Another Broken Egg

I was attending training at a facility across the street, and decide to give Another Broken Egg a try for lunch. However, I did have breakfast on my mind, and so settled for the Classic Biscuit & Gravy. This was homemade sausage gravy over a split biscuit. Mine was accompanied by two eggs, scrambled, two patties of house made sausage, and served with seasoned country potatoes.  

First of all, the sausage gravy, the star of this dish, was very good and tasty. It was all a sausage gravy should be with not too many other flavors to mar it. My only complaint is about the portion--it was not really enough to go along with the biscuit. But what there was of it was quite tasty. The biscuit itself was very light and fluffy and very good. The sausage was also excellent and had  a great flavor--definitely a huge step about the frozen stuff from a grocery store. The seasoned potatoes were OK, though nothing over-the-top special. 

Overall, I enjoyed my meal here and thought is was a decent value at just under $10, if only there had been a bit more of the delicious sausage gravy.

Jimmy Hula's

We heard that there was a new restaurant that had just opened in Lake Mary, a chain, and so we decided to give Jimmy Hula's a try shortly before Christmas. I am always a bit wary of visiting a new place until they've had some "burn in" time, time to get things in order and smoothed out. This visit proved me right. The actual food itself was quite good, only the timing suffered a bit. Let me explain.

We walked in and were a bit confused about what to do, but the person at the counter was helpful and we soon had a menu in hand.  You order at the counter, then you get a number and they bring the food out to you. We placed our order and took a seat. It's a nice place and newly remodelled. Originally the site of our then-favorite Italian Restaurant, that had changed hands and went downhill. So Jimmy Hula's took over the space and gave it an extensive remodel. It feels a bit "Jimmy Buffet" and  bit "Key West." With garage doors that open it to the outside, i can imagine it'll be a great place to hang out when the weather improves a bit. Anyway, we placed our order and found a place to sit.

It was not a long wait before my burger came out. I ordered the Hulu's Burger, swiss cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, and ceasar salad. It was quite good, actually. Yes, a bit on the messy side, but a decent burger. They did not ask me how i wanted it cooked and it came out medium well. I'd prefer closer to medium or medium rare, but it was decent. Well, now I had my burger, but my friend Tommy did not yet have his food. In a few minutes (maybe one or two) when someone came to check on us, we asked about it, they said they'd check. In another minute or two, someone else asked how it was and we again asked about Tommy's meal--they said they'd check. Now someone did come back and tell us they had a problem in the kitchen, then came back again and said they were remaking the order, and apologized for the wait.

Eventually the food did arrive, along with their apologies. Though we were just happy to have the food, the waitress was insistent that they'd refund the cost of it. I was glad they offered but was willing to pay for what we got, but she was insistent, so they did take it off the bill plus made the tacos.

Now, a word about the food: Tommy had two fish tacos, each different, and each good. They were pretty decent fish tacos. The fish was fresh, the salsa (especially the mango salsa) very good, and all the ingredients fresh. They were good and I'd order them again, for sure. They were accompanied by some chips which seemed a bit out of place, but so it goes.

Later on, as we were nearing the end of our meal, a manager came out and brought us a complimentary dessert and again apologize for the mix up and delay with our order. I was quite pleased with the customer service. Yes, it's a new place and you can expect some issues while they work out the kinks. I thought the food was good and decent and that they really outdid themselves in trying to make their mistake right. I will return, I'm sure. It looks like a fun place and a nice addition to the Lake Mary food scene.

Ravalia's Fresh Pasta & Italian Grill

We ate at Ravalia's Fresh Pasta & Italian Grill last night, and I'm sure glad we did--the food was excellent, way beyond expectation. I was excited to learn that there was a new Italian place in town, and even more excited when I saw a few of the other "thumbs up" reviews on Urbanspoon.com. I am now one of them and a big fan, I'll definitely be back.

We arrived on a Friday night to see what appeared to be a lot of cars in the area and a steady stream of people heading for the door. We were promptly greeted and told it would be a do-able 20 minute wait, unless we wanted to sit at the counter overlooking the kitchen. You bet! Score!  I love watching a well-run kitchen at work, and that certainly was the case here. We saw then put out dish after dish for fresh made food and everything we saw looked amazing, from the pizza and calazones to the pasta dishes and even the sauce. 

Our waitress, Jen, promptly provided a wine menu and took our drink order while we perused the menu. Meanwhile a plate of bread magically appeared. It was excellent.  We had olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a small dish for them and heartily dug in. The bread was great. And, by the way, the wine pour was a decent pour and good wine to boot.

For his main course, Tommy had the Chicken Parmesan, and it was absolutely delicious. The chicken itself was quite tender, the parmesan flavor was good and the mozzarella nice and gooey. It was served with rigatoni that was quite al dente and a tomato sauce that was really excellent. The tomato sauce was very bright and flavorful, not too sweet, with a hint of acid (maybe red wine vinegar) that really brightened the flavor. I could probably drink it by the glass-full--it was that good. My only thought is that the rigatoni could have been cooked just a slight bit more, but they were still good.

I chose the Tortellacci with Crimini Mushroom Cream Sauce. The flavor was outstanding. Tortellacci are large tortelloni which are in turn large tortellini. They were stuffe with sausage and were a very nice size, maybe 8-12 of them. The crimini mushroom cream sauce, while perhaps not the prettiest think on the plate, was an absolute delight to taste and eat. It had a nice, delicate mushroom flavor that did not overpower the sausage-stuffed tortellacci, which were themselves very good. The fresh pasta was evident, it was nice and tender as well.

We had great service during our meal and a wonderful time watching the kitchen at work. The place is not very big, but sure was doing a nice business. the host (maybe the owner) was certainly evident and ensured the front of the house was moving smoothly. The head chef was definitely in control of the two other chefs in the kitchen. I was impressed overall by the smooth operation.

One comment is that their web site, http://www.ravalias.com/, at the current time, only contains information and the menu from their original restaurant, in Casselberry. It needs a bit of updating as the Lake Mary menu is a bit different. But other than that, I cannot wait to return. Since my favorite Italian Restaurant in Lake Mary changed hands and then closed, I've been missing a place like Ravalia's. I'll definitely be back. I suggest you give it a try and let me know what you think!

Lonnie's Fusion Cuisine

On a recent Friday night, we decided to give the recently opened Lonnie's Fusion Cuisine a visit, hoping for a nice dinner. We were not disappointed. The food was decent, the atmosphere pleasant, and the waitstaff good. 

Lonnie's Fusion Cuisine is a rather small but intimate place inside with the supposed look and feel of a cafe in Europe, I'd guess. Inside maybe seats a total of 30 people or so if every spot was taken, but in nice weather, there is also some very pleasant outdoor seating. We were there on a rather cold winter evening so it was definitely not an outdoor kind of night. We entered and were quickly greeted and seated in a spacious booth. In a short time, our waiter appeared and took our beverage order.

For starters we just had to try the Fried Shrimp Torpedo. Actually, there were five torpedos. Shrimp (more likely prawns) were stretched out long, like torpedoes. There were five of them that were nicely breaded and  deep fried, then topped with a bit of sweet chili and oriental sauce. I'd have liked just a bit more sauce, but  my friend Tommy thought it was just right. I guess I like a bit more heat. Nonetheless, they were delicious, cooked perfectly, not greasy, and the bit of sauce gave them a nice flavor without overpowering the flavor of the shrimp. They were delicious and I'd order them again, in a minute! 

We started our meals with a salad. It was a fairly typical salad for a nice restaurant with romaine lettuce, a bit of carrot julienne, some tomato, cucumber, croutons, and a bit of cheese. I had the balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was a good salad, all that a salad should be and not over-dressed either, a pet peeve of mine. It was light, fresh, cool, and delicious.

For my main course I ordered the Champagne Chicken and Mushrooms. It was a great choice as it turned out.It was pan seared medallions of chicken that were nice and moist and tender. They were served over some smashed garlic potatoes (but not too heavy on the garlic, thankfully) with a mushroom champagne sauce that was velvety in texture, and rich  and flavorful. I really liked this dish. The chicken was oh so tender and juicy. The poatoes were creamy without being pasty. And the champagne mushroom sauce was a real delight. It was served with a choice of a side and i chose the Sauteed Garlic Green Beans. I'll say that the portion of beans was a bit meager, but they were delicious and tender, cooked well but not overdone. This was a real hit with me and I managed to eat every last bit of it.

For his main course, my friend Tommy had the New York Strip steak. It was a 12 oz. Angus New York strip steak, cooked perfectly to the requested medium rare, iron seared (whatever that really means) served over smashed potatoes and covered with a mushroom demi glaze sauce. The steak had a very nice flavor though it was just a bit chewy. Not tough, but just not butter-tender either. Still, it was flavorful and delicious as were the potatoes and the demi glaze. For a side he had the Roasted Stuffed Tomato and it was really good, a tomato that was topped with some bread crumbs and cheese and roasted. It came out piping hot but was oh so delicious and the lightness and acid of the tomato added a nice balance to the heavy richness of the demi glaze.

My only complaint overall is the price of the wine. It is not cheap here. I had the house Cabernet Sauvignon and it was $9 a glass which, in my estimation, is just a bit steep. If I was to consider coming back, that is one item that might make me think twice. Or I'd go again with a resolve to just have a soft drink--and I like a glass of wine with my meal.

Our service was pretty good. I'd guess that our server was rather new and didn't know all the answers to our questions, but he did find out when asked. Also, it appeared that the owner maybe or at least the head chef was in evidence, i noticed him taking care of things, talking to guests, etc. He even asked us how our food was. That's always nice to see. 

So my first impression of Lonnie's Fusion Cuisine is a favorable one. I see that they have some fairly decent priced lunch items, and I'm sure I'll return one day with a few coworkers and give it a try at lunch time. First impression was quite favorable, so I'd return again, though maybe not when in a wine mood. Then have only been open a few months, but I'd say they are on the right track. Give them a try, I recommend it.

BurgerFi

We headed to the newly opened (less than a month) BurgerFi in Lake Mary on the day before New Year's. I was hoping for a "Five Guys" type of burger experience. I really wanted to like BurgerFi and hoped for a mouthwatering, juicy burger. Though their web site says that BurgerFi is "changing the way we think of the burger," and that they are "guaranteed fresh, juicy, and delicious," I was, unfortunately, not impressed by the burger. For a place that has "burger" in its name, the best thing I had were the French Fries. A regular size order of fries was almost too much for the two of us to eat. They were indeed fresh, hot, and delicious. And, at $2.77, they were quite a bargain as well.

But then we come to the burger. I was not all that hungry so I ordered a single cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and mustard. It cost $4.97 which seemed a bit rich. The bun itself was tasty and delicious. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp. But bun has the BurgerFi name seemingly branded on the bun top, and the bun was toasted. But the burger that was in it was not juicy, it was rather dry and only warm. On top of that, the bun was slightly cool to the touch. Now I'd expect that maybe of the top bun because there was lettuce and tomato under it, but the bottom bun too?  I can't quite figure it out. My guess is that the buns were pre-toasted and that it was allowed to cool down to room temperature. But even the burger was not overly hot. The order could not have sit very long because it was as scant five minutes from the time we ordered until we got our order and the fries were very hot. So I was a bit disappointed in this burger. I've had equally good burgers at McDonald's, I'm afraid, much more juicy and moist. Now, will I give them a second try? Yes, I will. As I mentioned, they've been open less than a month.

Another observation. There did not really seem to be anyone in charge. There were employees from the grill (I think) hanging around the front counter. Later there was an older gentleman in the front--he appeared to be training a cashier. There was a very friendly gentleman who was keeping tables clear and the dining room clean--he was plenty friendly. I believe that when you have a fast food operation that depends on a bunch of young people, you really need evident and direct leadership, making sure they are all busy and not just "hanging around." But, as I said, it's new, they're just learning. I'll give them a month or two more to adjust and then try it again. For now I'm voting "don't like" because if you have "burger" in your name, then the burger should shine--mind didn't.  But I suggest you give them a try and see what you think. Let me know! And I reserved the right to change my vote after a future visit. I wish them well and hope they improve. We could use a good burger joint in Lake Mary.

Blue Elephant

We had a very nice dinner at Blue Elephant in Lake Mary. Based on my first visit, I will definitely go back again. Blue Elephant has only been open a few months, but is first of all a beautiful restaurant. They did a good job remodeling this space that was formerly a Carlos N Charlies. But it's not all good looks--the food was really good as well and the service really attentive. I can't wait to go back!

We arrived on a Friday evening around 8 or so and were promptly greeted and given our choice of seating. They were not packed, but seemed to have a steady business. We started out with some wine while we studied the menu. 

We elected to begin with an appetizer, the Blue Elephant Dumplings. Let me warn you: there are quite a few items on the appetizer that look really good. I can't wait to try some others. The dumplings or pot-stickers were chicken served with a soy viniagrette sauce and a bit of red cabbage/carrot slaw. They were excellent. They had a nice asian flavor, probably from napa cabbage. The soy viniagrette was one of the best potsticker sauces I've had, perhaps because it was not overly salty, but rather light and flavorful. This was an excellent start to our meal.

I elected to have the Tom Yum Koong soup to start my meal. I was asked how spicy I wanted it and I said "regular spicy" or medium. It was very good. I'd say there was less lemongrass than I've normally had, but the broth was a bit darker, most likely due to tomato which added a nice umami taste to it. Several large shrimp were in it as well as the normal "mystery" ingredients. It was excellent and I'd definitely order it again. 

For my main course, I had the Fried Brown Rice Cashew Nut, and it was absolutely wonderful! First, the brown rice gave it a wonderful nutty flavor. then add some cashews for even more nuttty flavor. The add in a bit of pineapple for some sweet contrast. Then some egg, carrot, onion, and broccoli--and some chicken to boot. Talk about a flavor festival going on in my mouth! This was excellent and I ate every bit that was on my plate. And yes, I did add a bit of the lemon, it gave it just the right zing!

Tommy ordered the Blue Elephant Fried Rice which was equally excellent, a combination of chicken, beef and shrimp with green onion, peas, onion, carrot pepper, tomato, and egg. Wow, what a lot of flavor on that plate. I had a taste and I have to agree with him--it was very, very good. 

We had a great dining experience here with good food, a reasonable price for the wonderful atmosphere, and great service. I hope to make it here for lunch soon and try some of their lunch specials. But I know we'll be back again for more of their good food. As for whether or not it is genuine Thai food, I have no idea. But that, to me, is of no consequence, because the food was genuinely very good. I'll be back, I'm sure!

4th Street Bar and Grill

We ate at 4th Street Bar and Grill recently, a newly opened restaurant in "downtown" Lake Mary. It was pretty good and I think that, with a bit of time to mature, it could be really good. 4th Street Bar and Grill is brand new, in a brand new building, and they've done a fine job. The theme is somewhat "sports bar" with well over a dozen large, flat-screen televisions all around. When we were there the Dolphins were playing, among other things. We entered and were promptly greeted by the hostess and offered our choice of seating. We elected to sit on the spacious patio--it was a warm December night and on one end a fireplace was going. It was nicely lit as well and even has TVs outside.

Soon our waitress, Caitlin, came by and took our drink and appetizer order. We began with the Pulled Pork Eggroll which was three wontons that had been wrapped around pulled pork, eggroll-style, and were served over a spicy slaw with a beer BBQ dipping sauce. They were very good. Now, in all honesty, each aspect by itself was OK. The pulled pork eggroll alone could have used a touch of salt and was warm inside but not steaming hot. But, when you took a bit of all three aspects together, the pulled pork eggroll, the spicy slaw, and the beer BBQ sauce, it was fantastic, absolutely wonderful. I would order this again in a heartbeat. But i do have to wonder if people who would not think to try all three elements together would enjoy it as much as I did. No matter, this was an excellent dish! 

Tommy ordered the Clam Chowder, New England Style (we had to ask before we ordered, the waitress did not know what type it was) and, while it was indeed very good, it came out with what Tommy considers to be a big void--no crackers!  He likes his crackers. Nevertheless, the soup was indeed delicious and it disappeared in short order.

For my main course, I ordered a sandwich called the Stuffalo. A brioche Kasier roll was topped with two large pieces of chicken breast that had been stuffed with blue cheese, breaded and fried, and coated with a house buffalo sauce. The sandwich itself was huge, though within seconds I relegated one of the chicken pieces to the plate--two were too much. The sandwich itself tasted great, the chicken was tender, the blue cheese maybe just a bit overwhelming, and the buffalo sauce added a nice gentle heat. It was a big messy, though, and some of the sauce was on the plate under the bun. This resulted in very sticky fingers. Overall, it was a delicious sandwich. I ordered mine with onion rings and they were truly delicious, nicely breaded and fried. One of the best things I ate, however, were the pickles. According to the menu, they are made in-house. They were awesome, I wish I could make some that would turn out that good. Oh, and after I finished my sandwich, i still have another piece of chicken to eat.

Tommy had the Classic Burger, a regular hamburger topped with Cheddar Cheese, served on a Brioche Kaiser roll with LTOP (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle) on the side. It was accompanied with fries. Unfortunately, it came out with fries that were barely warm. However, when we told the waitress, she promptly took care of that and quickly returned with nice, hot fries. Still, it should not have come out of the kitchen that way, but the did make it right, an quickly. The burger was supposed to be medium, but it was actually well-done. They have quite a few burgers on the menu. They need to learn to cook a burger correctly. It was good, but not quite as ordered. The burger was, however, quite good and tasty, so no big complaint there. And it appeared with some mayo on the side, just as requested.

As I said, the meal here was pretty good, and I'd go back. But there were a few missteps as well. I've already mentioned the overcooked burger and the warm fries and the "wet" bun I had, the kitchen needs to pay a bit more attention to detail. But the service also needs a bit of fine tuning. After we finished our appetizer, the empty plates sat for a bit. Several other servers walked by, but no one else offered to remove the plates. That would have been nice. And when our waitress did remove them, she also took our tableware, but did not immediate provide replacement. So, when our food arrived, we had no utensils, and had to ask for them. Not a huge deal, but shows a bit of inexperience. I hope they'll fine tune a bit and with time, this could be a really good place. 

I live and work in Lake Mary, and 4th Street Bar and Grill has an $8 lunch special, a limited selection of half sandwich with half salad (or soup). I think we'll have to give this a try for lunch some time. And based on my first visit, I'll be happy to return another time and see how they've improved. They've only been open a few weeks, so I expected a few rough edges. Hopefully they'll get them fixed and turn into a top-notch place to dine in Lake Mary.

Shula's 347 Grill

I've wanted to try Shula's 347 Grill for some time and we finally did. I'm glad we went there and we will be back for sure. We first had a bit of Shula's food at the Taste of Sanford in September of 2012. Though the purist in me complained that it's not a Sanford restaurant, but in Lake Mary, what we sampled there that night was the best bite of the Taste of Sanford, no doubt. So, when my friend Tommy's birthday rolled around, he got a coupon for a free entree with purchase. I figured it was a good time to give Shula's a try, and we had a great meal and experience there. 

First, a word about the service. Throughout our meal there, it was about the best dining experience I've ever had. We were taken care of completely. Our waitress, Catherine, did everything right, from replacing silverware to ensuring our glasses were full to making sure everything was to our liking. It really was top-notch service, on a par to the finest places I've ever dined.

We started out with an appetizer, the Sweet Chili Shrimp. It was very good. Small peeled shrimp had been lightly breaded, then tossed in a sweet chili glaze with a bit of cilantro. They were served on a bed of red and green cabbage and topped with a few scallions. The were absolutely delicious. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, warm and tender. The sweet chili glaze was not overly hot but still had a gently heat to it. The cabbage itself was delicious because a bit of the chili glaze flavored it.This was a wonderful dish and I'm sure I'll return and order it again.

My friend Tommy (the birthday boy) started his meal with a Fish Chowder that was very good, creamy and delicious. It had some nice chunks of potatoes in it and the fish itself was tender and flavorful. The broth was rich, creamy, and velvety. A nice, hearty start to the meal.

I opted to start with a house salad with the house raspberry vinaigrette on the side. It was a delicious salad Fresh mixed greens were the bed. It was accompanied by some nice thick slices of cucumbers, a few tomato wedges, some boiled egg, julienne carrots, bacon, and croutons. It was a very good salad, light (well, without the bacon and egg!) and fresh-tasting. The homemade raspberry viniagrette was delicious, nice and tangy with a gentle, subtle raspberry flavor.

For his main course, Tommy had the Double Cut Pork Chop. The thick-cut pork chop had been brined in a citrus brine and was served with sweet potato fries, grilled asparagus, and a bit of grilled apple. It was a very good pork chop, tender and juicy and flavorful. Probably not the best pork chop I've ever had, but it was right up there near the top and better than most. Everything on this plate went well together, too. The asparagus was fresh-tasting, tender and delicious. The sweet potato fries cooked just right and not at all greasy. This was a very good meal.

I chose the Pan Seared Shrimp for my meal, and it was a good choice. The shrimp were garlic-rubbed, then lightly pan fried, cooked just right. And they were jumbo shrimp! They were served on a bed of lime infused risotto--the risotto was very creamy and soft and the gentle taste of lime brought a nice highlight to it. This was all covered with a bit of citrus beurre blanc which added to the citrus notes of the dish. I had mine with haricot verts, fresh green beans, and they were cooked perfectly, nice and crisp. The whole dish was garnished with a few onion rings which added to the taste and presentation. I was very satisfied with this dish and ate ever last bit of it. Wonderful!

Finally, since it was Tommy's birthday, Shula's added a very nice touch. No, there wasn't any of that tacky "Happy, Happy Birthday" singing by all the waitstaff--this is a classy joint! But they  brought out a very nice dessert for us to share, a thick chocolate chip cake-cookie with ice cream, whipped cream and some raspberries, walnuts and chocolate and caramel garnish. Not only was the presentation beautiful, but it was very tasty. The chocolate chip "cookie" was warm, rich, tender, and tasty. But on top of this was the one thing that put this dinner over the top: they also presented Tommy with a birthday card that had been signed by all the restaurant staff! Now that was truly impressive. 

Overall, we had a great experience here from start to finish. Just one other thing to mention, and that's the price of a glass of wine. It was a bit steep at $9!  Next time I'll only have one! But when you take the wine off of our bill, it was a reasonable price for a very nice dinner. Of course, we did have that coupon. Hmmm, wonder where we'll go when it's MY birthday?  

Taste of Sanford

My friend Tommy and I attended the 4th Taste of Sanford recently. We had gone to the first one in 2009, so this was our second year. Of course it's all about "taste" and so I'll talk about the food, first and foremost, before I come to some aspects of the event that I had a few questions and doubts about. So on to the food.

The best bite I had that was from a Sanford Restaurant was from a newcomer, the new kid on the block, Breezeway Restaurant and Bar in historic downtown Sanford. They had some firecracker shrimp that were awesome. Over the course of several months, we watched as the space formerly occupied by Two Blondes and a Shrimp was transformed into the Breezeway. We have eaten there three times now and enjoyed each meal. I've even blogged about Breezeway. So i was not surprised to find that their Firecracker Shrimp were good---very good. I know now what my appetizer will be the next time I go there. Only one complaint, Steve: how about a web site? Time to enter this century and get your presence known on the web. But this was the best Sanford bite I had.

However, there was a bite that was even better, but it was not a Sanford Restaurant. Still the best thing I had for the evening was from Shula's 347 Grill located in the Westin Hotel in Lake Mary. They had two bites that were great, but the crab cake was truly exceptional--it was almost all crab. I loved it. Their second bite was tender beef (probably short ribs is my guess) served over mashed potatoes. Again, quite a good bite. Based on this, I have to say that without a doubt, the best of Taste of Sanford was the food from Shula's 347 Grill. Based on that experience, I know I will be going there for dinner some time soon and then writing about it here in my blog. And, they did a great job of promoting themselves. Nice job! I'll be seeing you soon!

There were a number of other bites that I found good, and I'd say most places there brought their "A" game to the table (pun intended). Chef Michael, owner of Corner Cafe Home of Gourmet 2 Go had a great vegetable soup that was rich and velvety with tasty chunks of veggies in it. I have eaten at Corner Cafe a number of times and have never been disappointed. Buck's Restaurant and Catering had a nice smoked fish dip. I have eaten at the restaurant and was not a big fan, but I can say that when I've had some of their food at an event like this or at the monthly Alive After Five, it has always been very good. I think maybe their catering is much better than their restaurant, at least that's been my experience. Then again, you should try the restaurant and make up your own mind!  Among the other good "Sanford" bites was Father's Table and the Ale House. There were some good drinks, too, with Tim's wine (yummy Cabernet) and cold beer from Wayne Densch, and even great desserts, like the bite from Empress Sissi (I think that's who had that good cheesecake). Lots of good eats and we sure got stuffed.

There were also a number of other non-Sanford places in attendance and, to some extent, that confused me. I mean, it's called "Taste of Sanford" and yet i was tasting food from as far away as Deland and from the Universal Studios area. What's with that? I really think that a "Taste of Sanford" should be that. I did hear a few words from some of our friends at other places in Sanford, members of the Chamber who did not attend Taste of Sanford. Their take on it seemed to be that the Chamber wanted top dollar from local businesses, and was more interested in promoting out of the area and getting merchants who'd pay bigger bucks, rather than local folk. 

The setting for Taste of Sanford was nice, at the Civic Center. The inside was crowded early on, but thinned out a bit later. The evening was very nice and so sitting outside was also a pleasure with the big grassy area right behind, and a few vendors set up in that area. There were no long lines or large waits like there are at other "taste of" events, and that's a good thing. It's nice to be able to walk around, see what there is, talk to merchants and vendors, and get what you want promptly, I like that a lot.

Three years ago, Taste of Sanford cost me $35 for a couple ($20 individual), this year it was a flat $25 per person. So the price has gone up a bit. Given the fact that there were so few real local Sanford restaurants in attendance, I was a bit disappointed. I'd have liked to have sampled something from some other very local places like Marco Dino's, Angel's Soulfood, Cafe Rouge, Hollerbach's Willow Tree, and Riverwalk Pizza, just to name a few. I'm a big fan of local places rather than chains, yet there were a few chains there. Not that they have bad food, but I prefer the fresh ideas that local "mom and pop" places produce. So, for me, it was an OK experience, but just a bit of a disappointment. I mean, the food from Shula's in Lake Mary was outstanding, there was good stuff from the Debary Country Club and from De La Vega in Deland. Four Rivers from Longwood was good (but why is the "pulled" chicken then chopped so fine?) and Mr. Ted's from way down in Orlando on Kirkman had good stuff as well. But for my money, shouldn't the Sanford Chamber of Commerce strive more to promote Sanford and even at least, Seminole County Businesses?  But I guess that's a matter for the members of the Chamber to take up. 

Overall, this was a nice and fun event, it was a good "Taste of" Sanford and central Florida. Will I go back next year? Probably, probably. But I'd like to see a few more local Sanford places there too! 

FishBones

I've eaten at FishBones in Lake Mary a few times, and am just not really decided on if I like it or not, I'm very up in the air about it. So we went there on a recent Monday evening.


I guess the first thing was the question "do you have a reservation?" We didn't so right away were informed that it would be a 45-60 minute wait. It just seemed a bit cold, even though there were plenty of empty tables. I know, maybe no waitstaff for them but, well, it just seemed so unsympathetic.  But we were told we could sit at the sushi bar or outside, so we went outside where we quickly spied a table and took it. 


After a bit, a waitress appeared and provided the two of us with one menu. Now, we were sitting across from each other, so the one menu seemed a bit odd. But we managed. 


We each ordered a glass of wine. The wine was just OK, nothing at all special--except the price. For $8 or $9 for a mediocre at best house wine with a decidedly short pour, i felt that they were just trying to make a bundle on me with the drink prices. 

We started with the Bahamian Smoked Fish Dip, and it was very good, both in presentation and in flavor. The smoke was not very strong, but still there, the flavor quite mild. I would have liked a bit more onion in it and/or something to give it just a bit of a crunch--it was very smooth and creamy. But when it was delivered, the runner who plopped it down in front of us should have noticed that we had no plates, no silver, no napkin. Nope, he just plopped it down, job done, mission accomplished. So we had to ask for that. 

Our salads arrived in due time and I will say, they were excellent. The salad was very nice, and tasted very "green" and fresh, not overly dressed. It also was served with a light and warm, very tasty roll. I loved the salad a lot. 

For my main course I had a Chicken and Shrimp. There were some hits and misses here. The shrimp was a bit greasy and one of them was not properly cleaned, the "vein" still evident. They were just OK, but the shrimp sauce was a bit bland, tasting mostly like ketchup and not much else. The orzo was OK, and the mixed vegetables were nice and crispy but did not have any ginger taste that they were supposed to have. The chicken itself was a small piece covered with skin. It was tender and flavorful but a lot of the flavor was in the skin, which i avoided--don't need the calories. Still it was OK.

My friend Tommy had the Pork Chop. Now it was awesome, quite huge, tender, juicy, nearly perfect. It was a huge piece of meat, I can't imagine how anyone could eat the double sized one. It was nicely grilled and had a nice smokey flavor, too. It was maybe the best bite of the night.


Our service was a bit lackadaisical, so at times we went without seeing our server for a while, and at times her or another server were checking on us. A manager did come around once or twice as well.


So, overall, our experience was somewhat uneven, not what I'd expect for a restaurant like this, given the high prices. I'm not sure I'd really go back again. I've had better food and better service for a better price at other places. But what the heck, give it a try and you decide!

Please Vote for me!

Seminole Magazine is lhaving a Route 46 Blogger Contest. They are looking for local, Seminole County bloggers to contribute to ther magazine by blogging and "Building Community." 

Please go here to vote for me, "Leon" :
http://seminolemagazine.com/2012/05/17/route-46-building-community-blogger-contest. You'll need to register, then login to vote, but I sure would appreciate your vote. I am Leon and I write Central Florida's Good Eats under the a name Lake Mary Food Critic. I love to write about local happenings, especially when they revolve around food, and I'm sure I'd be a great contributor to their magazine! Thank you!

Caffé Venice Pizzeria & Ristorante

We had an OK dinner at Caffé Venice Pizzeria & Ristorante recently, though it was not our original intent to eat there. We walked in on a Saturday night expecting to see our favorite waitress, but the faces in the restaurant were unfamliar. It seems the the former Caffe Positano owners sold their business and now it's called Caffé Venice Pizzeria & Ristorante--though it took 3 months to put a new name on the marquee. Well, we decided to give it a try. This is a mixed review, some good, some not so good. But you can go and decide for yourself.

Our waiter, Stephen, was very competent and attentive, giving good service and answering all our questions. After getting over our initial shock, we started with some wine and ordered an appetizer, the mozzarella sticks. They were pretty ordinary, run-of-the-mill mozzarella sticks, though the marinara was pretty good. They were tasty enough, but I could have gotten the same things at many bars and much cheaper restaurants.

We also had some bread come out, along with some olive oil for dipping. The bread, too, was just OK. It was nothing too special and did not seem to be homemade--rather my guess is that it came in frozen and they bake it there. Still, it was OK. It was nice that they brought bread and we didn't need to request it--I hate when that happens. 

We started our dinners with a salad. I had the Italian dressing. It came already dressed and, for my taste, just a bit over dressed--but that's on me for not asking for the dressing on the side. It was a pretty standard salad with some carrots, red cabbage, a bit of tomato, romaine, etc. All that a decent salad should be.

For his main course Tommy had the Chicken Francais, chicken that was battered and lightly sauteed in a white wine and lemon cream sauce. I'll have to say, the chicken itself was very very tender. Perhaps just a bit over brined (a tad bit salty), but nonetheless, it was very good. The lemon of the sauce was just a bit overpowering, but still it was a very good dish. It was served with some mixed vegetables and potatoes on the side. These too were very good, and cooked properly. Overall, this was a very good dish and Tommy loved it a lot, as did i when i tasted it.

For my main course I chose a special of the day, as recommended by our waiter, it was home-made ravioli stuffed with chicken, spinach, and cheese. The presentation was a bit "red" for me, the ravioli were surrounded by a vodka cream sauce and topped with some sun dried tomatoes. Unfortunately, the home-made ravioli were quite tough. I mean, the pasta part of them was very tough. I wonder if they taste their own food when the cook it. The flavors were pretty good, but it was hard to get past the tough pasta to really enjoy the dish. I was disappointed in this dish.

Overall, our experience was just "OK." I think we were a bit shocked to find our favorite Italian restaurant gone, and I know I was disappointed in the homemade ravioli, though everything else was OK. I guess I'll give it a "like" vote on urbanspoon.com, but only by a little, and only because I like to support local businesses. I reserve the right to return and, if need be, change my vote. But I suggest you give it a try and see for yourself!