Tag: Lakeland

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

If you follow me on social media, I have done many posts about a great restaurant called The Back Nine in Lakeland, Florida.

It is owned and run by a husband and wife, whose dream was to open a restaurant. They have a wonderful menu, a full bar, and fun golf simulators in the back where you can have a fun game of golf (or a variety of other games, including zombie dodgeball).

They serve an amazing brunch on the weekends, and I wanted to make sure I wrote about it. We were a big group, so we got to try a variety of things off the menu.

They had two types of mimosa options for brunch. The one option was a Mimosa Flight. These were 4 of their popular flavors: Classic, Blackberry, Sunset, and Blueberry Lemonade. These were pretty large glasses for a flight.

They also have a Bottomless Mimosa. There is a 2-hour limit for this but there is plenty of time to enjoy all 6 flavors. Just make sure you eat something so you can walk out ok.

My friend and I decided to do the bottomless option. We went in order of the menu. It was easier to keep track that way. The first one out was the Classic. This was a good way to start. Something traditional to cleanse the palette before the unique flavors arrive.

The next flavor out was Blackberry. This was sweet and tart at the same time.  There was a hint of blackberry flavor which is where the sweetness came from, and the brut champagne is where the tartness came from.

The Sunset mimosa was beautiful. The 2 colors of orange and red really did look like the sunset. This was a sweet mimosa. I liked how it hid the flavor of the champagne but was still bubbly. I would say this was one of my favorites.

The Raspberry was the fourth flavor on the list. This was similar to the blackberry but it was sweeter. However there still was some tartness.

Strawberry was out next. This was full of strawberry flavor. I feel it was mixed a little with some orange juice which made it the perfect combination.

The last mimosa out was the Blueberry Lemonade. I was originally not sure about what this flavor would be like but the combination of tart blueberry and sweet lemonade worked well together. This ended up being my second favorite mimosa of the day.

If you are looking for a great place to get bottomless mimosas then The Back Nine is the place to go.

Check out their website at www.thebackninelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T

It has been a few years since I have written about Taco Bus. Since that time they have opened a few more locations across Florida. I went back to the Lakeland location in the downtown area. For readers who might not be familiar, Taco Bus started as a food truck out of an old yellow school bus.  Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives visited them for an episode and they exploded from there.

When you walk in you are greeted by a yellow school bus to keep with the tradition. I ordered a few things off the menu since I was pretty hungry.

I started off with the Mexican Street Corn. This is a messy dish, so make sure you grab lots of napkins. They roast the corn on the cob and then coat it with a smoky chipotle sauce. Then it is topped with crumbled cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. The corn itself is sweet. I feel that there is something in the roasting process that brings out the sweetness. The chipotle sauce adds just a little spice, but nothing too hot. There is also a slight tanginess from the sauce and the cotija cheese. The cilantro did not seem to add anything to me except for a little color.

I also ordered a Taco. I went for the hard corn shell with ground beef. I love the freshness of their shells and how well they hold up when you bite into them. They topped the flavorful meat with cheese, purple cabbage, and fresh pico de galo. The cabbage is a unique addition to their tacos. It adds crunch without adding an overly cabbage taste. Their homemade pico goes wonderfully with the seasoning on the beef. It is so juicy it will drip down your hand when you eat. So make sure you grab more napkins.

The last thing I ordered was an Empanada. The dough shell was fried up until it was puffy and crispy. I got ground beef and cheese. They used the same beef as was in the tacos but by putting the cheese inside to melt, it made the meat immensely creamy. The empanada was a little pocket of heaven. Each bite stayed warm because of the shell.

While all of these dishes sounded like a lot of food, the size proportions are perfect. They are not oversized so you can order a few things which allows for more experimentation with menu combinations.

The experience I had at Taco Bus was exceptional. I enjoyed everything. I would recommend checking out their Lakeland location, or any other one in the area. You can find them at www.taco-bus.com

Enjoy!

T

I had seen a sign for a new seafood restaurant that opened up that I knew I wanted to try. It’s called Mr. and Mrs. Crab. They have cute statues that welcome you to the restaurant. They were just calling me to take a picture.

The inside of the restaurant is filled with different ocean creatures.

The place was packed. It seemed like everyone in town had the same idea. When I first got there I was planning on getting crab for dinner. But after looking over the menu I had my sights set on crawfish. It had been a while since I had a good crawfish boil.

My giant bag came out loaded with a pound of crawfish, corn on the cob, and potatoes.

It was so hot I had to untie the bag to let some of the heat out before I could put it on my tray.

I got my crawfish with a medium spice level. For my seasoning I went with the Mr. and Mrs. Crab special. It is a blend of all three of their seasonings: Cajun, lemon pepper, and garlic butter. I also ordered an extra ear of corn because I figured it would taste great with all the seasoning.

I put on my gloves and bib and dove in. The seasoning was amazing. The butter made it have a creamy texture, the garlic was savory, and the Cajun seasoning was salty and a little hot. The crawfish were great in size. They offered up a lot of tail meat. It was pretty easy to crack them open. Several if the claws had a lot of meat too. The potato helped soak up the extra sauce on the tray. The corn was sweet and was a great combination with the salty taste from the seasoning.

I also tried the New England Clam Chowder. It had some Old Bay sprinkled on top. It had a nice creamy texture. There was the perfect ratio of clams to potatoes.

We ordered the Cajun fries for the table to share. The seasoning they put on added extra interest rather than just plain salt.

The Fish and Chips were also ordered. They brought out two large pieces of fish. The batter was fried up to be really crispy. The fish was light and flakey. There was also a nice crunch as you bite into the fish because of the batter. On the side there were waffle sweet potato fries. These were a nice sweet complement to the saltiness from the battered fish. It was a lot of food.

Mr. and Mrs. Crab had great seafood dishes. I really enjoyed my crawfish. I look forward to going back and trying one of their other dishes.

Check out their different locations at www.mmcseafood.com

Enjoy!

T

Bonefish Grill can be found in 30 states across the US. However, they got their roots in Florida when they opened their first location in St. Petersburg. I visited their location in Lakeland, Florida. It was a beautiful restaurant and was already loaded with patrons when we got there.

We were greeted right away by our server. Since I was there with several friends, we ordered some starters to share. We started with the calamari. The tender calamari were breaded and fried with peppers. The peppers added additional texture and flavor to the dish. They served a sweet and spicy Asian sauce on the side. It was like a Thai chili sauce. I loved how the tanginess paired perfectly with the calamari.

The Tempura Crunch Sashimi Tuna came out next. This was an awesome dish. I could have eaten all the tuna myself but I had to share with the table. The tuna was seared rare and sliced thin. They added a sashimi sauce and tempura crumbles. I liked the texture of the crumbles, and the sashimi sauce was creamy. There was a sriracha drizzle on the plate that added a little heat to the tuna when dipped in. There was wasabi and soy sauce on the side so that I could make the tuna a little spicier. If you like fresh, tender tuna, this is a dish for you.

Since there were several of us enjoying lunch, each of us ended up ordering something different. I was excited to get to try a bite of everything.

The dish I ordered for myself was the Mahi-Mahi. Mahi-Mahi is also known as Dorado. They cooked the fish on a wood fire grill. This added a nice smoky taste to the flakey, white fish. They put a fresh made mango salsa on top. The sweetness from the salsa accented the fish and gave it a real tropical taste. They served fresh broccoli and jasmine rice on the side. Each item on the plate was light so I did not feel like I ate too much. That is what I love about eating fresh fish that is not fried, it is filling but not heavy.

Another dish ordered was the Mahi-Mahi with Shrimp. The Mahi-Mahi was wood grilled like my fish. There was great seasoning on top that brought out the flavor of the fish. They also grilled the shrimp in a citrus herb marinade. Th citrus flavor paired well with the sweetness of the shrimp. To accompany the Mahi and shrimp was fresh grilled asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. The potatoes were rally creamy and the garlic was a nice touch.

The Cod Imperial was an elegant, classic dish. The fresh cod was stuffed with a blend of seafood, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. It was a nice blend of saltiness and creaminess. They topped the fish in a lemon-caper butter sauce. The butter sauce is what made this dish pop. It was creamy in texture but rich in flavor. That sauce was also great on the fresh broccoli.

On the lighter side was the Tuna Poke Bowl. The fresh tuna, chopped up into smaller pieces, were blended with red onions, peppers, cucumber slices, sesame seeds and cilantro. All the ingredients were then tossed in a Hawaiian poke sauce. Then it was placed on a bed of Jasmine rice. The rice helped soak up the extra poke sauce. The sauce was amazing and made this dish extremely flavorful. The cucumber added a great crunch that I liked.

For dessert we all shared the Molten Lava Cake that was topped with whipped cream. When we cut into the cake the creamy, warm center just poured out. The fluffy whipped cream melted as soon as the heat was released. This added a creamy sweetness to the cake. It was a rich dessert but perfect for sharing.

The lunch was amazing at Bonefish Grill. All the dishes I tired were fresh and amazing. The service was great too. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. Check out their different locations at www.bonefishgrill.com

Enjoy!

T

It’s National Martini Day so we headed over to Grill Smith in Lakeland, Florida. They offer a nice variety of martinis to choose from. We went for a traditional Dirty Martini with bleu cheese olives and a Cosmopolitan. Cheers!!!

Check them out at www.grillsmith.com/lakeland

Enjoy!

T

Enjoying National Shrimp Day at Texas Cattle Company. I ordered the Dang Bang Shrimp. This is crispy shrimp in a sweet and spicy cream sauce.

Check them out at www.texascattlecompany.net

Enjoy!

T

The Terrace Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown Lakeland, Florida. Inside the hotel there is a restaurant that I visited many years ago. Since that visit, the restaurant and part of the hotel have been remodeled. I was able to check them out for Sunday brunch. The lobby is beautiful when you walk in. There is so much natural light. The restaurant as also beautiful. With the tall ceiling, the restaurant seems much larger than it is.

They did update their brunch menu and they now offer a bottomless Mimosa and Bloody Mary bar. It is a great setup; the waitress or waiter brings a carafe of either champagne or vodka. Then you get to make the drink to your liking.

For Bloody Mary’s, they offer a regular and spicy mix. There are the assorted vegetables that you can add to your cocktail.

I went for the Mimosas. They had several juices to choose from:

• Orange
• Blood Orange
• Pineapple
• Grapefruit
• Cranberry
• Apple Cider

They had an assortment of fresh fruit to accent the cocktail. It was a nice setup. I had mostly pineapple mimosas but did try the blood orange for something different.

I ordered the Terrace Frittata. The egg was mixed with asparagus, red peppers, mushrooms, and gruyere cheese. The plate was garnished with an arugula salad and a crème Fraiche. The frittata was fluffy. The vegetables they included gave the egg a nice earthy taste. The asparagus had a little crunch. The gruyere cheese melted nicely throughout the frittata. It was creamy with a combination of sweet and salty. The arugula salad was a great, fresh element to the plate. The peppery taste of the arugula complemented the sweetness from the crème Fraiche that was drizzled on top.

I came to brunch with family so there was a variety of dishes ordered. I did not try these dishes, but I did make sure to take pictures and ask everyone how they liked what they ordered.

The first dish I wanted to talk about was the Lake Mirror Benny. This is their take on the classic brunch dish, eggs benedict. Their twist on this was using a toasted brioche bun rather than an English muffin. The brioche bun added sweetness to each bite. They used applewood smoked bacon that was cooked perfectly to have a crispness. They placed the perfectly poached egg on top with a creamy hollandaise sauce. The hollandaise sauce has a decadent creamy flavor.

The Open Face Sammy was a unique breakfast sandwich.  They started with a base of toasted sourdough bread. They layered prosciutto, gruyere cheese, arugula, and béchamel (béchamel is a sauce made of flour, milk, and butter). Then they placed a sunny side up egg on top. This sandwich was a blend of creamy and salty with all the ingredients. The runny yoke from the egg added a richness to the already creamy texture from the gruyere cheese and béchamel. The sourdough added a slight tanginess.

Another dish that was ordered was the Open Face Patty Melt. This burger patty was a combination of ground short rib and brisket. The patty that was cooked to a perfect medium, was topped with gruyere cheese, sautéed shallots, mushrooms, a house sauce, and of course a sunny side up egg. All of this was placed on a slice of marble rye bread. The patty was juicy and tender. The way the cheese melted on the meat created a wonderful texture. The shallots and mushrooms helped create a savory flavor.

There was a non-breakfast dish that was ordered by two people at the table. This was the Fish Tacos. The soft taco shells were filled with a battered, flakey fish. They topped the fish with shredded cabbage and grilled onions and peppers. Crispy French fries came of the side. The tacos were filling but both people thought the fish could have used a little spice. It was a little bland for them. Once they got some hot sauce to sprinkle on top, they were perfectly happy.

Brunch was amazing a Terrace Grille. The staff was wonderful and took great care in making sure everything was perfect. I would highly recommend visiting. They do change up some of their dishes seasonally, so check out their menu at www.terracegrillelakeland.com

Enjoy!

T