Finally, back to food blog and this time I am here to stay. This may not be the best read, but nonetheless, I need to get my word out there....
Today, I stopped by the new Cuban restaurant in Tallahassee called Habana's Boardwalk which is located on Mahan near the intersection of Mahan and Capital Circle. First off, let me start by saying one thing. Do not have high expectations for this place. First off, the decor of this place is bare, and I mean bare. Walking into the restaurant felt like walking into a closed door meeting. I honestly thought I may have walked into the wrong door. There was no hostess to seat you nor was there a sign saying to seat yourself. After eagerly and nervously scoping out the room for what felt like hours waiting for someone to tell me I was in the right place, I was finally yelled to from a waiter who was clear across the room. I was simply told to sit wherever I wanted to. No big deal there, I kind of like places like that, but he didn't have to be so rude about it. No big deal though, I can get over that. I understand it's 12:00 in the afternoon and the lunch crowd is in full bloom. I finally make my way outside to the nice tables they have and I was ready to enjoy what I thought was going to be a good, at least decent authentic cuban meal. So I wait....and I wait...I take my phone and begin to tinker trying to do something to take my mind off of the boredom that is fast approaching. Finally someone walks out with menu's and silverware. But wait, that is not for me, that is for the next party to be seated behind me. Now wait a minute....they were seated, and I was shouted at to seat myself? Strange.
Ok, back to the waiting, still waiting. Now a new waiter comes out with drinks for the party who was seated behind me, few moments later out comes there food. Me on the other hand...I am still waiting.
I finally managed to get someones attention and he asked me if I was waiting on something.... I was stunned and stated I would love to have something to drink and a menu. So enough with the waiting, I finally get a menu and give my drink order, but something strange happened. When I was handed my menu, I was immediately asked what I wanted to eat. Now out of pure frustration, I told the waiter very boldly that I would like to READ the menu first.
Enough of the poor service rant, let's move on to the food. Now remember, I was anticipating an authentic cuban meal. I mean come on, this is Tallahassee, home of some great Cuban restaurants and I was quite excited to see a new one in the mix. Then I received my food. Nothing special, just a cuban and an order of beans and rice. Upon first look, it looked good. Now let's eat!
Really no complaint about the food, but it was nothing special. More less some ham, pork, cheese, mustard, and pickle thrown on what looked like a cuban roll from Publix with some bland rice and beans. Very disappointed I must say. Being in the mood for a cuban and passing up Gordo's and Black Bean cafe for this place was a mistake.
So all in all I wasn't very pleased with this new Cuban place. First off, their Cuban sandwich wasn't anything to write home about and the menu selection was quite poor. No Arroz Con Pollo!? How can that be? That's like going to KFC without chicken. Putting the bad service aside, and the poor attempt to make the restaurant look appealing, I would have to admit the food still wouldn't be worth raving about. Honestly, wouldn't even be worth going back.
Now that Cuban Sandwich's are the topic of conversation, I need to give a big shout out to what could be one if not the BEST cuban in town. McCormick's Deli on the West Side of town near the Home Depot on Cap Circle NW. This little deli has a huge assortment of sandwich's and salads. Unlike places such as our poorly ran local Subways, this place piles on the meat. But the hidden gem in this place is the Cuban. It's is fantastic. Not only that, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, McCormick's serves up one of the best BBQ menu's around. With the choice of pulled pork, beef brisket, and the biggest and meatiest ribs I have ever seen! You get a great lunch plate with 2 sides and a drink for under $8! Take note, the beef brisket is to die for, trust me.
Fortunately for everyone, this blog is back. Unfortunately for Haban's, I will not be going back nor will I be telling anyone about this place. Only thing to tell about this place is not so great cuban food and lousy service. I do apologize for the lack of pictures, but I wasn't planning stopping in there today. Until next time, well I have nothing clever to add to that.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Where has time gone?
March 12, was the last update of this once promising blog. To my much delight, I am here to say this blog is making a comeback and all the original plans will come through. Since the last post, there have been numerous new places that I am anxious to review as well as share some new recipes. Check back often for new updates and pictures.
--Update coming Tomorrow!
--Update coming Tomorrow!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Hidden Gem
I had absolutely no intention of reviewing this place but after the great food I had, there was no way I could not rave about this place!
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I think I may have found a hidden gem in Tallahassee. At least a hidden gem when it comes to food. Monks Grill, or The Wells Brothers , not sure what the deal is with their name, may be a hidden gym when it comes to good ole' burgers and sandwiches. Take this place for what it's worth, this place is a Bar and Grill that offers great food and not much else. The appearance is nothing eye pleasing and the service is a bit slow but the food is awesome.
Last night I stumbled into this place after months of trying to find time to try it out. I was a bit hesitant at first to eat there, especially after taking a peek inside. The walls area painted a random blue color and things are not the cleanest, but don't let that run you away, the food is wonderful! When we first entered, I thought the place was quite small since the front dining room only sat about 15-25 people, but after I looked around I noticed the back dining room and the patio area. Now the back dining room is much nicer then the front dining room, and on a nice day I am sure the patio is pleasant. We still decided to sit in the front dining room, and it wasn't bad considering we were the only ones in there. When the place has the slightest bit of business, I am sure this room gets quite crowded.
Now lets get away from the appearance and on to what we should be talking about, the food! I had the turkey bacon melt on sourdough and my girlfriend and the Seminole, which was a chicken breast melt of sort with Ranch dressing (the menu has it listed with Honey Mustard). Upon ordering, I did not have high expectations, I mean its just a sandwich. That was until I received my food and actually gave it a try. It's very hard to rave about a turkey sandwich but this thing was fantastic. Along with the sandwich, I was served with french fries that were served just the way I like them! Nice and crispy...also, I ordered a small side of there pasta salad which I really enjoyed.
All of the food here is freshly prepared and some of there menu items may not be available. I first ordered the meatloaf but soon found out they do not offer that dish anymore. According to the waitress, everything is prepared fresh and that was one item that was not selling so it was going to be taken of the menu.
Other items that looked very intriguing was there burger selection. I wasn't in the mood for a burger at the time but next time I stop by, I may have to give it a try. They offered numerous types of burgers including a California style burger that is served with Avocado which sounded great!
Overall, this place is a great place to go for food. Not much more then that, but the food is wonderful. I hate to be so critical on the slow service and the appearance, but it is what it is. Whenever I am in the mood for a sandwich or a burger I would defiantly go back. This place really reminds me of one of those whole in wall restaurants that all the locals rave about and if you didn't know better you would be scared to enter.
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I think I may have found a hidden gem in Tallahassee. At least a hidden gem when it comes to food. Monks Grill, or The Wells Brothers , not sure what the deal is with their name, may be a hidden gym when it comes to good ole' burgers and sandwiches. Take this place for what it's worth, this place is a Bar and Grill that offers great food and not much else. The appearance is nothing eye pleasing and the service is a bit slow but the food is awesome.
Last night I stumbled into this place after months of trying to find time to try it out. I was a bit hesitant at first to eat there, especially after taking a peek inside. The walls area painted a random blue color and things are not the cleanest, but don't let that run you away, the food is wonderful! When we first entered, I thought the place was quite small since the front dining room only sat about 15-25 people, but after I looked around I noticed the back dining room and the patio area. Now the back dining room is much nicer then the front dining room, and on a nice day I am sure the patio is pleasant. We still decided to sit in the front dining room, and it wasn't bad considering we were the only ones in there. When the place has the slightest bit of business, I am sure this room gets quite crowded.
Now lets get away from the appearance and on to what we should be talking about, the food! I had the turkey bacon melt on sourdough and my girlfriend and the Seminole, which was a chicken breast melt of sort with Ranch dressing (the menu has it listed with Honey Mustard). Upon ordering, I did not have high expectations, I mean its just a sandwich. That was until I received my food and actually gave it a try. It's very hard to rave about a turkey sandwich but this thing was fantastic. Along with the sandwich, I was served with french fries that were served just the way I like them! Nice and crispy...also, I ordered a small side of there pasta salad which I really enjoyed.
All of the food here is freshly prepared and some of there menu items may not be available. I first ordered the meatloaf but soon found out they do not offer that dish anymore. According to the waitress, everything is prepared fresh and that was one item that was not selling so it was going to be taken of the menu.
Other items that looked very intriguing was there burger selection. I wasn't in the mood for a burger at the time but next time I stop by, I may have to give it a try. They offered numerous types of burgers including a California style burger that is served with Avocado which sounded great!
Overall, this place is a great place to go for food. Not much more then that, but the food is wonderful. I hate to be so critical on the slow service and the appearance, but it is what it is. Whenever I am in the mood for a sandwich or a burger I would defiantly go back. This place really reminds me of one of those whole in wall restaurants that all the locals rave about and if you didn't know better you would be scared to enter.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Gills Tavern
Gills Tavern could be the most underrated restaurant in town. I made my second trip here over the weekend and again was blown away by the food and the atmosphere. Unfortunately, there are no pictures considering I went on Saturday night and I did not feel it was appropriate to flash pictures during dinner since it was quite busy and the lighting wasn't anywhere near ideal for pictures. But as I was saying, this could be the most underrated restaurant in town. I never here anything about this place rather it be good or bad. What people should be saying is how outstanding his place is.
First off, this place has a really nice atmosphere with an old Irish feel to it with a great wait staff. Since the place was to busy on Saturday night, we elected to sit in the bar since it was open seating and that did not disappoint. There was a very nice three piece band playing in the bar and we were served very promptly.
Now for the good stuff, the food! On both occasions of my visits, I could not find myself to not order the Prime Rib and both visits did not disappoint by any means. On this most recent visit, the Prime Rib was outstanding. I had the medium cut which was the 12oz (I believe they offered a 10, 12, and 16 oz) and the taste was great. Locally, I am a big fan of Maria Livingston's when it comes to steaks but Gill's would give Maria Livingston's a run for there money. My Prime Rib was so tender and very juicy. It was served with one of my all time favorite things to put on a steak, especially prime rid, and that is horseradish. Along with the steak you get a fresh garden salad, and I highly recommended the Blue Cheese, its outstanding, and one side dish which I went with the loaded smashed potatoes that consisted of mashed potatoes, cheese, butter, scallions, etc... As good as the dish was, the smashed potatoes could have been a bit warmer.
I enjoyed dinner with a good friend of mine who was in town and he had the "Dubliner" which was a New York cut with a house seasoning of Irish whiskey and other ingredients. Though I did not taste his, he did nothing but rave about how good his was.
Gill Tavern also serves great homemade rolls that reminded me more of a biscuit then anything. They came fresh out of the oven and were nice and hot. The one thing that I really enjoyed was the Crab dip appetizer, First off, I am not a fan of crab meat but this crab dip was amazing. It was served with thin sliced, french bread toast and this crab dip was topped with melted cheese and thick diced tomatoes and let me tell you, this was amazing.
At one time (still may offer it, did not ask) Gill's offered all you can eat prime rib on Thursday nights. I don't know many people that could take full advantage of all you can eat prime rib, but if you can, the offer is there. Personally, I am ready for a nap after one cut of prime rib. Especially from this place when they spare no expense at serving enough food to there customers.
One thing to note about this place and that is how they cook there steaks. Be prepared to order your steak to be cooked a little less then you normally would. If you like your steak medium rare, you may consider ordering it rare. Both of our steaks were cooked a little more then what we asked. Nonetheless, they were very good.
I cannot wait to make my next visit to Gill's. Maybe next time I can pry myself away from the Prime Rib and try some other menu items. I know there Chicken Pasta dish is very good (my girlfriend had that on our first visit) and there shepherds pie looked very good too.
First off, this place has a really nice atmosphere with an old Irish feel to it with a great wait staff. Since the place was to busy on Saturday night, we elected to sit in the bar since it was open seating and that did not disappoint. There was a very nice three piece band playing in the bar and we were served very promptly.
Now for the good stuff, the food! On both occasions of my visits, I could not find myself to not order the Prime Rib and both visits did not disappoint by any means. On this most recent visit, the Prime Rib was outstanding. I had the medium cut which was the 12oz (I believe they offered a 10, 12, and 16 oz) and the taste was great. Locally, I am a big fan of Maria Livingston's when it comes to steaks but Gill's would give Maria Livingston's a run for there money. My Prime Rib was so tender and very juicy. It was served with one of my all time favorite things to put on a steak, especially prime rid, and that is horseradish. Along with the steak you get a fresh garden salad, and I highly recommended the Blue Cheese, its outstanding, and one side dish which I went with the loaded smashed potatoes that consisted of mashed potatoes, cheese, butter, scallions, etc... As good as the dish was, the smashed potatoes could have been a bit warmer.
I enjoyed dinner with a good friend of mine who was in town and he had the "Dubliner" which was a New York cut with a house seasoning of Irish whiskey and other ingredients. Though I did not taste his, he did nothing but rave about how good his was.
Gill Tavern also serves great homemade rolls that reminded me more of a biscuit then anything. They came fresh out of the oven and were nice and hot. The one thing that I really enjoyed was the Crab dip appetizer, First off, I am not a fan of crab meat but this crab dip was amazing. It was served with thin sliced, french bread toast and this crab dip was topped with melted cheese and thick diced tomatoes and let me tell you, this was amazing.
At one time (still may offer it, did not ask) Gill's offered all you can eat prime rib on Thursday nights. I don't know many people that could take full advantage of all you can eat prime rib, but if you can, the offer is there. Personally, I am ready for a nap after one cut of prime rib. Especially from this place when they spare no expense at serving enough food to there customers.
One thing to note about this place and that is how they cook there steaks. Be prepared to order your steak to be cooked a little less then you normally would. If you like your steak medium rare, you may consider ordering it rare. Both of our steaks were cooked a little more then what we asked. Nonetheless, they were very good.
I cannot wait to make my next visit to Gill's. Maybe next time I can pry myself away from the Prime Rib and try some other menu items. I know there Chicken Pasta dish is very good (my girlfriend had that on our first visit) and there shepherds pie looked very good too.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
This is my favorite recipe for Pork Chops but I must admit, this recipe came from Giada on the Food Network. Nonetheless, it’s a great and easy recipe. I always prefer the boneless pork chops and usually get the thin sliced ones. First off, preheat your skillet with olive oil and begin to prepare the crust for the chops. The crust is made from 3 things, Egg, Parmesan Cheese, and Italian Bread Crumbs.
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First, salt and pepper both sides of the chops.
Next, coat the chops first in the eggs, followed by the breadcrumbs, and finish off with the Parmesan cheese.
Simply pan-fry on both sides until desired temp is reached.
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Easy as that! These pork chops are served great with yellow rice and I really enjoy cooking up some zucchini and squash.
And for the record, my girlfriend found this recipe and is always the one who cooks this dish and they always come out AWESOME! Now my mouth is watering for these right now… Hopefully someone will give this recipe and try and enjoy them as much as I do. Check back soon and I will try to share a great Chicken Piccata Recipe.
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First, salt and pepper both sides of the chops.
Next, coat the chops first in the eggs, followed by the breadcrumbs, and finish off with the Parmesan cheese.
Simply pan-fry on both sides until desired temp is reached.
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Easy as that! These pork chops are served great with yellow rice and I really enjoy cooking up some zucchini and squash.
And for the record, my girlfriend found this recipe and is always the one who cooks this dish and they always come out AWESOME! Now my mouth is watering for these right now… Hopefully someone will give this recipe and try and enjoy them as much as I do. Check back soon and I will try to share a great Chicken Piccata Recipe.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Battle Pizza - Round 1
This is going to be round 1 of the pizza shootout. There are many great pizza restaurants in town and my end goal is to have a little pizza shoot-out to see who ranks best in my opinion when it comes to the pizza pie. Now this whole process may take some time, there is only so much pizza you can eat in one week...
We are going to start with Momo's Pizzeria.
First off, this is a really neat place. The atmosphere really defines a local pizza place, it's nothing fancy, just great music and great food. Momo's is one of those great places to take company when they are in town and in the mood for pizza. There pizza reminds me of a New York style pizza. When I think of Momo's I always think of the scene from the movie Big Daddy when Adam Sandler is teaching is son how to eat New York Pizza. He tells him to fold it in half and start eating.
Momo's slogan is "Slices as Big as your Head". But really, how big can this pizza be? How about 3- inches. (I believe the XL is 30 inches). Just take a look at this thing, it's huge!
The above picture really does not do this pie justice. It is really, and I mean really huge! I would beg to argue this XL pie would no fit in the back seat of a standard car.
Now back to the food at hand. This pizza is made to order and comes out nice and hot, just the way anyone should enjoy there pizza. Though cold pizza in the morning is always fun to eat. Anyway, the pizza here is wonderful. Without getting to far ahead with my pizza shootout, I would have to put Momo's near the top (but maybe not the top) of the list for best pizza in town.
Some of the aspects of the pizza that I enjoy the most is the sausage. The Italian sausage used at this place is always fresh and has a great taste. It's not an over spicy sausage but a great pizza style sausage. This particular trip, we chose the deluxe pizza that included sausage, peperoni, olive, green pepper, and onion. Overall, the pizza was great.
All the crust is hand thrown here and has a nice texture and taste. The pizza is a normal pan style crust that is not thick at all, but more toward the thin side if anything. One thing I found very interesting is all the pizza is what I would call pre-sauced. It looks like the dough is hand thrown, sauced, and then sits to rest until time to prepare and bake.
As for the sauce, this place may take the cake when it comes to best sauce. First off, the sauce is very moderate and not overwhelming at all. I am not a huge fan of "saucey" pizza an this is one thing that I really like about Momo's, the pizza does not have a lot of sauce.
Overall, the experience of Momo's is great. Like I said, this is not a fancy place by any means, just great pizza. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the wait staff is always great and make for a fun time. Momo's offers all variety's of pizzas and come in all sizes. They even offer pizza by the slice and have a great lunch special that includes a slice and a drink for a very moderate price. The menu also consist of HUGE Calzones, salads, and you basic pizzeria sides such as bread stick, cheesy bread, etc.
As mentioned above, we went with the XL pizza and it fed 6 of us with two slices to spare. We started off with this:
and it was so good, my plate looked like this in the end:
Let's hope this pizza shootout can continue, but remember there is only so much pizza one person can handle in a week. With that being said, the other reviews will continue and hope to consist of Decent, 3 Guys, Red Elephant, and maybe a few others (please recommend your suggestions in the comment area). I would like to have a top 5, so please leave me some suggestions!
As of right now, I foresee Momo's coming in at second place!
1.
2. Momo's
3.
4.
5.
Check back soon for the rest of the pizza showdown.
Complete Photo Set of Momo's
We are going to start with Momo's Pizzeria.
First off, this is a really neat place. The atmosphere really defines a local pizza place, it's nothing fancy, just great music and great food. Momo's is one of those great places to take company when they are in town and in the mood for pizza. There pizza reminds me of a New York style pizza. When I think of Momo's I always think of the scene from the movie Big Daddy when Adam Sandler is teaching is son how to eat New York Pizza. He tells him to fold it in half and start eating.
Momo's slogan is "Slices as Big as your Head". But really, how big can this pizza be? How about 3- inches. (I believe the XL is 30 inches). Just take a look at this thing, it's huge!
The above picture really does not do this pie justice. It is really, and I mean really huge! I would beg to argue this XL pie would no fit in the back seat of a standard car.
Now back to the food at hand. This pizza is made to order and comes out nice and hot, just the way anyone should enjoy there pizza. Though cold pizza in the morning is always fun to eat. Anyway, the pizza here is wonderful. Without getting to far ahead with my pizza shootout, I would have to put Momo's near the top (but maybe not the top) of the list for best pizza in town.
Some of the aspects of the pizza that I enjoy the most is the sausage. The Italian sausage used at this place is always fresh and has a great taste. It's not an over spicy sausage but a great pizza style sausage. This particular trip, we chose the deluxe pizza that included sausage, peperoni, olive, green pepper, and onion. Overall, the pizza was great.
All the crust is hand thrown here and has a nice texture and taste. The pizza is a normal pan style crust that is not thick at all, but more toward the thin side if anything. One thing I found very interesting is all the pizza is what I would call pre-sauced. It looks like the dough is hand thrown, sauced, and then sits to rest until time to prepare and bake.
As for the sauce, this place may take the cake when it comes to best sauce. First off, the sauce is very moderate and not overwhelming at all. I am not a huge fan of "saucey" pizza an this is one thing that I really like about Momo's, the pizza does not have a lot of sauce.
Overall, the experience of Momo's is great. Like I said, this is not a fancy place by any means, just great pizza. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the wait staff is always great and make for a fun time. Momo's offers all variety's of pizzas and come in all sizes. They even offer pizza by the slice and have a great lunch special that includes a slice and a drink for a very moderate price. The menu also consist of HUGE Calzones, salads, and you basic pizzeria sides such as bread stick, cheesy bread, etc.
As mentioned above, we went with the XL pizza and it fed 6 of us with two slices to spare. We started off with this:
and it was so good, my plate looked like this in the end:
Let's hope this pizza shootout can continue, but remember there is only so much pizza one person can handle in a week. With that being said, the other reviews will continue and hope to consist of Decent, 3 Guys, Red Elephant, and maybe a few others (please recommend your suggestions in the comment area). I would like to have a top 5, so please leave me some suggestions!
As of right now, I foresee Momo's coming in at second place!
1.
2. Momo's
3.
4.
5.
Check back soon for the rest of the pizza showdown.
Complete Photo Set of Momo's
Stadium Food
I am a huge baseball fan, but even I will admit a lot of times you go to the games for the food. Here is a really nice blog about Stadium Eats, check it out.
Scoreboard Gourmet
On other news, round 1 of the pizza shootout or showdown should be up tonight! (or maybe tomorrow, it's been a busy weekend)
Scoreboard Gourmet
On other news, round 1 of the pizza shootout or showdown should be up tonight! (or maybe tomorrow, it's been a busy weekend)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Rodizio's Tallahassee
I finally made my way to Rodizio’s last night and I was very impressed! Unfortunately, I did not take my camera with me so there are no pictures but on my next trip, I will have the camera in hand. The first thing you need to know about going to this place is be prepared to eat, and eat a lot. The price per person is $30 (not including drinks) but the assortment of meats makes it well worth the price.
We had a wonderful waiter who explained the entire concept of “Churrasco” to us which is a style of Brazilian BBQ’ing of sort. The waiters, or Gauchos come around with giant skewers of meat and the meats are hand carved at your table for you. Last night, Rodizio’s offered over 20 different styles of meats and I would say we tasted about 12-15 of them. I guess in order to give a real, accurate review I should have taken notes because I know I will not remember every style of meat we had, but what we did have was outstanding. There were numerous types of beef including a house special that was a shoulder cut that was by far by favorite cut of beef from all the choices. They had your typical New York cuts, Filet cuts, etc. but the tenderness and taste of the meats were far out done. Everything was fresh and extremely tasty. Aside from the beef, there was a handful of pork choices which included a parmesan crusted pork which was my favorite of the pork dishes along with BBQ pork (what I believe was a shoulder cut), and a honey BBQ pork. They also offered a lamb which I found to be very good along with a turkey breast that was amazing. The turkey had a nice outer crunch to it with the inside being one of the more moist turkey’s I had ever eaten. Especially in a restaurant. Other meats that made a lasting impression on me was the tiger shrimp, and the sausage. The Gauchos also had a few skewers of chicken which included a bacon wrapped chicken, two different types of chicken wings and I believe there was one other chicken option but it has escaped my memory. It is quite difficult to remember all the fantastic meats we enjoyed....
Aside from the meats, Rodizio’s offers a small salad bar and a vegetable bar that included a soup, rice and beans, plantains, and a pasta dish. Other vegetables offered were a very tasty asparagus, red and green bell peppers that were chilled and seasoned and a few other Brazilian flavored dishes. I will admit that I wasn’t impressed with the side dish selections mainly because the sides that were supposed to be warm were not but nonetheless, they were enjoyable. Like I said, you go here for the meat! One very unique item at the table comes with your bread basket. Along with butter you are also given a salsa looking dipping sauce that reminded me a lot of a Mexican Salsa or a Pico De Gallo. Now I was hesitant to taste this, but I am glad I did. It is an extremely spicy taste but very delicious. Having a salsa with bread is an unique concept but was very fitting for the restaurant.
I will defiantly be taking a trip back here real soon. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was very good. This would be a great place for a group to go and enjoy a night out with some fantastic food. Maybe next trip I will take a little note book and give a more detailed review on the food. I will admit, its very overwhelming when you are surrounded by all you can eat, fantastic meats. It's very hard to keep up with all the choices!
We had a wonderful waiter who explained the entire concept of “Churrasco” to us which is a style of Brazilian BBQ’ing of sort. The waiters, or Gauchos come around with giant skewers of meat and the meats are hand carved at your table for you. Last night, Rodizio’s offered over 20 different styles of meats and I would say we tasted about 12-15 of them. I guess in order to give a real, accurate review I should have taken notes because I know I will not remember every style of meat we had, but what we did have was outstanding. There were numerous types of beef including a house special that was a shoulder cut that was by far by favorite cut of beef from all the choices. They had your typical New York cuts, Filet cuts, etc. but the tenderness and taste of the meats were far out done. Everything was fresh and extremely tasty. Aside from the beef, there was a handful of pork choices which included a parmesan crusted pork which was my favorite of the pork dishes along with BBQ pork (what I believe was a shoulder cut), and a honey BBQ pork. They also offered a lamb which I found to be very good along with a turkey breast that was amazing. The turkey had a nice outer crunch to it with the inside being one of the more moist turkey’s I had ever eaten. Especially in a restaurant. Other meats that made a lasting impression on me was the tiger shrimp, and the sausage. The Gauchos also had a few skewers of chicken which included a bacon wrapped chicken, two different types of chicken wings and I believe there was one other chicken option but it has escaped my memory. It is quite difficult to remember all the fantastic meats we enjoyed....
Aside from the meats, Rodizio’s offers a small salad bar and a vegetable bar that included a soup, rice and beans, plantains, and a pasta dish. Other vegetables offered were a very tasty asparagus, red and green bell peppers that were chilled and seasoned and a few other Brazilian flavored dishes. I will admit that I wasn’t impressed with the side dish selections mainly because the sides that were supposed to be warm were not but nonetheless, they were enjoyable. Like I said, you go here for the meat! One very unique item at the table comes with your bread basket. Along with butter you are also given a salsa looking dipping sauce that reminded me a lot of a Mexican Salsa or a Pico De Gallo. Now I was hesitant to taste this, but I am glad I did. It is an extremely spicy taste but very delicious. Having a salsa with bread is an unique concept but was very fitting for the restaurant.
I will defiantly be taking a trip back here real soon. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food was very good. This would be a great place for a group to go and enjoy a night out with some fantastic food. Maybe next trip I will take a little note book and give a more detailed review on the food. I will admit, its very overwhelming when you are surrounded by all you can eat, fantastic meats. It's very hard to keep up with all the choices!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Back to the slow cooker
My love for the slow cooker came about all from one simple recipe, and that is Pork in the slow cooker. Now that I think about it, that is not the most intriguing name for a recipe, but nonetheless it's wonderful. Simply take a pork shoulder, place it in the slow cooker with approximately 1 inch deep of water. Next, use Dale's Seasoning and use enough to just cover the meat and give enough room for the pork to soak. In a standard 3 quart slow cooker, I use anywhere between 1/2 the jar for seasoning to 3/4. It really depends on the size of the pork shoulder and how much vegetables you want to add. Take note, this seasoning is quite salty, so until you get the taste down, less is always more. Now for the veggies. Personally I like to put onion and red potatoes in with the meat but others enjoy squash and or carrots. Go with what you like and you will be very impressed with the Dale's Seasoning . They do make this seasoning in a regular non low sodium version, but since there is so much sodium to begin with, I try to stick with the somewhat healthier one of the two.
This recipe was something my Mom would cook quite often and I always enjoyed it. When I went off to college this is something that I could put together, turn on, and not worry about it until I was ready to eat dinner that night. This recipe is even better these days because I can come home and have dinner already cooked for me. (after work)
A few notes when cooking this. I like to put the 1 inch deep water in the crock pot first, followed by the meat. Next, I use the Dale's Seasoning followed by the veggies. Using red potatoes works really well since the red potato is the hardest of all potatoes and takes the longest to cool. Considering this dish can cook up to 10 hours, you don't want your potatoes to turn to mash. The potatoes also act as a paper weight of sort to hold the pork down to all the juices. Last I place the onions in and let the cooker do the rest. On occasions, I will season the shoulder with a simple over the counter meat tenderizer before placing in the slow cooker. As for cooking time, it really depends and I have learned you really can't over cook this. I like to let mine cook for at least 8 hours but have let it cook as long as 10. You really can't mess this recipe up, so give it a try. I am sure you will enjoy.
As this Food Blog continues, you will see more then just slow cooker recipes, but I just felt like sharing these for now. I will try to also post pictures of these dishes, but I haven't made this pork dish is a while. As for the Dumplins recipe I shared a few days back, I didn't feel pictures were really needed for that. Quite frankly, it's not a very photogenic dish.
This recipe was something my Mom would cook quite often and I always enjoyed it. When I went off to college this is something that I could put together, turn on, and not worry about it until I was ready to eat dinner that night. This recipe is even better these days because I can come home and have dinner already cooked for me. (after work)
A few notes when cooking this. I like to put the 1 inch deep water in the crock pot first, followed by the meat. Next, I use the Dale's Seasoning followed by the veggies. Using red potatoes works really well since the red potato is the hardest of all potatoes and takes the longest to cool. Considering this dish can cook up to 10 hours, you don't want your potatoes to turn to mash. The potatoes also act as a paper weight of sort to hold the pork down to all the juices. Last I place the onions in and let the cooker do the rest. On occasions, I will season the shoulder with a simple over the counter meat tenderizer before placing in the slow cooker. As for cooking time, it really depends and I have learned you really can't over cook this. I like to let mine cook for at least 8 hours but have let it cook as long as 10. You really can't mess this recipe up, so give it a try. I am sure you will enjoy.
As this Food Blog continues, you will see more then just slow cooker recipes, but I just felt like sharing these for now. I will try to also post pictures of these dishes, but I haven't made this pork dish is a while. As for the Dumplins recipe I shared a few days back, I didn't feel pictures were really needed for that. Quite frankly, it's not a very photogenic dish.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Five Guys
Five Guys burgers is one of my favorite fast food restaurants and defiantly one of my favorite burgers. I was introduced to Five Guys by a good friend who lives in DC and while in Baltimore MD I finally got the chance to try Five Guys and I was highly impressed. It's to the point now, whenever I see a Five Guys I have to stop, rather I am hungry or not, I am stopping for a burger.
The atmosphere of the place is simple, it's a burger joint. Don't like burgers, well they offer hot dogs and grilled cheese, don't like those options? Well then you better find somewhere else to go.
Let's start with the french fries!
First off, you get a TON of fries. This size is there regular, but what you may not know with Five Guys is they also fill up your brown bag with fries. Seriously, there are so many extra fries in the bag, you have to dig through them to find your burger. As you can tell the fries are freshly cut and cooked on the spot. There is no frozen items in this place!
Now if you are going to go to a burger place, what more do you want then a Burger?
This is what you get. A great, simple, true American burger! This thing is fantastic. Size wise, may not be your largest burger but the taste will simply blow you away. This is what I think of when I think of a burger.
For my first visit, I elected to get my burger plane so I could get a good taste of the burger itself and I approved. The taste was great and it was everything you could want from a burger.
I really do not know what more to say about this place other then it is the best burger you will find. Five Guys does some very unique things such as: Telling all the customers where there potatoes were grown that day and they also advertise that nothing in the place is ever frozen. Sounds good to me!
I am currently counting the days down until Five Guys finally makes its way to my local area of Tallahassee Fl. We are getting one location for sure and possibly a second. As of recent, the coming soon sign is up and that is enough to get me excited about this place. This place ranks way up there on my list of great restaurants and may take the cake when it comes to best fast food/burger place.
For the Urban Tallahassee Readers, a few notes:
-Burger, Fries, and a drink is roughly $11.00.
-Size of burger is not overwhelming, but the regular size with fries is a great meal. (Smaller then a Whataburger but larger than a Backyard Burger)
-The Burgers come in 2 sizes. A single, which they call the Little Burger, and the double which they simply call there cheeseburger.
-Five Guys offers numerous toppings for the burger which are all free with the exception of bacon. There are something like 14 options to add, or close to it.
-Fries come in 2 sizes, regular and large. Also available in Cajun.
Comfort Food on the Easy
Growing up in Kentucky you all but live off of comfort food and one of my favorite dishes is Chicken -n- Dumplins. Growing up my Nanny (Grandmother)always made the best Chicken -n- Dumplins, the only problem is the recipe is an all day process or at least it seems that way. Nonetheless, if you are like me you don't always have the time to spare. So we come to comfort food on the easy using the slow cooker. The slow cooker is a great cooking tool that is often overlooked though it is becoming very popular on many of the food blogs I read and as of recent I haven't checked out at a local grocery store without seeing a slow cooker/crock pot recipe book in the checkout line. Back to the food, if you are shooting for an easy comfort food recipe, you can't go wrong with the following:
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Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
2 cups cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 8-pack can of buttermilk biscuits
Mix all ingredients except biscuits in slow cooker. Cut biscuits into quarters and stir into mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
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Few things to note; be sure to use the bouillon granules and not the cubes! The cubes will not dissolve properly and you will lose some valuable taste. As for the biscuits, its always up to the cook but I suggest going with the Grands Southern Style variety. I have made this recipe numerous times with different biscuits but these seem to always taste the best.
One last note on this recipe...It really helps putting all of this together the night before and letting "soak" in the refrigerator, and while cooking this particular recipe in the slow cooker you will have to break the cardinal sin of slow cooking and that is stirring! If you do not stir this recipe while cooking, all the biscuits will make there way to the top and you will end up with a pot pie of sort, and that is not what we are looking for.
Hope all (or anyone who reads this) enjoys!
-----------------------------------
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
2 cups cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans of water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 8-pack can of buttermilk biscuits
Mix all ingredients except biscuits in slow cooker. Cut biscuits into quarters and stir into mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
-------------------------------------------
Few things to note; be sure to use the bouillon granules and not the cubes! The cubes will not dissolve properly and you will lose some valuable taste. As for the biscuits, its always up to the cook but I suggest going with the Grands Southern Style variety. I have made this recipe numerous times with different biscuits but these seem to always taste the best.
One last note on this recipe...It really helps putting all of this together the night before and letting "soak" in the refrigerator, and while cooking this particular recipe in the slow cooker you will have to break the cardinal sin of slow cooking and that is stirring! If you do not stir this recipe while cooking, all the biscuits will make there way to the top and you will end up with a pot pie of sort, and that is not what we are looking for.
Hope all (or anyone who reads this) enjoys!
50 of the World's Best Food Blogs
From Digg,
On the right, you can see the feeds from some of my favorite food blogs. Hope you enjoy.
Don't forget about Slashfood. For some reason, the rss feed isn't working therefore will not show up in the blog list.
50 of the world's best food blogs
On the right, you can see the feeds from some of my favorite food blogs. Hope you enjoy.
Don't forget about Slashfood. For some reason, the rss feed isn't working therefore will not show up in the blog list.
Welcome
This is going to be yet another attempt at a blog that hopefully I can actually keep up with. This is going to revolve around one thing, and pretty much one things only. FOOD. I really enjoy food, and I figured this could be a place to share my thoughts and other odd, random things about food that I feel necessary to share. Let's see where this can take us.
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