Central Florida's Good Eats

Seasons 52 Fresh Grill

2012-01-29T11:14:00.001-05:00

I've wanted to visit Seasons 52 Fresh Grill for a long time, but some gift cards received over Christmas were all the incentive we needed, and we had a very nice meal there on a recent Sunday Evening. I'm not sure why we waited so long! Season's 52 is a chain, but it offers very fine dining with a menu that changes with the seasons. We were there for the winter menu, and it was very good.
We had made a reservation and so were seated promptly. Through the course of the evenign, our service was spot-on impeccable, very impressive. We were seated in a room not part of the main dining area, it was very nice. As the evening progressed a few other tables were also seated in the room, but it never got at all loud, I loved the semi-private feel and the ability to hold a normal level of conversation.

We started off with a glass of wine, I had a Merlot and Tommy a Riesling, both very nice. We then picked two appetizers to try. The first was the

Grilled Spicy Tandoori Chicken Skewers, three skewers of chicken were cooked perfectly and had a very nice spicy heat to them. They were served with a tiny portion of mango chutney and a cucumber herb raita. I loved this dish, but Tommy found it a bit too hot (spicy hot) for his taste. Well, more for me! I really thought it was tasty and flavorful, a nice heat that did not overpower, and chicken that was very tender.

Our second appetizer was the Roasted Shrimp, Lump Crab & Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms. They were also very good and came out piping hot! There were a lot of flavors going on here, and they were served in an escargot type of serving dish, topped with panko and parmesan and broiled. They were good, but hot as in temperature hot. There was a lot of flavor so it was a bit hard to pick out the shrimp vs. the crab vs. the lobster. Yet it was a veritable seafood fest in my mouth, the flavors of the sea were dancing on my tongue, and then tamed by the woodsy mushroom. Yumm!

For my main course, I had the Stuffed Tiger Shrimp. Five large tiger shrimp were butterflied and topped with a nice stuffing, then cooked. I think the shrimp were, however, just a bit overdone. I'm pretty picky about shrimp, and these could have used just about 30 seconds less cooking time, but that is the problem with stuffed shrimp. They were served around a bed of spinach that was topped with a wonderful sort of tomato ragu--it was very fresh and flavorful, and was probalby my most favorite part of this dish. I did think the $21 tab a bit high, however, for what I got, but then again, I was paying for a magnificent atmosphere. Still, overall I enjoyed this dish.

Tommy ordered the Wood-Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The menu said it came on a bed of polenta, but when he asked about sweet potatoes instead, that was absolutely no problem! The dish was served with perfectly cooked broccoli and cremini mushrooms and a dijon glaze. The meat was fantastic, tender, juicy, and full of nice pork flavor. It is not easy to cook pork tenderloin so it is very buttery, but they did it. Tommy loved his dish and I thoroughly enjoyed the tastes I had, from the port tenderloin to the veggies and even to the sweet potatoes which were very smooth and buttery, and not overly sweet. This was a great dish and I'd order it again!

I spied one item on the menu which I just had to try as a side dish: Golden Beets. I am glad I did. They beets had been gently roasted and still had a nice texture to them. They were served with a wasabi sauce on the side. The wasabit was a perfect complement to the buttery, very "rooty" taste of the beets. They were absolutley, out of this world delicious. I will have to try to make this type of dish myself some time, I absolutely loved it.

We'd had our fill and were about ready for the check when along came our server with a tray full of their Mini Indulgences--basically shot glasses filled with various desserts of custard, cream, ice cream, and the like. Every one looked fantastice, and, given their small size, we succumbed to the temptation, have a Mocha Machiato and a Canoli. Both were excellent, and small enough that we didn't get overly full. As a matter of fact, one of the "boasts" of Season's 52 is that all of their entrees are less than 475 calories. I have to say, the portions were a right size for a meal, not overly huge. But each bite of all that we had was full of flavor. Season's 52 is not a cheap place, our total bill before tip and tax was about $82. But it was a very nice experience, and good place for that special event or special evening with a special someone. I'm sure I'll be back to try the menu in anoter season!

Marco Dino's Ristorante

2012-01-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

We dined recently at the "new" Marco Dino's Ristorante on Magnolia Square in downtown Sanford, and were pleased! Formerly the location of Stone's Throw Bistro, Marco Dino's is owned by the same chef, the talented Rich Lendino, but now features Italian fare--Rich has gone back to his roots. We enjoyed the meal, the service, and the ambience on our recent visit there.

Upon entering, we were promptly greeted by the maitre d', who, through the course of our visit, seemed to ensure that the front of the house ran smoothly. For our drinks, my friend Tommy ordered a specialty drink, the Dreamsicle. It tasted just like a dreamsicle, sweet, a bit of citrus tang, and very delicious. I had a glass of the house Merlot--also a very fine choice. I'd have to say dinner was off to a fine start.

We decided to start with an appetizer, the Risotto Ball, a baked Italian meatball that was wrapped in risotto, and covered with some smoked mozarella. It was served on a bed or red sauce. The meatball itself was very tasty, moist and tender. I thought the rice just a bit too al dente for my taste, but very close to perfection. Overall, I'd give this a "thumbs up" from several aspects: originality, taste, and plating. I definitely would order it again.

Our dinners came with a choice of soup or salad. For my dinner, I chose to have it with the Tomato Basil soup. Our server, Katie, did caution me that some diner's found it a bit too spicy. I'm glad she offered that caution, a wise move. It was indeed a bit on the spicy side, but I loved it! It had a nice amount of heat. I think that the heat did slightly overpower the basil--I could taste the basil, but it was quite subtle. However, overall loved this soup. The rich and deep tomato flavor was predominant and very fresh tasting. I'd order it again in a heartbeat!

Tommy chose to have the salad with his dinner. Look who's eating healthy! The salad was topped with some carrots, a peperocini, and black olives. The dressing itself was very tasty and served on the side--I always appreciate that. The only real disappointment was that the lettuce was just plain old chopped iceberg. It seemed a bit out of place in the midst of a fancy setting and fine dinner. It was tasty enough, but just seemed a bit "low key" for the setting. But still, it was plenty tasty.

For my main course, I had the Rigatoni all Vodka, a pink cream sauce with pancetta and rigatoni. I added chicken to it, and there were some nice sized medallions of chicken that were very tender. The sauce itself was very good with a nice fresh flavor. There were a few bits of pancetta that seemed a bit tough or gristly, but overall it was just fine. I thought that maybe just a tad more sauce would have been in order. The nicely cooked, perfectly al dente pasta did tend to soak up the sauce--and that's a good thing. But it's also a minor point, since I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. And that's a good thing, too, as the portion was quite substantial and I have enough for a lunch at home later. I also thought the dish seasoned perfectly, nice fresh tomato flavor, some oregano and basil, the cream--it was yummy!

For his main course, Tommy had the Chicken Parmigiana, tender think scallopines of chicken were breaded and fried, topped with parmesan cheese and baked and served with a red sauce. All of this was served on a bed of spaghetti. This seemed to me, as with my dish, a real Italian dish, hearty, showcasing the tomato flavor, and it was delicious. It's a good thing, too, as we also have leftovers of this, it was a very substantial serving.

I cannot quit without mentioning the breadstick. They were very good. Tender, flavorful, a nice hint of garlic, and served warm. And there was a steady supply of them. They were great for sopping up the last of the soup and the last of the sauce on the plate, too. And were fine with just a bit of oil and pepper as well.

Overall, I'd say Marco Dino's Ristoranti is off to a great start. We've heard from a few other friends who've eaten there and all agreed, it was very good. We were there on a Saturday night and I was surprise at how busy they were. It's a new endeavor for Rich and his crew, and if they keep up the good work, will be a success and a nice addition to the restaurant scene in downtown Sanford, one of my favorite places to hang out.

Bob Evans

2012-01-22T11:11:00.003-05:00

Comfort food is what I consider the main fare at Bob Evans, and a recent Sunday noonish time found at at our local Bob Evans. We did find our comfort food.

My friend Tommy was in the mood for breakfast, so he ordered the Country Biscuit Breakfast, a split biscuit topped with crumbled sausage, a perfectly cooked medium-well egg, cheese and gravy. It also had home fries on the size. For Tommy, the breakfast was "just OK." The sausage was just crumbled sausage and the gravy was pretty plain, not sausage gravy. The potatoes were very good and he was impressed that they cooked the egg perfectly, just as he requested.

I started off with a salad with raspberry viniagrette dressing. The salad itself was pretty ordinary, but fresh, a mix of iceberg and romaine lettuce, some julienne carrots and a few grape tomatoes. The raspberry vinagrette was decent and served on the side. It was all I'd expect of an average, ordinary salad.

For my main dish, I had the Slow-Roasted Turkey Knife & Fork Sandwich. Bread was topped with celery-sage dressing, mashed potatoes, roast sliced turkey (not lunchmeat, but real turkey slices) and topped with gravy. It was all I expected it to be, very good comfort food. The dressing reminded me a bit in texture of Stove-Top stuffing, but that is good comfort food. There was nothing about this "sandwich" that I did not like, except maybe it could have used a bit more gravy. The size was perfect for lunch, the flavor was good, savory, a bit of sweet, it tasted just like an open-face turkey sandwich should, and I left very satisfied.

Our service was great and fast from start to finish, the place was bright and clean. I've eaten here before and will come back again. If I want simple comfort food at a resonable price, Bob Evans is one place that comes to my mind. Close, convenient, simple, decent food at a decent price.

Yum-Mì Sandwiches

2012-01-22T10:44:00.001-05:00

I was glad to get a chance to try the fare at Yum-Mì Sandwiches recently, and I was not disappointed. My friend Tommy and I were headed to an art show opening at The Center which is nearby, so we took the opportunity to try out Yum-Mì. We were both satisfied and enjoyed our meals.

Yum-Mì is a fairly new establishment what is a very Asian area of Mills Street, just a bit west of downtown Orlando. It is very nicely decorated with a very modern feel. I cannot speak to the authenticity of the food. but I do know good food, so was excited to try some new things. You walk in and order at the counter, they give you a number, and then they bring your food out to you. It seems a decent system.

We started with some yummìtizers (appetizers), some Spring Rolls, At the suggestion of the young man behind the counter, we ordered both the Shredded Chicken, and the Shrimp and Pork Spring Rolls. In due time they arrived. The Shredded Chicken were serverd with a peanut-based dipping sauce, a nice enhancement to the flavor of the spring roll. Both the spring rolls were fresh and tasty, filled with the protein but also with fresh veggies that included napa cabbage, carrots, and a host of other flavors. They were delicate but tasty. The Shrimp roll was accompanied by a thin, clear dipping sauce. I detected a bit or rice wine vinegar in it, but am not sure what else was there. It was very light in taste, a perfect compliment for the delicate shrimp in the roll.

Yum-Mì's main fare is bánh mì, Vietnamese sandwiches. They are served on fresh baked rolls with a variety of meats and other filings. For his sandwich, Tommy ordered one of their specialty sandwiches, the Yin N Yang, containing five-spice bouron chicken, lettuce and tomatoes, in addition to some julienne carrot, cucumber, cilantro and perhaps a few other things. It was quite tasty, though did benefit a bit from some mayo. Still, it was a very tasty sandwich with a nice balance of meat and savory flavors along with the crunch and freshness of the vegetables. It was indeed "yummy!"

I decided to try traditional, so ordered the Yum-Mi Traditional, called đặc biệt in Vietnamese. It, too, was very good, a nice balance of savory with the meats (admittedly quite finely sliced) and the crunch and freshness of the veggies: julienne carrots, cucumber, cilantro, and perhaps a few others I am not familiar with. It also had some sort of sauce, which added to the great taste. I liked this sandwich a lot, the balance of taste and texture on a fresh roll was excellent. I had only one complaint, and that was the stems of the cilantro. They were a bit tough and i had one or two that were exceptionally large. Less stem would have been desireable as it's kind of chewy and stong in flavor. But overall, I enjoyed my sandwich a lot.

As a matter of fact, we enjoyed our whole meal, that the price is very reasonable. The sandwiches were well uner $5 each, and the appetizers were just something we wanted to try. We even took two spring rolls home, and, for a minute, debated on only eating half of our sandwiches. They were both quite filing. So we enjoyed our experience there, and I'd recommend that you give Yum-Mì a try as well. I think you'll be glad you did. It is indeed "Yum-Mi!"

Panera Bread

2012-01-14T09:48:00.002-05:00

I'm asking myself, "Why don't we go to Panera Bread more often?" We wanted a quick and simple bite for dinner the other night and settled on Panera Bread. It was great from several aspects. I'm sure we'll be back.

First, it was rather healthy. The menu is clearly posted and each item has the number of calories posted as well. That was extrememly helpful. It helped me choose the cup of Chicken Noodle Soup (80 calories for a cup) and the half sandwich Ham and Swiss (290 calories), some of the lowest calorie items for what I considered a dinner. The soup came with some warm bread which probably added a few calories, but it was very good bread and well worth it. Second, it was fast. We'd barely ordered when Our orders were ready. Now, granted, we were there past the normal dinner hour on a Friday and they were not packed, but they certainly had a steady flow of traffic. So from order time to pick up time was barely a minute, it seemed. Third, it was a pleasant and clean atmosphere. While we were there, they were busy keeping tables and area clean. There were a fair amount of people around, some camped out with laptops and wireless devices, enjoying the free WiFi, some just like us, in for a bit to eat. Fourth, it was reasonable! For the "Pick Two" with a cup of soup and a half sandwich, the damages were a mere $6.99. Unbelievable, and we left there quite full. And last, but certainly not least, the food was very good! The soup was delicious. The sandwich was great. The ingredients were fresh. And best of all, it was a rather healthy meal. What a win. I need to get out to Panera Bread more often. I think I will now!

Alive After Five Chili Cook-Off

2012-01-13T18:42:00.000-05:00

Alive after Five happens every month on the Second Thursday if tht month from 5-8 PM on First Street, downtown. January's them for a number of years has been aChili Cook-Off. I attended again this year and sampled 18 of the 34 different chili's there. After careful consideration, I am ready to declare my favorite.

Admission to Alive after Five is only $7.00, and for that you get a wristband that allows you to taste food from the many merchants and vendors who set up shop on the street. And this happens every month, like clockwork, on the second Thursday of the month. It is, I'd say, the best street party in central Florida, with several blocks of First Street closed off and lined with vendors and merchants giving out food and beverage samples, $1 with wristband beer, and wristband holders get a ticket for food at an event sponsored location. It's always a great time, and this year's January event was no exception.

Some of the chili served this year was really awesome. Some was just OK. And some did not really shine. The purpose of the event, though is to have fun. Some of the cooks are home cooks, and some are professional chefs. So, before I give you my results, I want you to keep that in mind. Everyone who participated put their heart and soul into this event which sponsored by and a fundraiser for the Historic Sanford Welcome Center.

First, I must make mention of the Chile names, as two were really outstanding. The first was the chili made by the Sanford Flower Shop: it was called Smokey's Florist Fire Chili. Get it? I love that name, and their chili was mighty fine too. The second was prepared by Magnolia Street Market and was called Praise the Lard and Pass the Beer Chili -- it was a beer chili made with pork belly, and also very good. Overall, the two above, along with the Red Solo Cup Chili made by World of Beer came in with a tie for second place, in my opinion. They were all very, very good. In my estimation, one other chili was in the same class but barely, just barely, edged out these there. So I declare all three of the above as in a tie for second place overall for the best chili I ate at the Chili Cook Off.

My winner and championship chili for the contest, by a nose, was the Red Hot Mama's Chili from The Palette, a wine and light fare bar located inside Art Affair Gallery. First place, top notch chili. It was a true Texas-style chili, and Sherry, the chef and creator should know, she's from Texas. I asked her about it and she tells me they hand cut the chuck, roasted the peppers and skinned them, and made all ingredients fresh and from scratch. The care she took in this was evident, as it was for all the top level of chilis. Good job and congratulations to Sherri and The Palette, as well as all the top level chilis.

There were other chilis that were decent, and some not as good. I have listed all the ones I tasted below and given them a ranking. They are alphabetical within their place:

Vendor/Merchant	Chili Name	Place
The Palette	Red Hot Mama's Chili	1st
Magnolia Square Market	Praise the Lard and Pass the Beer Chili	2nd
Sanford Flower Shop	Smokey's Florist Fire Chili	2nd
World of Beer	Red Solo Cup Chili	2nd
Café Rouge	Too Hot to Trot Fire Roasted Chili	5th
Candelight Catering	Chef Sennet's Even Better Chili	5th
Taste of Thyme Café	Texas Best	5th
Café Rouge	Sweet Herb's Three Bean Chili	8th
Framing 408	Cuban Chili	8th
Gander Mountain	Gander Mountain's Gas Master's Chili	8th
Healing Laser Clinics	Sweet Heat Chili	8th
Little Fish HUGE Pond	Sancho's Silly Chili	8th
Skibo's Subs	Skibo's Steak Alarm	8th
Superior Sheds	Ken 3 Alarm	8th
Gail Williams Insurance	White Chili	15th
Gail Williams Insurance	Smokin' Chipotle Chili	15th
Harrell & Beverly	Gone in 60 Seconds Chili	15th
Tru Valu	True Valu Chili	15th

Congratulations to all participants. It was a great and fun event!

Fat Rat's Lounge

2012-01-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

News Flash: Fat Rat's Lounge is now serving some good food as of late December 2011. Fat Rat's Lounge has been around for a while. It is an interesting places in that it is really three places, a bar, a middle pool table room, and a restaurant area, all connected. I'm not sure what it was like before, but recently a local favorite took over the restaurant area. Steve Richards (of Alive After Five Tail Gator fame) and Samantha did a nice job on our recent visit there.

We'd been at The Palette earlier and have eaten there plenty of times, but wanted to try something new. Michael from The Palette suggested Fat Rat's and so we gave it a try. We're glad we did.

We both decided to have the burger. There has not been a great burger around since Morgan's closed. I ordered mine medium rare and my friend Tommy ordered his medium. We had a nice chat with Steve and Samantha while we waited--they did not have any idea who I was. My burger was produced in good time and it was perfectly cooked to a medium rare. It was nice and juice and served on a delicious bun. The onion rings that accompanied it were pretty standard, but they were good, as were Tommy's fries. His buger, too, arrived just as ordered, it was exactly medium. Now, cannot say this was the best burger I've ever had, but it was darned good. There are two adjustments I'd have made on then. First, a bit of salt. Mine needed a bit of salt. Steve, I suggest you give them a light salt/pepper dusting when cooking, that would add a lot. The second was the placement on the sandwich. It was, top to bottom, top bun, cheese, burger, tomato, lettuce, mayo, bottom burger. But the burger was nice and juicy. I'd suggest putting the lettuce and tomato on top so the bun itself can soak up some of that good burger juice. Still, with a few tweaks, this would have been one of the best burgers I'd ever had.

After we were done, I did introduce myself. I'm a big fan of downtown Sanford. This is a place I'd like to return to. They tell me they're planning on doing lunch too and expanding the menu. The told me of a few of their ideas and I think they're on the right path. And you know when someone like Steve really likes to cook when he does it for fun--by day he's an A/C contractor, this is his hobby, and probably his passion. Well, he does it well. I'd go back, for sure!

Colonial Room

2012-01-08T16:06:00.001-05:00

Our waitress told us that the French Fries at Colonial Room were good and she was right. They were excellent. But that was about the high point of my recent meal there. I don't often get to Sanford in the middle of the day, and Colonial Room is open only for lunch and breakfast. So when we had the opportunity to try it recently, I jumped at the chance.

We arrived in the early afternoon, around 1:30 on a Saturday. It was not very busy but was past the lunch hour. After a bit, we decided on our food. I had the open face turkey sandwich with French Fries and a side of coleslaw. The fries were indeed very good. And the turkey appeared to be real turkey, not just some sliced lunchmeat. It was pretty good. But the gravy seemed a big odd to me--I'd guess that it was canned gravy, it almost had a bit of a tinny taste and smell. It wasn't bad, but it was not really a turkey gravy. I'll bet that if I'd ordered the open face beef sandwich, I'd have gotten the same thing. And, there could have been just a bit more of it for the amount of bread. The coleslaw was OK, good even. Not great, but pretty standard. I guess it was the gravy that was the real turn off for me. I'm not sure that I'd go back.

My friend Tommy had one of the specials, a loaded chili cheese dog with fries. It was a nice big hot dog. The chili was pretty standard, I'd guess out of a can. It was a decent hot dog for the price. And of course the fries were indeed very good.

We had good service from Carol and the rest of the staff there. But overall I'd say it was just pretty run-of-the-mill, standard diner type of food, nothing too great. I probably would not go back, unless maybe to try their breakfast.

Acapulco Mexican Restaurant

2011-12-29T20:07:00.001-05:00

We ate at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant on the Sunday evening before Christmas. We were in St. Augustine to see the lights (which were nice enough) and decided to stop here for dinner. It was just OK. I probably would not go back.

First, the bright side: we had good service and sat in a window right on the street (as requested). Our waiter, Dazaev M, was very attentive and did a good job.

Then there was the food. It was OK, but just OK. I had the Enchilada Mixtas, several enchiladas. Mediocre at best. My friend Tommy had the Enchilada Fajitas. They were OK, but just OK. I would not go back. It's more of a touristy place than a place for really good Mexican food.

Lulu's Oceanside Grill

2011-12-29T19:38:00.003-05:00

We had dinner recently at Lulu's Oceanside Grill in Ormond Beach. We were staying nearby and found this place on Urbanspoon.com with a fairly good recommendation as well as a "thumbs up" from Watch Me Eat, another blogger. They were right, it was pretty darned good.

We started out with the crab fritters and they were yummy. I had the Grouper Fish Tacos and they were excellent. My friend Tommy had the Jerk Chicken Wrap. We both enjoyed our meal here and recommend it.

4Rivers Smokehouse

2011-12-26T10:43:00.001-05:00

Perhaps it was my high expectations, but I came away from my recent visit to 4Rivers Smokehouse in Longwood disappointed. Or maybe it's all the hype? But the lunch I had there left me wanting for something spectacular and all i got was a mediocre sandwich with average coleslaw and beans. Let me explain.

I went with some work friends for lunch. We got there early (before 11:30) because I'd heard they have long lines. We just barely got inside the door and had about a 10-15 minute wait but by the time we left the line was well out into the parking lot. I would not wait again for what I got.

I ordered a "Signature Sandwich," the Texas Destroyer. The only destruction was to my expectations. There was a decent portion of smoked brisket which was, for the most part, quite yummy. It was topped by two onion rings, some jalapenos, and a slice of provolone. On my first bite, the onions all came out in one long mess.... I could not really taste the provolone but it was there. My main complaints are two. First, I tasted some of the burnt ends that were in the sandwich. They were overly sweet from the rub. Very, very sweet. Second was the homemade BBQ sauces. They too were overly sweet. Now, that is a texas style, but the sweetness really masquerades the flavor of the meat, so I was not a big fan of them. Some of the brisket just by itself was good. But as a whole it was just average.

As for my sides, the beans were a bit soupy. I'm sure there were some bits of smoked meat in them, but mostly it was more of a soup. The coleslaw was average, nothing special. My friend enjoyed their meals but none of them were overly impressed either. Would I go back? If I didn't have to wait in line, maybe, but if I had to wait, it would not be worth it, I'd rather head around the corner to Chef Henry's for some really great food.

One high point, however. Just before we finished one of the employees came around with small samples of the pulled pork. I tried some and it was very good, a nice flavor, a hint of smoke, tender and juicy. After that, i made the mistake of putting on a small bit of the house BBQ sauce--that totally ruined it for me, the sweetness overpowered the flavor of the meat. Too bad. So, when I want some good BBQ, 4Rivers will not be at the top of my choice list, sorry. Over-hyped for what you get.

Country Aire Bar & Banquet

2011-12-04T09:06:00.001-05:00

We journeyed from to Country Aire Bar & Banquet in Stratford as it was the only place that we could find to accomodate our party of 17 on somewhat short notice. And it turned out to be a good choice as they have an excellent fish fry--that was our whole reason for going there.

So on the Friday after Thanksgiving, a large group of my family made the 10 mile journey there and had a great Fish Fry--exactly what a Wisconsin Fish Fry should be. I was in luck, they also had a seafood buffet, and it included the beer-battered, deep fried haddock that is the staple of Wisconsin Fish Fries. And it had a bit more, it had some Haddock with cheese (strange combination, but it was actually quite good) and popcorn shrimp. So I got to sample quite a bit of stuff and it was all good. But I got to sample all the staples of a Fish Fry: the deep-fried, beer-battered fish, french fried, cole slaw (excellent, too) and rye (or in this case, marble) bread. It was all very good.

The facility is rather large, with a large dining room on one side, a bar in the middle, and a large banquet hall on the other side. I'd imagine they do lots of wedding. No matter, it was a good choice, they were very accomodating, our waitress was fast, friendly, and efficient, and we had a great family outing, a great family time here. Yumm, definitely good eats!

Daily Grind

2011-12-04T08:58:00.001-05:00

We stopped by Daily Grind on a recent Saturday. It was lunchtime but we found they were only serving breakfast. No matter, we decided to stay. And it was a good thing because our meal was fantastic!

Daily Grind is a small, somewhat eclectic place in the heart of downtown Marshfield. It's really a coffee bar that serves a limited breakfast and lunch menu. With free WiFi and a cozy atmosphere, it's a great place to just hang out with friends, I'd thing. Tommy and I were shopping and called my sister Donna to join us. We got over our "breakfast only" initial disappointment and all settled on the breakfast burrito--it was a very good choice as it was excellent! A large tortilla was stuffed--and I do mean stuffed--with all sorts of goodness. It had a definite Tex-Mex feel to it, chilies, cheese, olives, bacon, onions, and all manner of good things. It was awesome, we all agreed. It was topped with some shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. All in all, this was great and I'd have it again.

Susie's Home Cooking

2011-12-04T08:40:00.001-05:00

Is there really "home cooking" at Susie's Home Cooking? You bet! We made a good choice when we decided to stop here. Warm and inviting, it feels like (and is) a small town diner inside--with great food.

We had to start with the deep fried cheese curds. They were all they should have been, with a nice beer-batter coating, fried and tender and delicious.

For his meal, my friend Tommy tried the Pasty. A Pasty is an upper Michigan treat, a pie dough of sorts that's stuffed with all sorts of goodness. This was stuffed with meat, onions, celery, and rice. It was excellent--really very, very good. I would go back to Suzie's just to have the Pasty again--it was that good. I wish I could have gotten a dozen frozen and taken them back to Florida on the plane with me. Yes, it was that good.

I started with a salad, and it was pretty typical, iceberg lettuce with a few bits of red cabbage and carrots for coloer. Nothing too special, but what you'd expect to find in a diner. however, the dressing was homemade, a raspberry viniagrette, and very good.

For my main course I had what I consider to be a diner staple, a Patty Melt. It was all I expected it to be. The patty appeared to be hand made and it was cooked perfectly. The grilled onions and the cheese made it just perfect. I loved it.

So, next time I'm driving from Milwaukee to Marshfield and need a bite to eat, I will remember the food at Suzie's. Definitely worth stopping for.

Silvano's Ristorante Italiano

2011-12-04T08:24:00.001-05:00

We ate at Silvano's Ristorante Italiano recently, and it was a pretty good meal. I had a coupon and a taste for some Italian food. It's a pretty nice place, very Italian looking. Not huge but a warm and inviting space.

We started out with a glass of wine. I will say that the price of a glass of wine seemed a bit steep for the pour. Our meal started with a salad. The salad, as well as the accompanying bread, was very good. It was lightly dressed and the greens were very fresh.

My friend Tommy had the Penne Vodka for his main course. It was pretty good, though seemed a bit heavy on the tomatoes and light on the cream. Still, it was better than most.

I had the Veal, thin-sliced cutlets of veal cooked nicely in a lemon-cream sauce served on a bed of fettucine. It was good and I managed to eat it all.

All in all, it was a pretty good meal, and if I lived in the area I'd probably return. However, I live in Lake Mary and we do have better Italian food close by, like my favorite, Cafe Positano. Not to take away from Silvano's, it's still way above most chains the the food seemed genuinely Italian. Give it a try, let me know what you think!

Mikado Japanese Cuisine

2011-12-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

I went to Mikado Japanese Cuisine with a few coworker for lunch recently, and we were all in agreement--very good! It was a very pleasant surprise. I'm not all that familiar with Japanese cuisine, but they have an extensive sushi and sashimi menu--besides other things--and we all left very satisifed. We all agreed: we'd return again, it was very good.

I ordered a lunch special, two sushi rolls, and it came with a choice of soup or salad. I had the salad. It was very good. An assortment of greens was dressed with a ginger dressing. Now, for my taste, the ginger could have been a bit stronger, but still, it was very good and nicely refreshing.

For my lunch I had two sushi rolls, both cooked. One with chicken, one with shrimp. Both were very, very good! The accompanying wasabi was expecially good as well. For about $10, I had a really good meal. I'd come back here again, anytime. The service was extremely attentive as well. Excellent job, excellent food. Yumm!

Tutto Bene

2011-11-14T19:45:00.001-05:00

We had dinner on a recent Sunday late afternoon at Tutto Bene in Lake Mary. We were pleasantly surprised and had a much better meal than I've had recently at another nearby Italian Restaurant, by far.

Tutto Bene is located very close to the Seminole State College Campus and, judging from some of the items on the menu board, I'd guess they cater to a nice College population as well as the area. We were hungry and adventurous, and sure brought our appetites with us!

We started with appetizers. First there were Garlic Knots (not pictured). They were very garlicy, something my friend Tommy does not like. But I liked them, though i found them just a bit heavy. The marinara to go-with was very good.

Then we had Fried Mozzarella Sticks. They were served with the same marinara which was fine with me as I really liked it. The mozzarella sticks could have been friend just another 30s seconds or so, they would have been better. Still, they were plenty good.

On top of that, we also ordered the Fried Ravioli. Again, they were very good, not overcooked, jsut right. And again, served with the same marinara--still just as delicious. These were pretty darned good.

For my main course I had the Penne ala Vodka with Chicken. Wow, this was very good. You could tell that this dish was cooked to marry the flavors, and it had a lot of very good flavor. I liked it a lot.

I also ordered a side salad, which our waitress almost forgot, but it had it right after my entree arrived. It was a good salad, nice and fresh. The best part of it was the dressing, a house Italian. It was very good and full of nice flavor.

For his dinner, my friend Tommy had the Chicken Cacciatore. It, too was very good, and a nice portion.

Finally, we ordered a Cannoli. All I can say is "yumm." It was very sweet but also very good. However, the chocolate sauce it was trimmed with did taste like bottled stuff from the store. Still it was good.

We had a nice experience and dinner here. I'd come back. They have a nice menu and the wine and beer prices are very reasonable as well.

Romano's Macaroni Grill

2011-11-14T19:28:00.001-05:00

I had lunch recently at Romano's Macaroni Grill with some coworkers. It was a pretty decent lunch and a fair price. There were five of us, each with coupons. Our server handled it well without even batting an eyelid. I ordered the "choose three" for $10. The items I chose were (1) a Fresh Greens salad with Italian dressing, (2) the Whole Wheat Fettucinne Pasta, and (3) a half Roasted Turkey Sandwich.

You can see above what I was first served, two of the three elements of my dish. I thought that a bit odd. The Salad and the half Sandwich arrived but you can see there is an open space. However, within a minute or two a manager arrived with the missing element, the Whole Wheat Fettucini, below.

My guess is that there was some miscommunication in the kitchen or with the waitress, but it all eventually arrive.

The salad was nice and fresh and tasty. The sandwich was good, though maybe just a bit dry--it could have used a touch of may or something. The past was very good with crisp broccolini and cherry tomatoes. The sauce for the fettucine was a bit thin--actually very thin, but the dish was tasty.
Overall, this was a nice meal at a good price.

Bananas Modern American Diner

2011-11-14T19:03:00.001-05:00

We recently ate at Bananas Modern American Diner on a Sunday afternoon. It was the weekend before Halloween and the wait staff were somewhat costumed up for that. But we had a decent meal here, though the service was a bit slow. Nonetheless, the food was generally pretty good and I'd eat here again.

Bananas is a diner, and it does have somewhat of that type of look and feel. We were promptly greeted and initially shown a seat by the window, in the sun. But when we asked, we were shown a nearby booth which seemed better than sitting in the hot Florida sun, even if it was a nice autumn day.

Upon ordering drinks, we also chose to get an appetizer of the Beer Battered Onion Rings. They were done nearly perfectly, nice, thick slices of onions in a tasty beer batter and fried just right. But the star of the dish was actually the horseradish dijon dipping sauce--it added just the perfect amount of zing to these nearly perfectly cooked onion rings. This was a real hit.

For his meal, my friend Tommy had the Daddy's Burger with fries. A burger was cooked and trimmed with blue cheese, smoky bacon, and caramelize onions. Lettuce, tomato, and onion were on the side. The bun was nicely toasted as well. Tommy ordered the burger medium, but it came out well. Our server did offer to replace it, but he ate it. It was still rather tasty, just a bit overcooked. The fries were very ordinary, however, and a bit on the starchy side, if you ask me. But the burger was plenty good.

For my meal, I ordered the Buffalo Burger with a chicken breast for the meat. A chicken breast was served on a toasted bun with provolone cheese and a spicy buffalo wing sauce. The portion of buffalo, sauce, though tasty, was very skimpy, as you can see in the picture. There was not much of it. The chicken breast was cooked through, and just barely. Instead of the fries, I asked for and got a side salad. It was served with a truly amazing Wasabi Viniagrette that was out of this world. It had a nice wasabi bite to it and was just wonderful. It's one of the best salad dressing's I've ever had. Overall, it was a nice meal.

As I mentioned, our service was a bit unattentive. It was the middle of the afternoon and some of the wait staff, our waitress included, were doing some cleaning and other housekeeping activities such as changing out the ice tea station. That's what kept here occupied. One thing I did notice is that there really didn't appear to be any sort of manager or anyone in charge, and I think the service suffered for that. There seemed to be no direction in the front of the house, just people doing whatever they normally do. No on really keeping tabs on the diners and the dining room. Nonetheless, it was an OK experience here and I'd come back again another time.

Cozee Cafe

2011-11-05T06:23:00.000-04:00

We went to Cozee Cafe in Lake Mary on a recent Thursday evening and had a nice meal. Mitchell provided us with very good service. It was a nice November evening and we sat outside.

We decided to start with an appetizer, the Queso Dip. It was just passable and really could have used a bit of zing. It was more like melted velveeta with a few bits of peppers added. It wasn't bad, just wasn't really what I'd call restaurant quality. Fortunately, the rest of the meal was better.

For his dinner, my friend Tommy had an Omelet with mushrooms and cheese. It was served with fried potatoes and toast. It was pretty good. He mentioned that the mushrooms seemed like maybe they'd been pickled, though they weren't bad, but probably had been cooked ahead and then held. Too bad, had they been cooked fresh, it would have much better.

For my dinner, I had the special, a Blackened Chicken Sandwich. The chicken breast was tender and juicy and lightly blackened. It was served with cheese, tomato, onion, and lettuce, on a nice ciabatta roll. It was actually a very good sandwich and I enjoyed it a lot. It was werved with fries which I thought could have been cooked an additional 30 seconds or so, they were not quite crispy on the outside and just cooked inside, but overall they were still plenty good.

Overall, we enyojed our meal here and believe this newly expanded place has nice potential. A few rough edges and room for improvement, but they really tried to please us and took good care of us with fast, friendly, and efficient service. The outdoor dining on a beautiful evening was a great way to end an evening too. Nice job, overall.

RedBrick Pizza

2011-10-23T09:23:00.002-04:00

After my last visit to RedBrick Pizza in Sanford, I wrote that I would probably not go back because I was underwhelmed. But I went back to give them a second try after getting an email telling me they were under new management and a similar comment on my previous blog post. So, almost two years to the day later, we once again ventured to RedBrick Pizza to give them a second try. It was later in the evening, past 7 PM on a Saturday evening, and we were in search of a light bite to eat.

The place was not very busy when we entered, maybe three or so tables occupied. But we were promptly greeted and our order promptly taken. Also, it arrived rather quickly. We'd barely uttered the words "medium pepperoni with mushrooms" when we saw our pizza being made. So, the service was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and the food arrived promptly and nice and hot.

Our pepperoni and mushroom pizza was OK, but just OK. I guess the first thing that confused me was how the pizza dough was made. RedBrick says they are "gourmet" pizza, but they use a machine to press out the dough into a nice, neat, round with a nice, neat, precise raised edge. The dough was just OK, nothing really set it apart, and I think a hand pressed/made crust is far superior to a machine made crust. The sauce and cheese and toppings were good and the pizza was cooked properly. So it was a good pizza. But just not a great pizza. It was served hot and fresh and fast and for the just-over $11 price, not too bad, but it just did not strike me as gourmet. However, if I was looking to have a decent pizza cooked properly and served fast, I would come back. Still, the experience was not enough to convince me to change my urbanspoon.com vote, sorry. It was OK, but there is much better pizza in the area. Of course, those places (like Caffe Positano and Terra Mia) are usually much more busy and much harder to get into, but there's a reason for that. And a reason that RedBrick was so not-busy on a Saturday evening.

Bahama Breeze Island Grille

2011-10-23T08:35:00.002-04:00

My friend Tommy and I went to Bahama Breeze Island Grille in Altamonte Spring for dinner on a recent Friday evening. I knew we'd have to wait, and sure enough there was a 45-60 minute wait. But it was a pleasant evening and we found a nice spot on the large patio and had a few drinks while we were waiting.

Eventually we were seated and we started off with the Firecracker Shrimp appetizer. This was pretty gosh darned good, though not the best I've had, buttermilk battered shrimp that were deep fried and served with a fiery, creamy red pepper remoulade. Still, I'd have it again. The shrimp could have been cooked just a half minute less, but they were not way overdone either. The remoulade was great and a nice accompaniment. I liked this dish a lot.

For his meal, Tommy decided on soup and another appetizer. For the soup he had the Bahamian Seafood Chowder. The soup had a cream base and contained shellfish and vegetables, and was topped with a few fried shrimp. It was very good. I know, because I had a taste.

Then he had the Chicken Empanadas. They were the normal fried pastries with an adobo seasoned chicken filling that also had with mushrooms, sweet peppers and onion. Ut was served with a seasoned sour cream and black bean roasted corn and fresh tomato salsa on the side. The empanadas were good and the salsa was very good, it had a nice and bright flavor. Another hit!

For my main course, I had one of my favorite dishes, one I've eaten at a number of restaurants, Shrimp and Grits. It was good, though not great. The shrimp were cooked pretty well, but again, maybe 15-30 seconds overcooked. However, they were not way beyond cooked and so were not at all rubbery, something I abhor. The grits were good enough though just a bit clumpy and not quite as creamy as they should have been. I think they could have suffered a bit of stirring and a few more drops of cream before being served, then they'd have been nice and creamy. The accompanying green beans were very lightly steamed and were good. Overall, this was pretty good, though nothing set it above some of the other shrimp n grits meals I've had.

Our experience here was pretty good. Our server, Amber, was attentive and helpful. We enjoyed the meal and the prices seemed about right for what we got.

Outback Steakhouse

2011-10-22T17:27:00.002-04:00

We had a very nice dinner recently at the Outback Steakhouse in Sanford. We started with drink. I had a beer but my friend Tommy had the Margarita. He said it was absolutely delicious. After a long, hard day of work, I'm sure it was.

We started with the Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie and they were wonderful. We had them wood-grilled and the flavor and aroma of the wood was apparent. And, they were cooked right, just done, not overcooked. They were lightly seasoned and accompanied by a remoulade sauces that was fantastic.

For my main course I had the Alice Springs Chicken, a wood-fire grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed mushrooms, crisp bacon, monterey and cheddar cheese, and finished with a honey mustard sauce. I had my accompanied by broccoli. The meal was delcious. The chicken was nice and tender, and the broccoli was just lightly steamed. I love mine with a bit of lemon juice. It was a very good meal, I enjoyed it.

My friend Tommy had the Outback Special, a 6 oz. sirloin filet that was grilled on the wood-fired grill. It was accompanied by a loaded baked potato. I had a taste of the steak and it was indeed delicious, cooked just as ordered, tender and juicy, with a nice wood-grill flavor and aroma.

There is a reason that we keep going back to Outback time after time, and that is consistency. Their food is always consistently good. I've have some of the best shrimp ever at Outback (unfortunately, that item, the Shrimp on the Barbie, is no longer on the menu--dang!). But whatever I've had there, it's always good, the service is always good, and the meal is a fair value for the price. I guess I'll keep going back!

Tuesto Café

2011-10-22T17:06:00.001-04:00

Wow! My friend Tommy brought home a sandwich from Tuesto Café today and it was mighty fine.

The sandwich we had was a the Pulled Roast Pork sandwich. The pork was roasted very well, tender and juicy. It was served on a Cuban type roll with swiss cheese, onions, mayo, and mojo sauce. It was an excellent sandwich. The pork was so tender and juicy, it was amazing. There was not a lot of other seasoning and that allowed the flavor of the pork to shine through. Nice job.

Along with that we had the Potato Ball. A round ball of potatoes was stuffed with a delicious ground beef filling, then breaded and deep fried. It was delicious! Based on this experience, I'd certainly go back--again and a gain. It could be a very addicting place and a great lunch or "quick bite" place.

Willow Tree Café and Octoberfest

2011-10-13T13:00:00.001-04:00

Willow Tree Café was featured on My Fox Orlando recently. You can see the segment here. Octoberfest starts tonight, Thursday October 13th, at Willow Tree Cafe as a part of the monthly Alive After Five event. As always, I'll be hanging out much of the time at Art Affair Gallery. Join us!

Tree House Food Truck

2011-10-07T20:19:00.001-04:00

We stopped by Tree House Food Truck the other night and liked what I had. We were at the Apopka Food Truck Roundup, a fairly new event held the first Thursday of every month at Kit Land Nelson park in Apopka. There were about 14 various food trucks in attendance. We'd already eaten, but were looking for dessert, and I was drawn to the Tree House Food Truck by one very particular thing...bad spelling and grammar. Now, as a proud Polak (person of Polish-American heritage), I could not let their advertisement for pierogi pass for two reasons: (1) I love pierogi and am an expert, and (2) I am the Polish spelling police, and they had a violation. So when I saw pierogi on the menu, I knew I had to try them, and when I saw the word grossly misspelled, I had to comment

A pierog (single, one) is a little dumpling that is filled with a filing and usually boiled, then fried, and served with some accompaniments. In Polish, "pierog" refers to one, singular, and "pierogi" refers to more than one, plural. So, the word "pierogi" is already a plural word and adding an "es" to it is not correct. Worse yet, the forgot the first "i"... it's Pierogi, not perogi--that is not a Polish word with any meaning.

But, on to the pierogi (there were three of them, so plural, and now spelled correctly). The actual pierogi themselves were just OK, but the way they were served deserves comment and accolade. The pierogi appeared to be very average, maybe even the "Mrs. T's" store brand (hint, guys, buy them at the Europol store on Aloma and 436--they are much better there). They were boiled and then fried, very traditional. But then they were topped with a very delicious sour creme sauce and sprinkled with some fried bacon. I'd guess the sour creme sauce had some yogurt in it as well as chives and dill, but it was sure delicious and really made up for the pierogi's somewhat bland filling. I'd probably eat these again, but if they really use quality pierogi--and I could show them how to make some excellent pierogi--they'd have a real hit on their hands.

And then the dessert. The picture here does not does it justice. This cookie was at least 6 inches across and nicely cooked, nice and moist and tender. It was a Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie, and at $2, it as a steal! Moist, tender, with a hint of salt and some nice chunks of chocolate, this was a very good cookie and we both enjoyed it.

We really enjoyed our time at the Apopka Food Truck Roundup, and that was in part due to the good food (bad spelling notwithstanding) at the Treehouse Truck. If you want to know where they'll be next, you can friend and follow them on Facebook.

C&S Brisket Bus

2011-10-07T19:50:00.001-04:00

We ate some decent sandwiches at the C&S Brisket Bus at the Apopka Food truck Roundup on the first Thursday of October. The event started recently and is held every first Thursday in at Kit Land Nelson Park in Apopka. After looking over the various offereings of the 14 trucks in attendance, we decided to give C&S Brisket Bus's food a try. It was good.

I had the Texas Brisket, smoked sliced brisket covered with a sweet and sour barbecue sauce and served sandwich style on Texas Toast. At $9 for a whole and $6 for a half, the choice was a no-brainer. I had the whole and then split it with my friend Tommy. The brisket was nicely smoke and the barbecue sauce did somewhat remind me of Texas BBQ, though maybe from far east Texas, as close to Tennessee and the Carolias as you can get, due to the bit of tang from the vinegar. Yet, it was very good. The Texas toast was the perfect vehicle for this hearty sandwich.

My friend Tommy had the Carolina Pulled Brisket Sandwich, grilled smoked brisket that was mixed with an eastern North Carolina type vinegar based barbecue sauce and served on grilled white bread. It was the same price, so again, a no-brainer, we each ended up with half. This was a very good sandwich and I'd say I liked it marginally better than the Texas sandwich. Still, they were both very good. If anything could be said for either sandwich as a criticism, I'd say just a tad more sauce would be in order, to really highlight the BBQ flavor. But overall, a nice job, we liked this. Now to try some of their other items another time. And I will be back, for sure.

If you'd like to know where this Food Truck is, friend them on Facebook!

Eola Wine Company

2011-09-25T16:33:00.003-04:00

A recent Sunday afternoon found us in Winter Park, and we had lunch at Eola Wine Company. It was a good choice, and there are many choices in Winter Park. We both agreed, based on our experience here, we'd come back!

We both were in the mood for something rather light, and their brunch menu seemed just perfect. We started out with the Mimosa Flight, samples of four of their signature Mimosas. The price included one more of the favorite. The flavors included Raspberry, Peach, traditional (orange), and Banana. Our least favorite was the banana, as there was no discernable banana taste. Our most favorite was the Raspberry--great flavor. We split on the other two.

For my brunch I had the Tomato, Artichoke and Bacon Quicche. It was fantastic. It was a personal size quicche with a very nice an buttery crust. The flavors were very good and quite distinct, though i had a harder time tasting the artichoke. Still, it was very good. The mixed green salad that accompanied it was very good, and i had a house balsamic viniagrette with it--yumm! It was accompanied with a bunch of small red grapes--small in size, but huge in flavor. This was a very good dish.

My friend Tommy had the BBT, a bacon, basil, tomato and cream cheese sandwich served on a bagel. It was fantastic! It was very good. the creaminess of the cream cheese was a nice contrast to the bacon and tomato. It, too, was served with a salad of mixed greens and red grapes. We really enjoyed our meal here. Our service was attentive, even though we sat outside. We had a chance to do some people-watching on a nice summer afternoon. Lucky for us it had rained a bit early and so the heat was not so bothersome. This was a very nice place and I'd come back here again. Nice job!

Romansa Restaurant, Wine Bar & Lounge

2011-09-18T09:22:00.000-04:00

I found Romansa Restaurant, Wine Bar & Lounge while searching urbanspoon.com for Eastern European restaurants. So we went there for dinner. It was OK, some hits, some misses. Definitely interesting.

Romansa has a few Serbian items on their menu, but in general it's a pretty general menu and would please all manner of diners, from steaks and fish to burgers and fries.

We started out with an appetizer, the Beer-Battered Onion Rings. The onion rings were perfect! I nice beer batter was fried to absolute perfection, They were tasty and served piping hot. I would not change a thing abou them. Certainly an American food item through and through, but also done right. There are many chances for error with somethign as simple as onion rings (old oil, under/overcooking, too much/little salt, etc.), but these were done right.

We started of with salads. The salads themselves wer ordinary, iceberg lettuce cut into small squares. I bit of mixed greens would have made the salads a bit exotic. Simple iceberg screams "diner" to me. The were garnished with a bit of carrot and red cabbage, and a slice of tomato. I had the house dressing and it was very good, an oil and vinegar with a somewhat Italian-like combination of herbs and spices, yet some flavors that were not run-of-the-mill and said "exotic" to me. I liked it, outside of the plain iceberg lettuce. My friend Tommy had the Blue Cheese dressing--it was common and ordinary, most likely out of a bottle.

We also had some bread with our meal. It was very good, nice and crusty, and the seasoning on the bread, a flavor theme that ran thoroughout our meal, was also very good.

I ordered two entrees, only because one was available in a small size, and because both were Serbian, a type of food I've never had before, that I recall. The first was called Cevapi, small, grilled, rolls of minced meat that were spiced with "secret spices. They were served on a very delicious bun of sorts and accompanied by a bit of iceberg lettuce, some chopped onions, and a delicious red pepper and eggplant puree. The meat was very good and also quite spicy, though not in a "hot" sense. It was good with a lot of flavor though perhaps just a bit dry. I'm not sure how you'd keep meat in this condition more moist. But this was quite good actually.

My second (and main) entree was called Pljeskavica, a ground beef patty that was mixed with "secret spices" and stuffed with bacon and cheese. It was tastly and flavorful. It was also just a bit "tough." A steak knife would have helped. I would guess that if you're going to finely grind meat and add spices, then it would be a bit tough. It was tasty and flavorful, however. It was also accompanied by the lettuce, onion, and red pepper/eggplant puree. For a side I ordered the steamed broccoli. Unfortunately what I got was well overcooked broccoli that was a drab green color, cooked well beyond the few minutes of steaming it should have gotten. I think it was over-sauteed. It was edible, but certainly not the great side it could have been.

My friend Tommy ordered the Roasted Pork Medallions, accompanied by Mashed Potatoes. It was served with a garnish of a leaf of the aforementioned (and overused) iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato and a few shavings of carrot and red cabbage. The mashed potatoes were pretty ordinary, though appeared "real" and not from a box. The disappointment here was the meat--it was very dry. Like way dry. The BBQ sauce and cheese that topped the medallions added some nice flavors, but the meat itself was dry, very dry, and thus a bit chewy. I would say this dish was a miss in that sense. Pork is hard to cook properly because of its low fat content, and this was a miss.

Our service during our meal was excellent. We were one of only two tables during our meal, but were well taken care of. Our waitress--the ticket says her name was Dragana--certainly knew the food and the menu and took very good care of us, along with another young lady who was "in training." I'd guess that perhaps Dragana is Serbian, she certainly knew the food and the names of the dishes rolled off her tongue quite easily. The prices were decent and the $5 house Merlot was good and an adequate pour. I'm not sure that I'd go back for the Serbian food for dinner, but I'd certainly like to try them for lunch, they have a nice selection of burgers and other lunch food.

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches

2011-09-12T20:46:00.001-04:00

I had a quick lunch recently at Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches in Lake Mary. I left with mixed feelings. Not bad. Not great. Kind of middle of the road with more minuses than pluses, I think. But I'll give them the benefit of the doubt at this time and vote "like." I reserve the right to change that at a later date.

Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches is a chain and they have sub sandwiches. We were greeted by a seeminly bored and somewhat disinterested young lady at the counter who talked in a quiet voice and quite fast. It was our first time but she sure did not take any pains to make us feel welcome or to help us out. But, after a few moments, we were able to order. We placed our order, accepted the suggested "make it a combo" question. and were handed our receipt. If she thanked us, I did not hear it. We had to ask where we pick up our sandwiches, to which she replied and motioned to the nearby counter. We found the drink machines, then went back to claim our chips, and by now the sandwiches were ready--we heard someone mention "ten and eleven," the numbers of our subs.

Upon sitting down, I looked around for napkins. I could not see any. I went back to the counter and asked the aforementioned young lady and she sort of gestured to the other end of the counter where there were a few (and only a few) scattered behind the counter. I guess I had to help myself, so I did.

The sandwich was OK, but only OK. The lettuce and tomatoes and meat all were good and fresh. And the bun (called french bread) was fresh. Maybe just a bit too fresh. It was just a bit doughy and a bit light in color--it should have been cooked another minute or two, it would have been much better. It was not bad, just not perfect. When there are so many choices for lunch, and so many sub shops, you really have to be perfect--this was not.

One of their claims to fame is speed. Indeed, we'd barely ordered our sandwiches when they were ready, so they really were speedy. And the prices are rather decent for the amount of food. It was good, just not great.

Vida Latin Restaurant

2011-09-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

I had a most delicious lunch here at Vida Latin Restaurant the other day and will certainly be back for more, and soon. I went with friends from work who had raved about the food, service, and value and found they were right.

I ordered one of their specials--it was only $8.88 and was more than I could eat. The meal started with a small delicious salad of chopped greens, carrot, and a few other normal salad fixin's. It was good. But the main star was the plateful of food that soon arrived, and the accompanying black beans. There was a good-sized mound of pork that was tender and delicious, and accompanied by a wonderful "gravy." The vegetable rice was also very good, nice and tasty, and fresh. And the cup of black beans? Well, I'd say they were about the best black beans I've ever had, simply outstanding. Oh, and don't let me forget the tender, sweet plantains. All in all it was a wonderful meal with wonderful service. I will certainly go back again, and soon!

Don Pablo's

2011-08-06T08:24:00.000-04:00

My friend Tommy and I had dinner at Don Pablo's in Sanford recently, and it was pretty good for the price. We started out, of course, with the complimentary chips and salsa. They really are very good. The chips were nice and fresh and the salsa had a great flavor--though of course I could have used just a bit of heat with it. But still, it was among the bettter salsa's I've had in a chain restaurant.

I chose a combination platter that came with three enchiladas and two tacos, as well as teh trimmings. It was a lot of food. There were three enchiladas, one each of chicken, ground meat, and cheese. All were delicious, and each served a bit differently, two with various red sauces, one with a green sauce. I liked them.

The dinner also came with two tacos, one soft with chicken, one hard with beef. Both were also delicious. And of course, refried beans and rice were the accompaniments.

My Friend Tommy had the Chimichanga with spicy beef. I did not find the beef exceptionally spicy but it did have a nice, gentle heat to it. The meat itself was just a bit on the tough side, however. Still, it was not a bad dish. It was also accompanied by refried beans and rice.

Overall this was a good meal, and a big meal. We both had leftover to take home, in part due--I am sure--to the chips and salsa. I've always enjoyed the food at Don Pablo's, though at times I find it a bit loud inside with lots of noise. If there are some noisy parties going on, the space is large and very open and it resounds through the place. They also make their tortillas there fresh, and it shows. Overall a good experience.

Kobé Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar

2011-07-31T13:38:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for a fun evening with a gathering of family or friends or some special occasion, then Kobé Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar is worth a try. You'll certainly be entertained. It does come at a price, though, and that's that the food is mediocre at best. So there is a trade-off: great fun, yes; great food, no.

I was at Kobe recently for a retirement dinner for a former coworker. We all had a very good time and it was a lot of fun. That said, the food was a letdown. My shrimp were well over cooked and rubbery. The stir fried rice was somewhat flavorless, and the low mein noodles only slightly better. The stir fried vegetables, however were very good.

I would recommend you come here at least once for the entertainment. You may be back a second time, but it will not be for the food.

Garlic Crabhouse

2011-07-24T22:41:00.000-04:00

I had perhaps the best ever snapper at Garlic Crabhouse the other night. I really mean the best ever. It was truly a delight.

Garlic Crabhouse is not a fancy place, it's more of a diner feel. But boy did I sure feel welcome and well taken care of when we stopped in here for dinner recently.

I started my meal with a salad which was pretty ordinary, standard diner-type of salad, with ranch dressing in a big ole plastic squeeze bottle--one of two choices. It was good and fresh, no complaints.

But then the gem of the meal arrived. I chose a dinner which had snapper and shrimp, prepared jerk-style. The shrimp were good, not over cooked. The jerk was very mild. But the snapper. Oh my! It was absolutely awesome. Tender, moist, creamy, flavorful--it was everything good fish should be--and more. I think it was about the best fish i have ever had in my whole life, and that's a high compliment.

To go with our meals we had a variety of choices. Mine were salad, red beans and rice, and cabbage. Tommy had the corn on the cob instead of a salad. The red beans and rice were very good, as was the cabbage. The corn was a bit overdone, though, but still edible.

Tommy had the fried tilapia and shrimp, ant it was also very good. The breading was nice and light, cornmeal based, and very good. His shrimp were perhaps just a bit overcooked, but the fish was spot-on.

We had very attentive service during our meal by two of the waitstaff---they were extremely helpful and pleasant. Overall, our experience here was very good. I'd certainly go back again. And again. And again!

Hollerbach’s Magnolia Square Market

2011-07-18T11:00:00.022-04:00

What a delightful place. We are fortunate to have this market/deli in downtown Sanford. Hollerbach’s Magnolia Square Market is the market arm of the famous German restaurant, Hollerbach's Willow Tree Café. The Willow Tree is currently the #4 top restaurant in Orlando according to Urbanspoon.com, and it's with good reason.

I was in Sanford at the Saturday Farmer's Market recently, and stopped in to see what progress they'd made since they first opened about a month or so ago. It's a lot of progress. When we were there, the shop was lively with quite a few people shopping and looking around. They have an extensive selection of German products, cans, jars, packages. They also have a nice deli section with everything from potato salad to fine sausages and meats. Something for everyone who loves German food.

They also have a nice selection of German Beers, probably the best selection in the area, with fair prices. I'd guess that if you can't find your favorite German beer here, it's not to be found in the state!

As if that weren't enough, they also have a fine (and growing) selection of home brewing supplies!

Grains, malt extracts, hops, yeast, and brewing equipment, they have it all, and a wish-list for what they do not have. A brief conversation told me that they have quite a few people signed up for home brewing classes, too. This is a great addition.

As if that wasn't enough, I have just learned that one of their long time employees, Janet, is writing a blog about her experiences and the selection of food items at the Market. The blog is called Magnolia Square Market's Blog, or American Girl in a German Deli Blog! Check it out, it's very interesting. And if you spend any time at the Willow Tree, you will recognize Janet, she's often the hostess, and the server for Alive After Five events.

I really like this place and am sure to be back. Check it out!

Carmela's of Brooklyn Restaurant Pizzeria

2011-07-10T16:16:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed my first--but not last--Carmela's experience the other night. Overall, this was a very good experience. With a few tweaks, it would have been great!

We started out with a small (13") pepperoni pizza as an appetizer. If you claim to be a New York pizzeria, you better deliver, and Carmela's did! The pizza was fabulous, all that I'd expect a NY style pizza to be--cheesy, crisply, nice pepperoni flavor, just wonderful. But we knew we'd be eating more, so we only had two slices. But I will tell you this: it was equally good the next day when reheated in a hot oven on a pizza stone--a great reliving of the original experience. What a fantastic pizza, I'd come back just for that alone!

For his entree, my friend Tommy had the Penne with Grilled Chicken. First off, the chicken itself was awesome, it had a great grilled flavor and was nice and tender. However, there was something missing from the dish. It needed something to make it a bit special, including a bit more salt. I don't think the cook/chef tasted the sauce. The mushrooms were nice, the penne was good, but there was some small element missing. Additionally, the presentation was just a bit plain. The big, wide-rimmed plate first of all needed a bit better cleaning, but it also needed something, like a little dusting of Italian Parsely--that small touch would have made a big difference in the presentation. But the somewhat blandness of the sauce was indeed saved by the awesome flavor of the chicken.

For my entree I had the Penne a la Vodka. Wow. first the only (and minor) bad--again, the plate lacked a good look. Just a bit of cleaning of the plate and a smattering of parsley on the wide white rim would have really set this dish off. However, the flavor was spot-on fantastic. It was really good. I think maybe the proscuitto should have been more finely diced and fried just a tiny bit, but in the flavor department, this dish really rocked. The vodka creame sauce was awesome, maybe the best I've ever had, and I'm not one to give out such compliments freely. This was an amazing dish and I'd urge you to give it a try. It was wonderful.

We really had our fill after this (and had some additional leftovers) but the 2 for $2.20 Canneloni special called our names, so we tried that as well. They were very good. The shell itself was very crispy and crunchy, a nice texture balance to the creamy and very sweet filling. I'm not a huge "sweet" fan but these were very good.

Overall, our experience was very good, and I'd recommend Carmela's to others--it was very good. There were a few mis-steps, though, and our service was one of them. At first, our server Michael was a bit attentive, but as time went on he was more and more absent. A bit more attention to customers is crucial to success. Maybe he was new, but I hope he learns. Also, the plating was a bit sloppy and a bit plain. But overall, with a few seasoning adjustments, the food was spot on--and the pizza simply outstanding. I'd sure go back again!

Alive After Five -- Thursday July 14th

2011-07-09T15:17:00.000-04:00

Join me in downtown Sanford this Thursday evening for Alive After Five.

Alive After Five is the Orlando area's best kept secret, but slowly the word is getting out. Thousands of people come out on the second Thursday of every month for this street party. Though the event itself and the live music is free, if you want to partake of the many food and beverage samples (including adult beverages) there is a very modest $7 charge for a wristband.

Best of all, you probably can meet me! I am usually hanging out with my artist partner and pals at Art Affair Gallery, which just opened a wine bar called The Pallette. It's really a fun place. And as a bonus, for this next event, my two sisters will be in town and attending, all the way from Wisconsin! Come join the party!

Alive After Five -- Thursday July 14th

2011-07-09T15:12:00.000-04:00

Join me in downtown Sanford this Thursday evening for Alive After five

Cheng's Chinese

2011-07-02T08:35:00.001-04:00

Very mediocre--at best--that's how I'd describe my visit to Cheng's Chinese recently. I have been looking for really good Chinese food in central Florida, but did not find it here. I probably will not go back for dinner, though rumor is that they have a nice lunch buffet--maybe I'll try that some day.

My friend Tommy and I went to Cheng's on a somewhat rainy Sunday afternoon. We were one of three tables there, though the others were finishing up. We both ordered combination meals.

The Egg rolls were very good and very hot! They had a nice crisp exterior with fresh napa cabbage and other vegetables inside, and quite full. They were indeed good, but probably the high point of my meal, unfortunately.

For soup I had the Hot N Sour soup. I love Hot N Sour soup and am always on a quest for the best, but this soup fell far short. It was not terrible, but was missing on the sour part--it needed some more acid. And there was a very pervasive taste of chicken broth, to the point of distracting from the other flavors. I would not order this again. My favorite remains the Hot N Sour at Lee's Palace, just a few miles away.

My friend Tommy had the Won Ton soup and I had a taste. It was OK and also a bit on the chickeny side. But it was good, just not more than ordinary, however.
For my entree I had the General Tso's chicken, advertised as "spicy" (and not pictured here). It was not spicy at all, or just barely. And the chicken was downright tough and stringy. I thought "this is an old bird." The meat seemed to be mainly dark meat, the sauce covering it was very sweet, too sweet, and quite thick, almost to the point of pasty. It just was not all that good.

Tommy had the sesame chicken. It seemed to me to be the same dish I had with an overyly sweet, pasty sauce. The difference being some sesame seeds thrown on the top of his, whereas mine had a few chili peppers in the sauce. Other than that, they were identical, down to the chewiness and toughness/stringiness of the chicken. I would not recommend this, nor my dish, to anyone.

We both had the pork-fried rice that came with our combo dinners. It was spectacularly bland and ordinary. The rice did not appear very fresh, the pork practically non-existent, and pretty much devoid of much flavor at all. When mixed with some hot mustard or soy sauce, at least there was mustard or soy sauce flavor. Otherwise, it was just bland, bland, and bland.

Overall, Cheng's Chinese is a nice-looking place inside. It looks like your typical Chinese restaurant with a nice atmosphere. The only thing I found lacking was authentic Chinese flavor and cooking in the food. That's too bad. I sure hope this was chef's day off, because if this is what they normally serve, then people of Lake Mary have no clue as to what good Chinese food is all about!

Blackwater Bar-B-Q

2011-07-02T08:11:00.000-04:00

My recent lunch at Blackwater Bar-B-Q was a bit disappointing. I'd heard good things and saw some good reviews, but I found it to be nothing other than ordinary. A coworker from out of town was visiting, and I chose this place to meet. It was just OK however.

I had a lunch special, pulled pork with two sides. There was a decent helping of pulled pork piled between two thick but otherwise ordinary slices of plain white bread--as one reviewer said, garlic toast or something would have been nice. The pulled pork itself was tender and juicy, but upon inspection, i could not find any bark, no smoke ring, and it really didn't have a smoky taste or smell. It was just tender pork, nothing to speak the "Bar-B-Q" in the name of this place. It was good, just didn't speak to me. The two sauces on the table were likewise somewhat unspectacular, one a bit more sweet than the other which was maybe just a tiny bit more spicy. Either or both could have been out of a bottle.

The coleslaw was OK, it's hard to make bad coleslaw, and a bit on the dry side. Tasty, still. I'd high hopes for the beans, as the waitress said they were homemade. But they tasted to me like beans out of a can to which a few pieces of pulled pork had been added. The did not say "Bar-B-Q" at all to me. They were tasty enough, just not special.

I am sad to say my experience here was disappointing. I may consider going back and trying for something that really can show evidence of smoking, such as ribs, but right now, I won't place a priority on that when there are so many other better BBQ joints around. Bummer!

The Palette

2011-06-25T09:14:00.001-04:00

Sanford's newest addition to the art and food scene is The Palette, located a Art Affair Gallery on First Street in Downtown Sanford. If the food, wine, and beer I sampled at their "Arty Party" grand opening is an indication of their wares, they will do well!

Local art evangelist, artist, and entrepreneur Ronda Richley, founder of Art Affair Gallery, has team up with the owner of the locally favorite (and much missed) Two Blondes and a Shrimp, Sherri, have teamed up to open a wine, beer, and food bar inside Art Affair Gallery. Now you can truly eat with the art and the artists--quite a few of the gallery's featured artists were in attendance at the Arty Party.

The opening gala featured Sangria by barmaid Lauren (who was kept mighty busy!) and every half hour Sherri would bring out another appetizer-creation for sampling. I tried to sample as much as I could, but I will say, you had to be quick to get some, it was all that good! One comment about the Sangria--it was good but was missing something--I think a bit of clove or maybe a stick of cinnamon would have pushed it over the top and given it a bit of mystery. But still, it was pretty darned good and I noticed that it all went through the course of the evening.

The appetizers that I sampled were all great and freshly made by Sherri. If you don't see a lot of food in the picture, it's because it was devoured before I had time to snap a photo. My favorites were two. First off, Sherri's Layered Concoction was a pleasure just to look at. Pesto, roasted red tomatoes, cream cheese , and basil were layered like a torte. Second, the Van Gogh was a very pleasant surprise--a vetegable/vegetarian pate was surrounded by huge sliced mushrooms and served with some artisanal bread and chips--it was delicious. All of the food was delicious. The assortment of crackers was astounding, the cheese was excellent, the baked brie and pears very good. I can't wait to come back some day and try the sandwich.

The menu at The Palette is small and very European in style, meant to be mostly appetizers, desserts, small plates that can be shared while drinking some wine or sangria, having one of the nice selection of craft beers, or over a cup of coffee. Many of the local artists were in attendance, and I suspect will be hanging out here as well. And if you can play the piano--or even if you can't--it's worth a try.

The interior of course is an art gallery, so you can wine and snack among lots of great local art--much of it by nationally and even internationally collected artists. The table and even the bar top themselves are actually works of art! And for those pleasant evenings, there is outdoor seating as well.

I have been a big fan of Art Affair Gallery since day one when they opened in a small space just a few doors down from the current location, almost two years ago. Since that time, they have moved to a larget space, then expanded, and now added the wine bar. I myself have provided the food for several events there, usually Sanford's Alive After Five and/or the Fourth Friday Art Walk. It is always a great time and alway a lot of fun. Over the past two years I have gotten to know many of the artists and other locals who are a part of the downtown Sanford art scene. And I've eaten at and reviewed many of the local restaurants. Downtown Sanford is really a happening place. Hope to run into you there sometime!

Lammar's Smokehouse BBQ

2011-06-18T09:43:00.000-04:00

I was surprised to find a BBQ joint in Marshfield, so I had to give it a try. Lammar's Smokehouse BBQ is fairly new, opened in a space next to a gas station/convenience store formerly occupied by a Subway. It's relatively new and not all that fancy, but what true BBQ place it. The proof is in the taste of the "Q" and I would say it is a success! Yes, there were a few rough edges, but we enjoyed our lunch here. We had sandwiches with their sides for lunch. The pulled pork was delicious, though a bit overly juicy, and the bun it was served on was overpowered by the juice. But the sandwich itself was delicious with a nice smoky flavor. The brisket was pretty good too, but jsut a bit fatty. The coleslaw was delicious, abosolutely a hit. The potato salad was OK.

The deep-fried mac 'n cheese for me was a bit of a disappointment. I'm not sure why. perhaps it was a bit overcooked? I am not really sure, but it was just not the spectacular side I'd expected. If i were them I'd do a little better on the breading and fry them just a little less, so they were a lighter brown. The mac n cheese itself was just a bit dry. Maybe the secret is to make it a bit creamier. however, it sure has potential.

One of the best things I found here, in addition to the smoked meats, were the sauces. They make their own and they were very good, each in its own regard. Maybe they should bottle and sell them? I think that would be a hit. There were a few I really liked, but I suggest if you go, you give them all a try, each is different, each is unique. Overall, I enjoyed the BBQ here and was surprised to find such a place in Marshfield. Next time I'm in town, I'll be sure to stop in again!

Tilted Kilt

2011-06-18T09:17:00.000-04:00

Our second dinner-time visit to the Tilted Kilt was not quite as satisfying as our first. We started out with some Chips and Salsa--they were OK, but pretty run-of-the-mill. My friend Tommy had the the Chicken Fried Chicken, fried chicked was served with garlic mashed potatoes and a creamy gravy, along with some vegetables. It was OK, not great, but OK. Certainly edible!.

I had the Maggie Mae's Fish & Chips, and i was disappointed. The double portion (replacing the fries) of creamy coleslaw was OK--it's hard to ruin coleslaw in my book--but the breading on the fish was greasy and did not stick well to the fish, falling off in chunks. This reveals improper breading technique. The fish itself was OK, but what's the point if there's no breading. Though the bill this dish as a "true English pub classic of battered cod," it sure did not make me want to go to an English pub and have fish and chips. If this is "true English" then I would not be a fan. It was not awful, it jsut was not the best. And the worst part was the greasiness, probably due to oil that was not quite up to temperature, and being pulled out just a bit too soon. I would not order this again.

Café Paisano Italian Grill & Pizzeria

2011-06-18T08:07:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of dining at Café Paisano Italian Grill & Pizzeria on a rather rainy and stormy Friday evening. Yes, we got wet trying to get back to our car during a downpour, but it was all worth it--the food was very good!

Lisa, our waitress, took very good care of us. After we ordered, our Garlic Knots arrived. They were good, more like fresh yeast rolls with just a hint of garlic and oil, but definitely fresh-baked, light and airy. They stood on their own and didn't need anything like butter, they were delicious with a hint of sweetness, hint of garlic, and hint of oil. Yumm.

For an appetizer we ordered the Stuffed Mushrooms. They were delicious. A dish of mushroom caps had been stuffed with a very flavorful crabmeat stuffing, then topped with cheese and alfredo sauce and baked. They were quite hot when they came out, but oh, so delicious. The crab stuffing was the predominant flavor here, not lost at all in the mushroom and afredo/cheesy flavors. So this was a very good dish.

Our salads arrived in short order (the timing of the food was fantastic). They were quite ordinary, but good. Just a nice little "start" before the main course.

For his main course, my friend Tommy ordered the Friday night special, the Haddock Fish Fry. This was very good. The haddock could not have been cooked better. A large, 12 oz portion of haddock had been breaded and fried. The breading was crispy but not greasy, the fish underneath was tender, moist, and flavorful. It was very very good. The french fries that accompanied the meal were also very good. The only real disappointment was the coleslaw--it was not that good. Now, it's really hard to make a coleslaw I don't like, but this was missing something. I think it needed a touch more acid, it was just a bit on the bland and flavorless side. But given the great taste of the haddock and the good french fries, I'll overlook this little miss-step. Overall a very good dinner.

My main course was the second Friday night special, Broiled Haddock and Shrimp. A 6 oz filet of haddock was nicely boiled and served along with three quite large shrimp, cooked just right. It was all served on a bed of linguine and topped with a lobster cream and mushroom sauce. It was also all very good! The haddock was broiled just right, the shrimp had a nice flavor and texture. The rich sauce added a lot of flavor to the dish and had mushrooms and roasted red peppers in it. It was good to look at and good to eat as well. I enjoyed this a lot.

When we finished eating, we were quite full. Usually we don't have dessert, but it was still pouring rain out, so we opted to split a single cannoli. It was good, though a bit sweet--or it may just be that I'm not used to desserts and sweets. Still, it was a good cannoli, the shell was nice and crisp, the filling creamy and sweet, with chocolate chips. It was also fun to eat, cracking the shell, getting the crisp shell with the creamy filling. Yumm.

It was still pouring when we were all done, and we decided to dash to the car and take of in the downpour. But we left very full and very fulfilled. We had a very good meal here and I'd go back again, for sure. Next time I want to try their pizza, it looked good.

Fresh on the Fly -- again!

2011-06-11T11:28:00.000-04:00

I had lunch at Fresh on the Fly yesterday with some friends from work and we all agreed that it was good. I see that on Urbanspoon.com today, it's rated the #75 restaurant in Orlando, no mean feat!

I had the Mahi Mahi BLT sandwich and it was wonderful. A bit messy to eat, perhaps, but finger-licking good, believe me. I had a bite of just the mahi-mahi and found that it was cooked to absolute perfection! It was tender, moist, and flavorful, and grilled blackened as requested. It was served with bacon, a fried green tomato, and greens and dressed with a Florida citrus and chipotle aioli. All I can say is "awesome." It was an excellent choice and well worth it. I'm sure I'll be back, this is an excellent lunch and dinner spot. But if you're going there for lunch, arrive early, it fills up fast, a testament to the fine food!

The Cheesecake Factory

2011-06-11T10:10:00.000-04:00

I wanted a good sandwich recently, and found it at The Cheesecake Factory in Winter Park. And a few other good things as well! We stopped in on Memorial Day. After a short wait, we were shown to our table. The menu is huge so it took us a while to decide.

We started with an appetizer, the Chicken Croquettes, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. Tender chicken and fontina cheese were breaded and deep fried nice and crisp. They were outstanding, the cheese added a nice flavor and gooeyness to the tender chicken, while the crispy breading gave it a nice cruch. These were very good, I'm going to have to try to duplicate them myself!

For his sandwich, my friend Tommy had the Old Fashioned Burger with cheddar cheese. It was excellent. About a half pound of hamburger was charbroiled and cooked perfectly to the requested medium rare. It ws topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and mayonnaise, and served on a toasted and fresh bun. For a side he had the french fries which were also very good. This was just a good burger, plain and simple--and oh, so good!

I chose to have the Wild Mushroom Burger. Again about a half pound of hamburger was expertly cooked to the requested medium rare. And again it was served on a nicely toastes, fresh bun. But my burger was topped with lots of sauteed mushrooms of various varieties and onions and mayo. Along with that was melted fontina and swiss cheese. It was excellent. Well cooked and full of flavor, it was one of the better burgers I've had, and best in quite some time. My side was a side salad which was also very good with nice fresh lettuce and well dressed. Yumm.

We enjoyed our lunch here very much. There was a lot of food and neither of us could quite eat the last few bites--but we sure tried. It was wonderful.

Cress Restaurant

2011-06-11T09:42:00.001-04:00

I have wanted to go to Cress Restaurant in Deland for a long time. It was great and I wish I had not waited so long to visit! I will go back soon, I hope.

I used their web page to make a reservation on Friday afternoon for that evening. Within about an hour they called and offered a time a half hour later than requested, which was fine with me--as a matter of fact, it turned out to be a much better time for me!

Cress is located just a few doors off the main street in Deland, which is a very picturesque old Florida main street. We arrived just a few minutes late and were promptly seated at a nice table right by the window. We were quickly provided menus and a drink order places. I was glad to see an assortments on "craft" beers and had one of my favorites, Red Hook's Longhammer IPA. My friend Tommy was not sure which of two wines he wanted and our waitress, Stephanie, suggested a sample of each, which she quickly provided. That was very nice.

We were quickly presented with an amuse-bouche, a bite of what I believe was a chutney of some sort with mango. I forgot what Stephanie said it was. It was OK though nothing too out of the ordinary. We also were served a few pieces of bread, perhaps a foccacia--the bread was very good, full of flavor. It was a nice start and prelude to the meal.

For appetizers, we settled on two items that really sounded good. The first was the Margaret's Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. It was a very delicious crab cake, light and flavorful and was sitting on some remoulade, also quite tasty. It was accompanied by a bit of buttercup lettuce that was dressed with some balsamic, and that was outstanding. The port of the crabcake seemed a bit small (perhaps it was the plating that made it look that way, too), but the flavors were definitely quite good. The second appetizer was the Ashley Farms Chicken Tikka Grilled Flat Bread. It was very, very good and a nice portion. The tomato based sauce had a ton of flavor in it. This would make a nice meal, I think too. The chicken was tender and flavorful, but the star really was the sauce. The whole dish as a nice tikka-like flavor. This dish was outstanding.

For his main course, Tommy had the Glazed Breast of Ashley Farms Chicken. A tender chicken breast was glazed and grilled, then served on a bed of seasonal vegetables and grits, accompanied by a pineapple pico de gallo, and surrounded by a pineapple habanero reduction. Tommy was concerned about the heat of the habanero reduction, but Stephanie assured him it was actually not too hot and was served so that you could take what you wanted. Well, Stephanie was right. First, the chicken was delicious, as were all the accompaniments. But I thought the pineapple habenero reduction to be truly outstanding. It had a nice sweet taste on the front, and then a bit of heat in the back of the mouth--not too much, just right, and nicely balanced. The whole dish was actually very good.

For my main course I chose a favorite, the Creole Shrimp N' Grits. It was a good choice as it was excellent! About a half dozen large domestic shrimp were perfectly cooked, servcie wtih a creole sauce with Andouille sausage and roasted vegetables all on a bed of grits. It was just divine. The shrimp were so good and had such a nice flavor from the creole, they were perfect. The vegetables with andouille were wonderful and the grits were able to soak up there somewhat spicy and very full bodied flavor. Sometimes when I've had shrimp n' grits, the sauce is more of an afterthought, but here it was a well thought out and well executed dish. Every element served to accentuate the others. I really though the dish most excellent.

Cress is not an inexpensive restaurant, but you get what you pay for. And we got our money's worth here with an excellent meal and great, attentive service. At one point the co-owner and wife of the Chef stopped by to check on us as well, that was nice. It's a nice atmosphere, not a huge place, and has outdoor seating. They had live music as well which was a nice touch. We enjoyed our meal a lot and I'd recommend Cress to anyone in search of a fine dining experience. It was grand!

Bojangles

2011-06-06T21:49:00.000-04:00

I had never eaten at a Bojangles before, or even heard of them, until one opened up not too far from me in Sanford. So on a recent Sunday afternoon, my friend and I decided to check them out.

I ordered a two piece dinner combo, two pieces of chicken breast served with dirty rice and macaroni and cheese. The chicken was very good with a nice and crisp coating, reminiscent of a KFC. The chicken itself was tender and moist, very good. I especially loved the dirty rice--this was very good and quite unique. As a matter of fact, i could see myself ordering just some dirty rice next time, it was that good. And the mac and cheese was good but somewhat typical. The dinner was serve with a fresh biscuit which was very light and airy.

My friend Tommy ordered a Cajun Chicken biscuit sandwich and the mashed potatoes with gravy. Now I did not get the "cajun" part of the cajun chicken because it was not all that spicy. But it was tender and tasty and a good sandwich, no doubt. The mashed potatoes were pretty standard, but still good.

Overall we enjoyed our meal here. Definitely fast food but with the low prices to go with that. I'd eat here again for a quick meal.

Logan's Roadhouse

2011-06-06T21:35:00.000-04:00

We stopped in at Logan's Roadhouse in Sanford for dinner recently and had a fairly decent experience there. I had not been there in some time, and it was fairly busy, but we were seated right away.

After a bit of deliberation, we decided to start with the Bayou Shrimp, popcorn shrimp that were breaded and deep fried and coated with cajun dust. The menu said they were served with a creamy chipotle sauce, but ours came with the usual shrimp sauce. However, our waitress quickly remedied that, and it was worth asking for. The shrimp were cooked just right and with the chipotle sauce, this was a very good appetizer. They were served on a bed of fries which was different, but good.

I had a salad with my meal, and it was a good salad. Chopped greens were served with tomato, carrot, bacon bits, and some cheese. The dressing was on the side, which I like. It was a good salad, pretty ordinary, but still good and hit the spot.

For my entrée I had the Shrimp Trio, and it was very good. First there was a skewer of shrimp that had been grilled, they were done just right. Then there were some breaded and deep fried shrimp, 10 of them if memory serves me correctly. They were also done perfectly. And finally some more popcorn shrimp. The skewer of shrimp was on a bed of rice pilaf and I had macaroni and cheese as a side. For a shrimp lover's dinner (and I am one), this was a nice meal. Everything was done well and I managed to devour it all!

My friend Tommy had the Logan with a salad and a baked potato. The Logan is a nice sirloin steak. It was cooked just to medium rare and was very good, nice and juicy and flavorful. The baked potato was fine as well.

Overall, our meal here was pretty good and not bad for the price. I'd come back again another time. Oh, and the free peanuts are a nice touch, especially since you can throw the shells on the floor. Yumm!

Texas Roadhouse

2011-06-03T18:49:00.000-04:00

The reviews on Urbanspoon don't lie. Texas Roadhouse is indeed a very good place to eat, and I envision myself returning here again. My friend Tommy and I decided to give Texas Roadhouse a try on a recent weekday evening. We used the call-ahead seating and were immediately seated, though I will say they were not quite packed that night and had a few open seats. Nonetheless, I can imagine that on the weekends they really pack 'em in!

We were promptly greeted and escorted to our seats. Abby, our server, asked if it was our first time. Since it was, she explained a bit about their menu, some of the options, and the emphasis they have on making things in-house. It was very helpful. She quickly took our drink order and then promptly too our order for a few appetizers. In the meantime a bread basket arrived. I could swear that Abby said they were made in-house, but perhpas she meant "baked in-house" because on our way out, we saw someone loading up baking pans with the frozen rolls. No matter, they were fresh and very good, served with a cinnamon butter. Absolutely delicious.

I love trying various appetizers in a new place, and getting each restaurant's "spin" on some of the standards. For our first appetizer we ordered the Rattlesnake Bites -- rounds of jalapeno peppers mixed with jack cheese, then battered and deep fried. They were surprisingly good. They were served with a cajun horseradish dipping sauce. Both the bites and the sauce were good, but I did see a few areas for improvement. Over time as the bites sat, a bit of grease pooled at the bottom, on the waxed paper--I'd suggest they use a napkin or the like to soak that up. Also, the cajun horseradish sauce was good, but cold and a bit "stiff" -- it would have been better if freshly portioned and more at room temperature, or at least stirred a bit. And, by the way, we were served 10 pieces, but were so entranced that we ate three before I could even take a picture!

We also had the Fried Pickles, pickle slices that were deep fried and served with a ranch type sauce. These were good as well but suffered from to much salt. When you serve something as acidic as pickles, you need to cut back on the salt just a bit. They overdid it here. Also, it had the same grease-pooling issue as the Rattlesnake Bites, something that could be fixed by something absorbent like a napkin in the bottom of the dish. But still, they were pretty good overall.

We both had salads for one of the sides for our main dish. The salad was light and refreshing. The waitress checked to make sure we were fine with eggs, tomatoes, and croutons on our salad. We were, but it was nice that she checked first.

For my main course, I ordered the Texas Size Combo--I had the Pulled Pork with a side of ribs. All I can say is... Wow! The pulled pork and ribs both had a nics smoky flavor. The ribs were literally fall-off-the-bone delicious. There was no fat to be seen, and when I attempted to cut them, the bone just fell out, nice and clean. They were excellent and well cooked. The pulled pork was equally great. And I had a side of baked beans--they were excellent--nice and tender yet not mushy, with a hint of smoke and BBQ, just very good. I loved this combo!

My friend Tommy had the Country Fried Chicken, a breast of chicken that was battered, hand fried, and served topped with country gravy. The chicken was very tender and the gravy was very good. For a side he had the mashed potatoes topped with the same gravy. They were also excellent. It was all very good.

As we were at the end of our meal, the manager stopped by to enquire how things were. She also gave us a smal bag of peanuts and a coupon for next time, since it was our first visit. I thought that was a very nice touch.

From good food to good service, I was impressed with Texas Roadhouse. I liked this place a lot, and I will be back, you can count on it!

Bonefish Grill

2011-05-31T23:09:00.000-04:00

We had a very good meal the other night at Bonefish Grill with great food and great service. The only real misstep of the meal was mine--I forgot my "good" camera and had to rely on my iPhone for a few photos. They really do not do the great food justice. Well, that will be an excuse to go back again another time!

I used the web to reserve a table for later that evening. What a nice service, and it's a good thing I did--the wait when we got there at 7 PM on a Saturday evening was about 45 minutes for walk-ins. But we were led right to our reserved table. how nice was that?

I was very happy to see a nice beer and wine selection, including a number of craft beers, a very nice touch. Of course I had to try one!

We started with appetizers. First up was the Bang Bang Shrimp, medium shrimpt that were breaded and deep fried, then tossed in a spicy, creamy sauce. And they were very good. The sauces had a nice gentle heat, but you certainly knew there was some heat there. And the shrimp were cooked just right. I could have eaten a whole plate of these babies.

Next we had the Waygu Beef + Ginger Dumplings. These were

handmade potstickers with American-style Kobe beef. They were pan-seared with crispy shallots, Thai peppers, and soy sauce. They were also quite good. I could have eaten a mound of these as well. Very good dish.

Next it was time for my salad. The salad was nice and cold, refreshing and fresh. Everything a salad should be. It included a bit of heart of palm, a nice touch.

But finally it was time for main courses. My friend Tommy had the Sea Scallops and Shrimp Dinner, served with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and Vegetable Medley. I had a scallop and a shrimp. The scallop was as soft as warm butter and literally melted in my mouth. OMG, these were cooked perfectly. The shrimp was equally well done. This was very successful dish and the portion just right, given the apptizers we'd previously had.

For my dinner I had the Fontina Chop, a boneless pork chop that had been grilled to juicy perfection, topped with fontina cheese along with a garlic, prosciutto and mushroom marsala wine sauce. It was absoltely excellent. The pork was cooked well and tender and juicy. The fontina added a nice note and the marsala sauce was great. It was served with haricot verts and a vegetable medley, both of which were equally good.

Our server was Ryan and he did an excellent job of taking care of us. We had a great dining experience. I only wish I'd taken my "good" camera to have done justice to the great meal we had. It was excellent. I will be back!

Finesse

2011-05-02T21:58:00.000-04:00

We ate at Finesse again recently. Having already had dinner and lunch there, each a very good experience, now it was time to try brunch to see if we could equal those previous experiences. Oh yeah, we did!

We arrived right around noon on a Sunday to find a fairly busy restaurant. I was glad to see the place pretty busy. There were two large parties of a dozen or more there, as well as quite a few smaller groups. The place seemed festive and alive. We were promptly greeted and seated. I was happy to find that our waiter was Dimitris, the efficient and pleasant young man that waited on us for lunch a few weeks back. We quickly had our drink orders taken, a Bellini and a Mimosa--the first one is free at Sunday Brunch--can't beat that price!

We were only sitting a few minutes when some warm Banana Muffins were placed before us--what a nice treat. Oh, and not only did they look good, they were wonderful. They were moist and rich and heavy with good taste. The top of the muffin peeled right off and had a rich and caramely flavor--it was reminiscent of a gooey fudgy brownie in consistency. It was a very good muffin, no doubt.

I was hungry and so had big eyes. We started with a side of the Fried Ripe Tomatoes--three slices of ripe tomatoes had been pamesan and peppercorn breaded and deep fried, then placed on a bit of chipotle aioli. I would have liked just a bit more of the aioli, but the dish was excellent. I was surprise that the tomatoes could be so good and not be overly mushy as you'd expect from a ripe tomato.

Being hungry, I ordered another side, and this one was quite a surprise to me: Biscuit N Gravy. Now, that may sound somewhat ordinary to you, and I love my biscuits n gravy. But this was not ordinary. I thought I made the sausage gravy ever, but I see I have some serious competiton here. Actually, i must cede victory, because this sausage gravy was the best I've ever had. It was velvety and creamy and rich, and was exceptionally well-seasoned. I think I could have poured it in a glass and drank it, it was that good. Outstanding! The biscuits were good too, but the real star was the gravy.

My friend Tommy ordered the Country Fried Chicken--a boneless chicken breast that had been nicely and lightly breaded and fried, then topped with some sausage gravy (how can you go wrong with that combination). It was served with some Breakfast potatoes and some fruit. The chicken itself was extraordinarily tender and juicy. The breading was light and crispy. It was absolutely excellent. Tommy managed to finish the whole thing.

Of note on both our plates were the breakfast potatoes--chunks of potatoes that were well cooked, yet crispy on the outside, but not greasy. I am not sure how they were prepared, but they had a great flavor. Tender and just a bit crispy, nicely seasoned, they were wonderful.

For my main selection, I chose the Country Benny. A buttered biscuit was topped with a sausage patty and a slice of tomato, then a fried egg (over easy) and finally sausage gravy--and there were two of these on the plate. It was fantastic. Wow, what a boatload of flavor. Of course, the sausage gravy was killer, but all the flavors really went well together. This was a killer breakfast item. Fortunately I was hungry and ordered a lot, so i had some of this to take home for later--I polished it off that same night. It was accompanied by the same breakfast potatoes and a bit of fruit.

During the course of our meal I noticed Chef/Owner Autumn in the dining room, assisting guest, and checking up on people She came by our table a few times to make sure we had everything we needed. Towards the end of our meal, now that we'd had the food and dined anonymously, I gave her my card and asked if I could meet Chef Alex. He came out and was extremely gracious. We had a nice little chat about the food and the restaurant and how it all came to be, and we also got to meet their little daugter, Bella--this place is truly a family affair. Through the whole course of our meal, or service (thank Dimitris and the rest) was very thorough, prompt, and attentive. But the real star was the food. This was my third time eating at Finesse and each time has been a great experience. I think that if they stay on the same course, good things are coming their way. I know I'll be back and would be happy to take guests here for a special occasion--or just for a good meal. There are a lot of good places to eat in Lake Mary, but Finesse is among the very best of them. I highly recommend them yet again!

Cafe Rouge

2011-05-02T21:13:00.001-04:00

We ate at Cafe Rouge again the other night, and again we were not at all disappointed. We've been here a few times and recently got to know the chef a bit, so he knew who we were when we entered. We were hungry, it was Friday night, and they were ready to serve us. We had quite a nice meal.

We started out with some appetizers. First the Sam's Shrimp Jammer. These were a nice helping of bite-sized shrimp. They were fried and served in a spicy cream sauce. Now, for my money, they could have stood a bit more heat (as in spicy heat), but still they were pretty decent.

Did I mention we were very hungry? Well, to go with that, we also ordered the Hand Dipped Beer Battered Mushrooms. Now these were very, very good. They came out nice and hot and had a nice breading on them. The mushrooms themselves tasted really meaty and--well--mushroomy! They were served with a horseradish dipping sauce which only served to enhance their flavor. And they arrived at the table piping hot. A very, very good appetizer.

Tommy decided to try the soup of the day Cream of Asparagus Soup. I have not always been a big asparagus fan, but in the last few years have learned to love it. I was curious how it would taste in a soup. Well, let me tell you, it was excellent. A nice creamy soup had a very mild asparagus flavor. It was delicious and I'd order it again.

For his main course, Tommy ordered the Pasta Special-- a large portion of fettucini in a cream sauce was served with three shrimp and two scallops. Now, the shrimp and scallops were cooked perfectly--just perfect. But the protein part of the dish seemed to be just a bit skimpy, give the huge portion of fettucine. However, it all had a wonderful flavor and the presentation was very nice as well. Maybe one more each shrimp and scallop would have made the dish seem more of a value. Still, the taste was spot-on.

I ordered the Traditional English Style Beer Battered Haddock and Chips--minus the chips. Nothing against chips, but i substituted a salad for the chips--no problem. It also cam with a small serving of mushy peas, a grilled lemon half, and of course, tartar sauce. The salad was very good as were the peas. But what i really need to comment on is the fish. It was, without a doubt, the best piece of mild white fleshed fish I have ever eaten. It was a huge portion, first of all, and covered with a nice beer batter. But underneath that batter was a tender, moist, delicate, and delicious fish--so good that I ate it just as it was. It was fantastic. Best fried white fish I've ever had. The batter really protected it and kept it nice and moist. Good job.

We have very attentive service through the course of our meal and I had a chance to watch the goings-on in the restaurant. Chef-owner Sam spent a nice bit of time chatting with us. At first I thought maybe it was just us, but as the time went on I found that he spent a lot of time all over the place--in the dining room chatting with guests, in the kitchen checking on things, and interacting with the other staff. I was impressed. It's attention to detail and a great span of control that can make or break a good restaurant, and Sam certainly was in charge of what was going on, but not at all obtrusively. I was impressed.

When I think of good places to eat in downtown Sanford, of my favorites, Cafe Rouge is right near the top of the list. For value, it does top the list, second only to the pricier Stone's Throw. They seem to be doing a nice business at Cafe Rouge. I hope they stay on their game and continue their winning ways. I know I'll be back, for sure!

Wall Street Cantina

2011-05-02T20:48:00.000-04:00

I suppose the draw for Wall Street Cantina is the location in downtown Orlando, in the heart of what I guess is the "party district." But I would not go here just for the food, there is much better in Orlando. Still, the atmosphere is nice. On a recent Frida evening my friend Tommy and I stopped by and sat outside in the pleasant evening air.

I had the Spicy Chicken Burrito. It was really very ordinary at best. Though billed as being filled with spicy chicken, black beans, corn, rice and spicy sour cream, it was not very spicy at all. Don't get me wrong, it was decent, but I can't really say it was Tex-Mex as billed. On top of that, the tortilla chips and the salsa was about as ordinary and plain as it gets, nothing special at all. The price was right at $7.99, but the food nothing special.

Tommy fared a bit better with the Pork Loin Veracruz sandwich. The roasted pork on a hoagie claimed to have chipotle sauce and chipotle mayonaisse, along with avocado and pepper jack cheese. But the chipotle flavor was mostly lacking. Still it was not a bad sandwich. The yellow rice served with it was pretty decent as well.

Service during our meal was surely less than attentive. The waiter really didn't know all the beers they had available and was gone for what seemed long periods, especially when we were done eating and wanting our check. Not a bad experience, but definitely not the best. I've had much better food and service elsewhere, and next time that's where I'll eat....elsewhere.

Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon, Ham, and Leeks

2011-04-30T13:57:00.002-04:00

Today i came up with a new recipe to take to a gathering of friends. The jury is still out on how it tatstes, but I am expecting it to be a hit. So here's what I did.

Ingredient list

6 slices bacon, chopped, fried crisp, and drained
6 oz ham, sliced thinly in to strips
2 leeks, halved, cleaned, and sliced thin
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (1/8 inch)
2 oz. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 oz shredded fontina cheese
2 oz. shredded gruyere cheese
2 oz. shredded romano cheese
3 tsp. corn starch.
2 oz shredded mixed white cheeses (Sargento store-bought)
2 oz. butter
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/8 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the cheddar, fontina, romano, and gruyere cheeses. Add the corn starch and toss to coat. Set aside in the refrigerator.

In a large fry pan, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat. Add 3-4 Tbsp of bacon fat back to the pan, heat, then add the ham. Fry until slightly crisped, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the ham and drain on paper towels. Clean the pan.

Add 2 Tbsp. bacon fat and the butter to the pan, melt, then add the leeks. Add a pinch of kosher salt and the marjoram and sautee about 3-5 minutes until translucent. Set aside.

Butter a 13x9 baking dish. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom, then sprinkle with a little koser salt and 1/2 the nutmeg. Add a few grinds of black pepper. Then add 1/2 of the ham, 1/2 of the bacon, 1/2 of the leeks, and 1/2 of the cheese, evenly spread out.

Repeat the above with another 1/3 of the potatoes, season with salt, pepper and the remaining nutmeg, then top with the remaining bacon, ham, leeks, and cheese mixture.

Finally top with the last 1/3 of the potatoes. Now mix the heavy cream and chicken broth together and pour over the potatoes. Press down. Season slightly with salt and pepper, then finally top with the Sargento cheese-mixture. Cover with non-stick aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered at 325 degrees. Remove foil, increase temperature to 400 degrees and bake another 45 minutes until potatoes are tender (insert a sharp knife to test). Let rest 15-30 minutes. Serve.

That's all there is to it!

Dexter's

2011-04-26T07:52:00.000-04:00

Dexter's of Lake Mary is almost always busy, and there is a reason why. Good location, decent food, and nice atmosphere. My friend Tommy and I went to Dexter's on a recent Friday night. It was actually our second choice in the area, but had less of a wait and they promised us an outdoor table on a pleasant Spring evening. It was worth the short 20-minute wait as we had a great view and good food.

We started off with an appetizer. We had the Chicken Egg Rolls. They were very good! Two large egg rolls had been stuffed with mixed asian vegetables and chicken, then deep fried, sliced diagonally, placed on a bed of dressed, mixed greens, and sprinkled with a bit of chili powder. They were served with a sweet/sour chili dipping sauce. They were indeed very good. We ate every last morsel, including the salad--it was that good.

I ordered a salad with my meal and it was a very nice salad. Mixed greens were "accessorized" with red peppers, mixed julienne of cabbage and carrot, a bit of cucumber, a cherry tomato, a bit of broccoli, a slice of summer squash, and a cherry tomato. The dressing was a house chili lime viniagrette. The whole salad was very good, nice and light and refreshing.

For my main course I had the Parmesan Shells with Chicken. It was very good. A nice and simple dish, but all the flavors had a change to blend and marry, so it tasted very good as a whole. Shells were covered with an alfredo sauce, some tender chicken chunks, peas, and was garnished with chopped green onions and som shredded/grated parmesan cheese. It was also a huge serving. I had lots lefover to take home and enjoy another time--and I did! The chicken was tender and moist, the alfredo sauce was not overbearing, and the peas added a nice fresh touch. A very good dish.

Tommy had a burger, the Grilled Colby Cheeseburger. It was also very good. A substantial-portion Black Angus burger was grillled to medium, then covered with melted colby cheese, served on a nice roll with tomato, onions, and lettuce. The burger was very good, nice and moist and juicy. The accompanying fries were good as well.

Overall, we had a very enjoyable time here at Dexters. And sitting outside on a pleasant evening was quite a bonus, too. We'll be back!

Hollerbach's Willow Tree Café

2011-04-26T07:31:00.000-04:00

There is a good reason that Hollerbach's Willow Tree Café is rated so high on urbanspoon.com...well, actually two good reasons: (1) good food and (2) great atmosphere. I have been to Hollerbach's a number of times, and will keep coming back time and time again.

My friends and I ate here recently during the ever-popular Alive After Five event in downtown Sanford--it happens every month on the third Thursday of the month and is always a fun time. We were lucky to go at a good time and get a table immediately, outside where we could watch the street party going on, and later where we could hear the music inside. It was a great evening out.

I had the Chicken Cordon Bleau Schnitzel and it was pretty good. The chicken was just a bit dry, but overall I enjoyed it a lot. There was a lot of food, and I had a decent sized portion to take home and enjoy another time--which I did. I also had the spaetzel and the red cabbage to go with, both very good.

We all enjoyed our meals here as well as the fun atmosphere and mostly attentive service. It shows why they have such a high rating. Yumm!

Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille

2011-04-26T07:20:00.001-04:00

My friends and I had a nice meal at Hamburger Mary's Bar & Grille recently. They really do make a decent burger, the waitstaff is very efficient and pleasant, and the atmosphere speaks "fun." Yes, it is a chain, but a small chain. And no matter, they do make and server a very good burger.

We arrived on a recent Saturday night to find a full house--seems there was a Magic game starting soon at the nearby arena. No matter, we had a table within 10 minutes and shortly thereafter the place cleared out as the fans headed to the game.

We started with a plate of the Macho Nachos--rainbow tortilla chips loaded with chili, cheese, onions, black olives, and jalapenos, and served with a bit of salsa and sour cream on the side. They were pretty standard nachos, but pretty darned good. It was a pretty good-sized pile of nachos, but somehow the four of us managed to put a very good dent in them, along with a few beers. Yumm.

For his meal, my friend Tommy ordered the Bird of Paradise--sliced roasted turkey with tomato, avocado, and bacon, served on wheat bread. It was topped with melted cheese and the bread was dressed with an herb mayo. It was a very good sandwich and quite a substantial size. To go-with he had french fries. They were excellent, nice and hot and crisp with a great potato flavor. It was a good meal.

For my meal I had the Black Jack Burger with a side of coleslaw. The burger itself was cooked to medium rare as I requested, maybe just a bit past, but still moist and juicy. It had been dusted with blackening powder before being grilled and had that nice char-grilled flavor, very good. It was topped with melted pepper-jack cheese, crispy onion rings, and a spicy cajun mayo. Now personally, I could have used just a bit more heat, but it was a very decent sandwich, no doubt. I managed to eat it all. The coleslaw was good but fairly orinary, just good ole coleslaw.

We had a very nice time here with our friends. Gerritt, the waiter, was attentive and entertaining, as well as efficient. It was a good time and I'd come back again, in part for the good food, and in part for the fun atmosphere.

Vivona's Pizzeria

2011-04-11T22:35:00.000-04:00

We had a slice of pizza with our dinner at Vivona's Pizzeria the other night, but the slice that we shared was the high point. It was good. But the rest of our dinner was mediocre at best. I was disappointed overall.

We arrived late on a Saturday afternoon to find only one other table occupied, but by the time we left, there were four or five tables full. Well, the place has only been open two months, so maybe people have not found it yet. I did notice several take-out orders going out while we were there. Hopefully their pizza good, and much better than their meals.

Our waitress was, I'd say, rather new to her job. She was helpful and courteous and checked in on us a number of times, but still could have used a bit of polish, it's the little things that add up. Still, for a lower priced pizza joint, she did well. We asked about a few menu items, she had to check on one of them. Well, that's OK, they have a huge menu--and therein, i believe, lies the problem.

Our dinners came with salads, and they arrive promptly.They were average salads, but very fresh. Fresh iceberg lettuce with a few garnishments. The dressing was served in a little container. Now I got the raspberry viniagrette, but in a container that's always a hazard as the oil has usually risen to the top. I did shake it (with a bit of fear and trepidation). It was OK and the salad was tasty. Not much more to say about it.

We ordered a slice of pepperoni pizza as an appetizer--though it came out with our dinner, and two dinners. The slice of pepperoni pizza was actually quite good, nice and hot, a nice oregano flavor in the sauce, and an ample amount of sauce. I'd probably come back just to have the pizza. It was also a very good sized slice. It arrived hot and yummy. I'm sure it was a pre-made slice of cheese pizza with pepperoni added, but still, it was pretty decent pizza.

For his main course, my friend Tommy ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs. It was a pretty good sized portion. The marinara sauce was pretty decent, nice and fresh taste. The meatballs, while they had a good taste, had an odd texture. It seemed more like a meat paste than ground meat in a ball. Like it had been ground a few too many times, or overworked by quite a bit. The taste was good, but the texture just strange.

After a few questions on the menu items for the waitress, I ordered the Chicken a la Vodka. It was a large portion and served piping hot. It was just OK though. Here's what it seemed like to me. It seemed like a bunch of individual components that were thrown together at the last moment and put together on a dish. As a matter of fact, a bit before we were served, our waitress asked me if i wanted it with broccoli and sun dried tomatoes. I said "yes" but thought to myself "don't they know how to make their dish?" The penne was a bit lifeless as if it had been held a bit too long in water. The vodka cream sauce was a bit thin and not all that flavorful. The chicken, while nice and tender, had no flavor from the sauce (because i'm sure it first met the sauce moments before they ended up in front of me). The other compenents included sliced ham, peas, onions, and a few other things. The dish could have benefit from a bit of acid, like artichoke hearts or something. It was OK, it just did not come together as a dish.

Both of our portions were huge. We each had enough to take home and eat another meal, so that was good. But i just got the feeling that the extensive menu was too much, too big, trying to please too many people. And so I'll bet all the components are ready, and when ordered, everything is quickly put together, heated up a bit, and then served. Too bad, as it has some potential.

One last note. Our meal could have benefit from some bread. Why no bread? When you have Italian sauces like we did, they beg for some bread to sop up the sauce.

So, overall, I was a bit disappointed. I hope the pizza is much better, and our one split slice seemed to indicate that as the case.

Pint American Gastropub

2011-04-09T08:56:00.000-04:00

Pint American Gastropub is a very new addition to the Lake Mary restaurant scene, only open a few weeks now. My first visit there left me liking it. They name refers to the wide variety of beer they serve--they have dozens of craft beers on tap, and an extensive selection in bottles as well. I had a Ukrainian beer in a bottle, Obolon, and it as quite good for a lager--way better than most mainstream American beers. I also had a Longhammer IPA on tap--always a good choice.

But we really came here for a light dinner, and we left full and not disappointed. I ordered the Fish and Chips, but substituted Macaroni and Cheese for the chips. A substantial filet of fish was breaded and fried nicely, served with a chipotle mayo. The chipotle mayo was good, but I could not really detect the chipotle part of it, it was very very mild. Accompanying my meal was a bit of Jicama slaw, marinated jicama, red and green peppers, and red onion, with a bit of cilantro. It was nice and refreshing. The macaroni and chesse was good, too, boasting several varieties of cheese, as well as bacon. How can anything with bacon in it be bad, right??

My friend Tommy had the Simple burger, It was simple but very good, cooked perfectly to a medium as he requested (too much in my book, but it was his burger) and was tender and juicy--I had a big bite! He enjoyed the burger and the mac n cheese as well. Much much better than a nearby place with "burger" in it's name that killed our last (and only) burgers there. This was so much better. It was served with cheese, and with some lettuce and tomato. Yumm!

Our waitress was Katelynn, and she was prompt and attentive, showing a good knowledge of the menu and fair knowledge of the beer selection. Twice during our time there a manager stopped by to ask if everythign was good--and it was. As we were leaving, someone was setting up to provide live music later in the evening. The area is a hotspot of night activity, so I was not surprised.

Pint may not have quite the extensive collection of beers that World of Beers nearby boasts, nor quite as many TVs, but it has food, which WOB does not. Both places, I think, will have their place in the Lake Mary/Heathrow night scene. Nice job!

Alive After Five -- Thursday April 14th

2011-04-07T20:24:00.000-04:00

Join me at Alive After Five this coming Thursday, April 14th in Downtown Sanford from 5-8 PM.

What is it? Well, it a big street party. It's free to walk around but a $7 wrist band gets you a dinner ticket, free samples from all the local food vendors, and ridiculously cheap beer--it can't be beat.

I can usually be found hanging out at Art Affair Gallery, one of my favorite places. Some months I even do the cooking, but not this month--this month I'm all about the eating! I'll also be going up and down the street, sampling food, and visiting all the galleries. I've been attending Alive After Five for about a year and a half now, and have become a "regular." My friend Tommy is an artist in residence at Art Affair Gallery, too. You should stop in and see some of his wonderful work. C'mon down, it's a lot of fun!

Flippers Pizzeria

2011-04-03T10:45:00.000-04:00

Flippers Pizzeria is a chain that recently opened a location in Lake Mary, so my friend Tommy and I recently took the opportunity to try it out, searching for some good pizza. We were not disappointed.

We arrived on an early Saturday evening to find them fairly busy. We were quickly greeted and told we could sit wherever we wanted. One comment about sitting inside--it's very noisy. They could use some sound-dampening scheme here. It was hard to hear the waitress and carrying on a conversation was a bit of a challenge at times unless you like to speak loudly. Next time I think I'd consider--or rather, prefer--to sit outside where it's quieter. I can only guess what it would have been like with a bunch of rowdy kids inside!

That said, we were quickly greeted, drinks arrived promptly, and our order was taken. We ordered a pizza and a sandwich, to split both. For the sandwich, we ordered the Turkey Pesto, turkey, smoked bacon, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, roasted red peppers, pesto, and mayo. The presentation, as you can see, was very nice. The sandwich was also very tasty, though getting all the ingredients to stay together was a bit of a challenge, it was a good sized sandwich. The bun that it was served on was exceptionally good, nice and fresh and tastly. It was very tasty with one exception--the red onions were very strong. They were either old, or just strong--I suspect the latter as this is not a great time of year for onions, I've found. I needed to pull them out, they were that overpowering. But otherwise, the sandwich was very tasty and a meal in itself. Fortunately, there were two of us sharing it.

We also ordered a medium (12") Windy City Pizza, boasting extra sauce, double sweet Italian sausage, provolone, and pecorino romano. It was topped with a healthy dose of mozzarella. If I had been cooking it, I'd have left it in just a bit longer, until the cheese on top just started to brown. We also had it on the traditional crust. It was very good. There was a lot of pizza here, and with our sandwich, we ended up taking home two slices--we are looking forward to enjoying them at a later time, the pizza was just that good. I would come back here again for the pizza or for a sandwich, definitely.

I'd say there was only one misstep here. When we ordered, the waitress seemed to indicate that it came with chips (of course, maybe we didn't hear right because of the noisy atmosphere) and we settled on a bag of BBQ kettle chips. When our meal came out, we asked where the chips were. And they we had to ask again. But we eventually got them. When the bill came, we noticed a charge for the chips. We asked because we were under the impression that they were included. She said they were a separate charge but she'd see about having that removed. When she came back she informed us that she had to pay for the mistake out of her money and she left a dollar. Now, that was just a bit odd. We did, however, reduce our normal 20% tip by that dollar. I think they (or she) needed to be more clear. It's one thing to upsell, it's another to not make that clear. However, this misunderstanding is really my only complaint besides asking twice for the chips--but we would not have wanted them had it been clear that it was an addition. Oh well.

Overall, we loved it here (sans noisy atmosphere) and will be back again, I'm sure.

Finesse

2011-04-02T14:15:00.002-04:00

I had the pleasure of dining at Finesse for my first time the other night. Based on that experience, it will not be my last!

First, the setting. Finesse is in a space that (to my knowledge) was originally an Italian restaurant, Silvestro's. That place had barely been reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel food critic (favorably, too) when it closed suddenly. Then it was a Greek restaurant. That did not last very long. Now it has been remodelled to some extent and is Finesse. It is gorgeous.

They have done a great job of remodelling this space. It feels very modern, chic, up-to-date, luxurious, and trendy, yet sophisticated and elegant. Kudos who whoever was in charge of that remodel. I believe they left a lot of the previous element there, but enhanced them all with touches of modernity--a job well done.

I was unsure of how busy they'd be, so I made a reservation. They were not that busy at 7:30 PM, though were fairly busy by the time we left. The first thing that struck me, outside of the wonderful decor, was the service. We were promptly greeted and shown to our table by the hostess, and our waitress, Diane, promptly appeared. Through the course of the meal, I found that Diane sure knew her stuff--she was very familiar with the menu and its ingredients. Well-trained staff is great.

We started off with some appetizers. I was disappointed that Fried Green Tomatoes, though listed on the online menu, were not on the menu. But I can udnerstand, they can be hard to get a hold of. Diane did check on their availability. They are reason for me to call ahead and come back one day. We did order the Lump Crabcakes and they were about the best I'd ever had! They were extremely flavorful with chunks of tender crab and a roasted pepper and panko filling that (barely) held them together. They were cooked perfectly and served on a light layer of chipotle aioli with a bit of seasoned greens on the side (I could have gone for a bit more of the chipotle aioli though). They were excellent. Now, they were very fagile and fell apart easily, but that's a testament to the great ingredients with no overabundance of fillers and binders. They were awesome. And, the chipotle aiole was excellent, as were the dressed greens. We left nothing on that plate!

We also had the Sugar Cane Chicken, two sugar cane skewers that were each threaded with cilantro-lime-marinaded chicken breast meat that was chargrilled with a tamarind and cane sugar glaze, and finished with a bit of sesame seed. They were awesome as well. The chargrilling gave them a nice grilled flavor, and the glaze and marinade served to compliment, not hide, the great flavor of the chicken. This was a great appetizer, very successful.

We could not help but notice the soups on the menu, and we each ordered a soup. I ordered the Black Bean Soup. It was outstanding. Black bean and chorizo with a tomato based, chili-spiced soup, topped with a bit of avocado crema--it was among the best soups I've had. It had a nice, deep, rich, chili flavor, but not overpowering. The chorizo added to the spicyness, the chunks of tomato serverd to cut it down a bit, and the black beans were cooked well but not mushy. This was a great soup, and I'd certainly order it again.

My friend Tommy had the Lobster Crab Soup and pronounced it excellent. I'd agree, I had a taste too. It was indeed excellent. Maine lobster, Maryland crabmeat, and a brandied cream stock made the base for this excellent soup. I've had some pretty good crab soups in my life, and this was definitely among the best. A job well done.

I must also comment on Diane's service--it was excellent. She took great care to time our appetizers, soup, and entrees, to make sure nothing overlapped. She did a great job in that and all respects.

It was in our entrees that we found what I'd consider the only real mis-step of the meal, and that was in the overuse of salt. Yep, salt. Both of us thought our entrees could have used less of it. I ordered the Chimi Skirt Steak, medium-rare. I believe it came out closer to medium, a small point. This was a skirt steak grilled, served with "melted" cabernet onions and shoe fries (shoestring potato fries). My first bite of the steak seemed like pure salt. I think chef must have been interrupted when salting this or something. Now, the other end of the steak was not oversalted, but one end was way oversalted. The caramelized onions were OK, and the fries were good but nothing too out of the ordinary. This was served with a chimi sauce that was pretty good, too. Overall, if you overlook the oversalting and cooking a bit beyond medium-rare, it was a good dish. i have some leftover that I brought home, I will have it again soon.

My friend Tommy had the Pork Tenderloin. He also commented that it was too salty--it may have been over-brined a bit. I found it salty, but not overly salty, but he found it overly salty. Outside of that, it was cooked well and very tender. It was served with glazed sweet carrots that were excellent, and bacon scalloped potatoes, also very good. Outside of the "extra" salt, it was a very good meal.

We talked about the food there afterward and are both in agreement--we'd love to go there again, and will. There are a number of other items we'd like to try, and the desserts looked pretty darned good as well. We may just go there sometime for only appetizers and desserts, there was certainly enough food and we each brought some of our main course home for another time.

Finesse is a new restaurant in Lake Mary. I believe it's locally owned and operated, and a welcome additon to the restaurant scene in Lake Mary. I enjoyed my visit there, I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think of it!

Chilangos

2011-04-01T17:40:00.000-04:00

We had an enjoyable meal at Chilangos the other night. You know it's a small place when the sign warns: occupancy by more than 19 people is dangerous! Yes, I counted, there are exactly 16 seats in this place, and we were fortunate to get the last two. Overall, the food here was good, and large portions, but not great. Still, good enough Mexican food, for sure.

We started with an appetizer, the Seven Layer Salad. It seemed a bit bland until my friend Tommy suggested putting some jalapenos on it. And, when i looked at the menu description, it mentioned jalapenos. Somehow they got left out. Yikes! So it was just good, but could have been better.

For his entree, Tommy had the chimichanga. It was quite good. The "crust" or shell was very good, nice and flaky. The filling was lots and tasty. It was a large chimi and we had plenty to take home, especially after filling up on chips and salsa.

For my entree I ordered the enchiladas. They were corn tortillas filled with pork and topped with a green sauce. They were pretty good but could have used a bit of heat (as in chili) and also a bit of salt, they were just a tad bland. I also ordered a hard-shell taco on the side. It was pretty good as well. The rice was also very good though the beans were just a bit on the soupy side.

Overall, it was a fair meal here, and quite a value given the amount of food. We both had some doggie bags for another time. It was not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but was adequate. They also seemed to do a pretty good take-out business and were quite busy the whole time we were there. Yumm!

I Luv Pho

2011-04-01T12:27:00.000-04:00

I didn't know it until I first tried it, but I really do love Pho, and my recent visit to I Luv Pho in the Dallas area alerted me to that fact.

I'd never had Pho before. I was in Dallas on business and one of the locals suggested it. One of my colleagues is familiar with Vietnamese food and said it would be a great idea. It was. I ordered my Pho with Chicken Breast. A huge bowl arrived a short time later, as well as a side plate of "stuff." I learned to add some of the bean sprouts to the bowl of pho along with some basil, mint, and cilantro. The herbs added a very pleasant aroma to what was already--to me--a very flavorful broth. The broth was filled with rice noodles as well and topped with an abundance of green onions. It was very, very good. If this is what pho is all about, I'm in. And the huge bowl was $6.25 (large size), quite a value.

I should mention that we started the meal with some spring rolls--rice paper wrapped around some veggies and shrimp. There was a peanut sauce for dipping which was made even better by the addition of some sriracha.

Overall, we had a very nice experience here. The waiter was fast and attentive, the food quick to come out, and I beleive everyone enjoyed their meal, a first experience of pho for many of us.

Terra Mia -- again!

2011-03-14T22:05:00.000-04:00

My friend and I decided to stop by Terra Mia the other night, hoping to not have a long wait and to have some good pizza. Score! On both accounts. Normally there is a decent wait here--it's a small but very busy place with outstanding food, and well worth waiting for. We entered and our name was taken, but second on the list. Then we were asked if wanted to sit at the counter--sure! We were lucky to get two seats right at the counter with a great view of the kitchen. Now in truth, there was not a huge amount of room on the counter, but we managed, just fine. Our server, Victoria, was extremely competent, friendly, and quick! Within minutes we had our drink order and were ready to order. Changes to the menu? No problem!

I started with a small side salad which was delicious! A bed of mixed greens was simply and lightly dressed, topped with a bit of red onion and a slice of tomato. Simple but elegant, with good flavor and very fresh ingredients. Yumm.

In the meantime, between salad and our pizzas, we were given some wonderful bread with a plate of olive oil that had Parmesan cheese in it with a healthy drizzle of balsamic vinegar--it was very good, too--so much that we had a second basket of bread.

For his pizza, my friend Tommy asked if he could have a simple pepperoni Pizza--something that was not on the menu. No problem! Victoria didn't even bat an eyelash. The pizza came out fresh and hot. As promised, it was a simple pepperoni pizza. Well, simple in composition, complex in flavor. The crust was absolutely wonderful, the proportion of toppings perfect. The pepperoni was thick sliced and delicious. In all respects, this was a great pizza. He manage to eat 5 of the eight slices, but pizza is always a great thing to take home.

For my pizza, I ordered the Genovese. This has chunks of tender chicken with dollops of pizza sauce and pesto, topped with cheese. Again, the crust was outstanding--definitely home made and fired well in a nice hot brick oven. The pizza was wonderful, but I only managed to eat 5 of the 8 slices. All the better, because I had some to take home for the next day.

Throughout our meal, we had a great view of the kitchen and drink station. I was amazed at the mostly silent coordination that was going on between all. Not a lot had to be said, but severs were helping each other along with the host, and everyone just seemed to know what to do with a minimum of words. The place was very busy both inside and out the whole time we were there. I've eaten here a few times and every time I have had good food and good service. I love it here and will be back again and again!

Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery

2011-03-14T21:11:00.001-04:00

We stopped in here for dinner on a recent Friday evening and were pleasantly surprise to find good food and good service in this new, sports-bar type place. I must admit, when I first heard of this place I thought "Hooters with an angle" and didn't hold out much hope for the food. But I was wrong. The meal and service we had here was excellent and I'd come back again.

It was a busy Friday night, but we were seated immediately and within minutes our waitress appeared to take our drink menu. Our server, Leiann, was very good. She knew the menu and was able to field all our questions. We started out with a few drinks and also the Irish Nachos. OMG! The potato chips that were the foundation of this dish were utterly fantastic--nice thicker slices of potato, still thin enough to be called chip but with some substance. The chips were covered with a cheese goo (ordinary), some ground beef, and tomatoes. But the real star of the dish was the chips, they were truly outstanding. I'm sure they'd even be good just by themselves. I'd order this again in a heartbeat.

I started my meal with a salad. It was actually a very good salad, served with a balsamic vinaigrette on the side. Besides a nice bed of romaine, it had some sliced red onions, a bit of diced tomato, croutons, and some diced cucumbers. The cucumbers appeared to have been seeded--a very nice touch. It was a good side salad.

For my main course I chose the Ian's Shrimp Basket and asked for that with onion rings instead of the normal fries--no problem! There were about 8 decent sized shrimp that were breaded and deep fried. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. The breading was just a slight bit bready and did not hold onto the shrimp all that well--maybe they were a bit wet when breaded. But it was all very tasty nonetheless. I love shrimp and hate when they are not cooked right, but these were cooked right. Another hit in my book.

My Friend Tommy had the Gaelic Chicken--tender chicken breasts were sauteed with mushrooms and onions, served with a whiskey cream sauces, and set on a mound of garlic mashed potatoes. The chicken was very tender and the cream sauce very good. I'd say the potatoes were just ordinary, though, but overall it was a very good dish.

Throughout our meal, our server was very friendly, competent and attentive without being intrusive. That was very nice. This was my first visit here but I'm sure it will not be my last, based on this experience. Definitely good eats!

Sun Valley Buffet

2011-03-08T22:24:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big Chinese buffet fan, but this place really satisfied me, and filled me up. And the food was pretty darned good for a buffet, too!

Normally, when I think of a Chinese buffet, I think of things I would buy at Sam's club, then heat a whole bunch of and place on a steam table to let them get to a mediocre temperature and dry consistency. So when my friend Tommy and I decided to try out this new place the other day, I was pleasantly surprised--it was much better than that picture I had in my mind.

First off, Sun Valley also has a small sushi bar and a small Mongolian BBQ, but I did not try them--next time. Secondly the selection--it was huge. I was impressed by the fact that the steam pans were not overly full, and each time I went back, there were some new things and some old things missing. This means that they are cooking in small batches and keeping things fresh, and that was my experience.

Among all the things I sampled--and I sampled plenty--several things stood out.

First and foremost, the fried, breaded shirmp. They were excellent. They kept coming out in small batches and so were always fresh, and the cocktail sauce they had certainly had a nice, hefty, horseradish kick. Very nice.

Second, the potstickers. I was already about full when I spied these. They were exceptional. The meat filling was very nice, very flavorful. I got them just after they came out, and they were hot and flavorful. Quiet the treat, actually.

There were a few "not quite hits" for me as well. Some of the chicken dishes were just a bit dry. The Bourbon Chicken, Orange Chicken, and General Tsos Chicken--all were just a bit dry. And the General Tsos lacked a nice kick.

For the "American" Dishes, the BBQ pork was actually quite good. The Mac and Cheese was quite bland though.

There were quite a number of other dishes that were hits, though, and overall, i really enjoyed the food I had.

There was a nice salad bar a well with a lot of nice fresh fruit. I sure liked that.

Our service was very attentive. Used plates were picked up very promptly.

Overall, this was a good experience. At $12.99 for dinner and weekends, it's maybe a bit pricey, but then again, you get what you pay for. I will come back for the $6.99 weekday lunch one of these days, for sure.

Oh, and they have some very nice desserts as well. As I said, the selection here is very good and very extensive. I'd try it again, for sure!

Cattle Ranch

2011-03-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

Based on good reviews on Urbanspoon,com, I went to Cattle Ranch recently. I was not disappointed. The food was generally very good, the service great, and I left with a full tummy and some more for another day!

We arrived on a Friday night and were promptly seated, being give our choice of an area to sit in. It did not take long for our server to take our drink orders, and we quickly ordered a few appetizers as well.

For our first appetizer we chose the Fried Shrimp. It was a good choice. About 8 good-sized shrimp had been breaded with a nice, crispy coating and them nearly perfectly deep fried. They were very good--fresh, hot, and cooked just right. They were served with a nice but standard shrimp cocktail sauce. I really liked these.

We also ordered the Buckskins. Now these were truly outstanding. They were more like huge slices of potato that had been baked, then covered with bacon and cheese, then baked and broiled a bit further, then topped with some parsley and served with sour cream on the side. These were very, very.... did i mention "very"... good! We cleaned these up as well

For one of my side I had a salad. It was good and filling, all that a salad should be. I had the house dressing and it was very good as well. Nothing exceptional here, but still a very nice salad.

To go with our entrees, I ordered some Onion Rings. These were very, very good. They had a nice and crisp breading on the, and were very crispy, very hot, when served. I think we both agreed that these were among the best onion rings we'd had in a long, long time.

For my entree I ordered the Ribeye, medium-rare, with a side of sauteed mushrooms. My Ribeye was OK, but jsut OK. It was cooked just a bit shy of medium rare, for the most part, but parts were just past medium rare. Also, it was just a bit gristly. So, while it had great flavor, a bit of it was chewy, and a bit very good. I would say it was not quite butchered right, since it was not consistently medium-rare. Still, it had a very nice flavor and overall, I did enjoy it.

The sauteed mushrooms were very good, and a large portion. I liked them a lot.

For his main dish, my friend Tommy ordered the Prime Rib. It was very good, a nice medium, with a nice flavor and quite tender. To go-with he had a baked potatoe. Again, is prime rib was very good, and the rest of the meal excellent as well.

We enjoyed our meal here. It was very good, and we had good service. One think I would say about the decor--it reminded me of 1970. I'd say this place has not been remodeled in about 40 years. The interior is somewhat dated. Still, they know how to cook shrimp and how to grill a mean steak, so we enjoyed our meal here. I'd come back--what better compliment could I give?

Alive After Five

2011-03-07T22:56:00.000-05:00

I'll be at Alive After Five this Thursday, March 10th, in beautiful downtown Sanford. So if you're in the area and up for a fun evening street party, join me, 5-8 PM. I'll be hanging out at Art Affair Gallery, but still enjoying all the great food and drinks up and down the street. Always a great time!

Fourth Friday Art Walk

2011-02-22T21:24:00.001-05:00

It's that time of the month again, and it happens this Friday, February 25th. I'm speaking, of course, of the Fourth Friday Art Walk in historic Downtown Sanford. Sponsored by the Welcome Center, local artists are invited to display their works centered around a theme. This month the theme is Landscapes Near and Far -The beauty of the Earth and its many colors and textures. The welcome center will have the art displayed, and visitors can vote for their own favorites with a cash prize for the winner. There are also refreshments served.

But the Art Walk is more than just that, it's a walk. That is, All the local Galleries are also open with art and artists and refreshments and a lot of fun. It's always a great time and you can always fine me hanging out at Art Affair Gallery--but I will make the tour as well. Join me, it's a great time, this Friday, 6 PM to 8:30 PM

Nico Globos

2011-02-17T18:39:00.001-05:00

I ate here for the second time recently and had a nice meal. We stopped in for Sunday brunch and were immediately and pleasantly greeted by the owner/manager/hostess. Only a small table was available but she promised to move us as soon as a larger table opened, and she did.

I started out with the French Onion soup and it was very good with a deep and rich flavor, not only of onion, but also of mushrooms and beef broth. It was topped by a round of toast and cheese. It was excellent and had a great flavor.

I had the Beef and Cheddar sandwich, served on Ciabatta. The bread as delicious and nice and soft. The beef and cheddar were good, though the sandwich was a bit dry. It could have benefit from a bit of jus or maybe just some mayo. Still it was tasty and I liked it. Yes, it was as good as it looks.

My friend Tommy had an omelet with ham and mushrooms and onions. Though it was tasty on the inside, the outside was definitely just a bit overcooked--chef must have taken his eye off of it for a second. Also, though the home fries were very good and tasty, the portion was exceedinly skimpy, barely a dozen potatoes on the plate.

Overall, our meal was good and we enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere. We'll have to try dinner again sometime here.

Art's Southern Style Smokehouse BBQ

2011-02-17T17:46:00.001-05:00

We went to Art's Southern Style Smokehouse BBQ recently and had a very nice meal. Art's is located in Uptown Altamonte. It has a nice roadhouse look and feel to it. You walk in and place your order at the counter, then sit down and they bring it out to you. We took a good look at the menu and ordered, then found a table.

The meal is served on plastic plates and with plastic tableware--I was a bit weary at first, but the plastic was sturdy enough to handle the task. Ample paper towels on a roll are located at each table.

We had a bit of a wait for our food, but it eventually arrived, just as we were about to check on it. I ordered the combo--two meats with two sides. For my meats I had BBQ pulled pork, and baby back ribs. For my sides i had teh BBQ beans and the Mac & Cheese.I added in a couple of corn muffins, too. I asked for an received some extra BBQ sauce, as often i find pulled pork to be quite dry, but this was not the case. The Pulled pork was tender and juicy and nicely dressed with a sweet/sour/spicy sauce--it was very good. The BB ribs were also quite good, and i had no trouble cutting them with the plastic knife. They were not quite fall off the rib, but very close and had a nice flavor, a hit. They were served on a few slices of white bread which served to soak up any extra sauce. The mac & cheese was pretty ordinary, but the baked beans were very good. They had a flavor i could not identify, but did like. The corn muffins were ordinary. Overall, it was a very good meal, I liked it a lot.

My friend Tommy ordered the Beef Brisket Platter with sides of cole slaw and french fries. First the fries were excellent, hot and fresh and crispy. The coleslaw was very good as well. The brisket was good but not the best i'd ever had. Still it was a good meal overall.

The atmosphere is very nice here, nicely decorated, with soft southern style jazz music in the background. The servers were polite and friendly and kept the empty tables clean. I liked the atmosphere and the picnic-like quality of the tables and serving ware. I would come back here again, without a doubt.

Metro Burger

2011-02-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

Overcooked, overpriced, and overlooked, that's how I'd sum up my first visit to the newly opened Metro Burger in Lake Mary/Heathrow's Colonial Town Center recently. I was hoping for more and better, but was a bit disappointed.

My friend and I arrived there on a Friday night. Here's the deal, you take a pencil and fill out a form. You can create your own burger or choose one of their "house" burgers. They all sounded very appetizing, but ultimately we both decided to build our own.

We made our selections, then went to the counter where the guy there entered what we'd selected into the computer. Why didn't they just have a machine to read our selections, much like voting? Oh well, we they got a beeper and our drinks and selected a seat outside to wait. And wait. And wait. Granted, we got there at the end of the diner rush, but even so the place was less than half full.

We waited a full 20 minutes for our order, but then when the beeper went off, we were met by someone who was looking for us to bring it to us. Duh, we were outside.

I ordered a1/3 pound burger with white cheddar cheese on an egg roll, and lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, and straw fried onions for toppings, and a horseradish mayo ( they were out of my first choice, stone-ground mustard... come on, how to you run out of stone-ground mustard, that stuff has a shelf live of... millenia??). Now, when the took my order they never asked how I'd like it cooked. Well, I got it well well well done. So well done it was dry. I was not a big fan of this. A burger should be tender and juicy, not making you want to drink something to help wash it down. On top of that, there was no lettuce on my sandwich, but there were roasted red peppers. I don't mind roased red peppers, but it was not what I checked off on my order sheet. Strike one for the order taker. And, there were no fries. I know i ordered fries. Not a one. Now, i did the math and we were not charged for it. But don't you think that (a) the order taker would be able to adequately transcribe a written order or (be) the order taker would read your order back to you (as well as (c) ask how you want your burger cooked)? Well, apparently not. So, outside of the dry and lifeless burger (at a place with the word "burger" in its name) it was OK.

I also ordered teh Fried Dill Pickles with Chipotle Ranch. You know, they were pretty good, and certainly served very hot. There were five 1/4-sliced pickle slices that had been nicely breaded and deep fried. They certainly were served hot, too. They were pretty good. But the so-called chipotle ranch dipping sauce left a lot to be desired. It seemed to me that the chipotle never showed up to the party! Chipotle is a rather strong flavor and it should have been there--it was not. so the sauce was a disapointment The horseradish mayo that I had with my burger was better--at least by a bit.

My friend Tommy liked his burger way more than I liked mine. His at least arrived the way he ordered it. It too was a bit dry and he did comment on that, but overall he liked is. He had onions rings with his meal and they were OK. They were breaded and deep fried. They were real onions and were good, but also pretty ordinary.

Since this is an order and pick up at the window kind of place, it's hard to comment on the service. We did have someone stop by once or twice and check on us and ask if I needed another beer. They did ask how it all was to which i replied "it's OK." They moved on. I am not big on complaining, I want to experience a place as it normally is. Unfortunately, I was not overly impressed with Metro Burger. Now, the place is rather new and perhaps they need a bit of time to fine-tune things. So perhaps in a few months I'll give them another shot. I can always change my urbanspoon.com vote, you know.

The Original Christo's

2011-02-05T13:29:00.000-05:00

Not bad and has potential, that's how I'd sum up my recent (first) visit to the new The Original Christo's. This location used to be a place called Angelo's, but that closed in the fall. It underwent a bit of renovation and reopened around December as Christo's. We were at the recent Fourth Friday Art Walk in downtown Sanford and Christo's provided the appetizers and snacks. The bruschetta they had there was absolutely excellent, and that alone is what convinced me to visit Christo's sooner rather than later. Overall, I'm glad I did.

When we arrived on a recent Saturday evening, it was pretty busy inside. We were quickly greeted and fortunate to snag one of the last inside tables.

Let me get the one disappointment I had off of my chest first, because all the rest is good: the so-called firecracker sauce. The firecracker sauce was served with (1) our appetizer, (2) my main course, and (3) one of the extra sides i ordered. My complaint: it was way too sweet. Advertised as firecracker sauce, it was hard for me to get past the sugary sweetness of it. Overall, it was not bad, it had a bit of heat and a bit of tang. But the sweetness ruined it for me, it reminded me too much of french dressing that was kicked up a notch. So, if it had been less sweet with a bit more heat and a bit more acid, it would have been pretty good. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, just too too too sweet.

Now on to the good, as there was a lot.

We took a quick look at the menu and decided to start off with an appetizer--Firecracker Fried Cheese. This is a four-cheese blend that is hand-breaded and deep fried. It was served with the (sigh!) firecracker sauce.

Overall, these were very good. The cheese was nicely melted and very flavorful. Hey, I'm from Wisconsin and I know good cheese when i taste it. The breading was nice and crunchy and the filling good and gooey. The firecracker sauce was a nice accompaniment to these (less the sweetness). I'd order these again, for sure.

I started my meal with a Salad. It was a pretty ordinary salad, but good. The lettuce was topped with some tomato and cucumber and a bit of red onion, as well as croutons. I had the citrus viniagrette dressing and it was very good. Thankfully, it was served on the side, too.

For his main dish, my friend Tommy had one of the specials. It was chicken and spinach in an alfredo sauce over what I think was penne. Tommy said it was OK, but just OK. He was not wildly crazy about it, but did take home an ample portion for another day.

For my main course, i ordered the No Skimp Firecracker Shrimp. There were eight jumbo butterflied shrimp, breaded in kettle corn and served with the aforementioned firecracker dipping sauce and two sides. The shrimp were very good, not overcooked, but nice and tender. And the portion was very adequate. They were on a bed of romain. One of my sides was the salad, and the other was coleslaw. It was decent coleslaw and nice and fresh. This was a pretty darned good dish.

But there was another side item on the menu that I was curious about, and so I ordered it: the Fried Macaroni -n- Cheese. This was pretty good, little triangles of macaroni and cheese that had been breaded and deep fried. It was a bit rich after along with all the other food we had to eat, but still pretty good outside of the dipping sauce--yes, again the overly sweet firecracker dipping sauce (I think they need to work on that recipe a bit, and if they did, they'd have a real winner!).

I have to mention the bread basket, too. And the marinara that accompanied it. There were two garlic knots that were nice and tender with a great flavor. And two pieces of fresh-baked pepperoni bread. This was very good, especially with the excellent marinara. A real hit.

We had a very nice meal here with good food and pleasant and efficient service. They seemed to be quite busy, and that's a great thing. Sanford is really the home to a number of excellent places to eat. Having to choose between them all is really a good thing for us the consumers. I'd eat here again, and plan on it. I want to try their pizzas, they looked very good. Overall, definitely good eats!

Mike's Galley

2011-01-25T21:09:00.000-05:00

They claim to have the best breakfast in town, and you know, they might just be right! My friend and I decided to give Mike's Galley a try on a recent Sunday morning based on the good reviews on Urbanspoon.com. We were not disappointed.

When we walked in around 11, they were pretty busy. But as luck would have it, someone was just leaving a table, so we snatched it up, even though it was dirty. But by the time we got close the dishes had disappeared, and within second one of the waitresses was cleaning the table. Wow, what service. We immediately had our beverage order taken. As a matter of fact, they tried to take it twice as another waiter also came by to take it. I will say that during most of our visit, we were double and triple teamed by the waitstaff: our drinks were topped off often and we lacked for nothing at all.

The atmosphere here is somewhat diner-like and it fits it well. On walking in you're greeted by a "seat yourself" sign. The kitchen takes up about 1/4 of the square area, with tables and chairs aplently. The walls are somewhat kitch-ish, adding to the charm. It's a warm and comfortable atmosphere, for sure.

After a short wait, our orders arrived. I ordered a half order of Sausage Gravy and Biscuits to go along with my Mike's Ultimate Mix. I think a better name would be "Mike's Mess," but that is a compliment. It was a huge plate full of food, 3 eggs scrambled with cheese. ham, sausage, bacon, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. It was absolutely delicious, fantastic. The sausage was big chunks. The ham was big chunks, This was very, very good. I had an English muffin with it and a Potato Pancake with onion. Both were also very good. Now in all honesty, the Mike's Mix alone was more than enough, but I also had a side of Biscuits and Gravy. That was pretty good too, though just a bit on the salty side. I could not finish it, no way! It was all very good.

My friend Tommy ordered the 2 eggs over medium with toast and home fries and sausage. It was also very good, though he did note that the over medium eggs had a bit of runny whites in them. But they were good. The toast appeared to be of homemade bread and was very good. The homefries, he said, were just OK. The sausage links were huge, and very good.

Overall, this was a very good meal, and I'd say yes, it was the best breakfast in South Daytona Shores, no doubt. I'd come back here again for breakfast. The food was good, the service excellent, and the value outstanding. Yumm!