Polish Fried Green Tomatoes

I don't think anyone in Poland has ever heard of fried green tomatoes. For that matter, they are not very common outside of the US south. However, I made the world's best fried green tomatoes earlier today, and I want to share my tips and techniques. And, because the best tomatoes I've ever eaten (outside of those from my Dad's garden) were from roadside stands in Poland, I've decided to call my recipe Polskie Smażone Zielone Pomidory -- Polish Fried Green Tomatoes! So here's how I did it.


First off, tomato selection is key. I much prefer green tomatoes that have the barest hint of pink to them. But use caution--if you buy them, you must use them the same day or refrigerate immediately--they will go from green to slightly pink to ripe in the blink of an eye. Why not totally green? I find that solid green tomatoes are just a bit too hard when cooked. When you get one that is just at the very earliest stages of ripening and fry it, you'll find the inside is a bit more tender and juicy. But caution, if really starting to turn, the inside will become mush. It's imperative that you get tomatoes with only the very slightest hint of a pink blush--trust me on this.


Preparation and technique are key here, and there are seven distinct things you'll need. Get them ready in advance:

1. Green Tomatoes, sliced thin and evenly, about 1/4 inch--no more! Once sliced, lay on some paper towels to dry them.
2. First dry coat: Mix equal parts of masa harina (corn flour) and cornstarch. Add some cayenne (be generous, very generous) and salt. Mix well.
3. Wet coat: Beat three eggs with a scant quarter cup of milk or buttermilk. Season with salt and pepper and add some tobasco. Then add more tobasco.
4. Breading Coat: Take equal parts of masa harina (corn flour) and find ground cornmeal. Add about a third more fine bread crumbs. Add salt and cayenne. Add more cayenne. Trust me.
5. heat about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a heavy skillet to 350 degrees. Monitor the temp--too hot and your breading will burn, too cold and your finished treasures will be oily
6. Remoulade. You need a bit of topping or dipping sauce. My preferred sauce is a quarter cup of mayonnaise, a few tablespoons of sour cream, a tablespoon or two of ketchup, and a few tablespoons of horseradish. Mix well and let sit a bit. You can make it ahead (I usually make it first to give the flavors time to meld).
7. Plates for serving.

How to put it all together:  

• Take your sliced and dried green tomato slices
• Using the wet-hand/dry-hand method, first dip in the first coating. This makes them very dry so the wet coating sticks.
• Then dip in the wet coating.
• Finally, put in the breading coating. pack it on top, make sure it's completely covered. 
• Now set on a rack and let sit. They can sit up to 20 minutes and that's good for them as it lets the dry ingredients hydrate a bit
• Gently lay in the hot, 350-degree oil. 
• Fry about 2 minutes on the first side, then turn with a tongs and fry another minute or two until golden.
• Transfer to a wire rack that's been placed on some newspaper or paper towel--this allows any excess oil to wick away and keeps them from getting soggy or oily. Do not salt at this time, unless you've been stingy with the salt in all the other layers. If you were generous enough, they'll be perfect, trust me!
• Fry in small batches. You can keep warm in a warm oven. They really need to sit about 3-5 minutes before they're cool enough to eat.
• Now, plate and enjoy. You will be amazed at the great flavor--you'll taste the corn a bit.

Now, as they say in Polish: Smacznego! Enjoy! Good Eats!

Papa Tony's Italian Restaurant

We decided to try Papa Tony's Italian Restaurant for dinner recently, and it was a good choice, the food and service were very good. Upon arrival we were promptly greeted and seated by the hostess whom, I assume, was "Mrs. Papa Tony." I noticed that she was busy taking care of lots of things during the course of our visit, but first and foremost greeting customers. I also noticed Papa Tony himself in the dining room on one occasion, greeting a few tables with people he seemed to know, though we did not meet him. 

Anyway, Papa Tony has quite a menu, so it took us some time to decide. But eventually Tommy and I decided and ordered. Both of us chose dinners, and each came with the Antipasto Bar and breadsticks. The Antipasto Bar was very nice. Besides the normal lettuce and dressings, there were some nice things like pasta salad with beans, artichoke hearts, etc.; olives; carrots (quite yummy); and a lot of other typical fare. Everything was very fresh and very tasty, as were the warm breadsticks. A nice start to our meal.

For his main dish, Tommy chose the Chicken Parmagiana served over spaghetti. It was very good, a nice and tender, juicy chicken breast was breaded and cooked, then topped with cheese. Finally, it was placed on the bed of spaghetti and doused in the house marinara. The marinara, I'm sure, is home made--it was very good, nice and fresh tasting, not too salty, with a hearty tomato flavor. The whole dish was very good and there was more than enough for one person to eat. You guessed it: doggy bag!

For my main course, I chose something I'd never seen on a menu before, Chicken Scaparelli. This was tender slices of chicken that were sauteed with sliced spicy sausage and pepperoncinis (with a few mushrooms) in a white wine sauce. It was very good. The pepperoncinis lent just a bit of spiciness to the sauce, and the spicy sausage was also a good complement to the velvety white wine sauce and the mild chicken flavor. I liked this dish a lot. It was also served with pasta (I had capellini or angel hair) on the side with the house marinara sauce. Yumm. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish, the flavors were surprising both with the bit of spice and the smoothness of the sauce. A very nice dish. (My only suggestion--and it's a minor point--would be to wipe the plate before serving next time.)

Our service thorughout our meal was very attentive and friendly. The server knew the menu well and was able to answer all our questions as well as make suggestions--and our beverages were kept full, too. All in all, we had a very nice experience here. With so many Italian restaurants around, it is nice to find one that really pays attention to detail. I'd come back again, for sure!

The Breezeway Restaurant & Bar

Finally open! This past Saturday I heard that The Breezeway Restaurant & Bar opened three days earlier, so I hurried over to give it a try. Considering it was their third day of business, I was impressed and I'll surely be back in the near future--likely time and time again!


The Breezeway Restaurant and Bar opened in downtown Sanford in a wonderful space formerly home to the acclaimed Two Blondes and a Shrimp. Since that establishment closed about a year ago, several others have tried--briefly--and failed in this spot. This time, the new owners have put a lot of thought, effort, and money into the space. Newly remodelled with a new outside bar and a totally redone kitchen, this place has a lot of character and a lot of promise. 


We arrived around 5 on a warm Saturday afternoon and were promptly greeted and seated by the hostess. We chose to sit outside. Though it was a very warm afternoon, there was a nice breeze in the breezeway. Perfect!


We spent a bit of time studying the menu and started off with drinks and appetizers. Our drinks were both very good. My friend Tommy had margarita type, and mine was raspberry flavored, served in a martini or gimlet glass. Both cold drinks hit the spot on a hot day.


It took a while for our appetizers to arrive, and our waitress was quite apologetic for the delay. When they finally arrived, we had not plates or silver, but our waitress immediate spotted that and hurriedly recitifed the oversight. Like I said, this was their third day of business.

The best, by far, of the two was the Fried Mozzarella Cheese Wedges, house-made mozzarella that was sliced, breaded, and fried. It was served with an in-house made marinara. This was very good. The mozzarella was nice and creamy and warm. The marinara was also served warm and was a nice compliment to the creamy cheese. This was many steps about the normal "mozarella sticks" served by so many places. I'd put this in the top few as far as fried mozzarella goes, for sure. I would order this again next time, no doubt about that!

We also ordered the Fried Mushrooms. Unfortunately, this turned out to be our least favorite dish. First of all, they lacked a bit of seasoning and did taste better when I put some salt on them. But to me it seemed that the kitchen messed up here and forgot to season them. Secondly, they were just kind of plain, mushrooms with a breaded coating that were deep fried. They lacked some oomph! or something like that, they were just kind of plained, and underseasoned. On the other hand, the "dipping sauce," a horseradish sour cream sauce, was very good. It gave the bland mushrooms a bit of flavor. I'd have eaten a bowl of that sauce all by itself, it was that good.

After the slowness of our appetizers, everything else really arrived in a very timely and quick fashion. The salad I had with my sandwich was fairly ordinary, but very fresh, shredded iceberg lettuce with some onion, tomato, and cheddar cheese. The house Italian was nice and light too.

For his main course, my friend Tommy ordered The BIG Fish, the signature sandwich. The Breezeway uses the tag line "home of the Big Fish" on their menu, and they were right. A nice sized piece of red snapper was nicely blackened and cooked and seasoned just right. It was served on a roll with lettuce, tomato, and onion. But the star of the dish was the fish, no doubt. One thing about the tartar sauce--it seemed to have a bit of curry in it, an unusual ingredient. Though I didn't mind it, Tommy was not a big fan and I think those who don't like curry may be put off by it. But overall, the fish was tender, moist and flavorful, and this was an excellent signature sandwish.

When my dish arrived, I thought they brought the wrong thing. I ordered the "Sanford Special," a sandwich--this appeared to be a huge cutlet of some sort. Well, this was indeed my sandwich. Take a look at that! It was ginormous! More like a schnitzel, a pork tenderloin had been pounded, breaded, and fried. It was delicious and quite tender and juicy. It was served with a horseradish sauce which was also excellent. This was a great sandwich, though it made the bun look small. Nonetheless, though it was tough, I managed to finish it off--with just a bit of help. I would say this is a definite value and certainly would fill up even someone with a huge appetite.


Overall, our experience here was very good, especially given that it was day three of their operation. I imagine that in time a few of the rougher edges--and they were minor--will be polished. If they keep it up, they show great promise and I'll be back time and time again. Good job to Steve and all the crew. Yumm!

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!

Sake

I had lunch at Sake Thai and Sushi restaurant in Debary recently and was quite impressed. It has not been around for very long, but the food was sure good, the service wonderful, and I would love to come back some time for a full dinner.

I met my friend Tommy here for lunch recently. He started with Miso Soup which was good, I had a salad. But i also ordered a bowl of the Tom Yung Goong Soup, one of my favorites. It was good. I asked for it with medium heat and there was a nice bit of heat in it. One thing that seemed a bit low key was the lemongrass, it was not very predominant. But still, overall, I enjoyed my bowl of soup very much. 

We both had spring rolls with our lunch special. They were good but small. Still, they did hit the spot and had a nice wholesome freshness to them, jsut a bit of cabbage and greens inside gave them a mild flavor.

For my main course I had the Volcano Chicken. First off, the presentation was superb. Some julienne carrots were a foundation, then broccoli and mini corns, topped with two chicken medallions that were breaded and fried and nice and tender. It was topped by a nice sweet-sour chili sauce that had just the right amount of heat. And on the side a pile of finely julienned carrot. The presentation matched the taste because it was mighty tasty. It was served with a side of white rice that was just perfect for picking up some of the extra chili sauce.

My friend Tommy had the Pork Fried Rice. This was a nice portion of rice and had a great flavor. Too often soy sauce is used and overpowers fried rice, but this was not the case at all and there were plenty of chunks of pork in it as well. It was very tasty. And just like the other dishes, the presentation as fantasic, the dish just plain looked good to eat, and it was.


We had a very nice lunch here, now I'd like to come back for dinner sometime. And i saw some of the sushi that came out--it looked fantastic as well. Next time....!

Mario's Restaurant

I felt like I stepped back in time about 50 years when I entered Mario's Restaurant in Ormond Beach lately, but the food was good, the service attentive, and the portions huge!  


 We arrived on a very stormy and rainy Saturday evening. They were not very busy, but still had a fair flow of traffic. We were promptly seated and a drink order taken. Our wine arrived in due time and we were hungry so we ordered.

 Our meals each started with a salad, and it was a very good salad, nice and fresh and cold. It was served on a chilled metal plate. The plate itself had a place to put in a container of dressing, but for some reason the dressing was just placed on top of the salad. Curious. But the salad itself was very good with nice fresh lettuce, some tomato, egg, and etc. It was very good and very refreshing.

For his main course my friend Tommy had the Chicken Parm. Holy smokes! Talk about a huge portion! Three good sized chicken breasts were covered with parmesan cheese and red sauce and grilled nice and hot. The chicken was nice and tender, the parm was nicely browned. It was a good dish. It was served with a side of penne with red sauce, but that was really unnecessary. The portion was huge, he actually had a total of three meals out of it, eventually.


Our meals were accompanied by bread, and lots of it. One was a garlic bread, that was very good. But the best was a somewhat rustic chubby baton of a nice whole wheat bread, nice and fresh and warm. Very good bread.

For my meal I had the chicken marsala. The marsala was just a bit on the sweet side for me, but still it was very good. The chicken was nice and tender, and the sauteed mushrooms gave the dish a nice earthy flavor. This was very good. And the portion was large, I ended up taking half of it home for another meal on another day.


Overall, I enjoyed my meal here. It was good Italian comfort food, not a lot of pretention, but good food done well and served in large portions. The restaurant itself probably has not changed much since it was opened in the 50's, but it was nice and clean. I'd eat here again, definitely. I can see why it has so many favorable votes on Urbanspoon.com!

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!

Angel's Soulfood and BBQ

All I can say is, "what took me so long to eat here?" My friend Tommy and  I had dinner at Angel's Soulfood and BBQ on a recent Saturday afternoon and found a real gem: gool ole' down home cooking. No pretention. No fancy tablecloths. Just good good food, and plenty of it, at a very reasonable price. I'm hooked--I'll be back again for more, no doubt!

Angel's is a pretty simple, down home place--neat, clean, fresh, and organized. You walk in and order at the counter and they bring your food out to you. But not worry, they check on you from time to time as well.

For my dinner, I had the BBQ ribs with mashed potatoes and gravy, cole slaw, and mac and cheese. The ribs? Well, they were wonderful! Meaty, tender, juicy, a nice bit of fat--and falling off the bone. With a nice, baked in BBQ flavor, they were all a nice meaty rib should be: finger lickin' good--and I did a lot of finger lickin!  The mashed potatoes were outstanding--I'd swear my momma was in that kithen making them and the gravy, they were that good. The cole slaw was good as well, and the mac and cheese was all I expected with a nice cheesy goodnes. This meal was a hit--good, down home goodness on a plastic plate. Yumm!

My friend Tommy had a fried chicken dinner. Let me tell you, this was fried chicken done right! The breaded coating was crisp and not too heavy, the chicken inside was steamy hot and tender and juicy. It was a full half chicken, a breast, a leg quarter, and a wing. And every piece was tender-juicy and flavorful. Tommy also had the mashed potatoes and gravy and the coleslaw. But he also had the creamed corn and it was very good with a nice corn flavor, not at all tinny like from a can. We both had cornbread with our meals and this was almost like a cake, very light and fluffy and sweet--but good with a mild corn flavor.

We both enjoyed our meal here and would certainly go back. This is down-home cooking done right. No wonder they've been around for well over a dozen years on Sanford Avenue, just off of first street in historic downtown Sanford. I loved it--I'll be back!

Yalaha Bakery

I was excited when I heard that the Yalaha Bakery had opened up a store in Orlando and I recently stopped in there. I was not disappointed. I ordered a loaf of the rye bread and just had to try a dessert as well, the Plum Kuchen. Both were excellent. I like rye bread but don't eat a lot of bread, but as soon as I got home I had two slices, one toasted and one fresh. MMMMmmm.... Wow, this is good rye bread. And, I froze half the loaf to enjoy later.

The Plum Kuchen was also very good, quite flaky and sweet, and quite delightful. The bakery has a wide selection of sweets as well as many varieties of breads. Based on my first visit there, I know I'll be going back again. And again. And again. Wonderful!

Food as Art: The Culinary Arts Court at the St. John's River Festival of the Arts

If you've ever been to an outdoor art festival, you know what the typical food fare is: greasy, warm, prepared in large quantities, and expensive. Definitely not really good eats. Well, that is about to change. 


A great new concept for food at an outdoor arts festival is being introduced this coming weekend at the St. John's River Festival of the Arts. It is called the Culinary Arts Court. Say goodbye to normal carnival food and hello to fine food representing several various cuisines/areas, and various craft beers as well--an added bonus. The Culinary Arts Court will feature cuisine from France, as well as  several areas from the US including Maine, Hawaii, and the Southwest. And they won't just be serving fine foods, wine, and craft beers, but you'll be able to see demonstrations as well.

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that I am a big fan of downtown Sanford. I am happy to report that I, the Lake Mary Food Critic, have signed up to be a patron for this worthy endeavor, and my friend and partner is one of the featured artists. I seriously hope you will come to downtown Sanford May 5-6 to see what this is all about. And, after the festival, come back here to see what I have to say about the food--you know I'll be writing about it. Hope to see you there, The St. John's River Festival of the Arts, May 5-6, in historic downtown Sanford. 

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!

Chianti's Pizza & Pasta

A new Pizza/Italian place opened in the area recently, and Tommy and I went to visit Chianti's Pizza & Pasta on a recent rainy evening. If my first experience is any indication, we'll be back here again--and soon. I will give you a hint: it was a good experience from top to bottom, great Italian food, and close to home!

It was raining cats and dogs when we arrived, but we found a front row parking spot and someone was waiting for us, holding the door. A nice and welcoming touch. There were not many other tables taken, just a few, but then again, it was pouring out. Later on as the rain subsided more diners came. No matter, we were promptly greeted, seated and provided with menus. We had a coupon for a free bottle of Chianti with our meal, and it was quickly produced. We were in the restaurant only a few minutes when the chef/owner, Ian, stopped by to chat. Being the food nerd I am, I had lots of questions and he was gracious with his time, several times, during the course of our meal.

Chianti open and poured, we ordered appetizers. But while we were waiting for them, we were given an order of Garlic Knots, gratis. It's just what they do, how nice. And.... Wow! They were right up there with the best garlic knots I've ever had. They were nice and yeasty, warm, sprinkled with parmesan and parsley and with a nice moderate garlic flavor. Tommy is not a big garlic fan, and we had some elsewhere that he didn't like. These he loved since the garlic was not overpowering. I'd have to agree, they were excellent.

For our first appetizer we had the Mozarella Fritta. This was whole milk mozzarella that was lightly battered/breaded and fried. It was served with the house (home-made) marinara sauce, and they were dusted with parmesan and parsley. This was a home run. So many so-called "Italian" restaurants serve your "Sam's Club" variety of mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. But these were truly outstanding, among the two best I've ever had (the other was recently at Marco Dino's another Sanford Italian place). The mozzarella was smooth and creamy and ooey-gooey, the crust of the batter gave a nice texture and contrast to the creamy chesse. And the marinara? It was very good and not overly sweet, just a nice, pleasant marinara.

For our other appetizer we ordered a small Pepperoni Pizza--I wanted to see what they could produce from their brick oven. Again, I was not disappointed. It came out nice and hot and was filled with cheese and a big cheese flavor. Wow, I will be back just for pizza. Chef Ian later told us that they have a daily lunch special with a small pizza and a drink for somewhere around $7, If I remember correctly. Gonna bring my "work gang" here sometime soon with a deal like that. But back to the pizza--it was wonderful, lots of big cheese flavor, nice sharp pepperonie, and a nice thin crust--cooked perfectly. Best of all, we have leftovers so will have some again later today.

For his main course, Tommy chose the Chicken Francese--lightly battered and fried chicken medallions served over linguini and smothered with a lemon butter sauce. First a word about the sauce--the lemon was very light which was a good thing. In some restaurants, the lemon overpowers the sauce. Here the touch was light, but there was some lemon on the plate if you wanted more. I had quite a good taste of the sauce and loved its buttery goodness with just that hint of lemon. And the chicken--well, it was absolutely tender and delicious. And the linguini was prepared to perfection, just al dente. It was a very good dish. Every bite was a wonderful reward for the mouth.

For my main course, I had the Zita ala Vodka--al dente rigatoni that was sauteed in SKY vodka sauce and topped with some pancetta and more cheese. It was wonderful, piping hot and full of good hearty italian flavor. The vodka sauce was nice and light, not overly creamed with milk. The pancetta was finely julienned. The baking melded all the flavors together. I love this dish and the portion was more than ample--I have a nice sized portion leftover for later today.

Our experience at Chianti's was top notch. The food and flavors were great. The atmosphere is more modern and open and pizza joint-ish, but the food that we had was right up there with the best Italian food I've had. With the closing or ownership change of Caffe Positano, I may have a new favorite Italian Restaurant--or maybe two. Between Chianti's and Marco Dino's, both in Sanford, it's a hard decision. But I know for sure I'll be back to Chianti's. The restaurant business is hard, but the food and experience here was top notch and it was a good value with very reasonable prices. I suggest you give Chianti's a try and let me know what you think. Ask for Ian, and tell him that the Lake Mary Food Critic sent you! Enjoy!

Monroe's at Route 46

I'll say this about our experience at Monroe's at Route 46 the other night: the food was good, but it could have been better, and the service was good, but it could have been better. Some high points, and some not so.

We arrived about dinnertime on a Friday evening and found a beautiful dining rooms, rich and dark with a fireplace and bold furnishings--but it was fairly empty. There were maybe six table or so occupied, and I had to wonder why? It is a gorgeous place, no doubt. We were quickly greeted and quickly seated. In a short time our waitress came out to take our drink orders. We both opted for a glass of wine, a fitting way to end a long work week and kick off the weekend.

After a bit we ordered appetizers. We asked out waitress about one item, the Florida Shrimp Mango Stack--but she really didn't seem to konw what it was! I was a bit surprised by that. I'd think the waitstaff should be well-versed in all the menu items. Oh well, for our first item we settled on the Fried Green Zellwood Tomatoes, and it was an excellent choice. The tomatoes were thick sliced and covered in a nice hearty breading, almost a crust. They were hot and not at all greasy, with the great tang that is characteristic of fried green tomatoes. The wasabi mayonnaise was good but could have used just a bit more kick. Still, overall, these were nearly the best fried green tomatoes I've had. I liked them a lot

Next we had the Sausage Mushrooms. Large mushroom caps were stuffed with a savory sausage mixture and topped with a creamy cheese sauce. These were OK but just OK. I thought they could have come out a bit hotter. The sausage mixture was just a bit gristly which surprised me, though it had a nice flavor. The cheese sauce was OK. I must add, both this and the other appetizer were garnished with a very nice coleslaw--it had a slightly asian tang to it and was very good. So the Sausage Mushrooms, were OK, just not out of the world great as they could have been.

I had a salad to start my meal. It was a good salad of mixed greens with a bit of cucumber, onions, and a few halved grape tomatoes on it. I had a house viniagrette dressing--it was good. One thing I did not quite like, and that was the croutons--they were not very crispy. It was as if they'd not been dried enough. They were just a bit soft and rubbery, not what a good crouton should be.

We had not ordered our main dishes until the appetzers came out, but it was a fairly long wait for the main course. Our waitress did come by to apologize for the wait, telling us that the kitchen was a bit slow. I guess when there are only a few other tables, you have to wonder how that can be? It seemed a bit apologetic to me, and she mentioned that they had a lot of new staff. Made me wonder why.... But eventually we did get our main courses.

For his main course, my friend Tommy had the Top Sirloin. He ordered it medium rare, but I'd say it came out more medium than rare, just a bit over cooked. And, there was a pool of juice on the plate, a tell-tale sign that it had not rested properly after cooking--perhaps in a rush to get it out, but still.... Still, the steak itself was very tender and moist and juicy and very tasty. And the baked potato was all it should have been. So from a flavor standpoint, this was good.

For my main course I had the Grilled Atlantic Salmon. The salmon was cooked very nicely, it had a bit of a glaze/crust on it that was really, really very good, and it was moist and tender and juicy. It was as good a piece of salmon as I've ever had. It was topped with a dill cream sauce that added a nice flavor the salmon. And, the portion was decent, much better than it looks in the picture. For my go-with I had the crab rice, and that was really a disapointment. It wasn't bad, but just wasn't really all that memorable. And I'm not sure what made it "crab" because I didn't taste crab in it. As a matter of fact it was slightly under cooked and there was at least one chunk on the plate that indicated to me that it had been held for some time. After the greatness of the salmon, this was a bit disappointing.

So, our experience at Monroe's was a mixed on. There were some high points in the food: the flavor of the steak, the salmon, the fried green tomatoes. And a manager came by twice to check on us. But there were also a few missteps, the lack of rest for the steak, the chewiness of the sausage in the mushrooms, the one-note of the crab rice that was missing any crab flavor. Would I eat here again? Well, they have a few other menu item's I'd like to try, so perhaps. But it will not be my top choice, I'm afraid. I suggest you give it a try and tell me what you think! But you better hurry, the low attendance would certainly make me wonder if they'll stay around a long time yet.....

Włoskie Kanapkę Małe Gryzie

So, what are "Włoskie Kanapkę Małe Gryzie?" Well, it is Polish for Italian Sandwich Small Bites. We were recently invited to two parties on one day. Since I love to cook (and make great food), I had to think long and hard about what kind of creation I could bring. But, with the help of my friend, Tommy, I was able to come up with something. I didnt' know what to call them, so decided to give them a Polish name, hence "Włoskie Kanapkę Małe Gryzie" or  Italian Sandwich Small Bites, because I used a lot of Italian flavors and meats and made this into some small bites.

So, here's what I did:

I started with an Arnold's sandwich round. I opened it up and I toasted it a bit wth a blowtorch. Yes, I said a blowtorch! This got a bit of caramelization on the buns. For a dressing, I caramelized some onions for about an hour on the stove over low heat, just enough to really bring out the sugars in the onions. I then took about 2-3 parts of mayo and added one part of sour cream. To that I added the caramelized onions and some finely chopped, fresh tarragon. I let this side in the refrigerator for a while to marry the flavors.

Eventually it was time to make my little sandwiches. To each on I put on some of the "special" mayo, then a layer of thin-sliced radishes, and then a bit of romain lettuce, about two layers. Then I added two slices of genoa salami, a slice of smoked sharp provolone, and two slices of nice and spicy capicoolla. I topped all of this with some alfalfas sprouts and then topped with the other half of the Arnold's round, already slathered with some of the mayo mix. Finally, i topped each one with six pieces of marinated, roasted red peppers, put in toothpics, and sliced into sixths.

Then, I just stood back and watched them disappear. Everyone loved them!