That Food Guy
Friday, February 14, 2014
Red Robin, St Petersburg, Florida
This particular Red Robin is almost hidden. The large
parking lot of the mall makes for a large set back and there is no attention
getting sign; you sort of have to know where it is because it is not readily
apparent from the street. That didn’t seem to affect the customer base. Even
though we went a bit early for dinner it was quite busy. However, we had almost
immediate seating. We were shown to a lounge area table for two. That area has
elevated tables with stools and bench seats to match. I suppose they were
saving the regular dining area booths for larger parties. The seats are okay
once you climb up and in but I would prefer a regular booth the next time if at
all possible.
Our server, Sarah J was quickly there to take our beverage
order. A very personable young lady, Sarah took good care of us during our
visit and her kind words added immeasurably to the dining experience. Red Robin
features Coca Cola products (soft drinks
$2.79) which I prefer and my wife, Janis, ordered her favorite, a banana
milkshake (Classic Milkshakes and Malts.
Choose from chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, raspberry or peach. Classic
$3.99, Monster, milkshake with a refill tin $4.99). The beverages arrive in short order and we
sipped as we read the menu. It is similar to previous Red Robin menus we have
seen but there are a lot of new additions as well as old favorites. There is a
section for substitutions and sides as well as a variety of sauces to “Customize
Your Order.”
In spite of the new and tantalizing dishes offered, we
ordered much as we have always when dining Red Robin. We are, after all,
creatures of habit. Janis ordered her usual, the Crispy Chicken Burger ($9.99 Anything between two buns is a burger
to us, even if it’s made with a premium whole chicken breast. The only things
that could top this burger are pickles, tomatoes, onion and mayo.) She
chose the bottomless fries as her side dish. It is a large serving of chicken,
the flattened breast overhanging the large bun on all sides. It was cooked a
nice golden brown and with a crispy crust, moist and tender inside. Janis said
it was very tasty and she had no difficulty in finishing her meal; well, a
small scrap of sandwich to take home for a couple of real dogs (who gave the
crispy chicken burger their seal of approval). The fries were, as expected,
very good. Red Robin is noted for their steak fries always served cooked to a
tee and served piping hot.
I have a couple of burgers that I switch between but this
time I chose the Bacon Cheese Burger ($9.99
Bacon. It makes everything better; even our cheeseburger which is tough to
beat. Topped with mayo, tomatoes and your choice of cheese.) The meat is
cooked to order. I chose Swiss cheese for my burger, and of course, I chose the
fries. Read the menu thoroughly. There are no-charge substitutions for the
fries, such as side salad, broccoli and coleslaw, which are bottomless like the
fries. The burger was made from a large, nicely toasted sesame seed bun. The
patty was grilled with a bit of crispy char, cooked to order, not pink, but
not well done, and was very flavorful beef. The Swiss cheese was nicely
melted and there were fresh tomatoes and crispy lettuce. The bacon was two full
strips cooked almost crispy. As I mentioned, the meat had a very good flavor by
itself and the rest of the ingredients made for a delicious hamburger, one that
I really enjoyed. I also love my French fries. I especially like the steak
fries served by Red Robin. I asked Sarah one of her frequent appearances for an
additional order of fries. It seemed that it was taking a long time but she
arrived right on time with the fresh, piping hot order of fries just as I was
down to the two or three from the original serving. I thoroughly enjoyed my
reintroduction to Red Robin. Sorry Dogs, there wasn’t anything left to bring
home.
Red Robin,
St Petersburg, Florida
Tyrone Mall
2468 Tyrone Blvd Suite 435B
St
Petersburg, FL 33710 (727) 345-3581
Our last meal at a Red Robin was during our last trip
together to Alaska some three or four years ago. During our Alaska residence it
was a favorite place to go for that special hamburger and a milkshake (not to
mention the “bottomless fries”). During our tenure in Florida, at first there
were no Red Robins. Not too long ago we learned that there was a Red Robin a
bit to the north of Orlando. As good as the Red Robin sandwiches are, a six to
eight hour driving round trip was just a bit too much. About the middle of last
year we read in the paper that Red Robin was going to build a restaurant in the
Tyrone Mall, just a few blocks from where we live. That was good news indeed.
That Red Robin was completed a bit before the Christmas season but we never
managed to make our way there for a meal until today. That’s not to say that
the spouse didn’t visit and get me a gift card from Red Robin to help fill my
Christmas stocking. With gift card in hand, we went to Red Robin for a
Valentine’s Day Red Robin Hamburger.
This particular Red Robin is almost hidden. The large
parking lot of the mall makes for a large set back and there is no attention
getting sign; you sort of have to know where it is because it is not readily
apparent from the street. That didn’t seem to affect the customer base. Even
though we went a bit early for dinner it was quite busy. However, we had almost
immediate seating. We were shown to a lounge area table for two. That area has
elevated tables with stools and bench seats to match. I suppose they were
saving the regular dining area booths for larger parties. The seats are okay
once you climb up and in but I would prefer a regular booth the next time if at
all possible.Our server, Sarah J was quickly there to take our beverage
order. A very personable young lady, Sarah took good care of us during our
visit and her kind words added immeasurably to the dining experience. Red Robin
features Coca Cola products (soft drinks
$2.79) which I prefer and my wife, Janis, ordered her favorite, a banana
milkshake (Classic Milkshakes and Malts.
Choose from chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, raspberry or peach. Classic
$3.99, Monster, milkshake with a refill tin $4.99). The beverages arrive in short order and we
sipped as we read the menu. It is similar to previous Red Robin menus we have
seen but there are a lot of new additions as well as old favorites. There is a
section for substitutions and sides as well as a variety of sauces to “Customize
Your Order.”In spite of the new and tantalizing dishes offered, we
ordered much as we have always when dining Red Robin. We are, after all,
creatures of habit. Janis ordered her usual, the Crispy Chicken Burger ($9.99 Anything between two buns is a burger
to us, even if it’s made with a premium whole chicken breast. The only things
that could top this burger are pickles, tomatoes, onion and mayo.) She
chose the bottomless fries as her side dish. It is a large serving of chicken,
the flattened breast overhanging the large bun on all sides. It was cooked a
nice golden brown and with a crispy crust, moist and tender inside. Janis said
it was very tasty and she had no difficulty in finishing her meal; well, a
small scrap of sandwich to take home for a couple of real dogs (who gave the
crispy chicken burger their seal of approval). The fries were, as expected,
very good. Red Robin is noted for their steak fries always served cooked to a
tee and served piping hot. |
| Bacon cheeseburger on a serving plate |
 |
| Bacon Swiss cheeseburger in a basket (New Mexico) |
There was nothing wrong with our sandwiches and we will be
going back to Red Robin, that is for sure. I do have some observations about
perceptions and presentation that really didn’t affect the quality of the food.
In all previous visits to Red Robins, the service was in a more traditional
burger basket with a sheet of wax paper liner. The burger was also wrapped with
the top half exposed ala the roadside diner hamburger tradition. The back side
of the burger was compressed a bit and that forced some of the filling towards
the unwrapped top. The bun gaped a bit and the effect was a humongous hamburger. As well, the basket
was a bit smaller than the serving plate in use at this Red Robin and that made
the combination of burger and fries look very large indeed.
This meal was served on a flat, rectangular plate with the
burger sitting flat, unwrapped and secured with a wooden skewer. The fries are in a serving ring, much like a
fries to go carton but without a bottom and made of stainless steel. With the
contents of my meal displayed on the larger plate the effect was of a much smaller
meal than I remembered; the perceptions from the presentation. I had to look
closely to be sure it was the same sized burger that I remembered. The burger was delicious, the fries excellent
but even though I am sure the burger is the same size, I am also sure that the
supplier is cutting the fries from a slightly smaller potato that before; they
are good fries just a bit smaller. I don’t believe that is of any real
importance because you can have as many as you can eat.
If you haven’t been to a Red Robin in some time or the
restaurant chain is new to you, try them. I’m sure you will be glad you did and
it will become one of your favorite places to go for that special burger.
Labels: banana, bottomless, chicken, Coke, Florida, French fries, gourmet, hamburger, milkshake, Red Robin, Sandwich, St Petersburg
¶ 4:30 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Andy's Surprize Birthday Party - January 22, 2012
Food plays an important role in life and has helped to shape some of our more familiar customs and habits. Beyond the obvious, that without food we perish, its importance has been instrumental in our developing customs and activities of life. Match that with another element, fire, that has been equally important in protecting our developing species, and you have two of the paramount forming elements that still mingle in our daily lives today. In days long past, to share food was to share life, to share food could put your own life at risk, to share food was the ultimate act of kindness and consideration. From our humble beginnings when sharing of food was love, we can appreciate that today when we wish to extend the hand of friendship, to express love and admiration, we share our food.
Andy’s birthday was a surprise event for Andy. Family and friends toiled hard, in secrecy (probably the hardest part), in collusion, to arrange the party to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. It was to be a party with lots of good food to eat and birthday cake too! The elements of our beginnings in the dawn of time show themselves in this modern day when friends and family come together to pay their respect to one of their honored members with lots of good food to eat.
With a large extended family and lots of friends, the guest list would be long, at least 30 people. The village common room was reserved for adequate space and the invitations went out. All the planning and preparation was in secret, no mean feat considering how observant Andy is, and the end result was a grand party that was truly a surprise for Andy.
The logistics of feeding all those people dictated a combination of buy-out food and home-made dishes. The main course was provided by Sunway. There were heaping platters of sandwiches, a mixture of turkey, roast beef and Italian combo. There were bags and bags of individual serving chips of all kinds. Family friend Roselyn provided bowls of a luscious fresh fruit salad. Andy’s sister Kathy provided a mixed garden salad and a wonderful pasta salad to round out the food offerings. Drinks were provided as well and included a choice of soda flavors, iced tea and a large urn of sangria (very popular or so I’m told).
As I mentioned, the party venue is a community place and provided a space for many varied events including Bingo and watching football parties. For Andy’s party, the existing décor items had to be stored, the tables and chairs arranged and fresh tablecloths put down. After that the food had to be brought in and plated. The drinks had to be iced and the urns filled with the delightful beverages. It was a whirlwind of activity, even as the guests were arriving, until the last
chore had been done and all that was needed was to await the arrival of the guest of honor.
I don’t know what ruse they used to get Andy to the clubhouse on time but it was an effective subterfuge. Andy walked in the door almost to the minute planned to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday To You…” Andy was quick to regain his composure and he wandered around the room cordially greeting each of the guests. After a short interlude, it was time to eat and the line quickly formed to the rear.
There certainly was plenty of food and no one had to worry about not getting enough to eat that day. I took a turkey and a roast beef sandwich section along with samples the three salads and a bag of potato chips for good measure. Subway does a good job preparing large orders. They have special boxes for the large orders that keep the sandwiches flat and protect them from crushing. They were what you would reasonably expect from Subway. The salads were excellent. The tossed green salad was a mixed greens with lots of cherry or grape tomatoes. There was a choice of the more popular dressings as well. The pasta salad was made with curly multi-colored pasta, fusilli tricolori I believe, cooked just right and spiced with bits of sweet peppers. The fruit salad was made with fresh cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, blueberries with bits of crunchy pineapple; all so very tasty. The samplings of sandwiches and salads made for a very full plate and a satisfying meal.
Here was lots of good chatter, catching up on what has happened since the last family get together. There were even a few re-runs to the food line for second helpings. When the initial clamor of the feeding finally died down, it was time for the traditional birthday cake. A four-inch high half sheet cake with lots butter cream frosting, it was bedecked with a token but respectful candle. Andy was duly appointed to cut the cake and he was a generous server laying big slices of
After the serving of the cake it was the almost universal signal that the festivities were winding down and near a conclusion. In trickles many of the guests paid their respects and departed for home. A few remained and the joint-effort clean-up of the community room began. The food was cleared away and parceled out to all who wanted some to take home, the dishes were washed, the tables cleared and the trash collected and bundled. In short order the clubhouse was ready for the next event, perhaps a Super Bowl party.
It was a nice festive gathering where friends and family came together to celebrate the birthday of one of their own by sharing food, a custom that dates from the time of earliest man. I think it was an excellent example of keeping an ancient tradition alive. We wish to thank you for being invited to be part of the family group and the celebration. It was fun and we enjoyed ourselves very much. Our heartiest thanks are extended to all those who made it possible. Happy Birthday Andy!
Food plays an important role in life and has helped to shape some of our more familiar customs and habits. Beyond the obvious, that without food we perish, its importance has been instrumental in our developing customs and activities of life. Match that with another element, fire, that has been equally important in protecting our developing species, and you have two of the paramount forming elements that still mingle in our daily lives today. In days long past, to share food was to share life, to share food could put your own life at risk, to share food was the ultimate act of kindness and consideration. From our humble beginnings when sharing of food was love, we can appreciate that today when we wish to extend the hand of friendship, to express love and admiration, we share our food.
Andy’s birthday was a surprise event for Andy. Family and friends toiled hard, in secrecy (probably the hardest part), in collusion, to arrange the party to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. It was to be a party with lots of good food to eat and birthday cake too! The elements of our beginnings in the dawn of time show themselves in this modern day when friends and family come together to pay their respect to one of their honored members with lots of good food to eat.
With a large extended family and lots of friends, the guest list would be long, at least 30 people. The village common room was reserved for adequate space and the invitations went out. All the planning and preparation was in secret, no mean feat considering how observant Andy is, and the end result was a grand party that was truly a surprise for Andy.
The logistics of feeding all those people dictated a combination of buy-out food and home-made dishes. The main course was provided by Sunway. There were heaping platters of sandwiches, a mixture of turkey, roast beef and Italian combo. There were bags and bags of individual serving chips of all kinds. Family friend Roselyn provided bowls of a luscious fresh fruit salad. Andy’s sister Kathy provided a mixed garden salad and a wonderful pasta salad to round out the food offerings. Drinks were provided as well and included a choice of soda flavors, iced tea and a large urn of sangria (very popular or so I’m told).
As I mentioned, the party venue is a community place and provided a space for many varied events including Bingo and watching football parties. For Andy’s party, the existing décor items had to be stored, the tables and chairs arranged and fresh tablecloths put down. After that the food had to be brought in and plated. The drinks had to be iced and the urns filled with the delightful beverages. It was a whirlwind of activity, even as the guests were arriving, until the last
chore had been done and all that was needed was to await the arrival of the guest of honor.I don’t know what ruse they used to get Andy to the clubhouse on time but it was an effective subterfuge. Andy walked in the door almost to the minute planned to a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday To You…” Andy was quick to regain his composure and he wandered around the room cordially greeting each of the guests. After a short interlude, it was time to eat and the line quickly formed to the rear.
There certainly was plenty of food and no one had to worry about not getting enough to eat that day. I took a turkey and a roast beef sandwich section along with samples the three salads and a bag of potato chips for good measure. Subway does a good job preparing large orders. They have special boxes for the large orders that keep the sandwiches flat and protect them from crushing. They were what you would reasonably expect from Subway. The salads were excellent. The tossed green salad was a mixed greens with lots of cherry or grape tomatoes. There was a choice of the more popular dressings as well. The pasta salad was made with curly multi-colored pasta, fusilli tricolori I believe, cooked just right and spiced with bits of sweet peppers. The fruit salad was made with fresh cantaloupe and watermelon, grapes, blueberries with bits of crunchy pineapple; all so very tasty. The samplings of sandwiches and salads made for a very full plate and a satisfying meal.
Here was lots of good chatter, catching up on what has happened since the last family get together. There were even a few re-runs to the food line for second helpings. When the initial clamor of the feeding finally died down, it was time for the traditional birthday cake. A four-inch high half sheet cake with lots butter cream frosting, it was bedecked with a token but respectful candle. Andy was duly appointed to cut the cake and he was a generous server laying big slices of the half chocolate and half white cake servings on your plate. If you eat a salty chip a few minutes before you eat your cake you will be amazed at how much sweeter the cake and frosting taste.
After the serving of the cake it was the almost universal signal that the festivities were winding down and near a conclusion. In trickles many of the guests paid their respects and departed for home. A few remained and the joint-effort clean-up of the community room began. The food was cleared away and parceled out to all who wanted some to take home, the dishes were washed, the tables cleared and the trash collected and bundled. In short order the clubhouse was ready for the next event, perhaps a Super Bowl party.
It was a nice festive gathering where friends and family came together to celebrate the birthday of one of their own by sharing food, a custom that dates from the time of earliest man. I think it was an excellent example of keeping an ancient tradition alive. We wish to thank you for being invited to be part of the family group and the celebration. It was fun and we enjoyed ourselves very much. Our heartiest thanks are extended to all those who made it possible. Happy Birthday Andy!
Labels: Andy, birthday, fruit salad, fusilli, green salad, party, pasta salad, Sandwich, Subway, surprize, tricolori
¶ 5:15 PM 0 Comments
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Gathering Place - Lake Seminole Square
The Gathering Place - Lake Seminole Square
8333 Seminole Blvd, Seminole, Florida
This is a rather unusual food blog. It is about a place you probably can’t go. You have to be a resident or their guest. Lake Seminole Square is a retirement community with a lot of amenities. That is where my wife’s Aunt and Uncle live. It has the usual things like a gymnasium, a pool, and arts and crafts. A few of the amenities include a mini branch bank, a restaurant and a small coffee shop, called The Gathering Place. We met Aunt Effie and Uncle Gilbert at The Gathering Place for lunch.
While the restaurant up on the fifth floor, featuring linen, silver, crystal and a full menu, is open for a more formal lunch and dinner, The Gathering Place is open for a more casual breakfast and lunch. Closed Sunday, it is open Monday through Friday from 8:00Am until 2:00PM. Saturday hours are from 8:30AM to 11:00AM. The menu has prices listed but you
never see any cash. 
The Gathering Place doesn’t deal in money. The lunch tab is added to the resident’s monthly rent.
It is a small menu featuring cold deli sandwiches as well as griddle favorites such as burgers, patty melts, hot dogs, Ruebens and grilled cheese sandwiches. Desserts include milk shakes, root beer floats and pie (add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for only a quarter). Someday I will have to wangle another invitation and sample the breakfast fare which includes the obligatory, eggs, breakfast meats, toast, pancakes, waffles, omelets and juice.
In all, more than enough to get set for the rigors of a busy day.
Everyone, except me of course, ordered their sandwich with a side of the soup of the day, clam chowder. It can be a bit salty with crackers crumbled in but it has a nice flavor and would be welcomed again. My wife and Aunt Effie ordered sliced turkey sandwiches. Janis had a pedestrian version and Effie’s included lettuce and tomato. Uncle Gilbert ordered a cheeseburger. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, my benchmark test meal for the small café setting. After all - if you can’t do my hamburger right, then I have serious doubts any further visits.
It is low key casual, not a lot of garnish. The turkey sandwich come on a plate, cut in two diagonally, just like your mom would have served it. As advertised, it was a turkey sandwich and
had good flavor. The hamburger was griddle cooked and had the taste and texture of the roadside diner burger. That’s not bad, just a bit different from the grilled hamburger. The meat was cooked through as requested (when eating ground beef from an unknown source, I always go with medium well). The bun was toasted on the griddle. The lettuce was fresh and crisp. There were two slices of nice looking tomato. The cheese was melted over the top of the patty which is my preference. The French fries were fresh and hot, golden brown and crispy. If I had made this hamburger and fries at home I would have been well satisfied.
The Gathering Place is a nice little out of the way place with a casual atmosphere to have lunch. It’s just too bad you probably can’t go there to try it out. Thanks again Gilbert and Effie for treating us to lunch.
8333 Seminole Blvd, Seminole, Florida
This is a rather unusual food blog. It is about a place you probably can’t go. You have to be a resident or their guest. Lake Seminole Square is a retirement community with a lot of amenities. That is where my wife’s Aunt and Uncle live. It has the usual things like a gymnasium, a pool, and arts and crafts. A few of the amenities include a mini branch bank, a restaurant and a small coffee shop, called The Gathering Place. We met Aunt Effie and Uncle Gilbert at The Gathering Place for lunch.While the restaurant up on the fifth floor, featuring linen, silver, crystal and a full menu, is open for a more formal lunch and dinner, The Gathering Place is open for a more casual breakfast and lunch. Closed Sunday, it is open Monday through Friday from 8:00Am until 2:00PM. Saturday hours are from 8:30AM to 11:00AM. The menu has prices listed but you
never see any cash. 
The Gathering Place doesn’t deal in money. The lunch tab is added to the resident’s monthly rent.It is a small menu featuring cold deli sandwiches as well as griddle favorites such as burgers, patty melts, hot dogs, Ruebens and grilled cheese sandwiches. Desserts include milk shakes, root beer floats and pie (add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for only a quarter). Someday I will have to wangle another invitation and sample the breakfast fare which includes the obligatory, eggs, breakfast meats, toast, pancakes, waffles, omelets and juice.
In all, more than enough to get set for the rigors of a busy day.Everyone, except me of course, ordered their sandwich with a side of the soup of the day, clam chowder. It can be a bit salty with crackers crumbled in but it has a nice flavor and would be welcomed again. My wife and Aunt Effie ordered sliced turkey sandwiches. Janis had a pedestrian version and Effie’s included lettuce and tomato. Uncle Gilbert ordered a cheeseburger. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, my benchmark test meal for the small café setting. After all - if you can’t do my hamburger right, then I have serious doubts any further visits.
It is low key casual, not a lot of garnish. The turkey sandwich come on a plate, cut in two diagonally, just like your mom would have served it. As advertised, it was a turkey sandwich and
had good flavor. The hamburger was griddle cooked and had the taste and texture of the roadside diner burger. That’s not bad, just a bit different from the grilled hamburger. The meat was cooked through as requested (when eating ground beef from an unknown source, I always go with medium well). The bun was toasted on the griddle. The lettuce was fresh and crisp. There were two slices of nice looking tomato. The cheese was melted over the top of the patty which is my preference. The French fries were fresh and hot, golden brown and crispy. If I had made this hamburger and fries at home I would have been well satisfied.The Gathering Place is a nice little out of the way place with a casual atmosphere to have lunch. It’s just too bad you probably can’t go there to try it out. Thanks again Gilbert and Effie for treating us to lunch.
Labels: cheeseburger, Florida, gathering, Sandwich, Seminole, turkey
¶ 6:17 PM 0 Comments
