That Food Guy
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Bob Evans - St Petersburg, Florida (Tyrone and 66th)
Bob Evans Restaurant
2410 66th St No (Tyrone and 66th St)
St Petersburg, Fl 33710
(727) 347-4545 http://bobevans.com/
December 2008
My father in law was a great one for going out to breakfast. Seems like the first thing he would say in the morning is where do you want to go to eat (he said that in the evening too but that is
another story). He often went with his cronies from the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Over The Hill Gang. One of the favorite places was Bob Evans. One of a number of stores in the chain, this Bob Evans is close to the house and very convenient.
On this particular day we just couldn’t convince him to sit back, relax, read the paper and sip coffee while we prepared breakfast. We all got dressed in our going out duds and went to Bob Evans for breakfast.
Bob Evans has a bit of a reputation for heavy fare, things like sausage gravy and biscuits, three egg omelets and three egg combination breakfast platters to name a few. To be fair, they also offer lighter fare, healthier selections in addition to the traditional meal choices. One has to read the menu and make informed, considered selections…
My wife, Janis, doesn’t really care for egg for breakfast but she does like her pancakes, especially chocolate chip pancakes. Those are not on the Evans menu so she settled instead for Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes ("You’ve never had hotcakes like these!” says Bob Evans’ menu. “We take two stuffed hotcakes, stack them with vanilla cream cheese, add more delicious toppings, then finish with whipped topping and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.”) As usual, a large breakfast is too much and about half of the pancake stack went into a take-home container. That is normal and she did enjoy the her pancakes that day as well as the next.
Father -in-law Sonny, although born in Colorado, he was raised in Florida since infancy and considers himself to be a genuine “cracker” and no self-respecting cracker would pass up grits for breakfast. That helped him to narrow his selection to the Homestead Breakfast (Named after Bob and Jewell Evans’ original farmhouse, this classic includes all of your breakfast favorites: Bob Evans® Sausage or bacon, two eggs, hash browns, home fries or grits, a cup of creamy sausage gravy and two freshly baked biscuits) It was a large meal and part of it went into a doggie bag. In this case it really was for his dog, a yellow lab named Bo. The part of the meal he did eat he enjoyed.
I enjoy a traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes. That narrowed the choice down to the R
ise and Shine Breakfast (Our most popular breakfast: Two eggs, Bob Evans sausage or bacon, hash browns or home fries and two biscuits). The only hard decision was whether or not to have hash browns or cottage fries. After agonizing seconds of deliberation I chose the cottage fries. The eggs were ordered over medium. The whites were all set and the yolks soft to runny, just right and what I ordered. The bacon was order crisp and that is what I was served. The toast was nicely browned and there was a selection of jelly cups to choose from. It was what you would expect from bacon and eggs. It tasted fine, was cooked to order and was filling. I certainly was satisfied with my meal.
Bob Evans is a busy place during breakfast and there is a bit of noise but finished ceilings help to muffle some of the background sounds. The serving staff was quick, courteous and seemed to be very efficient.
2410 66th St No (Tyrone and 66th St)
St Petersburg, Fl 33710
(727) 347-4545 http://bobevans.com/
December 2008
My father in law was a great one for going out to breakfast. Seems like the first thing he would say in the morning is where do you want to go to eat (he said that in the evening too but that is
another story). He often went with his cronies from the Coast Guard Auxiliary or the Over The Hill Gang. One of the favorite places was Bob Evans. One of a number of stores in the chain, this Bob Evans is close to the house and very convenient.On this particular day we just couldn’t convince him to sit back, relax, read the paper and sip coffee while we prepared breakfast. We all got dressed in our going out duds and went to Bob Evans for breakfast.
Bob Evans has a bit of a reputation for heavy fare, things like sausage gravy and biscuits, three egg omelets and three egg combination breakfast platters to name a few. To be fair, they also offer lighter fare, healthier selections in addition to the traditional meal choices. One has to read the menu and make informed, considered selections…
My wife, Janis, doesn’t really care for egg for breakfast but she does like her pancakes, especially chocolate chip pancakes. Those are not on the Evans menu so she settled instead for Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes ("You’ve never had hotcakes like these!” says Bob Evans’ menu. “We take two stuffed hotcakes, stack them with vanilla cream cheese, add more delicious toppings, then finish with whipped topping and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.”) As usual, a large breakfast is too much and about half of the pancake stack went into a take-home container. That is normal and she did enjoy the her pancakes that day as well as the next.
Father -in-law Sonny, although born in Colorado, he was raised in Florida since infancy and considers himself to be a genuine “cracker” and no self-respecting cracker would pass up grits for breakfast. That helped him to narrow his selection to the Homestead Breakfast (Named after Bob and Jewell Evans’ original farmhouse, this classic includes all of your breakfast favorites: Bob Evans® Sausage or bacon, two eggs, hash browns, home fries or grits, a cup of creamy sausage gravy and two freshly baked biscuits) It was a large meal and part of it went into a doggie bag. In this case it really was for his dog, a yellow lab named Bo. The part of the meal he did eat he enjoyed.I enjoy a traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes. That narrowed the choice down to the R
ise and Shine Breakfast (Our most popular breakfast: Two eggs, Bob Evans sausage or bacon, hash browns or home fries and two biscuits). The only hard decision was whether or not to have hash browns or cottage fries. After agonizing seconds of deliberation I chose the cottage fries. The eggs were ordered over medium. The whites were all set and the yolks soft to runny, just right and what I ordered. The bacon was order crisp and that is what I was served. The toast was nicely browned and there was a selection of jelly cups to choose from. It was what you would expect from bacon and eggs. It tasted fine, was cooked to order and was filling. I certainly was satisfied with my meal.Bob Evans is a busy place during breakfast and there is a bit of noise but finished ceilings help to muffle some of the background sounds. The serving staff was quick, courteous and seemed to be very efficient.
Labels: 66th, bacon, biscuits, Bobby's, breakfast, cottage fries, crackers, eggs, Evans, Florida, gravey, grits, stuffed pancakes, Tyrone
¶ 12:40 PM 0 Comments
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Bobby’s Café - Peters Creek, Alaska
The communities of Chugiak and Peters Creek are geographical areas rather than centralized towns. Scattered at various crossroads, there are place to get some basic groceries, gas and even rent a video. What is unique about the rural area of Chugiak and Peters Creek is that there are a couple of places to get good food to eat in a sit down restaurant or cafe. One of these is Bobby’s Café.
My host opted for the chef’s combo omelet. A three-egg folded omelet it was filled to capacity with the sausage, bacon, onions and mushrooms. The dish is served with home fries, toast and jelly. In presentation the omelet looked well cooked but not overdone. My host described it as being very tasty and a good combination of flavors and seasonings. Being that he usually leaves something on his plate, today’s empty plate spoke well for the meal.
I selected the farmer’s breakfast consisting of two eggs, home fries, bacon or sausage and a biscuit and gravy. I opted for the bacon well done and asked for the eggs over medium. In a busy kitchen on a hot griddle over easy and over medium are but a few seconds apart. My eggs were closer to over easy and I would have preferred them cooked a bit longer. The home fries are little cubes of e potatoes that were a bit crispy, nicely browned and very flavorful. I like them, they were good. The platter came with four slices of thick cut bacon cooked well done to just crispy, a good call by the cook. The biscuit was layered and flaky, the gravy was smooth, had flavor but not as much spicy sausage flavor as I have come to expect after sojourns to the south. Aside from the eggs that I wish had been cooked a bit longer, and the gravy I would have like with bit more spice, I found that the food was well prepared and of good quality and of adequate proportions.
Bobby’s has been around for a couple of years. When it was being built one wondered about the wisdom of building a small café right next door to the larger and long established Bella Vista Italian Restaurant. As it turns out, they are not competitors but complement one another. The Bella Vista is open for afternoon and evening dining while Bobby’s is open for breakfast and lunch, Monday thru Sunday, 8 AM to 4 PM. The building is clean and good repair. The dining room is light and airy with lots of windows. Seating is mainly tables and chairs that are sturdy enough to rest your elbows on.
The luncheon menu features salads, hamburgers, specialty and cold sandwiches, and patters of chicken strips or shrimp. I shall go back one day to sample these offerings but today’s visit was for breakfast. The menu offers eggs and omelets, pancakes, waffles and French toast. There is also a children’s menu section. Prices are what one would expect in rural Alaska but not too far away from Anchorage.
My host opted for the chef’s combo omelet. A three-egg folded omelet it was filled to capacity with the sausage, bacon, onions and mushrooms. The dish is served with home fries, toast and jelly. In presentation the omelet looked well cooked but not overdone. My host described it as being very tasty and a good combination of flavors and seasonings. Being that he usually leaves something on his plate, today’s empty plate spoke well for the meal.
I selected the farmer’s breakfast consisting of two eggs, home fries, bacon or sausage and a biscuit and gravy. I opted for the bacon well done and asked for the eggs over medium. In a busy kitchen on a hot griddle over easy and over medium are but a few seconds apart. My eggs were closer to over easy and I would have preferred them cooked a bit longer. The home fries are little cubes of e potatoes that were a bit crispy, nicely browned and very flavorful. I like them, they were good. The platter came with four slices of thick cut bacon cooked well done to just crispy, a good call by the cook. The biscuit was layered and flaky, the gravy was smooth, had flavor but not as much spicy sausage flavor as I have come to expect after sojourns to the south. Aside from the eggs that I wish had been cooked a bit longer, and the gravy I would have like with bit more spice, I found that the food was well prepared and of good quality and of adequate proportions.Our waitress was at the table as we seated ourselves and brought us our coffee, water and the menus right off. The order was cooked in a timely manner. During the meal our waitress as well as other dining room staff would ask how we liked the food and if we wanted refills for our coffee. I would rate the staff as attentive to our needs and wishes, quick with service when needed, polite and courteous to the patrons. Just as important, they were never pushy to clear the table when the meal was over, just offers for more coffee. Our overall impression was one satisfaction. To my friends and associates I will recommend Bobby’s for a nice leisurely meal.
Labels: Alaska, Bobby's, Cafe, eggs, omelet, Peters Creek
¶ 11:08 AM 0 Comments
