That Food Guy
Friday, December 14, 2018
Windy City Grille - Maryville TN
865-724-2508
http://www.thewindycitygrille.com/
The Windy City Grille is a casual café. Most of the menu is
for pizza, burgers and sandwiches. There is bar service with a large selection
of draft and bottled beer to choose from. Lou ordered one of their burgers with
French fries. All of the burgers seem to
start with a half-pound patty. Prices
for the burgers run from $8.50 to 9.50 depending, and come with French fries or
the house potato chips. Alternate side substitution selections are available at
additional cost.
My order was for the “Grande Shrimp Platter – 9 large breaded shrimp
with side of fries and homemade cocktail sauce. No popcorn shrimp here! -
$11.00.” The fry cooks did a
good job. The shrimp and the French fries were a nice crispy golden brown,
cooked but overly so. The shrimp appeared to be butterflied 16/20 and had a
nice flavor, no old cooking oil flavor there. The house cocktail sauce is
excellent. There was adequate sauce for the shrimp but if I were to order this
again I would ask for a second portion of the sauce as it is so much better
than plain ketchup on the fries. It was an adequate portion and a satisfying
meal. I was happy with my choice.
A last note in passing… At the door to the café there is a Missing Man
Table, sometimes called a Fallen Comrade Table. It is set symbolically as a
remembrance and to honor those who will never be able to accept the invitation.
It is frequently seen on Memorial Day and National POW/ MIA Recognition Day. Lost
in service to Country those missing men have protected rights to dissent
and eschew traditional things. But please remember they have also protected my
right to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Windy City Grille
2641
U.S. 411, Maryville TN 37801865-724-2508
http://www.thewindycitygrille.com/
This will be a briefer than normal blog. The occasion was a
Christmas get-together of Blount County ARES, a
part of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency
Services,
trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized
to assist in public service and emergency communications. It is a group that I
am proudly associated. When we get together we talk shop; radio and all that
sort of thing. However most of the other members are unaware that on the side I
am a foodie and do a blog. My family and some other friends are sometimes
painfully aware that I take photos and ask questions about the food, the meals
and the service. On this occasion I strove
to be not obtrusive with the camera and the questions (they will get to know
that part of me later, I’m sure). This was my first visit to the Windy City
Grille and I think that I did, however, get enough material to give you some
insight into the Windy City Grille; a place you might one day like to visit.
Lou, our section leader, had made inquiries before but no advanced
preparation had been made for our group. Kaitlyn, the charming young lady who met us at
the door and escorted us in, was more that up to the task. In just a moment she
had pulled tables together and rearranged chairs. She took our beverage orders while we waited
for the others to arrive.
Our group came and departed at different times, we ordered a
full range of dishes and beverages from the regular menu and we were Dutch
treat. That should be enough to drive
any server into a panic. Our orders were taken in a timely manner, the orders
when served were correct, drinks were refreshed as needed and bills were ready
when asked and also were correct. Our group
enjoyed a carefree meal; we enjoyed the food and the company. An efficient
server working in the background helps keep it all together and adds to the
enjoyment of the night out to dinner. We were fortunate that Kaitlyn was our
server.
The Windy City Grille is a casual café. Most of the menu is
for pizza, burgers and sandwiches. There is bar service with a large selection
of draft and bottled beer to choose from. Lou ordered one of their burgers with
French fries. All of the burgers seem to
start with a half-pound patty. Prices
for the burgers run from $8.50 to 9.50 depending, and come with French fries or
the house potato chips. Alternate side substitution selections are available at
additional cost.
I’m not sure which one Lou chose but afterwards he said it
was very good. They are juicy burgers and thankfully there are additional
napkins available in the condiment tray in the center of the table. Another
burger order down the table from me was with the in-house made fried potato chips.
They are apparently a well-regarded
local specialty. Perhaps I’ll try then on my next visit.
My order was for the “Grande Shrimp Platter – 9 large breaded shrimp
with side of fries and homemade cocktail sauce. No popcorn shrimp here! -
$11.00.” The fry cooks did a
good job. The shrimp and the French fries were a nice crispy golden brown,
cooked but overly so. The shrimp appeared to be butterflied 16/20 and had a
nice flavor, no old cooking oil flavor there. The house cocktail sauce is
excellent. There was adequate sauce for the shrimp but if I were to order this
again I would ask for a second portion of the sauce as it is so much better
than plain ketchup on the fries. It was an adequate portion and a satisfying
meal. I was happy with my choice.
During the meal a management person came by the table to ask
if everyone was happy with the service and the food. It is nice to see they
have an interest and it seems to show in the performance of their work staff. As
I mentioned, the Windy City Grille is a casual café, much more so than some of
, for lack of a better word, trendier
brew bars and cafes in town. However, the food offered at Windy City Grille is
on a par with the other restaurants and at comparable prices. There are many
large screen TV screens and I could only guess that it would be a rollicking local
hangout for local sports fans on big game days.
The online menu and the menu at the table are slightly different
in the selections offered. The online version seems a bit more comprehensive.
If you have a specific food in mind to order you may want to call ahead to see
if it is available.
My only negative thought about the dining experience is the “re-purposed”
theme; the ceiling not finished in the conventional manner but all of the
ducting and piping exposed. It may be painted a dark color and positioned above
the lighting fixtures but it is all there and the hard surfaces echo and
reflect the sounds so that even a slight amount of activity can raise the
ambient noise level significantly often making cross table conversation
difficult.
Amiable friends and colleagues
make for an enjoyable evening meal. I
also enjoyed the meal and the surroundings. If the question arises, “Where
should we go out to dinner?” The Windy
City Grille will definitely be one of the choices.
A last note in passing… At the door to the café there is a Missing Man
Table, sometimes called a Fallen Comrade Table. It is set symbolically as a
remembrance and to honor those who will never be able to accept the invitation.
It is frequently seen on Memorial Day and National POW/ MIA Recognition Day. Lost
in service to Country those missing men have protected rights to dissent
and eschew traditional things. But please remember they have also protected my
right to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I fondly remember many friends and comrades for whom that
table was set. Thank you Windy City
Grille for remembering and honoring them.
UPDATE: August 30, 2019
“The Windy City Grille is winner of the 2019 “Best of the
Best” awarded by the Best In Town Network, a Knoxville-based restaurant marketing
and survey company.” Daily Times, August
30 2019.
Labels: burgers, Chicago, cocktail sauce, French fries, grill, Grille, potato chips, shrimp, Windy City
¶ 5:48 PM 0 Comments
Saturday, May 28, 2016
TC's Grill - Maryville, Tennessee
I may be
wrong but it appears that pattern has influenced the advent of TC’s Grill.
There is a church, a few outbuildings, and what was once a busy gasoline
service station. Restauranteurs Shirley and Tom Clark
and Jeff Hodge moved to
present location in 2012 repurposing the old service station (which accounts
for the motif and much of the interior décor). They established a reputation
for good wholesome food at reasonable prices. In 2015 they a placed the
restaurant up for sale. Steve and Audrey Nelson purchased the Grill in December
2015 with plans to continue TC’s Grill much as it has been only seeking to
tweak the menu bit and perhaps add-on to the kitchen to make more workspace. See
the link at the bottom of this article for more information on the evolution of
TC’s Grill.
Abbie and
Mariano ate breakfast there one day. They wanted to tell us about the biscuits;
big beautiful freshly baked biscuits! Apparently a lot of people were impressed
with TC’s biscuits because they were frequently mentioned in food blog
websites. It was only natural that one day Abby and Arturo along with Janis and
I went to TC’s for breakfast to see for ourselves what it was all about..
Their menu
has many selections for breakfast (served 7 AM until 10:30 AM), lunch and
dinner. One of their combos, the Fairview, caught my eye. It consists of two
eggs, bacon or sausage and served with biscuits and gravy for $4.49. I chose
that one; the egg over and sausage. I also like my breakfast potatoes so I
ordered a side order of home fries for an additional $2.50. Coffee was an
additional $1.35. Our server made sure the coffee cup stayed full.
Janis chose
the Shirley’s special; two eggs, bacon or sausage, with a short stack of
pancakes for $7.00. She chose eggs over and bacon. By the time I got the camera
out she was already remaking her plate into an egg and pancakes sandwich. The
eggs were cooked order, the bacon crisp and not soggy. The pancakes well cooked
and with that the ethereal “golden brown and delicious.” She did enjoy her
breakfast very much; all very tasty. Coffee was an additional $1.35.
TC’s Grill
2514 Old Niles Ferry Rd,
Maryville, TN 37801
(865) 980-1905
Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday
through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed on Sunday
Our good friends, Abbie and Mariano,
told us about a new restaurant they discovered. Discovered is the operative
word. To find it you either had to be going there on purpose or were helplessly
lost. It all has to do with how the local area has grown over the years. From
way back when, in the horse and buggy days, at small crossroads businesses
would spring up. Perhaps a general or feed store, perhaps a smith or even a
grain mill; quite often there was a church as well. It was easier for the local
farmers to go a mile or so to the local crossroads rather than spend the day in
travel to the big town many more miles away over rough and unimproved roads. With
the advents of the motor vehicle and improved highways, farmers can now
travel to the main town often bypassing the local crossroad businesses they
used to frequent. If you should visit TC’s, look around and ask yourself how you
would attract customers, what would you do to draw them to this seemingly
remote location (albeit just a few blocks from a Walmart Super Store)
surrounded by bucolic acres of working farmland.
Abbie and
Mariano ate breakfast there one day. They wanted to tell us about the biscuits;
big beautiful freshly baked biscuits! Apparently a lot of people were impressed
with TC’s biscuits because they were frequently mentioned in food blog
websites. It was only natural that one day Abby and Arturo along with Janis and
I went to TC’s for breakfast to see for ourselves what it was all about..
The original
renovation from service station to restaurant was well done. But inside of the
restaurant seems more like a purpose built restaurant made to resemble the old
service station rather than an old service station made into a restaurant. The
starkly contrasting black and green tile floors, the shop-green color of the
walls, the murals and pictures tell the story of the servicenbays where we
were now dining.
Their menu
has many selections for breakfast (served 7 AM until 10:30 AM), lunch and
dinner. One of their combos, the Fairview, caught my eye. It consists of two
eggs, bacon or sausage and served with biscuits and gravy for $4.49. I chose
that one; the egg over and sausage. I also like my breakfast potatoes so I
ordered a side order of home fries for an additional $2.50. Coffee was an
additional $1.35. Our server made sure the coffee cup stayed full.
It is a
diner and it was a busy morning. Certainly an acid test of what comes out of
the kitchen. My eggs were cooked to order, over medium, although they were a
bit rough looking somewhat like Army mess hall eggs cooked on a griddle. I will
say they were cooked to order, were not greasy and tasted good. I can’t hold their
rough exterior against them. The sausage patties were well cooked, nicely
seasons, cooked done but not overcooked to crisp. When I ordered the home fries
I took the option of adding onions. The home fries are diced potatoes that are
fried to a nice golden brown. The onions were perhaps added a little late as I
would have preferred them cooked a bit more. All in all it was a satisfying
serving of potatoes with onions. The biscuit gravy was served on its own plate.
True to their reputation, the biscuits were big, lite and tender; easily as big
as two biscuits elsewhere. It cut easily with a fork. The gravy was just the
right thickness, had good flavor and was an excellent pairing with the biscuit.
It was a good breakfast, adequate portions to fill a hungry appetite and tasted
good. It was good enough that I will be coming back to TC’s Grill to try other
things on their menu.
Janis chose
the Shirley’s special; two eggs, bacon or sausage, with a short stack of
pancakes for $7.00. She chose eggs over and bacon. By the time I got the camera
out she was already remaking her plate into an egg and pancakes sandwich. The
eggs were cooked order, the bacon crisp and not soggy. The pancakes well cooked
and with that the ethereal “golden brown and delicious.” She did enjoy her
breakfast very much; all very tasty. Coffee was an additional $1.35.
Abbie and
Mariano’s choices for breakfast with similar to ours. When I asked how their food was they replied that
it was very good, as good as remembered, and they would be back for more. To
return for another meal in the future is perhaps the best accolade you can
bestow on the restaurant.
TC Grill is
just a few moments automobile drive from downtown Maryville. For a nice place
the, serving good food, and a friendly atmosphere, it is not far away from
anyone in Maryville or Alcoa.
There menu is posted below.
For more information about TC's Grill...There menu is posted below.
Labels: bacon, biscuits, eggs, Fairview, gravy, grill, Maryville, pancakes, sausage, Shirley's, TC's, Tennessee
¶ 8:30 AM 0 Comments
Wednesday, November 04, 2015
Jim Beam Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Filets
It is an old truism that you should never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Perhaps I was a little off my feed that day we went shopping at the local Costco. The Jim Beam Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Filets caught my eye. The box offered eight 5-ounce steaks and four pouches of peppercorn bourbon sauce. The wife and I are not big beef eaters but we like a streak now and then. That is usually a way-to-big chunk of meat and expensive to boot. At a couple of dollars apiece for a small steak once in a while sounded like a pretty good deal. It didn’t seem logical that a big name company like Jim Beam would lend themselves, at least knowingly, to a bad product so we decided to try a box and see what was inside.
The bacon wrapped steaks are individually wrapped so it is
easy to take out what you need for the meal while the rest remain frozen. It seems one pouch of sauce is intended for
two steaks. I thawed the steaks overnight in the refrigerator. An hour or so
before cooking I opened the package to set them out to come to room temperature
before cooking. I thought I could smell the aroma and feel the texture of papain
and/or bromelain, meat tenderizers, in the marinade sauce although I could not
find them listed on the packaging label. I warmed the sauce pouch in a bowl of
hot water.
It is a thick piece of meat so a hot grill will burn the
outside before the middle heats to the desired temperature. I preheated the
grill so the grill would leave the marks but I tuned the gas down to between
medium and low before grilling the steaks. There is apparently some sugar or
other sweetener in the marinade because the grill marks were dark and
distinctive. About four minutes per side gave an inside temperature of 145
degrees (and we all know the mantra, “Cooking times will vary depending on your
grill!”) The result was a nicely browned steak with distinctive grill marks and
a warm pink interior.
The sauce: I am not usually a sauce fan. After all, all a good
steak needs is some smoke from the grill and a sprinkle of salt. It has always seemed
to me that if it needs a lot of sauce it wasn’t a good steak to start with.
Since this is where the Jim Beam gets into the act, I was eager to at least
sample the sauce. I tasted some on my finger and some on a part of the steak. Although
it has been many, many years since I have tasted it, the Jim Bean Peppercorn
Sauce evoked strong memories of A-1 Steak Sauce. I’m not sure I could tell the difference
between the two in a blind taste test at this moment. I did, however, set some
aside for the next time I grill hamburgers. I am anxious to see how it will be
as a seasoning condiment for burger patties. I have a hunch it might be pretty
good.
To sum up, a fairly tasty piece of meat, adequate for a
meal, albeit it is a bit on the tough side. Perhaps all it really needs is a
pinch of salt rather than the steak sauce (unless you are into the steak sauces
which then brings it into the realm of personal preference). The bacon adds a bit of glamor in the name but
does little to really enhance the steak. The real strength of this product is
the convenience. It is an “okay” steak,
frozen, waiting in your freezer. In
short order you can grill on the gas or charcoal grill or one of the electric
parallel plate grills and have a nice looking, tasty meal on short order. Pair
it, as we do, with a baked potato, some shrimp for a surf and turf and you have
an easy to prepare, full satisfying meal to satisfy your carnivore instincts all in the comfort of your home.
It is an old truism that you should never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. Perhaps I was a little off my feed that day we went shopping at the local Costco. The Jim Beam Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Filets caught my eye. The box offered eight 5-ounce steaks and four pouches of peppercorn bourbon sauce. The wife and I are not big beef eaters but we like a streak now and then. That is usually a way-to-big chunk of meat and expensive to boot. At a couple of dollars apiece for a small steak once in a while sounded like a pretty good deal. It didn’t seem logical that a big name company like Jim Beam would lend themselves, at least knowingly, to a bad product so we decided to try a box and see what was inside.
The bacon wrapped steaks are individually wrapped so it is
easy to take out what you need for the meal while the rest remain frozen. It seems one pouch of sauce is intended for
two steaks. I thawed the steaks overnight in the refrigerator. An hour or so
before cooking I opened the package to set them out to come to room temperature
before cooking. I thought I could smell the aroma and feel the texture of papain
and/or bromelain, meat tenderizers, in the marinade sauce although I could not
find them listed on the packaging label. I warmed the sauce pouch in a bowl of
hot water.
It is a thick piece of meat so a hot grill will burn the
outside before the middle heats to the desired temperature. I preheated the
grill so the grill would leave the marks but I tuned the gas down to between
medium and low before grilling the steaks. There is apparently some sugar or
other sweetener in the marinade because the grill marks were dark and
distinctive. About four minutes per side gave an inside temperature of 145
degrees (and we all know the mantra, “Cooking times will vary depending on your
grill!”) The result was a nicely browned steak with distinctive grill marks and
a warm pink interior.
The bacon: That is the only part I had a problem with. I did
not have good results with the bacon. It always ended up cooked but it was soft
and sort of rubbery. I like bacon a lot
but I prefer my bacon crispy. As a result, I am ambivalent about the bacon
wrapping the steaks. It didn’t really add to the flavor of the steak though it
may have helped keep it moist. It was not particularly appetizing to me at least
when it was done and on the plate. Not to worry though, Chena, our dog, took
care of that problem for us.
The sauce: I am not usually a sauce fan. After all, all a good
steak needs is some smoke from the grill and a sprinkle of salt. It has always seemed
to me that if it needs a lot of sauce it wasn’t a good steak to start with.
Since this is where the Jim Beam gets into the act, I was eager to at least
sample the sauce. I tasted some on my finger and some on a part of the steak. Although
it has been many, many years since I have tasted it, the Jim Bean Peppercorn
Sauce evoked strong memories of A-1 Steak Sauce. I’m not sure I could tell the difference
between the two in a blind taste test at this moment. I did, however, set some
aside for the next time I grill hamburgers. I am anxious to see how it will be
as a seasoning condiment for burger patties. I have a hunch it might be pretty
good.
The steak: It is not the best steak in the world nor is it
the worst. A filet: a piece of meat without any bone. So, here we have a
5-ounce piece of cow but where did it come from. It certainly isn’t Kobe beef,
Angus or a filet mignon. It is solid piece of meat without any marbling; a
working muscle. Perhaps it is sirloin or similar cut of meat. It does have good
flavor but it tends to be a bit on the tough side and a bit chewy. If you had been served this steak at an
upscale steak house you would have been disappointed and maybe even sent it
back to the kitchen. And yet it was much better than the steak you would have
been served at a chain bargain steak house of some years back that was often the
butt of comedian’s jokes.
To sum up, a fairly tasty piece of meat, adequate for a
meal, albeit it is a bit on the tough side. Perhaps all it really needs is a
pinch of salt rather than the steak sauce (unless you are into the steak sauces
which then brings it into the realm of personal preference). The bacon adds a bit of glamor in the name but
does little to really enhance the steak. The real strength of this product is
the convenience. It is an “okay” steak,
frozen, waiting in your freezer. In
short order you can grill on the gas or charcoal grill or one of the electric
parallel plate grills and have a nice looking, tasty meal on short order. Pair
it, as we do, with a baked potato, some shrimp for a surf and turf and you have
an easy to prepare, full satisfying meal to satisfy your carnivore instincts all in the comfort of your home.Labels: filet, grill, Jim Beam, peppercorn, sauce, steak, Steakhouse
¶ 4:41 PM 3 Comments
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Teppanyaki Grill and Supreme Buffet - St Petersburg, Florida
Teppanyaki
Grill and Supreme Buffet
St Petersburg, FL 33713
727 327-8886
It is a buffet-style restaurant. The lunch buffet Monday
through Saturday (11:00 am to 4:00 pm) is $7.29 for adults and tiered lower
prices for children depending on age. The dinner buffet (4:00 pm through 9:30
pm) is $9.99 for adults and lower priced for children. Sundays and holidays are
all day dinner buffets (11:00 am through 9:30 pm) adults are $9.99 and children
at reduced prices. We arrived in the late afternoon but in time for the lunch
buffet. With the coupon a filling buffet meal for three, soft drinks and tip
was just about thirty dollars; pretty reasonable for a dinner out.
My first round was a sampler, a little of this and a little
of that until I filled the plate. It included, among other items, a teriyaki chicken
skewer, honey chicken, beef and broccoli, salt and pepper you peel shrimp, some
fried zucchini and some California rolls. First lesson: soy sauce, wasabi and
the like are not table items. They are there at the serving stations but not
always obvious. Also, small dishes or containers are also available; you just
have to look around to see where they are.
Teppanyaki
Grill and Supreme BuffetSt Petersburg, FL 33713
727 327-8886
The Sunday paper had a single sheet, full-color
advertisement for the Teppanyaki Grill and Supreme Buffet.
That was a new one to me and I looked at the ad a bit more closely. It is
indeed a new establishment. It has set up shop in the old Social Security
building and boasts 18,000 square feet and seating for 500. I remember the
Social Security building from a few years ago. There was a tiny, cramped little
waiting room with no amenities and a pass-through window that was mostly
closed. Once inside there was a maze of walkways, a seemingly endless warren of
partitions and office cubicles. I was curious to see what the new occupants had
done in remodeling. Among the other boasts in the advertisement was the phrase,
“…something for everyone” and “The Largest and Most Elegant Chinese, Japanese
and American Cuisine Restaurant.” That covers a lot of ground.
With something for everyone, the wife was amenable to trying
it out if only to humor me. We called Martha. She has a liking for the oriental
style foods. What with the recent closing of one of her favorites, Good Fortunes, she was at a loss for a
new place to occasionally visit and take visitors. It looked like a good bet
for everyone. The fact that the advertisement had several $1.00-off coupons was
an added inducement.
It is a buffet-style restaurant. The lunch buffet Monday
through Saturday (11:00 am to 4:00 pm) is $7.29 for adults and tiered lower
prices for children depending on age. The dinner buffet (4:00 pm through 9:30
pm) is $9.99 for adults and lower priced for children. Sundays and holidays are
all day dinner buffets (11:00 am through 9:30 pm) adults are $9.99 and children
at reduced prices. We arrived in the late afternoon but in time for the lunch
buffet. With the coupon a filling buffet meal for three, soft drinks and tip
was just about thirty dollars; pretty reasonable for a dinner out.
The anteroom, the left over from the Social Security days,
is still there. It is bare, devoid of furnishings or decor. Perhaps it now serves
as an air-lock entry keeping the hot and humid air outside. In the future, if
there is a need, some comfortable seats would transform the area into a congenial
waiting room for overflow guests.
Just inside is a wishing well pool to help set the mood. Opening
the central area and colorful lighting of what was an office complex helps to
transform it to a large, festive arena filled with more than a dozen self-serve
buffet counters. At the far end of the area there is a sushi station and a
teppanyaki grill. Seating for up to 500 customers is along both sides of the
complex. Being new, everything appears very clean and pristine.
The usual in a buffet is to pay at the door; so much per
head and your drinks. Then you are free to roam the floor. Since The Teppanyaki
Grill offers extra cost items, such as beer and wine, the customer is presented
with the bill at the end of the menu.
With so many choices, the best strategy is to walk the
aisles between the serving stations to see what is offered. Even a little dab
of this and a little dab of that can be overwhelming when there are so many options
to choose from. As much as I would have liked to, I knew I could never sample
everything. Most of the stations are of an oriental flair. Others offer
American comfort food items, fruits, salads and a large selection of desserts
and ice cream. Perhaps they do have something for everyone.
My first round was a sampler, a little of this and a little
of that until I filled the plate. It included, among other items, a teriyaki chicken
skewer, honey chicken, beef and broccoli, salt and pepper you peel shrimp, some
fried zucchini and some California rolls. First lesson: soy sauce, wasabi and
the like are not table items. They are there at the serving stations but not
always obvious. Also, small dishes or containers are also available; you just
have to look around to see where they are.
The sushi, layered on top was the first to be sampled. It is
decent sushi, machine made I believe, but the rice is well cooked and the
grains are not compressed into an amorphous mass like some although it may be a
bit stickier than you are used to. The
selection of sushi is makizushi; I didn’t see any nigirizushi. About a dozen
varieties were offered; a small selection If sushi was to be the main course. A
little dip in the soy sauce and the rice holds together (the hashi are also located
at the serving station). Tasty morsels and considering you can make many trips
to the sushi bar, an economical entrée.
The teriyaki chicken skewer tasted fine but it was a bit on
the tough side and a bit overcooked. The fried zucchini was more crunchy than
crispy, as well a bit over cooked although it did taste pretty good; it just needed
to come out of the fryer a minute or two earlier. The salt and pepper you peel
shrimp, one of their signature dishes, had a good flavor, not too heavy on the
spices so you could still taste the flavor of shrimp. It’s just that it is
messy, more suited to a New England Shrimp and crab seafood boil; good but
messy. My favorite of that plate was the honey chicken; small strips of chicken
in a slightly sweet sauce. These were cooked just right, tender and moist and
the sauce slightly sweet and a wonderful adjunct to the chicken.
My second sampler plate consisted of some fried rice (I
know, it’s a filler but fried rice is definitely one of my favorite foods),
sweet and sour chicken (more about that to come) some shrimp, egg foo young and
skewered meatballs. The fried rice was, as you might have guessed, a filler
dish. Not bad just pedestrian, uninspired and needs some work to be a good
dish. The shrimp were shelled and deveined 40 - 50 shrimp cooked in a slightly
spicy sauce although I can’t remember the name. They tasted like shrimp in a
slightly spicy sauce. Not bad but nothing exceptional. The egg foo young, hard
to find in most buffets, was a bit over cooked but with a bit of the gravy top
moisten the patty it had a pleasant flavor. The skewered meatballs were a bit
of a disappointment. They looked very good. If they had been cooked on the
skewer someone would have had to tend them very carefully to get them to cook
so evenly although a bit overdone. The flavor was okay but a bit dry. A sauce
or dip would be of great value. That brings us to the sweet and sour chicken. New
York, or whatever style it is, is merely breaded and fried chicken nuggets with
a red sweet and sour sauce on the side. So it is with every other local take
out or buffet I have tried. For me,
sweet and sour chicken (or pork) is a much more involved dish that combines
stir fried onion, Bell peppers and pineapple with the sweet and sour sauce and
breaded meat morsels. A trip to the salad bar provided some raw peppers and
some pineapple tidbit from the fruit bar. Although the chicken tid-bits here
tasted okay (I suspect they are purchased pre-breaded and fried, just heat and
serve) and the sweet and sour sauce was also tasty, I can’t rate the overall
dish very high because it isn’t complete; a short coming shared by many restaurants.
Many restaurants that claim to be Mongolian have a raw bar
where you select the items you want the chef to cook on the grill. This
restaurant also has a raw bar where you select the items you want and then the
chef will cook them on the grill while you watch. In this case the grill is
rectangular instead of round and perhaps that is why it is called the Teppanyaki
Grill. There is a nice selection of vegetables, onions, peppers, sprouts,
mushrooms and such. The meat selection is limited to chicken and beef. The buffet
counter is well iced and the selections seemed to be fresh (the meat is put out
in small batches to preserve freshness).
To try out the Teppanyaki grill, I make a small selection of
chicken and vegetables. The chef was very amenable even smiling so I could take
his picture as he prepared my food. You are offered a variety of flavoring
sauces for you food. It was small plate and I neglected to get a picture. However,
fresh vegetable and fresh chicken cooked in front of you, to your order, is
certainly better than previously prepared foods, kept warm while waiting to be
served. In my case, the meat was cooked through, the vegetables had mouth feel
but were cooked through and the sauce was quite tasty.
My dining companions, my wife Janis and our friend Martha,
we all look favorably on the Teppanyaki Grill and Supreme Buffet. It does have
its deficits but overall it is as good as or possibly better than other buffets
in the local area, at least meeting that standard. My next visit I will probably spend more time at the sushi
bar and teppanyaki grill although I will seek out some of that honey chicken
and, well, I have to admit it, some fried rice too.
The local Teppanyaki Grill and Supreme Buffet seems to be
part of a larger chain with many stores in the North and Midwest. I can’t seem
to find a web presence for the parent company although many local TG&SB’s
have web presence. Check your local facility’s inspection record.
Labels: Chinese, Florida, fried rice, grill, Japanese, St Petersburg, sushi, sweet and sour, teppanyaki
¶ 3:54 PM 0 Comments
Friday, September 09, 2011
Super Buffet - Seminole, Florida
Super Buffet – Seminole, Florida
11227 Park Blvd. North Seminole, Florida 33772
(727) 320-9888
The wife’s and my birthday are quite close. In fact they are just separated by just one week by day and month although the years are quite a bit farther apart. It does make it easy for friends who like to take you out to eat on your birthday. It is sort of like getting two for the price of one.
As our birthdays for this year approached, family friend called us and asked to take us out to dinner. A date and time was set and all that remained was where.
We do what married couples do and refrain from voicing a preference to allow the other the choice. As the date grew closer Martha suggested a Chinese place she knew and liked. Neither of us knew about it so it would be a new and novel experience, a broadening of our horizons. Janis and I drove over to pick up Martha just as a Florida thunderstorm began to unleash its fury. By the time we arrived at Martha’s house the squall line was sending gusting winds and rippling waves of rain racing across the streets. After picking up Martha I was the last one back in the car and as a result became sopping wet from the rain. I hoped that would dry before reaching the restaurant.
The Super Buffet is but one store in the massive Seminole Mall. Except for the sign there is little to tell what lies within the particular storefront. By the time we pulled up in front of the restaurant, the rain had subsided to a light sprinkle. I was only half dry. We entered through double doors trimmed with brass. The foyer in subdued lighting features the cashier, the hostess and a decorative fountain. Off to the sides are two dining areas. In brighter lights ahead was the food service area. There were several serving bars featuring cold foods on ice and hot foods in steam trays. Just a note in passing, at most other restaurants of this type, self serve, all you can eat, customers pay first and then are seated. Here you are seated, you have your meal and you are presented the check. For the buffet, lunch (11:00AM to 3:30PM) is $7.39 per person. For dinner (3:30PM to 11:00PM) and all day on holidays the cost is $12.99 per person. There is a re
duced rate for seniors and children
We were seated in less than a minute. The waitress took our beverage orders and bid us to begin making our selections for dinner. One serving bar is labeled Italian. There are is eclectic mixture of dishes there including some that appear to be Italian inspired, even a small pepperoni pizza. However, I am afraid that much was lost in the translation. Other serving bars are labeled salad, seafood, Chinese, and dessert. Of note, not found in most other oriental buffets, there is at the end of the food service area a grill station for Mongolian barbecue. We started off together but wended our individual ways through the aisles between the food service bars.
I started down the Chinese/Oriental aisle. There were a few signs missing but most offerings are labeled. To sample as much as possible, I took a bit of as many items as my plate would hold.
There was teriyaki chicken, General Tso’s chicken, a mushroom and seafood delight, fried rice, yakitori chicken, sweet and sour chicken, an egg roll and some tempura. On the way back to the table I passed the sushi section and stopped for a few pieces as well. And lastly, the salad bar beckoned with some stuffed green olives.
I did notice that there was copious ice under the cold foods and the sushi. All of the hot foods were indeed hot and to touch the surface of the table was painfully hot. I also noted that the presentation trays were shallow and did not hold a lot of food. They had to be replenished often. During dinner I noted that the staff members were frequently busy stocking and replenishing the food items. The food would appear to be f
resh from the food preparation area.
I will preface my critique with this: The food served at the Super Buffet is certainly on a par with the other local restaurants of this type. None of the foods are spectacular but on the other hand none of the foods are really bad. I think many of the items are mass prepared outside and then heated or cooked to completion before serving. As such they suffer the same ailment as other mass produced foods – designed to offend as few people as possible, they truly please even fewer.
The chicken selections were tasty but I really had to look close to see rather than taste if it were chicken teriyaki, General Tso’s chicken or chicken yakitori. The sweet and sour chicken is what is called the New York style, I believe. It is breaded and fried chicken morsels. Alongside is a
container of red sauce that you ladle over your chicken morsels. This presentation certainly pales in comparison to the traditional Chinatown version with peppers, onions and pineapple. The New York style, although done well as far as it goes, really suffers in comparison because of the lack of the traditional accoutrements. The egg rolls are the smaller variety and nicely crispy fried. The filling is basically cabbage and they benefit from a dunk in hot mustard or chili sauce. The tempura selection was limited to slices of zucchini and sweet potato. They were very good, the batter fried light and crisp and the vegetables tender but not soggy. Enjoyment would have been enhanced if there were some additional tempura selections. The fried rice was more a saffron-style yellow rice and didn’t have any particular significant taste. Personally, fried rice is one of my favorite oriental-style comfort foods but I found the Super Buffet example lacking in breadth of ingredients and seasoning.
Personally I don’t care for sashimi. Therefore, my selections from any sushi bar are very limited. On this visit I selected some California rolls and avocado rolls. They were both the inside-out makizushi rolls. Each selection had a rolled coating of tobiko. They were well made, the avocado still a lustrous green without any darkening from air exposure. They tasted good and seemed quite fresh. If I eat a California or avocado roll and taste fish I know there is a problem in the kitchen. In this case there was no taste of raw fish, just the taste of the ingredients. I did notice the service area was well iced and there was not a lot of product on display. There is more than adequate portions wasabi and gari awaiting the diner.
The true gourmand can’t go to an all you can eat restaurant and eat but one serving. For my next foray I decided to try the Mongolian grill. There is a nice selection of ingredients including vegetables, (such as sprouts, green peppers, onions, broccoli florets, etc) meats (chicken, beef and pork) and seafood (white fish, shrimp). The ice table is cold. They stock small amounts of food in the trays which I guess would help to insure freshness. I made my selections of some bean sprouts, mushrooms, green peppers, broccoli, chicken and shrimp. They use flat plates instead of bowls that I have encountered elsewhere. I handed my selection to the chef and he went to work. The grill is not the round Mongolian grill of myth. It is a rectangular flat grill with an at
tached open flame grill that any short-order cook would instantly recognize. I would miss the flourish of the serving, a swish off the edge of the grill into the awaiting bowl. The grill was hot; I could feel the heat even through the sneeze guard. But I noticed the chef used a spritz of water and a dome for much of the cooking – steaming more than frying. The food is cooked with less caramelization than is done on the traditional Mongolian grill and the presentation is more colorful. There is a list of four sauces available and I chose the teriyaki. It was a tasty dish, the vegetables cooked to tender with just a bite. It was an enjoyable conclusion to the main courses.
I tried some samplings of the desert bar. They had a nice selection of melons, strawberries and lots of petit fours style cookies and cakes. The fruit was firm and fresh and refreshing after the heavier fare of the main courses. It was a nice sweet ending to a dinner with loved ones and friends.
Their take home menu features a list of combination plates and traditional Chinese food choices in small and large containers much like a traditional Chinese take-out shop. As well, the menu lists the majority of the buffet items for take home at $3.75 per pound lunch and $4.95 per pound dinner. Sushi and sea food have a different pricing schedule. You can have it your way; eat in or take out.
Super Buffet – Seminole, Florida11227 Park Blvd. North Seminole, Florida 33772
(727) 320-9888
The wife’s and my birthday are quite close. In fact they are just separated by just one week by day and month although the years are quite a bit farther apart. It does make it easy for friends who like to take you out to eat on your birthday. It is sort of like getting two for the price of one.
As our birthdays for this year approached, family friend called us and asked to take us out to dinner. A date and time was set and all that remained was where.We do what married couples do and refrain from voicing a preference to allow the other the choice. As the date grew closer Martha suggested a Chinese place she knew and liked. Neither of us knew about it so it would be a new and novel experience, a broadening of our horizons. Janis and I drove over to pick up Martha just as a Florida thunderstorm began to unleash its fury. By the time we arrived at Martha’s house the squall line was sending gusting winds and rippling waves of rain racing across the streets. After picking up Martha I was the last one back in the car and as a result became sopping wet from the rain. I hoped that would dry before reaching the restaurant.
The Super Buffet is but one store in the massive Seminole Mall. Except for the sign there is little to tell what lies within the particular storefront. By the time we pulled up in front of the restaurant, the rain had subsided to a light sprinkle. I was only half dry. We entered through double doors trimmed with brass. The foyer in subdued lighting features the cashier, the hostess and a decorative fountain. Off to the sides are two dining areas. In brighter lights ahead was the food service area. There were several serving bars featuring cold foods on ice and hot foods in steam trays. Just a note in passing, at most other restaurants of this type, self serve, all you can eat, customers pay first and then are seated. Here you are seated, you have your meal and you are presented the check. For the buffet, lunch (11:00AM to 3:30PM) is $7.39 per person. For dinner (3:30PM to 11:00PM) and all day on holidays the cost is $12.99 per person. There is a re
duced rate for seniors and childrenWe were seated in less than a minute. The waitress took our beverage orders and bid us to begin making our selections for dinner. One serving bar is labeled Italian. There are is eclectic mixture of dishes there including some that appear to be Italian inspired, even a small pepperoni pizza. However, I am afraid that much was lost in the translation. Other serving bars are labeled salad, seafood, Chinese, and dessert. Of note, not found in most other oriental buffets, there is at the end of the food service area a grill station for Mongolian barbecue. We started off together but wended our individual ways through the aisles between the food service bars.
I started down the Chinese/Oriental aisle. There were a few signs missing but most offerings are labeled. To sample as much as possible, I took a bit of as many items as my plate would hold.
There was teriyaki chicken, General Tso’s chicken, a mushroom and seafood delight, fried rice, yakitori chicken, sweet and sour chicken, an egg roll and some tempura. On the way back to the table I passed the sushi section and stopped for a few pieces as well. And lastly, the salad bar beckoned with some stuffed green olives.I did notice that there was copious ice under the cold foods and the sushi. All of the hot foods were indeed hot and to touch the surface of the table was painfully hot. I also noted that the presentation trays were shallow and did not hold a lot of food. They had to be replenished often. During dinner I noted that the staff members were frequently busy stocking and replenishing the food items. The food would appear to be f
resh from the food preparation area.I will preface my critique with this: The food served at the Super Buffet is certainly on a par with the other local restaurants of this type. None of the foods are spectacular but on the other hand none of the foods are really bad. I think many of the items are mass prepared outside and then heated or cooked to completion before serving. As such they suffer the same ailment as other mass produced foods – designed to offend as few people as possible, they truly please even fewer.
The chicken selections were tasty but I really had to look close to see rather than taste if it were chicken teriyaki, General Tso’s chicken or chicken yakitori. The sweet and sour chicken is what is called the New York style, I believe. It is breaded and fried chicken morsels. Alongside is a
container of red sauce that you ladle over your chicken morsels. This presentation certainly pales in comparison to the traditional Chinatown version with peppers, onions and pineapple. The New York style, although done well as far as it goes, really suffers in comparison because of the lack of the traditional accoutrements. The egg rolls are the smaller variety and nicely crispy fried. The filling is basically cabbage and they benefit from a dunk in hot mustard or chili sauce. The tempura selection was limited to slices of zucchini and sweet potato. They were very good, the batter fried light and crisp and the vegetables tender but not soggy. Enjoyment would have been enhanced if there were some additional tempura selections. The fried rice was more a saffron-style yellow rice and didn’t have any particular significant taste. Personally, fried rice is one of my favorite oriental-style comfort foods but I found the Super Buffet example lacking in breadth of ingredients and seasoning.
Personally I don’t care for sashimi. Therefore, my selections from any sushi bar are very limited. On this visit I selected some California rolls and avocado rolls. They were both the inside-out makizushi rolls. Each selection had a rolled coating of tobiko. They were well made, the avocado still a lustrous green without any darkening from air exposure. They tasted good and seemed quite fresh. If I eat a California or avocado roll and taste fish I know there is a problem in the kitchen. In this case there was no taste of raw fish, just the taste of the ingredients. I did notice the service area was well iced and there was not a lot of product on display. There is more than adequate portions wasabi and gari awaiting the diner.
tached open flame grill that any short-order cook would instantly recognize. I would miss the flourish of the serving, a swish off the edge of the grill into the awaiting bowl. The grill was hot; I could feel the heat even through the sneeze guard. But I noticed the chef used a spritz of water and a dome for much of the cooking – steaming more than frying. The food is cooked with less caramelization than is done on the traditional Mongolian grill and the presentation is more colorful. There is a list of four sauces available and I chose the teriyaki. It was a tasty dish, the vegetables cooked to tender with just a bite. It was an enjoyable conclusion to the main courses.I tried some samplings of the desert bar. They had a nice selection of melons, strawberries and lots of petit fours style cookies and cakes. The fruit was firm and fresh and refreshing after the heavier fare of the main courses. It was a nice sweet ending to a dinner with loved ones and friends.
Their take home menu features a list of combination plates and traditional Chinese food choices in small and large containers much like a traditional Chinese take-out shop. As well, the menu lists the majority of the buffet items for take home at $3.75 per pound lunch and $4.95 per pound dinner. Sushi and sea food have a different pricing schedule. You can have it your way; eat in or take out.
Labels: barbecue, buffet, Chinese, eat in, fried rice, grill, Mongolian, Seminole, super, sushi, take out
¶ 5:30 PM 0 Comments
