able to open up free standing restaurants. That is exactly what happened to The Crooked Spoon in Clermont, Florida.
It is a very cozy gastropub. The lighting is lightly dim, which helped create the cozy feeling. They used hardwood throughout that helped create an elegant feel. Even with all the social distancing between the table, the restaurant was full of customers.
They had several specials on their menu that seems to change with the season. The Grouper sounded wonderful based on the menu description, so I made sure to order that for my dinner.
The presentation on the plate was beautiful. Each element on the plate way layered perfectly.
The grouper was pan seared in a buttery beurre blanc sauce. The sauce had a velvety smooth texture. It was packed with herb flavors, which accented the sweetness of the fish. It was a light sauce which did not weigh down the flakey fish.
On the plate they included roasted red potatoes and fresh green beans. The potatoes were tender, and the skin was slightly crispy. The green beans were sautéed and still a little crispy as well. They tasted wonderful in the beurre blanc sauce.
To top off the fish they had some fried arugula. The crispiness of the arugula was nice. I had never had it like this before. There was a slight peppery taste, but it did not affect the taste of the fish.
My dinner was fantastic. They served the right amount of food, so nothing went to waste. They have a very eclectic menu and offered a lot of choices for guests. I would go back and check out one of their cheeseburgers. They looked really good.
With things starting to open back up I was thrilled to see that Lakeridge Winery was open for tours and tastings. This is the sister winery to San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine that I wrote about several months ago.
Because of all the social distancing that is in place, the tour of the winery was self-guided. I got to take my time and walk through the barrel rooms looking at all the tanks.
I got to see where they pack up all the cases and ship them off to stores.
The grounds are growing. They have several huge fermentation tanks outside filled with wine. They have rows and rows of grapevines. Most of them are the native Florida Muscadine grape.
For the tastings, they had different stations set up. You take your tasting cup and just move from station to station at your own pace. It is not rushed at all. The tastings started from dry to sweet.
The first tasting station was for the Cabernet Sauvignon. This red wine was slightly dry but was mild to me. There was a hint of oak flavor that is common in Cabernets. I could imagine myself eating a bowl of spaghetti while enjoying this wine. I bought a bottle of this to enjoy at home.
The second tasting was the Chardonnay. This was definitely dry. I thought this was much dryer than the Cabernet. When it comes to wine, Chardonnay is not my favorite but if you are a Chardonnay fan, this one could be great for you. This one would be great with some blue cheese and crackers.
My third tasting was their Chablis. They classify this as a semi-dry wine. This is one of their wines that is made from the Florida Muscadine grape. His is a mild wine to me. It would be a great compromise wine if one person liked dry and another liked sweet. I think both people would enjoy this, especially if enjoying some nice grilled chicken. I enjoyed this tasting so much that I asked for another taste just to be sure. And I am glad I did. This was another bottle that I bought.
Now it was time for station four, the Sunblush. This was classified as a semi-sweet. Their description of this wine evoked the image of a Florida sunset. Who wouldn’t feel like they were on vacation after hearing that? They used Muscadine grapes in this wine as well. Naturally, they said you could enjoy this wine with pasta. But I am convinced that all wines can be enjoyed with pasta. I enjoyed this as a sipping wine. I bought a bottle of this too!
Station five started off with their Southern White, a true sweet wine. This was naturally made with the Florida Muscadine grape, which does have a natural sweetness to it. The taste of this wine reminded me of a Moscato or a Riesling, which I really enjoy. This was crispy and best served when chilled. I could imagine drinking this wine at the beach and joying some fresh tropical fruit.
The sixth station was the last of the main tastings. It was for the Southern Red. They use the Noble variety of the Muscadine grape for this wine. It turns out that this is their best-selling wine. They also served tis wine chilled. I could see myself enjoying this wine with a big slice of chocolate cake or even a brownie, which is why I bought a bottle of this. It was just so smooth, and the sweetness was not that overpowering.
One of the things I love about Lakeridge winery us their tastings are free. It allows people to determine what they like and then purchase it downstairs in their store. It works because I left with six bottles.
They offered something new in terms of tastings. They had two special made wines that were done in small batches. To taste these, it cost $5.00. So, I figured it would be worth it. Both wines were made from Napa Valley grapes but were produced 100% in Florida.
The first was a Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a full body wine. There was no harsh after taste. But this was much dryer than their main line Cabernet.
The second special batch wine was the Petite Sirah. This was another full body wine. This had more fruit flavors than I was expecting. I could taste a hint of blackberry. Enjoyed this wine and thought it would go great with a juicy steak.
Now this ended the tastings that were upstairs in the winery. They were offering additional tastings at the main bar. I made sure to take advantage of this opportunity. I love being able to sample wins before making a purchase. That way I know I will enjoy it.
At the downstairs bar I started off by tasting their Pinot Grigio. This wine is produced in one of their many steel tanks. There was zero oak taste to this wine because of the process. It is semi-dry, definitely not as dry as their Chardonnay.
Next, I went for another sweet wine called Pink Crescendo. This is their sparkling wine. It is a rose and it was very bubbly. It would be perfect for a celebration. They did offer a tasting of this mixed with some pink lemonade. That combination was amazing. It made the taste both sweet and tangy, perfect for a party.
One of the last sweet wines I tried was their Proprietor’s Reserve. This is a bend of their Southern Red and their cream Sherry. It was definitely a dessert wine. It was amazing to me. The sweetness would pair so well with some Parmesan cheese because of the contrast in flavors. This is why I bought a bottle of this.
There are two specialty wines they off that I made sure to try. The first was the Port. This was what I had tried at San Sabastian Winery and loved. I still loved it when I sampled it here. I bought 2 bottles for home.
The other specialty was the Ruby Port. This was the blending of the port and their cream sherry. This was super sweet, almost too sweet for me. I am glad I tried it though.
To my last surprise, the host behind the bar brought out one last treat for me to try. It was a wine slushie. It blended some of their Southern Red wine with a Wine-A-Rita mix and blended it with ice. I was a delicious summer treat. It would be perfect for at the beach or pool.
I had such a wonderful visit and experience at Lakeridge Winery. The entire staff was welcoming and friendly. I would go back in a heartbeat to enjoy another tasting.
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
There is a stupendous Japanese steakhouse call Robata located in Clermont, Florida. I have been to this restaurant multiple times over the year. I have tweeted about them before but after another big family dinner there, I decided I needed to finally write about them on my blog.
With all my visits, Robata is always consistent in their flavor and quality of the food they serve. Their hibachi chefs always prepare flavorful entrees with a fun show. So it was the perfect option to take the family to celebrate my grandmother’s 90th birthday.
Since this was a celebration, I went for a little change in my hibachi dinner. I ordered the chicken and scallops. I knew it would be a lot of food but I figured I could always get a to-go box.
As with all hibachi meals, I started off with the salad with ginger dressing. My salad had extra dressing, which made me really happy because I LOVE this dressing!
Out next was the soup. They do not have a traditional miso soup; it is more like a chicken soup with chopped up mushrooms. The unique aspect of their soup is they sprinkle fried onions straws on top that added extra flavor to the broth.
It was fun to watch the chef cook the fried rice and noodles. He made it look easy the way he cracked the eggs on the spatula.
I forgot how hot that grill was until I saw how fast the egg cooked.
The butter and sauces they use on both the rice and noodles was delicious. I could have just eaten bowls of these two items all night. I wish I could make my fried rice taste like this at home.
Another favorite part of the hibachi meal is the grilled shrimp.
The way these shrimp are cooked on the hot grill to create a crispy edge is something I can never find anywhere else. When I dip them in the ginger dipping sauce the flavor just seems to get even more robust.
If all of this wasn’t enough food, now comes the sautéed fresh vegetables – zucchini, onions, broccoli, and mushrooms. All chopped up and cooked in a combination of butter and soy sauce. They really are unique and delicious. Again, I wish my vegetables tasted like this at home.
Now was time for the main dish – the chicken and scallops.
The teriyaki sauce that the chef put on the chicken was sweet with just a hint of salty. The chicken was tender pieces of white meat. The scallops were seared perfectly, keeping the edges crispy but the scallop itself moist. The added flavor came when I dipped them in the Yum-Yum sauce.
I really was stuffed but dessert came out. It was their version of fried ice cream. Sweet vanilla ice cream was covered with tempura batter and deep fried. Then it was topped off with whipped cream and a strawberry drizzle. It was heavenly and to me it tasted exactly like birthday cake.
So if you have a big group of people and you want to have a fun, entertaining dinner then head over to Robata Steakhouse. Check out their menu at www.robatasteakhouse.com
When visiting my sister in Florida we have made it a new family tradition to stop by Donut King. There is always a line out the door and they offer fresh made donuts 24 hours a day.
As soon as you walk through the door you are greeted with the sweet smell of glaze and yeast. My mouth started watering just looking at the assortment of donuts.
We always get a dozen – but the tough part is deciding what flavors to get. They have chocolate, different flavor frostings, jelly and cream filled, bear claws, cinnamon rolls, sprinkles, and much, much more.
We make sure to get everyone’s favorite. I got the double chocolate. I could not wait to eat it so rather than waiting till I got to the house I just ate it in the car!
If you are within driving distance, make a short detour onto Highway 50 and check out the king of donuts! www.thedonutking.com
