La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant

Upon the recommendation of some friends, we recently tried La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant in Longwood. It was a good recommendation, I cannot remember when I last had such good Mexican food in the central Florida area. This place is one to bookmark and return to, again and again!

We arrived about 7 on a very rainy Friday evening. There were not a lot of people, there but it is a big place and they had steady traffic, given the rainy evening. We were promptly greeted and seated, and our waitress promptly appeared with some chips and salsa (and the chips were nice and warm, nice!). We were wisely served with a small carafe of salsa and two small bowl. I say wisely because that allowed me to kick mine up a notch with some Tabasco while my friend Tommy was able to enjoy his more mellow, mild preference for salsa. 

We began with an appetizer, the Shrimp Empanadas. They were very good. Three large empanadas were stuffed with a very decent portion of shrimp along with some crab and, I'm sure, other goodies, then deep fried. Now, I will say, they were fried just a bit too much and would have been even better if they'd been removed a bit quicker. But, outside of the slightly overcooked outer edges, the empanadas themselves were excellent. They had a great shrimp flavor with just a hint of crab. The guacamole served with them was also excellent, tasting primarily of avocado, a bit of onion, and cilantro. I'm guessing there was a bit of lime juice and maybe some garlic, too, but they did not overpower the nice "guac" flavor. These were a hit!

For his entree, my friend Tommy had the Chimichangas. Two large chimis were  stuffed with a very flavorful beef filling and fried perfectly, topped with some melted cheese and served with rice and beans, as well as a few other dressings. I had a bite, and this was very, very good. Tommy agreed. The beef filling was flavorful, the chimi cooked just right, and the rest o f the go-withs just added to a nice meal. Yumm.

I ordered the La Fiesta Grande, a combo where you can pick three items from a list. I chose chicken for a burrito and an enchilada, as well as a pork tamale. All I can say is, "wow." This was really good. Not fancy, not gourmet, but excellent Mexican food for a very decent price. The portion was large and I enjoyed every bit--and no, I did not eat it all in one sitting! The rice and beans that went with it were pretty standard fare, but good. The rest of the dish was covered in a very tasty red sauce. The hint of vinegar/acid in it was wonderful. It was a great compliment to the rest of the items. The burrito was stuffed with tender, moist, shredded chicken. The enchilada had some larger chunk of chicken. Both had a nice chicken flavor to them and were tasty. The pork tamale boasted than nice corn flavor a tamale should have--it was well done and the pork was tender and juicy.

We both enjoyed our meal here thoroughly, food, service, ambiance, and price. We both agree, we'll be back here--we have not found a lot of good Mexican food in central Florida (outside of two great places in Daytona Beach--a bit of a drive for us). We'll be back, for sure, and I suggest you give this place a try and tell me what you think!

Quickfire Sub Station

We decided to give Quickfire Sub Station a try on a recent Friday night, based on some good reviews on Urbanspoon. However, I'm not sure I went to the right place. What I found was food swimming in salt, and that was disappointing. There was some good, but overall, based on price, service, and taste, I do not plan on returning. More about what we were charged in a bit.

First off, the food. Well, I ordered the Train Wreck (small) and the combo, so also a Tortilla Soup and a drink. The first thing I tasted was the Tortilla Soup. It left me wondering if the cook tastes what they make and server. The overwhelming taste was salt. I could detect some beef (I guess) base in the background, but mostly I tasted salt. They claimed that there was a bit of a spice to the soup, but all i tasted was salt. It was below average. The sandwich was OK, but just OK. There was a lot to it and a lot of flavors, bacon, ham, turkey, etc. It was a bit messy to eat--actually, a lot messy--but overall, pretty tasty. For $5.99 I would say it's a value. 

My friend Tommy had the french dip and Chicken soup, also ordering the combo. His soup was OK, nothing spectacular, but at least not wildly oversalted. Unfortunately, the french dip itself, the jus, was very salty and not very appetizing. His roast beef, supposedly homemade, was just average at best. It was well done, not what i'd expect from homemade roast beef. 

Perhaps the best part of the meal would have been the french fries, had they been a little less salted. Again with the salt!  They were hot and fresh, seasoned fries. They were pretty good if you could get past the salt. 

My big suggestion to this family run business: get the salt in hand, taste the food, and put a salt shaker on the table. Under-salted is better than oversalted, and most of what I had here was way over-salted, pure and simple. 

The service was OK but certainly not stellar. The table we sat at needed cleaning, and in the whole time we were there, I did not once see anyone cleaning any of the empty tables. 

We paid $22.24 before tax for what we had. In looking at my receipt this morning, it just does not add up for what we ordered. In other words, it was not rung up correctly and we ended up overcharged. We had two small subs at $5.99 each. We each added the combo (we had soup) for another $3.49 each. And we added a small order of fries for $1.99. The receipt, however, only shows one combo soup (comes with a drink) at $3.49. Then it shows another soup at $2.99 and a drink at $1.79 (the combo comes with a drink). So, we were overcharged by $1.29, plus tax. That does not inspire confidence in me.

Overall, I was not that impressed. Perhaps if they tasted their food, paid a bit more attention to employee training on the register, paid more attention to keeping the dining area clean, and laid off on the salt and tasted everything, it would have been a better experience. However, this is an independently owned, family run business, according to their web site. It's fairly new. Maybe there are just a few kinks to work out. I hope so and I hope they succeed. I invite you to give it a try and see what you think. Feel free to comment here or write your own review on Urbanspoon.com. 

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! 

Tijuana Flats

I can see why Tijuana Flats in Winter Springs was recently chosen as the top restaurant in Winter Springs by the readers of Seminole Magazine: they provide a great combination of food, service, and atmosphere at a reasonable price. Recently, Seminole Magazine and Tijuana Flats in Winter Springs hosted a "meet the bloggers" event for seven bloggers from the magazine who represent the seven cities of Seminole County, Yours truly was one of them (I blog there under my real name, Leon... check it out!) 

So, thanks to the coordination of Bill Ernst of Seminole Magazine and the generosity of Brenda and Rick Brown, owners of this franchise, as well as the logistics management Hector, the Manager, and all the staff, we had a great time at Tijuana Flats the other night. And the food was good, too.

My friend Tommy and I began our evening with drinks and some chips with salsa, queso, and guacamole, and were joined by our (new) friends, fellow blogger Jennifer and her husband, Daniel. Later on we were joined by blogger Lauren and her husband, Brian. (And, through the course of the evening we also met bloggers Gale and... oops, my memory is failing me now!)

So, the food.... Well, I've always liked Tijuana Flats and have eaten at a number of them. A small locally founded chain, one thing you can count on from a chain is consistency. Each one I've visited has been consistent in the food and the services, and that's very telling--it's why they were voted Winter Springs' best! So, in the midst of all the festivities and fun, I ordered my favorite, the Blackened Chicken Tostadas. Yumm. Always good, always consistent. And soo good. Nice crispy tortilla quarters are topped with cheese, tomatoes, black olives, blackened chicken, and jalapenos, and served with lettuce, salsa and sour cream. Of course I had to get my favorite hot sauce from their hot sauce bar (named "Don't Be a Chicken Shit!). I was in heaven and relished each and every bite of these.

Of course, the best part of the evening was the atmosphere. We sat outside on the spacious patio and had live entertainment provided by Bobby France...that boy can sing, it was fantastic. So we had it all: great atmosphere with live music and sitting outside, new friends and great visiting, good food, cold beer and other drinks, and a value as well. I can see why this must be a favorite gathering place for those in Winter Springs. Somehow, I'm sure we'll find an excuse to return there again. 

Mayslack's Restaurant and Music Lounge

My sister and I stopped in at Mayslack's Restaurant and Music Lounge for a brief rest when we were in Minneapolis recently. Well, truth be told, we stopped in for a beer. I had a Grain Belt. OK, it was not my favorite. But this is certainly a very interesting place. I looked over the menu and have seen the comments on Urbanspoon.com, and I'd sure like to try the food here sometime. While we were here, we saw an order or two of food come out. It looked fantastic and, judging the relish with which the recpients dug in, it must have tasted equally good. My folks and Uncle and other family have all eaten here, and highly recommend it. I'll have to make it back some time for more than just a beer. I can't wait!

Balistreri's Italian-American Ristorante

All I can say is, be careful what you order at Balistreri's Italian-American Ristorante, because if you order a large pizza, you will get one huge, gigantic, full sheet pan sized pizza...and a danged good pizza to boot! I was in Milwaukee visiting family, and a group of about six or seven of us went out to eat in Wauwatosa. Our first choice was closed for a vacation, so we came to Balistreiri's as a second choice, but it turned out to be a great choice. Not only were the pizzas large and good, but the beer was good and cold. It was a hot June day in Milwaukee, and we had a great meal here. 

For each of the two large pizzas we ordered, we ordered half-and-half pizzas, then had great fun sampling all four varieties. Which was my favorite? All of them, they were each excellent. As you can see in the photo, each pizza took up a full half-sheet pan (we barely had room on the table for our plates and beer glasses)! The crust was excellent, and nice and thin. The various toppings were good and plentiful, but not so much that they weighed down the pizza. They were both cooked perfectly. And, can you believe it, though there were only 6 of us, we ate it all! Every last slice. And it was all good. I'd certainly go  eat here again, in a heartbeat!

Randy's Family Restaurant

My sister and I were driving from Milwaukee to Eau Claire on my last visit "up north," and we were hungry, so we decided to stop in at Randy's Family Restaurant in Eau Claire for a late lunch. As soon as I saw one particular thing on the menu, I knew I had to have it: Deep Fried Cheese Curds! Now, fresh cheese curds are definitely a "Wisconsin thing." They are simple fresh cheese curds, before they've been pressed into a block and aged. The have two definite characteristics that prove they are fresh: they squeak when you eat them (at room temperature, of course!), and they are a bit salty. Well, in Wisconsin, they've learned how great they are when they are battered or breaded and deep fried. And indeed they are wonderful. The ones we had at Randy's were very good, definitely fresh cheddar cheese curds, and fried nicely. Yumm.

For my lunch i had the mahi sandwich with a salad. The salad was average and, so was the sandwich, overall. The fish itself was a nice large portion, lightly blackened and fried to perfection. But it seemed to me a waste to put such a nice piece of tasty fish on such an ordinary bun! I guess if the bun is my worst complaint, it can't be all bad, and that's true. So, while the sandwich was good and the fish excellent, it could have been made better by a more tasty bun. But overall, we had a very pleasant lunch at Randy's Family  Restaurant and found the service good and the food decent at a very affordable price. Yumm!

Kramarczuk East European Deli

If you get to Minneapolis, make double-sure you don't miss a chance to savor the wonderful Ukrainian and Eastern European food being made and served at Kramarczuk's East European Deli! My sister Jean and I were in Minneapolis recently, visiting relatives and exploring the area where our Father and his family lived at one time. We visited a few Polish restaurants in the area, but saved the best for last when we ate lunch at Kramarczuk's. Our great-grandmother was Ukranian and we both remember lots of great Polish food at the table when we were young. And as it turns out, there is a lot in common between Ukrainian and Polish food--in some cases, only the names change, just a bit.

Now, it's true that I was like a kid in a candy store, and I ordered enough food to easily feed a basketball team, but I just had to try a little bit of everything, and I was not at all disappointed, not in the least. Where to begin??

Well, my favorite food in the world is probably pierogi, the Polish version of a ravioli, only much, much better. In Ukraine, pierogi are called varenyky, but they are the same thing: a wonderful filling is stuffed in a noodle-type dough and then boiled. Though sometimes also fried in Poland, in Ukraine, varenyky are traditionally boiled, then served with sour cream. We had the sampler platter and they were indeed outstanding!  We had three varieties, each one better than the other, and all excellent: meat, sauerkraut and mushroom, and potato and cheese. Yum, they were to die for, and the accompanying sour cream had just a touch of horseradish added to it. Wonderful wonderful, wonderful!  

But there's more. I also ordered the Holubtsi (called Gołąbki in Poland), a stuffed cabbage roll. But this cabbage roll was one of the best I've ever had, a close equal to those made by my mother and those made by my cousin Alicja in Poland. A nice meat and rice filling, pleasantly but simply seasoned, was wrapped in a cabbage leaf, then cooked for a good long time until the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the cabbage leaf tender and savory. But the best was the sauce. If I had to do it again, I'd buy a quart of the sauce, take it home, and try over and over again to duplicate the flavor, it was that good. It was creamy and tomato based, but the flavors were all very subtle. I actually used my spoon to eat it like a soup, it was sooooo good!  I'll never forget it and wish I could duplicate it.

But that was not all. We also tried the Borscht (beet soup) and braised red cabbage. Both were very good as well. The borscht (barszcz in Polish) was excellent, with a nice hearty beet flavor, served with a bit of sour cream. I could eat a gallon of that stuff. I washed down my meal with a Polish beer, Żywiec. And, once we were done pigging out on the excellent food, we also tried a pastry from the deli. You see, Kramarczuk's started out as a deli and meat market, then added the cafeteria-style restaurant later (and they still make their own sausage, some 20 or more different types). And we found one of the original Kramarczuk brothers has written a book about how their family emigrated from Ukraine to the United States after World War II. My sister Jean bought the book for me and I read it, it's truly an amazing story about life as it was in Ukraine long ago, and how a poor family came to this country and, with some hard work and surrounded by a loving and supportive family and community, melded into American society and prospered, while never forgetting their roots. It's a great story, and Kramarczuk's Eastern Eurpoean Deli is an amazing place. I highly recommend it!

Eat Street Social

I was with my sister in Minneapolis recently, visiting my nephew (her son) and his wife, and they suggested Eat Street Social for dinner. It was a good choice and I'd go back there again, definitely!

There are a lot of good eating choices in Minneapolis. Eat Street Social could probably be described as urban-trendy with both modern and historic overtones. Set in an older building, the space itself is very open and airy. That also makes it a bit loud.

I had a wonderful pasta carbonara dish that was nicely done shell pasta served with peas, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, a bit of bacon, and a creamy sauce, topped with some parmesan and a bit of romano as well, I believe. It was very good though I will say just a bit heavy. Still, I loved it. My sister and nephew both had the steak, and both raved about it. The food was very good, the atmosphere superb, the drinks went down very well, and the company was priceless. I'd go back here, for sure!

Crabby Dave's

I was "back home" visiting family in June, and of course on a Friday it was required that we go out for a Fish Fry. So about 18 of us gathered at Crabby Dave's in downtown Marshfield. And what did we have? Well, a Fish Fry, of course. 

I have looked all around central Florida, but nowhere have I found the perfect "Wisconsin style" Fish Fry. I had it at Crabby Dave's in Marshfield, Wisconsin, however. Tender, battered, deep-fried fish is, of course, the star. Along with that there is the requisite coleslaw, french fries, and bread (note that i substituted more coleslaw for the fries, as seen in the photo. And don't forget the tartar sauce.

Everything was great here but the fish was indeed the star. Now, I will say that the fish portions appeared a bit on the small size, I'm glad I ordered the 3-piece dinner, but they were cooked perfectly, nice and tender and flaky, and not over-battered. The whole meal was wonderful, and made more so by the fact that my family was there: parents, brother, sisters, spouses, nieces and nephews and their families as well, down to my parents' "great-grands." It was a wonderful meal and a great time, and so nice that Crabby Dave's was able to accommodate a group of our size on a busy "Fish Fry" Friday evening. Well done! 

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....!