Monday, October 2
We've Moved!
Blogger has been a good home the past few months, but we've decided to upgrade and move to TypePad. We've also changed the blog's name from TasteTampaBay to FloridaFoodHound. We get more cool tools at TypePad and a direct domain name.
Please update your bookmarks to FLFoodHound.com. If you're subscribed to our Feedburner feed or email subscription, you don't need to do anything. You should continue to automatically receive new content. Click here if you'd like to subscribe to the FloridaFoodHound RSS feed.
Keep those emails coming to flfoodhound@gmail.com with your favorite restaurants around Tampa Bay. I'm particularly interested in hearing about your favorite sandwich shops lately.
Thanks and have a great week!
Wednesday, September 27
Tangelo's: Good Food, Gruff Service
This past week we decided to try out Tangelo's Grille on First Ave. N. in downtown St. Pete for lunch. We had originally intended to try Tangelo's several weeks ago for lunch after reading a glowing new review of the long-time lunch joint by Chris Sherman in the St. Pete Times. However, we gave up and went to the Thai place down the bock instead after sitting for about ten minutes at a table in Tangelo's and not having anyone bring us drinks or take our order.I'm all for giving places a second try, though, particularly one that is obviously doing something right with its food if it's crowded at lunch even when the service seems lackluster. So last Thursday we headed back to Tangelo's and grabbed a different table in the front then we had had on our last visit. Maybe a new table would change our luck. Indeed, the manager (I suspect she is also the owner) barked she would be with us soon after we sat down. Next thing I knew she was taking our order. Service wasn't friendly, but it was quick this time.
As we waited for our food, we couldn't help but watch in fascination as the manager (owner?) snapped at a customer standing at the counter waiting for an order. She also saracastically answered a customer that had asked a question about the menu who had sat down at a table next to us. I felt like we were watching the "Soup Nazi" at work on an old episode of Seinfeld. To be fair, the restaurant was again crowded for the lunch rush and looked like the kitchen was running behind and the place was short on servers. I get the feeling this is just "normal" here.
After waiting longer than we expected, our food came out. I had ordered Tangelo's Ybor City style Cuban sandwich with a bowl of black beans and rice and Traci had orered a Cuban with turkey and a bowl of black beans and rice as well. My pressed sandwich was very tasty and stuffed with generous portions of roast pork and ham. I also had a few bites of Traci's turkey Cuban and thought it was very good. The black beans and rice on the other hand were bland. They were only saved after Traci grabbed a bottle of what turned out to be a delicious hot sauce from another table. On its own though, these were black beand and rice I'd skip.
As we finished up our meal, Traci caught the manager berating another customer in Spanish as he was about to leave. One side of me actually enjoyed these theatrics, while the other part of me wondered why this lady was in the restaurant business? I am proud to say I wasn't verbally assaulted by her, at least to my face, when I went up to the counter and paid our bill. Speaking of the bill, Tangelo's doesn't break the wallet. The lunch specials we had were about six bucks.
Bottom-line: For good cheap eats in downtown St. Pete for lunch, Tangelo's fits the bill. Come prepared, though, for gruff service. I can't say I'll be in a rush to come back anytime soon.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - September 2006 - Critical (6), Non-Critical (5).
Tuesday, September 19
Alessi Woodstone Oven: Good Addition to Carrollwood
On Sunday afternoon we decided to check out Alessi Woodstone Oven on N. Dale Mabry in Carrollwood for an early lunch. Alessi Woodstone Oven was opened last fall by Phil Alessi Jr., the son of Phil Alessi Sr., owner of the famous Alessi Bakery & Deli on West Cypress St.
Alessi Woodstone Oven's atmosphere and menu is across between chains Panera Bread and Maggiano's. Alessi Woodstone specializes in flatbread pizza (of course baked in a woodstone oven), pastas, paninis, salads and, as one would expect from the Alessi name, baked goods and dessert items. We arrived only a little after 11 am so the restaurant was just opening up.
For our starter, we ordered fried mozzarella triangles. For my main dish I went with Maxine's salad, which is touted as Alessi's signature salad and includes avocado, gorgonzola cheese, raisins, diced chicken, cucumbers, olives and plantain chips. Traci ordered a custom 10 inch flat bread pizza with pepperoni, red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes. The server also brought out a complimentary garlic flat bread which was delicious. We are suckers for warm bread with olive oil to dip in and the Alessi mixed peppercorn grinder at our table made it even better.
The mozzarella triangles were tasty and I particularly liked the shredded mozzarella that was sprinkled on top and around the plate. I wasn't as crazy about the marinara sauce for dipping. My salad was nicely presented and tasted even better. I had a few bites of Traci's flatbread pizza and we both agreed it was one of the better flat bread pizzas we've had. We were tempted to try one of the desserts, but we were already stuffed and had pizza left over to take home.
Our server was friendly and attentive. Of course, the place was pretty empty so there wasn't competition for his attention. This was in stark contrast to the IHOP next door which had people waiting outside (a line for IHOP grub, huh?). I hope we just caught Alessi Woodstone at its slowest time because it was clearly hurting Sunday (granted it was before a Bucs game). I do wonder if the location (set back in a corner with limited visibility from Dale Mabry) is hurting it.
The prices were also slightly higher than I expected, but then the food quality was better than I expected so this evened out. Overall, I had a good experience and hope they make it.
Bottom-line: I don't know how Alessi Woodstone Oven performs when it's busy, but during our weekend visit we had a good experience and the food lived up to the Alessi name.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - April 2006 - Critical (3), Non-Critical (2).
Alessi Woodstone Oven's atmosphere and menu is across between chains Panera Bread and Maggiano's. Alessi Woodstone specializes in flatbread pizza (of course baked in a woodstone oven), pastas, paninis, salads and, as one would expect from the Alessi name, baked goods and dessert items. We arrived only a little after 11 am so the restaurant was just opening up.
For our starter, we ordered fried mozzarella triangles. For my main dish I went with Maxine's salad, which is touted as Alessi's signature salad and includes avocado, gorgonzola cheese, raisins, diced chicken, cucumbers, olives and plantain chips. Traci ordered a custom 10 inch flat bread pizza with pepperoni, red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes. The server also brought out a complimentary garlic flat bread which was delicious. We are suckers for warm bread with olive oil to dip in and the Alessi mixed peppercorn grinder at our table made it even better.
The mozzarella triangles were tasty and I particularly liked the shredded mozzarella that was sprinkled on top and around the plate. I wasn't as crazy about the marinara sauce for dipping. My salad was nicely presented and tasted even better. I had a few bites of Traci's flatbread pizza and we both agreed it was one of the better flat bread pizzas we've had. We were tempted to try one of the desserts, but we were already stuffed and had pizza left over to take home.
Our server was friendly and attentive. Of course, the place was pretty empty so there wasn't competition for his attention. This was in stark contrast to the IHOP next door which had people waiting outside (a line for IHOP grub, huh?). I hope we just caught Alessi Woodstone at its slowest time because it was clearly hurting Sunday (granted it was before a Bucs game). I do wonder if the location (set back in a corner with limited visibility from Dale Mabry) is hurting it.
The prices were also slightly higher than I expected, but then the food quality was better than I expected so this evened out. Overall, I had a good experience and hope they make it.
Bottom-line: I don't know how Alessi Woodstone Oven performs when it's busy, but during our weekend visit we had a good experience and the food lived up to the Alessi name.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - April 2006 - Critical (3), Non-Critical (2).
Monday, September 11
Maritana Grille: Good "Special Occasion" Choice
In a break from barbecue and burger joints, Traci and I had dinner last Wednesday at the Maritana Grille at the Don CeSar resort on St. Pete Beach. We had decided several weeks earlier that we'd splurge on a meal to celebrate our anniversary and had picked the Don.
While the Maritana Grille consistently makes the lists of the top restaurants in Tampa Bay, I was still a little concerned that the place wouldn't live up to its rep. Restaurants inside hotels, even high-end ones, can sometimes be more style than substance. This certainly wasn't the case, though, at the Maritana Grille. We had a high-quality, very enjoyable experience.
The Maritana Grille is located right off the Don's main lobby towards the front of the hotel. One entire wall of the small restaurant is lined with impressive fish tanks filled with tropical fish. The overall style of the restaurant is clean and classic without feeling stuffy and overly formal.
We each started off with a Maritana Caesar salad and I decided to also order foie gras with caramelized onions and bleu cheese for myself. The foie gras was delicious and the blue cheese flavor wasn't overpowering. The salad was tasty and was neatly served in an edible cheese bowl. We also munched on a great selection of fresh bread (don't miss the bread sticks!). Our server also brought out a chef's sampler of carrot curry soup that was surprisingly good.
For our main course, I ordered pan seared scallops with lobster rissotto and Traci ordered a grilled filet mignon with truffle mashed potatoes. The scallops were excellent, although the rissotto was bland. Traci's filet was nicely done and the truffled mashed potatoes were knockout. Our server also brought her out vanilla bean mashed potatoes which were delicious.
We were already stuffed from dinner and had debated passing on dessert, but eventually gave in. We ordered the Maritana ice cream tasting, which on this night included scoops of poppyseed and pecan ice cream and a scoop of raspberry sorbet. The three scoops were lightly drizzled with chocolate sauce. Two glasses of a dessert wine finished our memorable evening.
Service was very good and attentive (our server brought me out an extra scallop because he said one that came with my entree "looked too small"). We don't regularly splurge on high-end restaurants, but when we do we want to be impressed and Maritana Grille didn't disappoint.
Bottom-line: If you're a fan of high-quality Florribean cuisine and are looking for a "special occasion" place in a historic setting, Maritana Grille at the Don CeSar is a good choice.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - December 2005 - Critical (3), Non-Critical (3).
While the Maritana Grille consistently makes the lists of the top restaurants in Tampa Bay, I was still a little concerned that the place wouldn't live up to its rep. Restaurants inside hotels, even high-end ones, can sometimes be more style than substance. This certainly wasn't the case, though, at the Maritana Grille. We had a high-quality, very enjoyable experience.
The Maritana Grille is located right off the Don's main lobby towards the front of the hotel. One entire wall of the small restaurant is lined with impressive fish tanks filled with tropical fish. The overall style of the restaurant is clean and classic without feeling stuffy and overly formal.
We each started off with a Maritana Caesar salad and I decided to also order foie gras with caramelized onions and bleu cheese for myself. The foie gras was delicious and the blue cheese flavor wasn't overpowering. The salad was tasty and was neatly served in an edible cheese bowl. We also munched on a great selection of fresh bread (don't miss the bread sticks!). Our server also brought out a chef's sampler of carrot curry soup that was surprisingly good.
For our main course, I ordered pan seared scallops with lobster rissotto and Traci ordered a grilled filet mignon with truffle mashed potatoes. The scallops were excellent, although the rissotto was bland. Traci's filet was nicely done and the truffled mashed potatoes were knockout. Our server also brought her out vanilla bean mashed potatoes which were delicious.
We were already stuffed from dinner and had debated passing on dessert, but eventually gave in. We ordered the Maritana ice cream tasting, which on this night included scoops of poppyseed and pecan ice cream and a scoop of raspberry sorbet. The three scoops were lightly drizzled with chocolate sauce. Two glasses of a dessert wine finished our memorable evening.
Service was very good and attentive (our server brought me out an extra scallop because he said one that came with my entree "looked too small"). We don't regularly splurge on high-end restaurants, but when we do we want to be impressed and Maritana Grille didn't disappoint.
Bottom-line: If you're a fan of high-quality Florribean cuisine and are looking for a "special occasion" place in a historic setting, Maritana Grille at the Don CeSar is a good choice.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - December 2005 - Critical (3), Non-Critical (3).
Wednesday, September 6
Fourth Street Shrimp Store: Good Lunch Spot
Last Friday afternoon we decided to visit Fourth Street Shrimp Store on, you guessed it, 4th Street N. in St. Pete. While I've only lived in Tampa for a year now, my bride-to-be Traci used to live in St. Pete Beach and works in St. Pete so I was introduced to this long-time local joint by her several years ago. It's a place we still hit every few months, generally for lunch.
4th Street Shrimp Store is hard to miss from the outside with its bright funky colors and the large painted mural on the side of the restaurant. Inside the quirky warehouse-style restaurant is decorated with old-time St. Pete and Key West paraphernalia. There is also a small outside deck area for dining that is nice in cooler weather, but still to be avoided this time of year.
We sat up at the bar on our last visit to take advantage of a lunch special which included a free drink (no, I didn't order a beer, but the thought crossed my mind) if you dine at the bar. I went with the chipotle shrimp salad wrap, which the bartender said is a new addition to the menu, and Traci ordered a blackened chicken sandwich. We also split an order of onion rings.
The onion rings as usual weren't spectacular, but were solid. My one gripe with the onion rings is that they don't come with a sauce for you to dip them in unless you ask. My wrap was very tasty (full of plump shrimp and just enough spice). Traci was happy with her blackened chicken sandwich, which was blackened just enough for that extra flavor without drying the chicken out.
I should point out that on one previous visit about two years ago Traci's chicken sandwich came out undercooked. We told the server, she apologized profusely and then fixed our order. If this was our first visit to Fourth Street Shrimp Store it could have been our last, but we had already had several previous positive experiences so we gave the place a partial pass. I'm glad we did.
Let me know about your favorite (and least favorite!) seafood restaurants in the Tampa Bay area. From fancy seafood restaurants to local dives I want to hear about them.
Bottom-line: While Fourth Street Shrimp Store has some rough edges, for affordable seafood (under $10 for lunch) in a relaxed setting, this long-standing local restaurant fits the bill well.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - July 2006 - Critical (3), Non-Critical (1).
4th Street Shrimp Store is hard to miss from the outside with its bright funky colors and the large painted mural on the side of the restaurant. Inside the quirky warehouse-style restaurant is decorated with old-time St. Pete and Key West paraphernalia. There is also a small outside deck area for dining that is nice in cooler weather, but still to be avoided this time of year.
We sat up at the bar on our last visit to take advantage of a lunch special which included a free drink (no, I didn't order a beer, but the thought crossed my mind) if you dine at the bar. I went with the chipotle shrimp salad wrap, which the bartender said is a new addition to the menu, and Traci ordered a blackened chicken sandwich. We also split an order of onion rings.
The onion rings as usual weren't spectacular, but were solid. My one gripe with the onion rings is that they don't come with a sauce for you to dip them in unless you ask. My wrap was very tasty (full of plump shrimp and just enough spice). Traci was happy with her blackened chicken sandwich, which was blackened just enough for that extra flavor without drying the chicken out.
I should point out that on one previous visit about two years ago Traci's chicken sandwich came out undercooked. We told the server, she apologized profusely and then fixed our order. If this was our first visit to Fourth Street Shrimp Store it could have been our last, but we had already had several previous positive experiences so we gave the place a partial pass. I'm glad we did.
Let me know about your favorite (and least favorite!) seafood restaurants in the Tampa Bay area. From fancy seafood restaurants to local dives I want to hear about them.
Bottom-line: While Fourth Street Shrimp Store has some rough edges, for affordable seafood (under $10 for lunch) in a relaxed setting, this long-standing local restaurant fits the bill well.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - July 2006 - Critical (3), Non-Critical (1).
Sunday, August 27
First Choice BBQ: King of Tampa Bay 'Cue
Thanks to persistent praise from Sticks readers, we drove over to Brandon this past Friday to check out First Choice Southern BBQ for dinner. We thought we had arrived early enough to beat the dinner crowd, but instead found the line already out the door when we walked up.
The first thing we noticed while waiting in line, besides the great smells coming out of the kitchen, was that people were being friendly to each other. One guy turned around to the lady in front of us and said this was "the best bbq he's ever had." She agreed. Maybe great food puts everyone in a good mood. Whatever the reason, it was nice to see strangers getting along.
Listening to the chopping of the meat and the buzz of the kitchen just made me hungrier as we waited in line. The line moved quickly and after getting to the counter I ordered a pork and beef combo plate with sides of spicy macaroni salad and cole slaw. Traci ordered smoked turkey with fries and macaroni. Service is fast and next thing we knew we were paying for our orders and grabbing an open table. From our table we watched as the line built even further out the door.
The pork and the beef were both excellent (juicy and moist) and I loved the spicy macaroni, which was indeed spicy, but not too much bite to ruin things. I was tempted to order some macaroni to go. The smoked turkey was some of the best I've ever had. The coleslaw was good- not too sweet, but not bitter either. My only complaint was that the two sides of bread that come with each meal tasted like ordinary hamburger buns. I would have preferred garlic toasted bread, but the great barbecue and macroni on the side more than made up for it.
We left First Choice stuffed and only a little lighter in the wallet. While I haven't tried Big John's yet, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say First Choice is the best barbecue in Tampa Bay. This comes after trying Jimbo's (still good in a pinch and I like the inside dining room), Hickory Hollow (good food overshadowed by poor service), Kojak's (food was disappointing, but cool atmosphere), Fred Fleming's, and yes even Sonny's a few years ago.
I know I've reviewed a lot of barbecue places lately and that barbecue isn't for everyone. So drop me a line and let me know what restaurants around the area you'd like me to check out.
Bottom-line: When I first heard about First Choice, I thought the place was over-hyped. After eating there, I actually think this place isn't talked about enough. Simply great barbecue!
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - August 2006 violations - Critical (0), Non-Critical (1).
The first thing we noticed while waiting in line, besides the great smells coming out of the kitchen, was that people were being friendly to each other. One guy turned around to the lady in front of us and said this was "the best bbq he's ever had." She agreed. Maybe great food puts everyone in a good mood. Whatever the reason, it was nice to see strangers getting along.
Listening to the chopping of the meat and the buzz of the kitchen just made me hungrier as we waited in line. The line moved quickly and after getting to the counter I ordered a pork and beef combo plate with sides of spicy macaroni salad and cole slaw. Traci ordered smoked turkey with fries and macaroni. Service is fast and next thing we knew we were paying for our orders and grabbing an open table. From our table we watched as the line built even further out the door.
The pork and the beef were both excellent (juicy and moist) and I loved the spicy macaroni, which was indeed spicy, but not too much bite to ruin things. I was tempted to order some macaroni to go. The smoked turkey was some of the best I've ever had. The coleslaw was good- not too sweet, but not bitter either. My only complaint was that the two sides of bread that come with each meal tasted like ordinary hamburger buns. I would have preferred garlic toasted bread, but the great barbecue and macroni on the side more than made up for it.
We left First Choice stuffed and only a little lighter in the wallet. While I haven't tried Big John's yet, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say First Choice is the best barbecue in Tampa Bay. This comes after trying Jimbo's (still good in a pinch and I like the inside dining room), Hickory Hollow (good food overshadowed by poor service), Kojak's (food was disappointing, but cool atmosphere), Fred Fleming's, and yes even Sonny's a few years ago.
I know I've reviewed a lot of barbecue places lately and that barbecue isn't for everyone. So drop me a line and let me know what restaurants around the area you'd like me to check out.
Bottom-line: When I first heard about First Choice, I thought the place was over-hyped. After eating there, I actually think this place isn't talked about enough. Simply great barbecue!
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - August 2006 violations - Critical (0), Non-Critical (1).
Wednesday, August 23
El Toro Negro: Hidden Gem in Kenneth City
This past Saturday for lunch we decided to check out El Toro Negro in Kenneth City. I had previously read an online message board debating the best "real" Mexican restaurants (no Tex-Mex) in Tampa Bay and El Toro Negro was a consistent favorite. For those of you scratching your heads about Kenneth City, it's a small town between St. Pete and Pinellas Park.
Let me say up front there is nothing fancy about El Toro Negro. It's a no-frills neighborhood Mexican restaurant and grocery. After grabbing a booth, our server greeted us, took our drink order and invited us to help ourselves to the complimentary chips and salsa bar in the back. Traci and I are both fanatical about sauces so we were quickly in pig heaven at the bar trying the different salsas. While the salsa set-up at El Toro Negro is very humble, Tijuana Flats, Moe's and Chipotle could all take lessons from El Toro's great selection of flavors.
I ordered beef enchiladas in red sauce (each plate also comes with rice and refried beans) and Traci ordered three chicken gorditas (get the bastardized Taco Bell image of gorditas out of your head, read about the real deal here). We also shared chicken quesadillas as an appetizer. This ended up being more food than we could eat thanks to all the chips and salsa we scarfed up.
My enchiladas were very tasty and I had fun trying more of the different salsas on my rice and enchiladas (I told you I am a sauce junkie!). Traci's gorditas came out piping hot and were delicious. Each gordita was stuffed with chicken, beans, lettuce, sour cream and cheese. I think the gorditas taste best when they're still hot and before the corn tortilla has had a chance to cool.
Service was friendly and the owner checked on us after we were served to make sure that we were happy. Happy was an understatement. Great food and big portions for a small price in an authentic setting- what's not to like. We'll definitely be back. When I hear Kenneth City now I'll think of El Toro Negro (before all I thought of was Kenneth City's notoriously ticket-happy cops).
Let me know what other Mexican joints in Tampa Bay you think I should check out.
Bottom-line: If you're looking for authentic Mexican food made with lots of love in a no-frills setting that is light on the wallet and big on taste, check out El Toro Negro in Kenneth City.
Let me say up front there is nothing fancy about El Toro Negro. It's a no-frills neighborhood Mexican restaurant and grocery. After grabbing a booth, our server greeted us, took our drink order and invited us to help ourselves to the complimentary chips and salsa bar in the back. Traci and I are both fanatical about sauces so we were quickly in pig heaven at the bar trying the different salsas. While the salsa set-up at El Toro Negro is very humble, Tijuana Flats, Moe's and Chipotle could all take lessons from El Toro's great selection of flavors.
I ordered beef enchiladas in red sauce (each plate also comes with rice and refried beans) and Traci ordered three chicken gorditas (get the bastardized Taco Bell image of gorditas out of your head, read about the real deal here). We also shared chicken quesadillas as an appetizer. This ended up being more food than we could eat thanks to all the chips and salsa we scarfed up.
My enchiladas were very tasty and I had fun trying more of the different salsas on my rice and enchiladas (I told you I am a sauce junkie!). Traci's gorditas came out piping hot and were delicious. Each gordita was stuffed with chicken, beans, lettuce, sour cream and cheese. I think the gorditas taste best when they're still hot and before the corn tortilla has had a chance to cool.
Service was friendly and the owner checked on us after we were served to make sure that we were happy. Happy was an understatement. Great food and big portions for a small price in an authentic setting- what's not to like. We'll definitely be back. When I hear Kenneth City now I'll think of El Toro Negro (before all I thought of was Kenneth City's notoriously ticket-happy cops).
Let me know what other Mexican joints in Tampa Bay you think I should check out.
Bottom-line: If you're looking for authentic Mexican food made with lots of love in a no-frills setting that is light on the wallet and big on taste, check out El Toro Negro in Kenneth City.
Tuesday, August 22
Pane Rustica: Good Food, We'll Be Back
This past Friday we decided to try Pane Rustica Bakery & Café on S. MacDill Ave. in south Tampa for dinner. I had always heard good things about Pane Rustica. After eating there this past weekend I now understand why and am glad we checked it out.
Pane Rustica started out in a small space on MacDill where the bakery developed a strong following. After moving down the street into bigger digs, Pane Rustica expanded last year beyond bread, coffee and sandwiches into a full dinner menu with table service.
While Pane Rustica is nondescript from the outside, inside the place is deep and open with hints of trendiness (but not over the top where it would turn me of). After taking in the menu and surroundings, Traci and I both ordered a bowl of gazpacho (a chilled tomato based soup) as a starter and split a mixed green salad with apple slices, pecans and a sweet vinaigrette dressing. For our main course we shared a flat bread pizza topped with sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and mozzarella. We gobbled up the complimentary fresh bread with olive oil and a creamy hummus as we waited on our order.
The pizza and the salad were both enjoyable. The gazpacho was solid, but the taste was a little on the bland side. Our favorite gazpacho is at The Columbia. My only other minor gripe was that, in the area where we sat at least, the other tables are practically on top of you. A little more privacy would have been nice. The couple next to us bickering got annoying very fast.
I've read some comments about Pane Rustica's servers being slow and disorganized, but at least on our visit last Friday the server was friendly and attentive. My favorite meal over the past few months remains Red Mesa on 4th St. N. in St. Pete, but Pane Rustica comes in a solid second. We definitely plan to eat at Pane Rustica again and explore more of its menu.
Bottom-line: We had an enjoyable meal on our first visit to Pane Rustica last week and look forward to going back. Prices are reasonable for the food quality and we didn't run into poor service.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection- June 2006 violations - Critical (6), Non-Critical (7).
Sunday, August 13
Hickory Hollow: Crotchety Servers Overshadow Food
We had been hankering for some good barbecue so Friday night we decided to try out Hickory Hollow, a barbecue joint best-known for its east-Carolina style barbecue. Hickory Hollow is located in Ellenton, a small town north of Sarasota that's best known for its outlet mall. A few months ago, Hickory Hollow made USA Today's list of the Top 10 barbecue joints in the U.S.
Now, I don't know how USA Today compiled their list and maybe we just caught Hickory Hollow at the wrong time, but after our visit last Friday this certainly isn't a place I would put on any Top 10 list. While the 'cue was tasty and the vast selection of 25-plus side items was a neat surprise, the service was poor and the atmosphere (what is the deal with butterfly decorations all over the walls in a barbecue place?) was just average. Overall, I didn't dislike Hickory Hollow, but I wouldn't drive out of my way for it. It's okay if you're already in the area.
I ordered the east-Carolina style pork with cheese squash and creamed spinach as my two sides, while my fiancee Traci went with smoke turkey, roasted corn and steak fries. Both meals came with delicious corn fritters. I was happy with the pork and the squash, but the creamed spinach was missing something. Traci's turkey was very good. While the food was above average, it was overshadowed by the poor service from the moment we walked in the door. We've eaten at lots of barbecue joints and these aren't the kind of places where you expect to find award-winning service, but that doesn't mean we should feel like we're bothering the waitstaff for eating there.
The level of service was night and day between Hickory Hollow and our visit to Newberry's Backyard Bar-B-Q a few weeks ago. I am still looking for an excuse to go back up to Gainesville to eat there again. While Hickory Hollow didn't knock my socks off, I still have high hopes for reader-suggested Big John's Barbecue in Tampa and First Choice in Brandon. Both are on my list. I still think Jimbo's on Kennedy is a good choice for 'cue in a pinch.
Bottom-line: Good food was overshadowed by poor service with the net-result being I can't see myself eating there again unless I already happen to be shopping in Ellenton and am in need of a major barbecue fix. Maybe if you're with USA Today you get treated a lot better.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection: April 2006 violations- Critical (4), Non-Critical (1).
Now, I don't know how USA Today compiled their list and maybe we just caught Hickory Hollow at the wrong time, but after our visit last Friday this certainly isn't a place I would put on any Top 10 list. While the 'cue was tasty and the vast selection of 25-plus side items was a neat surprise, the service was poor and the atmosphere (what is the deal with butterfly decorations all over the walls in a barbecue place?) was just average. Overall, I didn't dislike Hickory Hollow, but I wouldn't drive out of my way for it. It's okay if you're already in the area.
I ordered the east-Carolina style pork with cheese squash and creamed spinach as my two sides, while my fiancee Traci went with smoke turkey, roasted corn and steak fries. Both meals came with delicious corn fritters. I was happy with the pork and the squash, but the creamed spinach was missing something. Traci's turkey was very good. While the food was above average, it was overshadowed by the poor service from the moment we walked in the door. We've eaten at lots of barbecue joints and these aren't the kind of places where you expect to find award-winning service, but that doesn't mean we should feel like we're bothering the waitstaff for eating there.
The level of service was night and day between Hickory Hollow and our visit to Newberry's Backyard Bar-B-Q a few weeks ago. I am still looking for an excuse to go back up to Gainesville to eat there again. While Hickory Hollow didn't knock my socks off, I still have high hopes for reader-suggested Big John's Barbecue in Tampa and First Choice in Brandon. Both are on my list. I still think Jimbo's on Kennedy is a good choice for 'cue in a pinch.
Bottom-line: Good food was overshadowed by poor service with the net-result being I can't see myself eating there again unless I already happen to be shopping in Ellenton and am in need of a major barbecue fix. Maybe if you're with USA Today you get treated a lot better.
Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection: April 2006 violations- Critical (4), Non-Critical (1).
Monday, August 7
Island Flavors and 'Tings: A Severe Disappointment
After having a great meal last week at Red Mesa, thanks in part to sampling the restaurant at the Taste of Pinellas food festival, we decided to give another Taste of Pinellas restaurant a try. On Saturday, we stopped by Island Flavors and 'Tings on 49th St. S. in Gulfport for lunch. Big mistake. I now wish we would have kept driving and made lunch at home.
I was quite optimistic when I got out the car. Island Flavors has the hole-in-the-wall look on the outside that can often signal good eats. Inside there is a small Jamaican grocery in the front and a counter to order food in the back. We decided to dine-in (there is a set of tables down one wall), which probably only made our experience worse. A trickle of customers came in to pick up orders.
My bride-to-be Traci and I both ordered the jerk chicken salad. The server never asked us for drinks so we settled for glasses of water with meager ice which weren't refilled until the end of the meal. Since the server warned us it would take 10 minutes for our salads and the plaintains we ordered to come out, we ordered two meat patties (one beef and one supposedly chicken) out of the case at the counter. The beef was okay, while the chicken was in fact a vegetable patty. This was not a good start.
When our salads finally came out Traci's had chicken on top while mine was chicken-less. The server apologized and said they had just forgotten to put chicken on my salad. Huh? After my salad came back out with chicken, we realized that they had also forgotten about our platains. However, after tasting the salad (the presentation was beautiful at least), we decided it wasn't worth bugging them for the plaintains. The salad was average at best with the jerk chicken surprisingly lacking in flavor. I could have gotten this chicken at Boston Market.
The server didn't clear our plates after we were done eating; we eventually walked up to the counter to pay. I am all for a laid-back Carribean attitude and I've dined at many a hole-in-the-wall, but come on. Even paying was a drawn-out process. I don't know how they're still open.
Bottom-line: Maybe we just caught Island Flavors on an "off day" and salads aren't their thing, but I can't recommend anyone check this place out. Get your Carribean food elswhere.
