That Food Guy
Thursday, September 07, 2017
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen - Alcoa, Tennessee
250 Hamilton Crossing Dr, Alcoa, TN 37701
My birthday was coming soon and I was
told that I could pick the place for breakfast. I gave it a lot of thought
trying to select someplace new perhaps or maybe unique but not one that anyone
might object to. I wandered over my mental map of the area, thinking about any
recent drives and what I might have seen. Cheddar’s came to mind! After a quick
check of their web page I learned they opened late morning for lunch, no
breakfast service. I asked our go-for-grub pals if a lunch was okay and I
received positive replies. Then lunch, instead of breakfast, it would be.
The wife and I arrived a few minutes late. I noticed a change had taken place since my first Cheddar’s encounter. Cheddar’s Casual Café was now Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. When Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers founded Cheddar’s in Arlington, Texas back in 1979 their stated credo was ”… when a meal is prepared and cooked fresh just for you, it not only tastes better, it makes you feel good.” Perhaps the name change is paying homage to their beginnings. There are a few stores in the Great Plains and some in the Southwest but by far the majority of the 164 Cheddar’s locations are in the Eastern half of the United States. In 2012, Zagat ranked Cheddar's the nation's No.1 full-service restaurant chain as well as Top Overall American Cuisine. Consumer Reports and others have given high ratings and customer satisfaction reports. We were about to see if the reports were true.
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
250 Hamilton Crossing Dr, Alcoa, TN 37701
(865)
983-5582 https://cheddars.com/
10:30Am
– 10:30PM (11:30PM week ends)
This would not be my first visit to a Cheddar’s
restaurant. In January of 2014 my wife’s dear Aunt Effie and Uncle Gilbert
treated us to lunch at their new discovery, Cheddar’s Casual Café in Pinellas
Park, Florida. It was a very positive experience and I looked forward to this
next encounter. You can see that blog here.
The wife and I arrived a few minutes late. I noticed a change had taken place since my first Cheddar’s encounter. Cheddar’s Casual Café was now Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. When Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers founded Cheddar’s in Arlington, Texas back in 1979 their stated credo was ”… when a meal is prepared and cooked fresh just for you, it not only tastes better, it makes you feel good.” Perhaps the name change is paying homage to their beginnings. There are a few stores in the Great Plains and some in the Southwest but by far the majority of the 164 Cheddar’s locations are in the Eastern half of the United States. In 2012, Zagat ranked Cheddar's the nation's No.1 full-service restaurant chain as well as Top Overall American Cuisine. Consumer Reports and others have given high ratings and customer satisfaction reports. We were about to see if the reports were true.
Abbie and Mariano, our go-for-grub pals, had secured a
spacious booth next to a shaded window. It looked to be a cozy comfortable spot
for lunch. The waitress was already there taking beverage orders. I’m sorry I
didn’t get here name as I would have liked to thank her by name for her good
nature and thoughtful service. She wished me a happy birthday and I then knew I
had been setup by the go-for-grub pals.
I just hoped that Cheddar’s didn’t do fool-crazy things designed to
embarrass their patrons.
The wife Janis is a light eater
and her selection was the CLASSIC
LUNCH COMBO ($6.79 Select
two of the following: HALF CHEDDAR’S CLUB SANDWICH - HALF MONTE CRISTO -
BOWL OF SOUP - HOUSE SALAD - CAESAR SALAD - LOADED BAKED POTATO - BAKED SWEET
POTATO) Her particular choices were the half Club Sandwich and the Caesar
Salad. The salad was a nice bowl of crisp greens and some croutons, dressing
not too heavy, not to light. It was accompanied with a butter glazed croissant.
Her preference would have been without the butter but the croissant as well as
the salad was very good and fully enjoyed.
Our go-for-grub pals, Abbie
and Mariano, opted to share a big platter of HOUSE SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS (Add a
House or Caesar salad, $3.29 HALF RACK $10.99
FULL RACK $15.99 Homemade rub, slow smoked in-house, and grilled with a honey
BBQ sauce. Served with French fries and coleslaw.) Coleslaw is not their
favorite and at their request the server provided a house salad instead. The
serving of ribs and French fries was, to say the least, more than ample for two
hearty appetites (luckily for Mariano, Abbie is also a light eater). It was a
pretty serving thick and clingy barbecue sauce adding a delicious shine to the
ribs. The meat was very tender easily separating form the bone. Abbie and
Mariano had eagerly anticipated their visit to Cheddar’s for the ribs and I do believe
they enjoyed them very much.
I like light meat chicken and love shrimp. The combination dinner plate of chicken tenders and shrimp caught my eye; CHICKEN TENDERS & SHRIMP ($11.19 Served with two sides. Add a House or Caesar salad, $3.29 Grilled or hand-battered fried shrimp with our homemade chicken tenders. See a list of sides at end of blog.) For sides I ordered mashed potatoes and gravy and coleslaw. For a big appetite the plate piled high with chicken, shrimp, mashed potatoes and coleslaw was a welcome sight. Included were cocktail sauce and honey mustard dipping sauce.
The
full menu
is available online in pdf format.
Her
sandwich arrived a short time later. A diagonally sliced sandwich of two slices
of toasted bread well filled with ham, turkey, cheese, bacon and tomato, it was
very similar to her order during our first Cheddar’s encounter. The only
significant difference was it was cut as a half sandwich instead of the more
traditional quarters. As with the salad, it was thoroughly enjoyed.
Our go-for-grub pals, Abbie
and Mariano, opted to share a big platter of HOUSE SMOKED BABY BACK RIBS (Add a
House or Caesar salad, $3.29 HALF RACK $10.99
FULL RACK $15.99 Homemade rub, slow smoked in-house, and grilled with a honey
BBQ sauce. Served with French fries and coleslaw.) Coleslaw is not their
favorite and at their request the server provided a house salad instead. The
serving of ribs and French fries was, to say the least, more than ample for two
hearty appetites (luckily for Mariano, Abbie is also a light eater). It was a
pretty serving thick and clingy barbecue sauce adding a delicious shine to the
ribs. The meat was very tender easily separating form the bone. Abbie and
Mariano had eagerly anticipated their visit to Cheddar’s for the ribs and I do believe
they enjoyed them very much.
I like light meat chicken and love shrimp. The combination dinner plate of chicken tenders and shrimp caught my eye; CHICKEN TENDERS & SHRIMP ($11.19 Served with two sides. Add a House or Caesar salad, $3.29 Grilled or hand-battered fried shrimp with our homemade chicken tenders. See a list of sides at end of blog.) For sides I ordered mashed potatoes and gravy and coleslaw. For a big appetite the plate piled high with chicken, shrimp, mashed potatoes and coleslaw was a welcome sight. Included were cocktail sauce and honey mustard dipping sauce.
The
coleslaw was dressed with a slightly seasoned sauce that added to the flavor
but itself did not clamor for attention. Nice crisp cabbage; I would call it a
good slaw. The mashed potatoes were of the industrial grade variety but
acceptably smooth. The gravy was very tasty and would be most welcome on a
chicken fried steak.
There were
four, possibly five (sorry, I didn’t count them) large butterflied, battered
and deep fried shrimp. The coating was golden brown and slightly crispy and
pleasingly not oily. They were large shrimp, the meat was cooked just right and
moist and tender. (As an aside: This serving of shrimp in a basket with some
French fries would have more than made a beach-front fish shack offering of a
shrimp basket.) They were very tasty fried shrimp.
There were
four very large “chicken tenders.” I suspect they are more than tenders, more
like a chicken breast sliced in two pieces. Breaded and deep fried to a golden
brown, well drained and not oily, the meat was tender and very moist; lots of
good chicken flavor. I tried a bit of the honey mustard sauce; a nice blend,
not to sweet, not to tart but good mustard flavor. I am on again – off again
with honey mustard and today wasn’t the day. I tried a bit of cocktail sauce;
good but a bit too much tang from the horseradish to go with the mild taste of
the chicken. I thought about asking for some plane old ketchup but decided to
just eat the tenders down to the finger lickin’ end as they were. They were
that good all by themselves. As you can probably guess, I really enjoyed that
meal.
In the few
years that we have been here, for various reasons two other local restaurants,
best described I guess as up-scale beer and burger places with lots of big
television screens, had become our fall back places to go. The food was good,
they were close; known entities were we felt comfortable. I feel that Cheddar’s
will replace the other restaurants as the spur-of-the-moment place to go. It is
still quite close to the house, the prices are competitive and the menu offers
more of a variety than the others. The interiors are brighter, more focused on the food and dining and
offering a more relaxed and casual (as in casual café perhaps) dining
experience. On this visit Cheddar’s has validated the aforementioned awards and
positive citations.
Just before we left, the hostess came
by the table to offer her birthday congratulations. She brought a small bag
with two still hot, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (sort of a mini
version of their giant cookie Sundae). I was grateful for the remembrance especially since it was
low key, quiet and private.
FYI: MADE-FROM-SCRATCH
SIDES – Substitute any side for a House or
Caesar salad for an additional .99 Steamed Fresh Broccoli, Buttered Off-The-Cob Corn, Freshly
Made Coleslaw, French Fries, Idaho Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Black Beans, Mac
and Cheese, Broccoli Cheese Casserole, Baked Sweet Potato, Loaded Baked
Potato, Seasoned Rice, Southern Green Beans.
Add a side to any order, 2.49
- Honey Butter Croissants, 3 for
2.99
Labels: baby back ribs, Caesar salad, casual café, Cheddar's, chicken tenders, club sandwich, cocktail sauce, coleslaw, French fries, fried shrimp, gravy, honey mustard, house salad, mashed potatoes, scratch café
¶ 12:30 PM 0 Comments
Friday, January 02, 2015
The Hurricane Seafood Restaurant - Pass A Grille, Florida
My wife, Janis, was very positive about the experience and a
short time later, when her cousins came from Tennessee for their snowbird
holiday, we again visited the Hurricane Sea Food Restaurant. In this blog I get
to write about two almost back to back visits to the restaurant. I hope you
will enjoy recalling the moments with me.
Cousin Bill has an adventuresome spirit. For an appetizer he
chose Gator Bites (Right from the bayou. Tender bites of alligator
hand breaded, lightly fried in rice bran oil and served with barbecue sauce,
$10.00) About 10 pieces of gator, fried golden brown and served with a
small cup barbecue and some wedges of lemon and lime; with some urging, everyone
tried a bite at least if only just for curiosity. “It tastes like chicken,” is
a common assertion when trying to describe the flavor of an unfamiliar food. Given the evolutionary kinship between birds
and reptiles, we can see and understand the connection and it does hold true
here to a certain degree. Indeed, gator does taste a bit like chicken
(certainly not ham, or beef streak to be sure) but not just like chicken. It
was not a bad or repellent flavor but one that would require a bit of
acclimatization to become a readily accepted flavor. It was fun, passing the
plate around, trying a new and novel food.
Janis, knowing the menu from her last trip to the Hurricane,
again chose the Triple Decker BLT (Bacon, lettuce and tomato, served on your
choice of Texas toast, wheat, rye or local baked Cuban bread, $8.25) She
chose the Cuban bread. It is an imposing triple-decker sandwich. There is more
than ample of everything, the lettuce, the tomato and the crisp fried bacon.
The flavor is good and the ingredients are fresh. With a side of fries it is a
more than adequate meal. If ever there is another trip to the Hurricane in the
offing, I suspect that the BLT would be Janis’ choice again.
Bill and Nancy spent much of their childhood in the Tampa
Bay area where grouper is the predominate game fish. So, it is not surprising
that they and Sally went for one of the famous staples of the Hurricane, The World Famous Original Grouper Sandwich
(Since 1977, this is the one you have
heard about around the world. Fresh Gulf grouper cut daily, hand breaded to
order in the Hurricane original breading, lightly fried in rice bran oil.
Served on a corn dusted Kaiser bun with Duke’s specially made tartar sauce and
a fresh lemon wedge. The house recommends fried, broiled or blackened, Market Price
on this day was $11.00) As luck would have it for the food blogger, they
each ordered a different grouper sandwich and provided a look at each variety.
Billed ordered his blackened. The serving was a nice sized
piece of well blackened fish that covered the bun. There was a crisp leaf of
lettuce, a slice of tomato and slices of red onion. A small cup or tartar sauce
and a side of crispy fried French fries completed the plate. He ate his
sandwich with gusto. Perhaps he was thinking back to teenage years and other
long-ago grouper sandwiches when the beaches were wide open and overcrowding
not a problem. He said it was a delicious sandwich and a wise menu choice.
Nancy ordered hers fried. Breaded and fried to a crispy golden
brown finish, the plate was completed with a side of fries and garnishes of
lettuce, tomato and red onion. She also gave the dish a big thumbs up for
flavor and freshness. Perhaps it too was a reminder of days long past when
teenagers hung out at the beach.
It was a pleasant day, filled sunshine, the company of
friends and family and conversation over a delicious shared meal; a very good
day indeed. Just as we were winding down we noticed that the area was filling
quietly with law enforcement vehicles. There were many St Pete Beach officers,
Pinellas County Sheriff and many of those unmarked, dark sedans and SUV’s with
the tinted windows. I was beginning to wonder if maybe I should have waited
earlier for the parking attendant. We asked one of the officers what was going
on. He said, on the QT, that the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, visiting in the
local area that day, had requested to eat lunch at the Hurricane. I guess it is
world-famous after all. I’m sure the Prime Minister had as delicious a meal as
did we.
The
Hurricane Seafood Restaurant
809 Gulf
Way St Pete Beach, FL 33706
“Open 7AM till close”
Although it has been around for almost forty years, my
knowledge of the Hurricane Seafood Restaurant is new. I may have seen it on a
sight-seeing tour some years ago but it wasn’t until I read a newspaper article
about the restaurant that I became intrigued with the restaurant. Anything that
is called “world famous” usually deserves a second look. That was about the
middle of last year. I clipped out the article and set it aside. It wasn’t
until my sister, Pattie Sue, came from Idaho to spend her snowbird holiday with
us that I found the opportunity to try out the Hurricane. She was favorably
impressed and in her
food-blog she tells why.
My wife, Janis, was very positive about the experience and a
short time later, when her cousins came from Tennessee for their snowbird
holiday, we again visited the Hurricane Sea Food Restaurant. In this blog I get
to write about two almost back to back visits to the restaurant. I hope you
will enjoy recalling the moments with me.
Before we even start discussing the restaurant, let us talk
about the parking. On street parking in Pass-a-Grille means metered parking.
You need lots and lots of quarters or a credit card. The parking spaces are
number coded and at intervals there are kiosks where you deposit your quarters
or insert you credit card to pay the fee. Then you get to take the receipt back
to your car to display and avoid a traffic ticket. Considering that The
Hurricane is across the street from one of the nicest beaches on the island,
and that all the public parking is curbside, no lots, on a nice day parking at
the hurricane can be a problem.
On our first trip to the Hurricane, we thought ourselves lucky
as we found an empty parking space on the side street adjacent to the
restaurant. To begin with, we were not aware of the parking before coming to
the restaurant. We did not have many quarters. It was better to use a credit card
and avoid having to run out mid-meal and add more quarters. I tried and tried but I could not get the
machine to complete a transaction. Then I tried the quarters we did have; it
spit those back. It seemed that our good
luck in finding a parking place was a sham. I would have to look for another
place near a working kiosk.
While I was having a heated discussion with the parking
meter machine, the wife and sister were looking around. They motioned me to
come to the alley behind the restaurant. There is a small lot behind the
building. It is nondescript, has no signage and is unimproved as well as being
hidden behind the trees. All well and good and right behind the restaurant; I
drove in. The gate keeper handed me a
brightly colored stub and said, “That will be twenty dollars, please.” Seeing
my look of shock and disbelief, he quickly added that it was to discourage
beach goers from using the restaurant’s lot and that the parking fee would be refunded
inside the restaurant. To make a long story short, park in the lot behind the
restaurant and avoid, if possible, parking on the street.
Cousin Bill, his steady Sally, and cousin Nancy were our
guests for their snowbird getaway. A lunch at the Hurricane seemed to be the thing
to do. From southwest St Petersburg, it was a short drove through So Pasadena,
then along the hotel row of St Pete Beach,
pass the historic Don
CeSar hotel and then onto the picturesque island community of Pass A Grill where time passes to the
beat of a different drum. On this day I pulled into the parking area. There was
no one in sight. So I parked the car just like that was the thing to do.
It was a mild and sunny day and a few cool libations on the roof-top
patio bar were just the thing to let us slow down to the pace of living. The
roof top bar is a place for snacks and sipping on tall cool drinks. The view
was excellent. We looked out over the serene waters of Gulf of Mexico. Below
people of all ages were enjoying the white sandy beach, sunning, running,
playing and swimming. After a bit, our appetites honed by the salty sea
breezes, we went down stairs (on this day it was a long walk indeed as the
elevator was not operating). I haven’t been to the Hurricane enough to know all
the ins and outs but it seems (and correct me if I’m wrong) that the roof top
bar is more of a casual meeting place, the second floor a more formal dining
room better suited for the dinner crowd, and the lower, street level floor a
casual café with indoor and sidewalk table service.
We chose a table facing Gulf Way with a view across the
beach and the Gulf. It was a picnic-style table under the second story
overhang. That provided a bit of shade against the bright and hot sun but let
the breezes across the water cool us. All relaxed, at ease with the world, it
was now time to eat. Our server that day was Amber, a pleasant young lady who
worked hard to make our day an enjoyable one.
Cousin Bill has an adventuresome spirit. For an appetizer he
chose Gator Bites (Right from the bayou. Tender bites of alligator
hand breaded, lightly fried in rice bran oil and served with barbecue sauce,
$10.00) About 10 pieces of gator, fried golden brown and served with a
small cup barbecue and some wedges of lemon and lime; with some urging, everyone
tried a bite at least if only just for curiosity. “It tastes like chicken,” is
a common assertion when trying to describe the flavor of an unfamiliar food. Given the evolutionary kinship between birds
and reptiles, we can see and understand the connection and it does hold true
here to a certain degree. Indeed, gator does taste a bit like chicken
(certainly not ham, or beef streak to be sure) but not just like chicken. It
was not a bad or repellent flavor but one that would require a bit of
acclimatization to become a readily accepted flavor. It was fun, passing the
plate around, trying a new and novel food.Janis, knowing the menu from her last trip to the Hurricane,
again chose the Triple Decker BLT (Bacon, lettuce and tomato, served on your
choice of Texas toast, wheat, rye or local baked Cuban bread, $8.25) She
chose the Cuban bread. It is an imposing triple-decker sandwich. There is more
than ample of everything, the lettuce, the tomato and the crisp fried bacon.
The flavor is good and the ingredients are fresh. With a side of fries it is a
more than adequate meal. If ever there is another trip to the Hurricane in the
offing, I suspect that the BLT would be Janis’ choice again.Bill and Nancy spent much of their childhood in the Tampa
Bay area where grouper is the predominate game fish. So, it is not surprising
that they and Sally went for one of the famous staples of the Hurricane, The World Famous Original Grouper Sandwich
(Since 1977, this is the one you have
heard about around the world. Fresh Gulf grouper cut daily, hand breaded to
order in the Hurricane original breading, lightly fried in rice bran oil.
Served on a corn dusted Kaiser bun with Duke’s specially made tartar sauce and
a fresh lemon wedge. The house recommends fried, broiled or blackened, Market Price
on this day was $11.00) As luck would have it for the food blogger, they
each ordered a different grouper sandwich and provided a look at each variety.Billed ordered his blackened. The serving was a nice sized
piece of well blackened fish that covered the bun. There was a crisp leaf of
lettuce, a slice of tomato and slices of red onion. A small cup or tartar sauce
and a side of crispy fried French fries completed the plate. He ate his
sandwich with gusto. Perhaps he was thinking back to teenage years and other
long-ago grouper sandwiches when the beaches were wide open and overcrowding
not a problem. He said it was a delicious sandwich and a wise menu choice.
Sally ordered hers grilled. Again, the serving was a nice
sized piece of fish with pronounced grill marks, Served with the usual sides,
it was full sized meal for Sally who gave it a thumbs-up rating and a definite order
again menu selection.
Nancy ordered hers fried. Breaded and fried to a crispy golden
brown finish, the plate was completed with a side of fries and garnishes of
lettuce, tomato and red onion. She also gave the dish a big thumbs up for
flavor and freshness. Perhaps it too was a reminder of days long past when
teenagers hung out at the beach.
Relying on past experience, I again ordered the Tilapia Fish and Chips. (Tilapia hand breaded to order, lightly fried
in rice bran oil and served with French fries and Hurricane house-made coleslaw,
$13.00) It was a nice tilapia filet, breaded and fried golden and crispy,
the inside moist and tender. It had a very nice delicate flavor and just a
touch of tartar sauce or a spritz of lemon gave it all the zing you would want.
There was a serving of crispy fried potatoes and a side of coleslaw. Made mostly of green cabbage with a touch of
purple cabbage and carrots, it was fresh, the vegetables crisp and tasty. The
dressing was a bit thin, not really clinging to the cabbage but it has a nice
zesty flavor. All in all, the fries and the slaw were a good paring with the
tilapia.
It was a pleasant day, filled sunshine, the company of
friends and family and conversation over a delicious shared meal; a very good
day indeed. Just as we were winding down we noticed that the area was filling
quietly with law enforcement vehicles. There were many St Pete Beach officers,
Pinellas County Sheriff and many of those unmarked, dark sedans and SUV’s with
the tinted windows. I was beginning to wonder if maybe I should have waited
earlier for the parking attendant. We asked one of the officers what was going
on. He said, on the QT, that the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, visiting in the
local area that day, had requested to eat lunch at the Hurricane. I guess it is
world-famous after all. I’m sure the Prime Minister had as delicious a meal as
did we.
If one fine day you find yourself driving down the
seafront road and come across a big green gothic-looking building, on a corner
overlooking the sea, stop and enjoy the moment and enjoy a good meal in a
scenic setting.
Labels: blackened, BLT, chips, coleslaw, fish and chips, Florida, French fries, fried, grilled, grouper, Hurricane, lettuce, Pass A Grill, restaurant, seafood, tilapia
¶ 3:00 PM 0 Comments
Monday, January 27, 2014
SPARC After Holiday Party - Kristina's Cafe
.jpg "Panorama of SPARC. I hope I got everyone in the picture. Sorry if I left you out.")
Kristina’s Café
3590 34th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 526-6673
The St Petersburg Amateur Radio Club holds an annual after the holidays party. Traditionally it is held at Kristina’s Café. From the perspective of the club members it is a time to meet, come face to face with voices on the radio, remake and rekindle or make new friendships and, well I “gotta” say it, catch up on all the gossip all while having a lot of fun.
From the perspective of the harried servers and cooks at Kristina’s it is the sudden arrival of fifty plus ravenous appetites, loud and laughing and having a good time (but otherwise well behaved) customers all ordering at the same time and from the full menu. How can you possibly plan for that?
A special note at this year’s party was the attendance of Woody, K4SCL. The club honored Woody with a plaque citing his over forty years of Amateur Radio Service both to the club and to the community. Active in the club, serving in many roles, of late he has been a net control operator and liaison to the National Traffic Net spending many hours every day handling traffic for the net. I have talked with Woody many times on the radio but had never met him in person. In later years, as Bob, KC4SXO said, “Woody sightings have become few and far between.” Over ninety years of age, Woody has decided it is time to slow down a bit. We were all honored to have him and his wife join us for the After Holiday Party.
Usually a restaurant will offer a limited menu for large group gatherings. The constraints of so many people, such short time and so many possible selections can be wholly intimidating. Each year the staff of Kristina’s is up to the daunting challenge.
Although I saw dishes from all parts of the menu being served, I will only report on my wife Janis’ and my selection. Memory can be persistent even if only subliminally. Janis and I both duplicated our order from last year’s party almost exactly. It was good then so it will most likely be good again.
.jpg "A bowl of tasty potato soup - soup of the day for Sunday.")
Janis started off with a bowl of the soup of the day. Kristina features a
different soup each day of the week. Since this was Sunday, the selection was
Cream of Potato Soup ($2.25 bowl).
It was a nice thick and creamy soup with lots of potatoes and vegetables served with several packets of saltine crackers. She said it was very good, very tasty and she certainly had no trouble finishing her bowl of soup.
.jpg "Roast beef and turkey club with coleslaw.")
The main part of her meal was to be the Roast Beef and Turkey Club ($6.25);
the same as last year. Since she was having the soup, she didn’t want the side
order that would come with her sandwich. Since my plate is a convenient
depository for unwanted food, she asked me what I wanted her to order. I chose
the coleslaw since I was already having French fries with my order. The sandwich
was made with the thinner, sandwich sliced bread and toasted nicely. The thin
slices of bread mean that the filling has to be more than adequate to make the
sandwich stand out. There is plenty of beef and turkey as well as the lettuce
and tomato to fill the sandwich.
Janis enjoyed her sandwich saying that it was very good but could only eat half and asked for a take home container for the other half to enjoy at a later time.
.jpg "Steak Hoagie with beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms and Mozzarella cheese. What is not to like?")
My Déjà vu order was the Steak Hoagie ($6.25); similar to a Philly
cheesesteak sandwich but with sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms and melted
Mozzarella cheese all on a hot, toasted hoagie bun. My side of choice was French
fries but don’t forget, I was also having coleslaw. On arrival it was a full
plate and included a spear of dill pickle.
The sandwich was full of all kinds of good things, meat, peppers onions, mushrooms and cheese. So much in fact that picking up the sandwich dumped lots of the filling on the plate. No matter, it tasted just as good off a fork. It was nice tender beef with lots of flavor from the vegetables and cheese; a thoroughly and filling sandwich. The coleslaw, a small serving actually, was good. It is a finely chopped cabbage with a mild dressing, not too tart and not too sweet; enough to moisten the cabbage but not compete with the flavor and not too much to drip into the serving plate.A good accompaniment but not an all-star to stand by itself. The French fries, still hot from the fryer, were not oily, were crisp and tasty. They were good French fries. I enjoyed my meal very much. It was good food to start with but being surrounded by so many, as Donn, N4KII, would say, “hamsters” made it even more enjoyable. I am already looking forward to next year.
.jpg "Woody. K4SCL, receiving plaque of appreciation from Club President, Bob, N2ESP")
Kristina’s Café
3590 34th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713 (727) 526-6673
The St Petersburg Amateur Radio Club holds an annual after the holidays party. Traditionally it is held at Kristina’s Café. From the perspective of the club members it is a time to meet, come face to face with voices on the radio, remake and rekindle or make new friendships and, well I “gotta” say it, catch up on all the gossip all while having a lot of fun.
From the perspective of the harried servers and cooks at Kristina’s it is the sudden arrival of fifty plus ravenous appetites, loud and laughing and having a good time (but otherwise well behaved) customers all ordering at the same time and from the full menu. How can you possibly plan for that?
A special note at this year’s party was the attendance of Woody, K4SCL. The club honored Woody with a plaque citing his over forty years of Amateur Radio Service both to the club and to the community. Active in the club, serving in many roles, of late he has been a net control operator and liaison to the National Traffic Net spending many hours every day handling traffic for the net. I have talked with Woody many times on the radio but had never met him in person. In later years, as Bob, KC4SXO said, “Woody sightings have become few and far between.” Over ninety years of age, Woody has decided it is time to slow down a bit. We were all honored to have him and his wife join us for the After Holiday Party.
Usually a restaurant will offer a limited menu for large group gatherings. The constraints of so many people, such short time and so many possible selections can be wholly intimidating. Each year the staff of Kristina’s is up to the daunting challenge.
Although I saw dishes from all parts of the menu being served, I will only report on my wife Janis’ and my selection. Memory can be persistent even if only subliminally. Janis and I both duplicated our order from last year’s party almost exactly. It was good then so it will most likely be good again.
Janis started off with a bowl of the soup of the day. Kristina features a
different soup each day of the week. Since this was Sunday, the selection was
Cream of Potato Soup ($2.25 bowl).It was a nice thick and creamy soup with lots of potatoes and vegetables served with several packets of saltine crackers. She said it was very good, very tasty and she certainly had no trouble finishing her bowl of soup.
The main part of her meal was to be the Roast Beef and Turkey Club ($6.25);
the same as last year. Since she was having the soup, she didn’t want the side
order that would come with her sandwich. Since my plate is a convenient
depository for unwanted food, she asked me what I wanted her to order. I chose
the coleslaw since I was already having French fries with my order. The sandwich
was made with the thinner, sandwich sliced bread and toasted nicely. The thin
slices of bread mean that the filling has to be more than adequate to make the
sandwich stand out. There is plenty of beef and turkey as well as the lettuce
and tomato to fill the sandwich.Janis enjoyed her sandwich saying that it was very good but could only eat half and asked for a take home container for the other half to enjoy at a later time.
My Déjà vu order was the Steak Hoagie ($6.25); similar to a Philly
cheesesteak sandwich but with sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms and melted
Mozzarella cheese all on a hot, toasted hoagie bun. My side of choice was French
fries but don’t forget, I was also having coleslaw. On arrival it was a full
plate and included a spear of dill pickle. The sandwich was full of all kinds of good things, meat, peppers onions, mushrooms and cheese. So much in fact that picking up the sandwich dumped lots of the filling on the plate. No matter, it tasted just as good off a fork. It was nice tender beef with lots of flavor from the vegetables and cheese; a thoroughly and filling sandwich. The coleslaw, a small serving actually, was good. It is a finely chopped cabbage with a mild dressing, not too tart and not too sweet; enough to moisten the cabbage but not compete with the flavor and not too much to drip into the serving plate.A good accompaniment but not an all-star to stand by itself. The French fries, still hot from the fryer, were not oily, were crisp and tasty. They were good French fries. I enjoyed my meal very much. It was good food to start with but being surrounded by so many, as Donn, N4KII, would say, “hamsters” made it even more enjoyable. I am already looking forward to next year.
Labels: After Holidays Party, Amateur Radio, cheese, cheesesteak, club sandwich, coleslaw, French fries, hoagie, Kristina's, mozzarella, mushrooms, pepper. onions, potato soup, roast beef, SPARC, St Petersburg, steak, turkey
¶ 10:05 AM 0 Comments
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Kissin Cuzzins - St. Petersburg, Florida a 2013 Revisit
KissinCuzzins
2013
Jeri’s sandwich had an attractive plating, the light rye bread toasted to a “pretty as a picture’ golden brown. It was a large sandwich with the corned beef spilling out over the sides of the bread. It came with a dill pickle spear and a small bowl of coleslaw. She said the sandwich was excellent, very tasty. The preparation was well practiced, not too much dressing to make it wet nor too little and make it dry; just right. The bread was crispy toasted on the outside, soft, tender and hot bread spreading a wonderful rye smell. The meat was tender and tasty. In spite of being a large sandwich, she managed to finish her meal. The slaw was of green cabbage, fresh and crisp with a mild, favorable dressing. A thoroughly filling and enjoyable meal.
My Philly
sub was a plateful. With that kind of sandwich I suppose it is hard to be
artistic in plating. However, all the good filling in the sandwiches and the
pile of French fries with a dill spear garnish looked very food to me. “The
proof…” they say, “is in the eating.” The crinkle cut fries were done to a nice
golden brown, fresh out of the fryer, hot and crispy. With a sprinkle of salt,
they were excellent. I ate the pickle, it was crisp, but I don’t remember much
about it as I was very much preoccupied with the sandwich. First off, when you make a sandwich like this,
cutting through and leaving a bit of crust for a hinge, the bread has to be
fresh. If the bread is not fresh it will fall apart on the first bite spilling
the contents onto the plate or your lap. In this instance the bread was very
fresh, the crust a nice elastic; slightly chewy. The bread folded over the
ample filling making a nice easy to eat bundle. There was lots of beef, grilled
onions, mushrooms and peppers all slathered with stringy melted Mozzarella
cheese. What’s not to like? It was indeed an excellent sandwich and made for a
filling meal. I will, in all probability, order the Philly sub if ever I make it back to Kissin Cuzzins
again.
KissinCuzzins
2013
951 34th St N
St Petersburg, FL 33733
Neighborhood: Tyrone
St Petersburg, FL 33733
Neighborhood: Tyrone
(727) 323-3915
Mon-Fri 7a – 2p Sat-Sun 7a – 3p
On the very first journey to Florida to
meet the soon to be in-laws, they just had to take me to one of their favorite
places to go for a breakfast out. As they grew older, mother and father in-law
cooked and ate in less and ate out more often; often enough that they were
known by the serving staff on a first name basis. Back then there were three
Kissin Cuzzins, long established casual family eateries. Over the years the
neighborhood demographics changed and more and more fast food servers moved
into the neighborhood. One family restaurant,
all brand new with shiny chrome, set up shop only two blocks down the street. Such
intense competition had severe consequences for Kissin Cuzzins. The two other
stores closed some years ago and only the 34th St store, the
flagship store, remained open. In a well thought out move, Cuzzins went lean
and mean paring down hours, closing in the midafternoon, concentrating on their
forte, breakfast and lunch. Cuzzins has survived and is still here as well as
the fast food emporiums that abound all along 34th Street. However,
the upstart that opened just two blocks down the street closed a year or so ago,
fenced off and looking forlorn, weeds poking up through the parking lot, it has
long been up for sale.
The in-laws have passed on. But in their
tradition, that visitors to the Jones house must partake of a breakfast at the
Kissin Cuzzins, lives on. After a morning of busy sightseeing activity, I took our
California house guest, Jeri, to lunch. The Cuzzins was moderately busy and we
had to park in the overflow lot. However, we got immediate seating in a booth
on the north side. As is usual for the Cuzzins, the hostess and the servers we
quick and courteous.
Sipping on our already arrived beverages,
we studied the menu. Jeri chose The Rueben ($7.49 Corned beef, sauerkraut and Swiss on
grilled rye). I was about to go with my usual standby, the cheeseburger, when
the Philly-Style Hoagie ($7.99 Thinly sliced beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms and
Mozzarella cheese on a toasted sun roll) caught my eye. I had recently had a
Philly sub from another restaurant and on impulse I decided to compare the two.
Jeri’s sandwich had an attractive plating, the light rye bread toasted to a “pretty as a picture’ golden brown. It was a large sandwich with the corned beef spilling out over the sides of the bread. It came with a dill pickle spear and a small bowl of coleslaw. She said the sandwich was excellent, very tasty. The preparation was well practiced, not too much dressing to make it wet nor too little and make it dry; just right. The bread was crispy toasted on the outside, soft, tender and hot bread spreading a wonderful rye smell. The meat was tender and tasty. In spite of being a large sandwich, she managed to finish her meal. The slaw was of green cabbage, fresh and crisp with a mild, favorable dressing. A thoroughly filling and enjoyable meal.
My Philly
sub was a plateful. With that kind of sandwich I suppose it is hard to be
artistic in plating. However, all the good filling in the sandwiches and the
pile of French fries with a dill spear garnish looked very food to me. “The
proof…” they say, “is in the eating.” The crinkle cut fries were done to a nice
golden brown, fresh out of the fryer, hot and crispy. With a sprinkle of salt,
they were excellent. I ate the pickle, it was crisp, but I don’t remember much
about it as I was very much preoccupied with the sandwich. First off, when you make a sandwich like this,
cutting through and leaving a bit of crust for a hinge, the bread has to be
fresh. If the bread is not fresh it will fall apart on the first bite spilling
the contents onto the plate or your lap. In this instance the bread was very
fresh, the crust a nice elastic; slightly chewy. The bread folded over the
ample filling making a nice easy to eat bundle. There was lots of beef, grilled
onions, mushrooms and peppers all slathered with stringy melted Mozzarella
cheese. What’s not to like? It was indeed an excellent sandwich and made for a
filling meal. I will, in all probability, order the Philly sub if ever I make it back to Kissin Cuzzins
again.Labels: beef, coleslaw, corned beef, Cuzzins, dill pickle, Florida, French fries, Kissin, mushrooms, onions, peppers, Philly cheesesteak, Reuben, St Petersburg
¶ 11:21 AM 0 Comments
Saturday, July 06, 2013
Sea Hags - St Pete Beach, Florida 7/2/2013
It was birthday time for Aunt Effie. Cousin Allan wanted to take his Mom and Dad
out to lunch to celebrate. We were lucky enough to be included in the
invitation. Alan chose a place in St
Pete Beach he had heard about from friends. It is the Sea Hags. It is a sandwich,
steak and seafood casual dining waterfront café that evokes the spirit of the
beach shack gathering places of fifty years ago. The rear window and patio open
on the marina overlooking the docks and many pleasure boats. Some of the slips
are reserved for the sail-in boater to tie up and visit the cafe. I suppose
that would be the equivalent of the sport pilot’s $100 hamburger.
We all arrived about noon, shortly after opening. The
restaurant wasn’t crowded and seating was immediate in a booth that was
spacious enough to seat the six of us comfortably. The server was quickly there
to take our beverage orders. Alan also ordered some appetizers for us. He
selected a house signature dish, Hag Shrimp ($7.99 lightly fried and drizzled
with a spicy, creamy Hag sauce), and Onion Rings (Homemade Onion Rings $6.99 –
Nothing more to say). The appetizer order arrive in short order and it was dive
in even before I could break out the trusty camera. The onion rings were real
rings of onion, battered and fried, almost tempura. The coating was crispy and
the onion just cooked through. They were attractive, tasty morsels. The Hag
shrimp was very good. Shrimp is a very mild and delicate flavor. One of my pet
peeves is when someone does something to the shrimp that totally eclipses the
flavor of the shrimp; why bother with the shrimp – go with a glob of tofu.
However, the Hag shrimp are very flavorful, the sauce giving a distinctive
little zing while enjoying the flavor of the shrimp. Well done, a good munchable.
Sea Hags Bar
and Grill
9555 Blind
Pas Rd, St Pete
Beach, Florida 33706
It was birthday time for Aunt Effie. Cousin Allan wanted to take his Mom and Dad
out to lunch to celebrate. We were lucky enough to be included in the
invitation. Alan chose a place in St
Pete Beach he had heard about from friends. It is the Sea Hags. It is a sandwich,
steak and seafood casual dining waterfront café that evokes the spirit of the
beach shack gathering places of fifty years ago. The rear window and patio open
on the marina overlooking the docks and many pleasure boats. Some of the slips
are reserved for the sail-in boater to tie up and visit the cafe. I suppose
that would be the equivalent of the sport pilot’s $100 hamburger.
The Sea Hags is a fairly new incarnation in a building that
has housed many other cafes. After a refit and some sprucing up, the Sea Hags
opened with a menu that features appetizers, soups and salads, burgers and
sandwiches, buckets of clam strips, shrimp and haddock. In addition to a good
selection of dinner entrees, the Sea Hags also offers quesadillas and pizzas;
pretty much something for everyone.
We all arrived about noon, shortly after opening. The
restaurant wasn’t crowded and seating was immediate in a booth that was
spacious enough to seat the six of us comfortably. The server was quickly there
to take our beverage orders. Alan also ordered some appetizers for us. He
selected a house signature dish, Hag Shrimp ($7.99 lightly fried and drizzled
with a spicy, creamy Hag sauce), and Onion Rings (Homemade Onion Rings $6.99 –
Nothing more to say). The appetizer order arrive in short order and it was dive
in even before I could break out the trusty camera. The onion rings were real
rings of onion, battered and fried, almost tempura. The coating was crispy and
the onion just cooked through. They were attractive, tasty morsels. The Hag
shrimp was very good. Shrimp is a very mild and delicate flavor. One of my pet
peeves is when someone does something to the shrimp that totally eclipses the
flavor of the shrimp; why bother with the shrimp – go with a glob of tofu.
However, the Hag shrimp are very flavorful, the sauce giving a distinctive
little zing while enjoying the flavor of the shrimp. Well done, a good munchable.
Our meals came shortly after. Birthday girl Effie and Gil
both ordered the same thing. I have noted that they often will order the same
thing when we go out to eat. Perhaps there is a bit of ESP at work. They
ordered the Po Boy Special ($8.99 Shrimp, scallops and oysters topped with
shredded lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Sandwiches are served with a choice of
fries, coleslaw, cup of soup or a small salad). The chose a cup of soup; the
soup of the day was Caribbean chowder. The sandwich was served in a tissue
lined basket; remember this is a beach shack café. The sandwich was filled over
flowing and that made eating with a knife and fork a viable option. It was a big sandwich and a big cup of soup.
To their credit Effie and Gill finished their meals and for that take their word
that the sandwich and the soup were good eats.
Kyla ordered a pizza (Specialty Foot Long Pizzas – Served all
day. Pepperoni and cheese $10.99). When I first noted the pizza on the menu I
guessed from the foot long description that it was perhaps made on a bread
roll. I was therefore surprised when it turned out to be a conventional round, flat
bread pizza. I would have never guessed they had a pizza oven in the back, in
the seafood kitchen. The pizza pretty
much filled the serving plate. It was done well; the crust crispy golden brown,
the cheese just starting to brown. It appeared that there was a good serving of
cheese. There was a ring of slice pepperoni. The crust was browned nicely on
the bottom, a bit between a thin and a thick crust pizza. Kyla said it was very
good and was happy with her choice. Try as she may, however, it was a big
serving and she had to leave a few bites of crust behind.
Alan chose the Fresh Florida Grouper Sandwich. After all,
one of the reasons he picked Sea Hags was because of the seafood. Grouper Sandwich (Market Price. Grilled, fried
or blackened. Sandwiches served with a choice of fries, coleslaw, a cup of soup
or a small salad.) Alan selected the fried grouper and the soup. The soup was thick
with lots of bits of sea food and some vegetables in a tomato broth – sort of Manhattan
seafood chowder. He said it has a nice hearty flavor. The bread was grilled and
came with lettuce, tomato and pickle.
The fish was nicely cooked with a golden brown color. It was much larger
than the bread overhanging all around by a good margin; it certainly was not
your fast food restaurant filet of fish sandwich. He said it was very good, the
fish having a good flavor and it being of more than an adequate serving.
Sitting at opposite ends of the booth and across from one
another, the wife and I independently selected the same thing. We both chose
the Fried Shrimp Bucket ($8.99 Choice of fried clam strips, fried shrimp or
haddock – served all day. All buckets are served with fries and slaw, no
substitutions.) The presentation is really a bucket. A small galvanized bucket
is lying on its side in the serving basket spilling out its contents much like
a cornucopia. As cute as the serving is, eating your meal is easier if you
slide the bucket out from the basket. No need to keep reaching into the
recesses of the bucket to get your fries. It is a large serving of seasoned
fries. I’m not sure of just what they are using but it is reminiscent of the
fries served down the street at Woody’s Waterfront.
They taste just fine, are
slightly crispy and served hot out of the fryer. As good as they are, if I were
to eat them regularly I think I would prefer regular fries instead. There was a
nice side of coleslaw; mostly green cabbage with a few shreds of carrots for
color. It was a pedestrian salad; a nice satisfying side dish, good but not
outstanding. There was a nice serving of shrimp, about a dozen pieces of large
(about 31/40 size) that were nicely breaded and fried a deep golden brown. The breading was crispy but the shrimp inside
was not overcooked nor was it soft and mushy. The breading was mild in flavor
so the flavor of the shrimp was predominating. It was filling meal, quite
sufficient although the shrimp were good enough that I would have easily eaten
some more.
For the most part the service was quite good. The server
made several table visits to check on us
and refill beverage glasses. While we were eating the noon crown filled the
restaurant and the serving staff was in busy motion. It took a moment or two to
catch their attention to get the bill but other than that service was
excellent.
The restaurant does have a cocktail lounge and a selection
of wines is available. Some al fresco patio dining is available and there is an
entertainment schedule. I was quite satisfied with the Sea Hag experience. Although
the experience was enhanced and fondly memorable by family close at hand in celebration,
the Sea Hag experience can stand alone. If I were asked to go to the Sea Hag
again I certainly would say yes. The next time I think I’ll try the Marina
burger – sautéed mushrooms, bacon, cheese and grilled onions.
Labels: coleslaw, Florida, French fries, grouper, pizza, po boy, sea hags, shrimp, St Pete Beach
¶ 10:05 AM 0 Comments
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
The Pub Revisited - Indian Shores, Florida
The Pub, Revisited 11/20/12
20025 Gulf Blvd
Indian Shores, Florida
727 595-3172 www.thepubwaterfrontrestaurant.com
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The Pub, Revisited 11/20/12
20025 Gulf Blvd
Indian Shores, Florida
727 595-3172 www.thepubwaterfrontrestaurant.com
Our first visit to the Pub was almost by accident. We were taking my wife’s Uncle Gil and Aunt Effie out to lunch at another well-known restaurant. We ran afoul of all of the small towns setting their own street numbers. As a result, we were headed the wrong direction when we passed the Pub. Gil and Effie had enjoyed a prior visit so we decided to stop there. The blog for that earlier visit, November 2010, can be found at http://thatfoodguy.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html
This visit to The Pub was on purpose. Gil and Effie’s son, Ken, and his wife, Tracy, had read the first blog and were captivated with the view from our table overlooking the inland waterway. A visit to The Pub for lunch was on top of their list of things to do on their next trip to St Petersburg from their home in Northern Georgia. Their visit over the Thanksgiving holiday presented the perfect opportunity.
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It is sometimes amusing, the foibles of the human memory. After out almost getting lost the last time, when we arrived at the intersection of Ulmerton Rd with Gulf Blvd we just knew The Pub was to the right. We had just about run out of barrier islands before we realized that we had turned the wrong way. We turned about and retraced our route, passing the Ulmerton intersection, going way farther south and arriving at long last at The Pub. I think we’ll remember for the next time.
It was a warm, clear day; the sky an almost iridescent blue. The parking lot was about half full. For a moment we worried about finding a table. Not to worry, as they say. Most of the diners already there had opted for the open air patios taking advantage of the very pleasant weather. Almost immediately we were shown to a table, almost the very one featured in the last blog. The tint of the window gave relief from the brightness of the noonday sun.
Our young and personable server, Kelsey, was quickly there with menus and took our beverage orders. It took a while to decide what to have. There are many good things on the menu. After reading the menu, sipping our drinks, we were finally able to decide what to have for lunch. We gave Kelsey our order and sent back to wait. Out of the window, we could see the daily activities taking place on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. There were some very nice pleasure boat and some working fishing boats plying the waters in front of us. One of the highlights of watching out the window was to see a dolphin swimming nearby.
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Tracy Ordered A Florida Wrap (Smoked Turkey, Ham, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato And 1000 Island Dressing In A Tortilla Wrap $9.95). Sandwiches Come With Your Choice Of Pasta Salad, French Fries Or Coleslaw. Tracy Chose The Pasta Salad. It Is A Big Tortilla Wrap. The Tortilla Is Generously Stopped With The Fillings. Tracy Said It Was Very Good And That She Would Consider Having It Again On A Second Visit To The Pub.
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Effie He Ordered The Fish Sandwich. She Ordered The Same Meal That She Ordered On Our Last Visit To The Pub. (Always popular: broiled or fried $9.95) Again, the Sandwich comes with a choice of pasta salad, French fries or coleslaw. Effie he chose broiled fish and the pasta salad. It was a nicely browned ample portion of fish with a wedge of lemon. It was served with a toasted bun, a nice selection of fresh lettuce, tomato, and sliced red onion. There was a portion of tartar sauce on the side. Effie said the sandwich was very good and that the broiled fish is the best choice. Usually a light eater, she was the able to eat and enjoy all of her sandwich.
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Ken ordered the Oyster Poor Boy (down-home good! $10.49) the Sandwich comes with a choice of pasta salad, French fries or coleslaw. Ken’s selected the coleslaw. About a half dozen large battered and deep-fried oysters are served on a hoagie roll with this, sliced tomato, and some sliced red onion. Ken ate his sandwich with gusto. He said it was very good, very tasty.
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Janis and her uncle Gil the shrimp basket (all baskets are hand breaded and come with French fries at hand coleslaw with plenty of tartar sauce and lemon. The shrimp baskets are $12.50 ) the meal is served in a wicker basket. It consisted of about 15 pieces of breaded fried shrimp, a generous serving of French fries, coleslaw, a lemon wedge and a portion of cocktail sauce. Both Janis and Gil enjoy their meal very much. They finished their order and said it was very good.
.jpg)
I ordered the Scallops Basket (all baskets are hand breaded and come with French fries and coleslaw with plenty of tartar sauce and lemon. The scallops basket costs $12.95) the order comes with about 30 small breaded and fried scallops, a generous serving of French fries, a side of coleslaw a slice of lemon and a portion of cocktail sauce. The coleslaw were crispy fresh cabbage with a tangy sweet dressing not to wet not to dry. It made a nice accompaniment for the scallops. The French fries were cooked a nice golden brown, were piping hot and delicious. The scallops were nicely cooked a nice golden brown. They were not overcooked and still had good texture the betting was light so you could taste scallops and not just fried dough. I was very satisfied with meal. It was served hot and was of ample proportion to satisfy my appetite. I definitely would consider ordering this dish again should I have the pleasure of dining at the pub in the future.
Overall, the restaurant was neat and clean, the service was courteous and quick, and it was a pleasure to be able to look out over the Intracoastal Waterway while we waited for our order to be served. Had I been dining alone, I would have found the food delicious and worthy of another visit. The fact that we were dining with family made it an even more special event and added to the enjoyment of the day.
This visit to The Pub was on purpose. Gil and Effie’s son, Ken, and his wife, Tracy, had read the first blog and were captivated with the view from our table overlooking the inland waterway. A visit to The Pub for lunch was on top of their list of things to do on their next trip to St Petersburg from their home in Northern Georgia. Their visit over the Thanksgiving holiday presented the perfect opportunity.
.jpg)
It is sometimes amusing, the foibles of the human memory. After out almost getting lost the last time, when we arrived at the intersection of Ulmerton Rd with Gulf Blvd we just knew The Pub was to the right. We had just about run out of barrier islands before we realized that we had turned the wrong way. We turned about and retraced our route, passing the Ulmerton intersection, going way farther south and arriving at long last at The Pub. I think we’ll remember for the next time.It was a warm, clear day; the sky an almost iridescent blue. The parking lot was about half full. For a moment we worried about finding a table. Not to worry, as they say. Most of the diners already there had opted for the open air patios taking advantage of the very pleasant weather. Almost immediately we were shown to a table, almost the very one featured in the last blog. The tint of the window gave relief from the brightness of the noonday sun.
Our young and personable server, Kelsey, was quickly there with menus and took our beverage orders. It took a while to decide what to have. There are many good things on the menu. After reading the menu, sipping our drinks, we were finally able to decide what to have for lunch. We gave Kelsey our order and sent back to wait. Out of the window, we could see the daily activities taking place on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. There were some very nice pleasure boat and some working fishing boats plying the waters in front of us. One of the highlights of watching out the window was to see a dolphin swimming nearby.
.jpg)
Tracy Ordered A Florida Wrap (Smoked Turkey, Ham, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato And 1000 Island Dressing In A Tortilla Wrap $9.95). Sandwiches Come With Your Choice Of Pasta Salad, French Fries Or Coleslaw. Tracy Chose The Pasta Salad. It Is A Big Tortilla Wrap. The Tortilla Is Generously Stopped With The Fillings. Tracy Said It Was Very Good And That She Would Consider Having It Again On A Second Visit To The Pub.
.jpg)
Effie He Ordered The Fish Sandwich. She Ordered The Same Meal That She Ordered On Our Last Visit To The Pub. (Always popular: broiled or fried $9.95) Again, the Sandwich comes with a choice of pasta salad, French fries or coleslaw. Effie he chose broiled fish and the pasta salad. It was a nicely browned ample portion of fish with a wedge of lemon. It was served with a toasted bun, a nice selection of fresh lettuce, tomato, and sliced red onion. There was a portion of tartar sauce on the side. Effie said the sandwich was very good and that the broiled fish is the best choice. Usually a light eater, she was the able to eat and enjoy all of her sandwich..jpg)
Ken ordered the Oyster Poor Boy (down-home good! $10.49) the Sandwich comes with a choice of pasta salad, French fries or coleslaw. Ken’s selected the coleslaw. About a half dozen large battered and deep-fried oysters are served on a hoagie roll with this, sliced tomato, and some sliced red onion. Ken ate his sandwich with gusto. He said it was very good, very tasty..jpg)
Janis and her uncle Gil the shrimp basket (all baskets are hand breaded and come with French fries at hand coleslaw with plenty of tartar sauce and lemon. The shrimp baskets are $12.50 ) the meal is served in a wicker basket. It consisted of about 15 pieces of breaded fried shrimp, a generous serving of French fries, coleslaw, a lemon wedge and a portion of cocktail sauce. Both Janis and Gil enjoy their meal very much. They finished their order and said it was very good..jpg)
I ordered the Scallops Basket (all baskets are hand breaded and come with French fries and coleslaw with plenty of tartar sauce and lemon. The scallops basket costs $12.95) the order comes with about 30 small breaded and fried scallops, a generous serving of French fries, a side of coleslaw a slice of lemon and a portion of cocktail sauce. The coleslaw were crispy fresh cabbage with a tangy sweet dressing not to wet not to dry. It made a nice accompaniment for the scallops. The French fries were cooked a nice golden brown, were piping hot and delicious. The scallops were nicely cooked a nice golden brown. They were not overcooked and still had good texture the betting was light so you could taste scallops and not just fried dough. I was very satisfied with meal. It was served hot and was of ample proportion to satisfy my appetite. I definitely would consider ordering this dish again should I have the pleasure of dining at the pub in the future.Overall, the restaurant was neat and clean, the service was courteous and quick, and it was a pleasure to be able to look out over the Intracoastal Waterway while we waited for our order to be served. Had I been dining alone, I would have found the food delicious and worthy of another visit. The fact that we were dining with family made it an even more special event and added to the enjoyment of the day.
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Labels: coleslaw, fish, Florida, French fries, indian shores, oysters, pasta salad, poor boy, scallops, shrimp, The Pub
¶ 12:23 PM 0 Comments
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Cracker Barrel - St Petersburg, Florida
Cracker Barrel – Friday August 19, 2011 St. Petersburg, Florida
It had been quite awhile since our last visit to a Cracker Barrel. Although their Front Porch rewards program is now defunct, the e-mailing list persists. The latest offered the Country Brisket Plate special, slices barbecued brisket on Texas toast, French fries, a side of coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce and garnished with slices of sweet pickle; and all for just $5.99. Sounded like a good deal. We have had favorable outings at Cracker Barrel in the past. We owed out friend Martha a dinner out so we called and set a date.
This Cracker Barrel is the closest to our house, it just off the 275 Freeway on 54th Avenue in St. Petersburg, Florida, a leisurely 15 minute drive. We arrived in a lull, just before the dinner rush I would guess. We were seated almost immediately in a sparely occupied dining room. It was pleasantly much quieter than normal, the hard surfaces do echo ambient sound, and we were thankful for the small crowd and a much quieter dining experience.
Our server, Deborah, was quickly there to take our beverage order. She was friendly and efficient. During the course of the meal she was there to refill beverage glasses and to check on our progress. She was there often enough that we never needed to call for her but never hovered too near the table.
We had not told Martha about our predetermined choices. We wanted her to have free choice from the menu. Janis had already decided on the Chicken and Dumplings ($8.29) from the Country Dinner Platters section, her long time favorite from the Cracker Barrel offerings. She already had her side orders selected, corn, fried apples, cottage cheese and biscuits. Martha found the menu insert about the Country Brisket Special ($5.99), the offering that had brought me there, and in an example of coincidence, ordered the brisket. The brisket comes with a choice of biscuits or corn muffins. Martha was unable to decide when our server, Deborah, suggested that she could provide one of each for Martha to try and then the order was complete.
Janis’s chicken and dumplings were, as she said, “…as good as they always are.” She was thoroughly enjoying them. The serving was more than ample and as is her habit, asked for a take home container to split the meal and enjoy the second half as tomorrow night’s dinner.
Martha’s and my brisket plates were almost identical but only similar to the as advertized picture in the e-mail and stapled to the menu. The as advertized picture would lead one to believe a more substantial and better cooked serving was in the offing. Certainly it needed more work in presentation. Martha enjoyed her meal and had no particular complaints. The meat was slightly tough, more so than to cut with a fork, it needed a bit of pressure with the table knife. Perhaps the meat had been in a steam table dish too long. I think it was more of an oven roasted brisket rather than a true barbecued brisket. It was not big on flavor and therefore benefitted from the barbecue sauce. The sauce was vinegary Carolina style sauce, not to tart and not to thin, very good for that style of sauce. The base Texas toast was crispy as it should have
been. The fries were fine but needed a dash of salt. The coleslaw was tasty and just about the right serving for the size of the dinner platter. With the biscuits and butter, considering it was the “Special” at a reduced price, it all made for a satisfying meal of moderate proportions. There was one additional deficit we didn’t realize until the meal was completed. Our brisket platters did not have the sweet pickle slices. In retrospect I think the sweetness of the pickles would have made an excellent counterpoint to the tartness of the barbecue sauce and would have enhanced the enjoyment of a nearly marginal meal. My curiosity about this dish has been satisfied and I probably will not order it again in the future as there are too many other things on the menu I like better.
For the three of us, dinner and beverages, it came to $24.25, and with tip almost $30.00. At an bout $10.00 apiece, not too bad for an occasional dinner and night out with friends. If you like, you can compare the brisket meal I was served with the “as advertized” picture below.
It had been quite awhile since our last visit to a Cracker Barrel. Although their Front Porch rewards program is now defunct, the e-mailing list persists. The latest offered the Country Brisket Plate special, slices barbecued brisket on Texas toast, French fries, a side of coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce and garnished with slices of sweet pickle; and all for just $5.99. Sounded like a good deal. We have had favorable outings at Cracker Barrel in the past. We owed out friend Martha a dinner out so we called and set a date.
This Cracker Barrel is the closest to our house, it just off the 275 Freeway on 54th Avenue in St. Petersburg, Florida, a leisurely 15 minute drive. We arrived in a lull, just before the dinner rush I would guess. We were seated almost immediately in a sparely occupied dining room. It was pleasantly much quieter than normal, the hard surfaces do echo ambient sound, and we were thankful for the small crowd and a much quieter dining experience.
Our server, Deborah, was quickly there to take our beverage order. She was friendly and efficient. During the course of the meal she was there to refill beverage glasses and to check on our progress. She was there often enough that we never needed to call for her but never hovered too near the table.
We had not told Martha about our predetermined choices. We wanted her to have free choice from the menu. Janis had already decided on the Chicken and Dumplings ($8.29) from the Country Dinner Platters section, her long time favorite from the Cracker Barrel offerings. She already had her side orders selected, corn, fried apples, cottage cheese and biscuits. Martha found the menu insert about the Country Brisket Special ($5.99), the offering that had brought me there, and in an example of coincidence, ordered the brisket. The brisket comes with a choice of biscuits or corn muffins. Martha was unable to decide when our server, Deborah, suggested that she could provide one of each for Martha to try and then the order was complete.
Janis’s chicken and dumplings were, as she said, “…as good as they always are.” She was thoroughly enjoying them. The serving was more than ample and as is her habit, asked for a take home container to split the meal and enjoy the second half as tomorrow night’s dinner.
Martha’s and my brisket plates were almost identical but only similar to the as advertized picture in the e-mail and stapled to the menu. The as advertized picture would lead one to believe a more substantial and better cooked serving was in the offing. Certainly it needed more work in presentation. Martha enjoyed her meal and had no particular complaints. The meat was slightly tough, more so than to cut with a fork, it needed a bit of pressure with the table knife. Perhaps the meat had been in a steam table dish too long. I think it was more of an oven roasted brisket rather than a true barbecued brisket. It was not big on flavor and therefore benefitted from the barbecue sauce. The sauce was vinegary Carolina style sauce, not to tart and not to thin, very good for that style of sauce. The base Texas toast was crispy as it should have
been. The fries were fine but needed a dash of salt. The coleslaw was tasty and just about the right serving for the size of the dinner platter. With the biscuits and butter, considering it was the “Special” at a reduced price, it all made for a satisfying meal of moderate proportions. There was one additional deficit we didn’t realize until the meal was completed. Our brisket platters did not have the sweet pickle slices. In retrospect I think the sweetness of the pickles would have made an excellent counterpoint to the tartness of the barbecue sauce and would have enhanced the enjoyment of a nearly marginal meal. My curiosity about this dish has been satisfied and I probably will not order it again in the future as there are too many other things on the menu I like better.
For the three of us, dinner and beverages, it came to $24.25, and with tip almost $30.00. At an bout $10.00 apiece, not too bad for an occasional dinner and night out with friends. If you like, you can compare the brisket meal I was served with the “as advertized” picture below.
Labels: barbecue, biscuits, brisket, chicken and dumplings, coleslaw, cracker barrel, Florida, pickles, St Petersburg. Cuban. sandwich
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