So, I know I haven't written in ages, however, after this experience, thought it was time to get back on the ball.
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Date: August 30, 2013 (Birch & Vine), September 2, 2013 (The Canopy)
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 340 Beach Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Party: Food - Just me
Immediate Impression:
Elegant and trendy; fairly upscale on both levels; gorgeous view from the Canopy Deck of the St. Pete Pier and Bay. Super Hip upstairs set-up, and very cozy downstairs one. The crowd early in the evening was older but got significantly younger by midnight. There is a ALOT of pretense going around.
Service:
Depends on whom your server is - some are incredible, others act annoyed asking for pepper. Actually ran into a server from Birch & Vine at another location, all she did was b**ch about the "low-class" people who visit during DineTampaBay Week, she hates serving those "kind" of people. Glad she was NOT my server.
For some reason, they horde their bar napkins. They are not given with your drinks, nor are they readily available for use.
Menu/Food:
This is where the two restaurants/experiences diverge greatly!
At Birch & Vine, at 11pm, I ordered the Birchwood Cobb Salad. OMG - amazing, delectable, wanted more. It's a deconstructed cob salad, the egg is a cold but perfectly soft boiled; the pork belly superbly crispy, and the Gorgonzola fritters explode in your mouth. This, be far, is the BEST salad I have every had; it is well worth the $14 price tag.
Now, after that experience, I felt encourage/comfortable trying food upstairs; foolishly, I had hoped the menus would be comparable. Although some of the items overlapped, the Cobb salad was not on the Canopy menu. I ultimately decided on the Grilled Chicken & Aged Cheddar BLTA. Bleh!
Giving some credit for it being a holiday, I'll give points for it being open; however, if you are going to serve food, make sure its good! The chicken was try and tasteless (yes, tasteless!), the pork belly (one small piece, cut in two), was rubbery and gelatinous, and the Hoagie - a fall apart white bread mess I could get at McDonalds. I felt terrible for the establishment. How could the food just a few floors below be so fundamentally more exquisite then this, this, flaccid chicken and stuff.
Allergen Info: For those with allergies, just notify them, they will work with the chef and kitchen and make any corrections you need.
Price: Entrees are in the $20's, sandwiches the $10's, salads about the same.
Final thought: I will definitely be back to Birch & Vine for dinner, looking forward to it; as for the Canopy, no food ever again, drinks and view only!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Baltic Amber - Clearwater, FL
Date: August 31, 2011
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant
Where: 552 Clearwater Largo Road North, Clearwater, FL
Party: Two adults
Immediate Impression:
What a quaint place with an awesome deck!
Service:
Obviously this is a family business, must have been the husband or the brother, he didn't speak much English but was really helpful and thorough.
While waiting for our food, we stepped out onto the deck - which I think would be an awesome place for a Biergarten - the owner came out to have us sample her homemade Polish Pizza. It was fantastic - I was impressed not only with her cooking but also her congeniality.
Make sure you have patience, everything is cooked to order, so you will be waiting for your food. They told us 25 minutes for our entree but it was really about 20.
Menu/Food:
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!
It is NOT easy to find amazing Polish food in Clearwater, or the entire Tampa Bay for that matter! This is truly authentic amazing cooking!
Since I have a $25 gift certificate, good only if I spent $35, we splurged on an appetizer, and I am soooooo glad we did. We ordered the "SMALL" Hot Sampler....not sure why it was considered small!
The Sampler came with 2 Pierogies (two potato one meat), two stuffed cabbage with both mushroom and tomato sauce, and 7" Kielbasa over onions and kraut. Everything was absolutely amazing and obviously homemade. The Pierogies melted in your mouth and the stuffed cabbage seemed to explode with flavor...plus I am a huge fan of kraut. I couldn't believe I still had dinner coming...but when my dinner plate hit the table, it took about 3 minutes to wipe the smile off my face:)
I ordered the Pork Shank, which was fall off the bone delectable. Mind you, it comes with all the fat a shank should have, but once you peeled that back, the meat was super succulent and flavorful. I really couldn't enjoy much of the sides because of health reasons, but the mashed potatoes were fresh.
My friend order the Beef Stroganow. Again, yummy! The meat was tender and the mushroom sauce was not over-powering. Plus he got these little potato dumplings which were amazing!
We had enough food left over for lunch the next day. We were stuffed!
We didn't eat dessert, but we did imbibe! They serve 3 Polish Beers, I highly recommend the Kopernik.
Allegren Info: For those with allergies, bring a translator or at least a phone which translates. Their were no big surprises, but better to be safe than sorry.
Price: Entrees will run you around $15 each, but they do have a $6.99 lunch menu and I read something about all you can eat Pierogies.
Final thought: I will definitely be back...the food was amazing, the service excellent, the atmosphere comfortable. All in all a great local restaurant with superb food.
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant
Where: 552 Clearwater Largo Road North, Clearwater, FL
Party: Two adults
Immediate Impression:
What a quaint place with an awesome deck!
Service:
Obviously this is a family business, must have been the husband or the brother, he didn't speak much English but was really helpful and thorough.
While waiting for our food, we stepped out onto the deck - which I think would be an awesome place for a Biergarten - the owner came out to have us sample her homemade Polish Pizza. It was fantastic - I was impressed not only with her cooking but also her congeniality.
Make sure you have patience, everything is cooked to order, so you will be waiting for your food. They told us 25 minutes for our entree but it was really about 20.
Menu/Food:
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!
It is NOT easy to find amazing Polish food in Clearwater, or the entire Tampa Bay for that matter! This is truly authentic amazing cooking!
Since I have a $25 gift certificate, good only if I spent $35, we splurged on an appetizer, and I am soooooo glad we did. We ordered the "SMALL" Hot Sampler....not sure why it was considered small!
The Sampler came with 2 Pierogies (two potato one meat), two stuffed cabbage with both mushroom and tomato sauce, and 7" Kielbasa over onions and kraut. Everything was absolutely amazing and obviously homemade. The Pierogies melted in your mouth and the stuffed cabbage seemed to explode with flavor...plus I am a huge fan of kraut. I couldn't believe I still had dinner coming...but when my dinner plate hit the table, it took about 3 minutes to wipe the smile off my face:)
I ordered the Pork Shank, which was fall off the bone delectable. Mind you, it comes with all the fat a shank should have, but once you peeled that back, the meat was super succulent and flavorful. I really couldn't enjoy much of the sides because of health reasons, but the mashed potatoes were fresh.
My friend order the Beef Stroganow. Again, yummy! The meat was tender and the mushroom sauce was not over-powering. Plus he got these little potato dumplings which were amazing!
We had enough food left over for lunch the next day. We were stuffed!
We didn't eat dessert, but we did imbibe! They serve 3 Polish Beers, I highly recommend the Kopernik.
Allegren Info: For those with allergies, bring a translator or at least a phone which translates. Their were no big surprises, but better to be safe than sorry.
Price: Entrees will run you around $15 each, but they do have a $6.99 lunch menu and I read something about all you can eat Pierogies.
Final thought: I will definitely be back...the food was amazing, the service excellent, the atmosphere comfortable. All in all a great local restaurant with superb food.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Luckie B's Bar-b-Que
Date: August 21, 2011
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 4351 4th Street, St. Petersburg, FL
Party: Three adults
Immediate Impression:
Well laid out space, smells fantastic when you walk through the door, very comfortable!
Service:
Our server/bartendar was AWESOME! Super-nice, really helpful, and seemed to really enjoy her job!
Menu/Food:
WARNING - the portions are HUGE, but luckily the sides are small; the three of us split a 1/2 chicken meal and Pork Three ways and we still had lunch for the next day!
The Mustard BBQ sauce is absolutely fantastic...the others are eh, okay.
Fried Green Tomatoes: these were delicious, and the appetizer order is definitely shareable. You get about 6 large slices with a side of Sirachi Cream sauce.
Baby Back Ribs - fall off the bone awesomeness! Succulent and just the right kick.
Spare Ribs - my favorite! Each rib is huge, lots of meat and smoked perfectly. Cover it with that pre-mentioned mustard sauce, yummy!
Pulled Pork - wasn't thrilled with it, slightly dry. Had a nice flavor and when turned into a little sandwich with add'l BBQ sauce, the dryness disappeared.
Mac & Cheese side - personally I liked it, but you have to like garlic. Kinda throws you at first, not what you would expect.
Mashed Potatoes - pretty standard fair, gravy was thick and the potatoes creamy
Collard Greens - not a fan, too much vinegar
Baked Beans -Sweet, very sweet, and very thick; not my type of bean, but the rest of the group loved them.
Allegren Info: For those with allergies, definitely be specific to your server or have the chef come out. Most of their stuff cooks for long periods of time, so they may not be able to make substitutions.
Price: Reasonable, since you will probably get two meals out of it! The drinks are already cheap, but before 7pm you save an additional $1
Final thought: I will definitely be back...the food is delicious and the staff awesome! Plus, if you checkin on Foursquare you get a free appetizer.
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 4351 4th Street, St. Petersburg, FL
Party: Three adults
Immediate Impression:
Well laid out space, smells fantastic when you walk through the door, very comfortable!
Service:
Our server/bartendar was AWESOME! Super-nice, really helpful, and seemed to really enjoy her job!
Menu/Food:
WARNING - the portions are HUGE, but luckily the sides are small; the three of us split a 1/2 chicken meal and Pork Three ways and we still had lunch for the next day!
The Mustard BBQ sauce is absolutely fantastic...the others are eh, okay.
Fried Green Tomatoes: these were delicious, and the appetizer order is definitely shareable. You get about 6 large slices with a side of Sirachi Cream sauce.
Baby Back Ribs - fall off the bone awesomeness! Succulent and just the right kick.
Spare Ribs - my favorite! Each rib is huge, lots of meat and smoked perfectly. Cover it with that pre-mentioned mustard sauce, yummy!
Pulled Pork - wasn't thrilled with it, slightly dry. Had a nice flavor and when turned into a little sandwich with add'l BBQ sauce, the dryness disappeared.
Mac & Cheese side - personally I liked it, but you have to like garlic. Kinda throws you at first, not what you would expect.
Mashed Potatoes - pretty standard fair, gravy was thick and the potatoes creamy
Collard Greens - not a fan, too much vinegar
Baked Beans -Sweet, very sweet, and very thick; not my type of bean, but the rest of the group loved them.
Allegren Info: For those with allergies, definitely be specific to your server or have the chef come out. Most of their stuff cooks for long periods of time, so they may not be able to make substitutions.
Price: Reasonable, since you will probably get two meals out of it! The drinks are already cheap, but before 7pm you save an additional $1
Final thought: I will definitely be back...the food is delicious and the staff awesome! Plus, if you checkin on Foursquare you get a free appetizer.
Yuki Steakhouse - Cleawater, FL
**Update: Restaurant.com gave me credit for both unused Yuki Gift Certificates***
Date: August 20, 2011
Time: Dinner
Type: Restaurant
Where: 13505 Icot Boulevard Suite #207, Clearwater, FL 33760-3730
Party: 20 adults (2 birthdays)
Immediate Impression:
Saturday night and the place is pretty much empty....
Service:
Our server was really nice, however, she was extremely overwhelmed by the size of our group; she tried to make us all comfortable, even offering to put all 20 of us at 1 table (eventually we split up 16 in one area, 4 at another table)
As for the Teppanyaki cooks....we had a HUGE issue! First, they only had two cooks on staff, so the small table of 4 was served first, they were already on their main entrees when we just received our soups, they had no issues with their cook or their food; that was definitely not the case with our cook!
First - our cook could not get the order correct...we cut him some slack because it was confusing (no rice here, no vegetables there, shellfish allergy, etc, etc) but that was only the beginning.
Second - he NEVER turned on the exhaust fan; three members of our party spent the evening inhaling smoke and were covered in a thin layer of grim when it was done.
However, all of the above was tolerable until this.....
One of the birthday girls had ordered STEAK & Chicken, the cook accidentally put FILET MIGNON on her plate; when he discovered his error, he grabbed her plate out of her hands (mid bite), scrapped the filet OFF her plate back onto the grill, then re-scooped the filet from the grill and put it on someone else's PLATE! I was in shock..completely unheard of and I am sure violates multiple restaurant rules and regulations.
Then, the poor guy who was given USED food, was also shafted when the shrimp was finally cooked. The chef was short 5 pieces of shrimp, they brought out frozen shrimp and cooked it on the grill then threw it on his plate! YUCKY!
Menu/Food:
Overall the texture and taste of the food was fair; the portion sizes for the cheaper meals is pretty large, but if you order the Filet, Lobster or Shrimp, your order is TINY!
Allegren Info: If you can't eat butter, make sure they know, they put butter on everything. For those with a gluten allergy, they use soy in the rice and the noddles, but you could ask for it to be left off any meats, but tell them before they start cooking. Crohn's & people with digestive issues, they use regular vegetable oil. Everyone else, if you can't eat sesame seeds, make sure they know that and again, get specification on the vegetables.
Price: Starts at $13.95 for Vegetable Teppanyaki and goes up to $28.95. Its equitable to other Teppanyaki restaurants in the area. Drinks are pricey, they only have bottled soda, and the ice tea comes with only 3 refills.
Final thought: Unfortunately, because they wouldn't let us use all the gift certificates we had (Had $150 they let us use $75), I still have 2 $25 gift certificates. Hopefully, I will be able to give those to someone because I have NO intention of going back there!
Date: August 20, 2011
Time: Dinner
Type: Restaurant
Where: 13505 Icot Boulevard Suite #207, Clearwater, FL 33760-3730
Party: 20 adults (2 birthdays)
Immediate Impression:
Saturday night and the place is pretty much empty....
Service:
Our server was really nice, however, she was extremely overwhelmed by the size of our group; she tried to make us all comfortable, even offering to put all 20 of us at 1 table (eventually we split up 16 in one area, 4 at another table)
As for the Teppanyaki cooks....we had a HUGE issue! First, they only had two cooks on staff, so the small table of 4 was served first, they were already on their main entrees when we just received our soups, they had no issues with their cook or their food; that was definitely not the case with our cook!
First - our cook could not get the order correct...we cut him some slack because it was confusing (no rice here, no vegetables there, shellfish allergy, etc, etc) but that was only the beginning.
Second - he NEVER turned on the exhaust fan; three members of our party spent the evening inhaling smoke and were covered in a thin layer of grim when it was done.
However, all of the above was tolerable until this.....
One of the birthday girls had ordered STEAK & Chicken, the cook accidentally put FILET MIGNON on her plate; when he discovered his error, he grabbed her plate out of her hands (mid bite), scrapped the filet OFF her plate back onto the grill, then re-scooped the filet from the grill and put it on someone else's PLATE! I was in shock..completely unheard of and I am sure violates multiple restaurant rules and regulations.
Then, the poor guy who was given USED food, was also shafted when the shrimp was finally cooked. The chef was short 5 pieces of shrimp, they brought out frozen shrimp and cooked it on the grill then threw it on his plate! YUCKY!
Menu/Food:
Overall the texture and taste of the food was fair; the portion sizes for the cheaper meals is pretty large, but if you order the Filet, Lobster or Shrimp, your order is TINY!
Allegren Info: If you can't eat butter, make sure they know, they put butter on everything. For those with a gluten allergy, they use soy in the rice and the noddles, but you could ask for it to be left off any meats, but tell them before they start cooking. Crohn's & people with digestive issues, they use regular vegetable oil. Everyone else, if you can't eat sesame seeds, make sure they know that and again, get specification on the vegetables.
Price: Starts at $13.95 for Vegetable Teppanyaki and goes up to $28.95. Its equitable to other Teppanyaki restaurants in the area. Drinks are pricey, they only have bottled soda, and the ice tea comes with only 3 refills.
Final thought: Unfortunately, because they wouldn't let us use all the gift certificates we had (Had $150 they let us use $75), I still have 2 $25 gift certificates. Hopefully, I will be able to give those to someone because I have NO intention of going back there!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Takara @ Venue - Clearwater, FL
Date: July 26, 2011
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 2675 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater, FL 33759
Party: Three adults, two children
Immediate Impression:
They have made some interior changes which is for the better; less pretentious
Service:
Overall the service was HORRIFIC! First, it took 20 minutes for anyone to even come to our table, then there was confusion as to who was actually our waiter. We chose to stay with the female server because her demeanor was nicer (the male looked so uninterested and rather upset we were making him do his job). I can't really blame her for all the service errors, she was slammed and the restaurant was obviously understaffed, however, we think she forgot to put in one of our orders.
Menu/Food:
We went for the all-you-can-eat sushi and one of the children ordered off the regular menu.
MISO SOUP: Skip it, it tastes a bit like dishwater
GINGER SALAD: If you don't like your salad smoothered in dressing, ask for it on the side; they glob it on.
SUSHI: The sushi is actually really good and fresh; and there is enough on the menu to fill you up. However, it took us 2 hours, because of the horrible service, to make it worthwhile. Also, read the descriptions carefully and if you order the vegetable roll make sure you ask which vegetables.
Allegren Info: If you can't eat butter, you should be fine, it wasn't used on this menu, but beware if you order off the regular menu. For those with a gluten allergy, you should be safe, but stay away from the Krab stuff, they aren't clear if it is real or fake. Everyone else, if you can't eat sesame seeds, make sure they know that and again, get specification on the vegetables.
Price: They say the price is $19.95 before taxes, what they don't tell you is they are also going to AUTOMATICALLY charge you 20% for gratuity! Last time I was there, we were a party of 6 so I understood, but this time we were a party of 5, and they still did it. This is NOT listed on their menu. There is NO WAY I would have given that much in tip during this trip.
The rest of the non-sushi menu seems reasonable, but $6.95 for a bowl of edamame and is RIDICULOUS!
Final thought: I am not really sure...$19.95 for all you can eat sushi seems like an excellent deal, however, the poor service really makes me stop to think - how valuable is my time? Luckily this week, I had the time to sit for 2 hours (8pm-10pm) but normally, during the week, I don't. There is going to have to be a VERY GOOD REASON for me to go back!
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 2675 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater, FL 33759
Party: Three adults, two children
Immediate Impression:
They have made some interior changes which is for the better; less pretentious
Service:
Overall the service was HORRIFIC! First, it took 20 minutes for anyone to even come to our table, then there was confusion as to who was actually our waiter. We chose to stay with the female server because her demeanor was nicer (the male looked so uninterested and rather upset we were making him do his job). I can't really blame her for all the service errors, she was slammed and the restaurant was obviously understaffed, however, we think she forgot to put in one of our orders.
Menu/Food:
We went for the all-you-can-eat sushi and one of the children ordered off the regular menu.
MISO SOUP: Skip it, it tastes a bit like dishwater
GINGER SALAD: If you don't like your salad smoothered in dressing, ask for it on the side; they glob it on.
SUSHI: The sushi is actually really good and fresh; and there is enough on the menu to fill you up. However, it took us 2 hours, because of the horrible service, to make it worthwhile. Also, read the descriptions carefully and if you order the vegetable roll make sure you ask which vegetables.
Allegren Info: If you can't eat butter, you should be fine, it wasn't used on this menu, but beware if you order off the regular menu. For those with a gluten allergy, you should be safe, but stay away from the Krab stuff, they aren't clear if it is real or fake. Everyone else, if you can't eat sesame seeds, make sure they know that and again, get specification on the vegetables.
Price: They say the price is $19.95 before taxes, what they don't tell you is they are also going to AUTOMATICALLY charge you 20% for gratuity! Last time I was there, we were a party of 6 so I understood, but this time we were a party of 5, and they still did it. This is NOT listed on their menu. There is NO WAY I would have given that much in tip during this trip.
The rest of the non-sushi menu seems reasonable, but $6.95 for a bowl of edamame and is RIDICULOUS!
Final thought: I am not really sure...$19.95 for all you can eat sushi seems like an excellent deal, however, the poor service really makes me stop to think - how valuable is my time? Luckily this week, I had the time to sit for 2 hours (8pm-10pm) but normally, during the week, I don't. There is going to have to be a VERY GOOD REASON for me to go back!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Pappa's Ranch Steakhouse Bar
Date: June 21, 2011
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 2630 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759
Party: Two adults
**Note: Went to this restaurant as part of Tampa Bay Restaurant Week; review is isolated to the Prix fixe menu offered @ http://cltampa.com/media/location/2280800/pappasranchweb.jpg)***
Immediate Impression:
Huge location, very clean and well laid-out.
Service:
Our server was extremely nice, although she didn't have alot of knowledge regarding the menu. She did say they were revamping the menu and some items had changed. Since we were only planning to order off the Prix Fixe this didn't pose too much of a problem except for dessert. She made sure our water glasses were always full, and promptly took away all used dishes. The manager came to our table to thank us at the conclusion of the meal.
Menu/Food:
WARNING - you had better come hungry or bring extra people! All of the dishes are HUGE! Based on the prix fixe menu, my guest and I each ordered a different appetizer, entree and dessert to be able to taste as much as possible. My order was: Fish Spread, Pork Chops w/garlic mashed potatoes & steamed butter broccoli and Bread Pudding; my guest ordered: Ceasar Salad, Ribeye w/ garlic mashed potatoes and garlic green beans, and Key Lime pie.
Fish Spread - I was not impressed, it lacked flavor and I think it was made with cream cheese. I did like the use of celery to make it crunchy. It really could have used more of a kick; honestly it tasted like chicken salad especially because the fish chucks were HUGE! I wouldn't order again, but my guest liked it, so this is probably simply personal preference.
Ceasar Salad - First, this could easily have fed 4 people. This salad is HUGE! The dressing has a bit of a kick to it, but overall enjoyable. Even with two of us eating, there was still 1/2 a bowl left before our entrees got there.
Pork Chops Entree - the mashed potatoes and broccoli were good sides, nothing really exciting to them, except for again, the portion sizes are huge. The pork chops were delicious and the peppercorn pomegranate dressing awesome (I used it as the gravy on my mashed potatoes) I brought home literally half of my meal.
Rib-eye - first, the green beans are fantastic - order them if you can! The steak was cut & cooked perfectly. Seemed to have very basic seasoning of only salt & pepper. My guest also brought home half of their meal.
Desserts - I normally skip dessert, but since it was part of the prix fixe, we went ahead and ordered it; however, I warn you, as with everything else on the menu, these are huge. Any one dessert could be split by 2-4pp. The Key lime pie is extremely tart, so if you only like a light flavor, stay clear. The bread pudding almost tasted like custard it was so smooth, however, it might have been because it is soaking (yes soaking) in warm butter!
Drinks: if you can get there before 7pm, they have a plethora of drink specials, otherwise, drafts are $2 and pitchers $7.
Allegren Info: If you can't eat butter, this is not the place for you! Everything has butter and lots of it! While looking over the menu, there seems a little something for everyone, but remember the portion sizes are HUGE! Be careful with the dessert or make sure you speak with the manager/chef. For those with a gluten allergy, ask about the sauces used on the meat, I believe they are flour based.
Price: The prix fixe price was $25pp; our meals would have costs $28.50 and $33.50 respectively with out the discount, but that is including dessert ($11.00 extra) which I normally wouldn't do. Truthfully, the menu is pretty normal for the area, and you could easily share the salad and the appetizer.
Final thought: I will be back to try other items. Overall, my experience was pleasant and the food ample. Because of the size of all the items, this would probably be a very good place to host a dinner party. Plus....now I have lunch for today!
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: 2630 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33759
Party: Two adults
**Note: Went to this restaurant as part of Tampa Bay Restaurant Week; review is isolated to the Prix fixe menu offered @ http://cltampa.com/media/location/2280800/pappasranchweb.jpg)***
Immediate Impression:
Huge location, very clean and well laid-out.
Service:
Our server was extremely nice, although she didn't have alot of knowledge regarding the menu. She did say they were revamping the menu and some items had changed. Since we were only planning to order off the Prix Fixe this didn't pose too much of a problem except for dessert. She made sure our water glasses were always full, and promptly took away all used dishes. The manager came to our table to thank us at the conclusion of the meal.
Menu/Food:
WARNING - you had better come hungry or bring extra people! All of the dishes are HUGE! Based on the prix fixe menu, my guest and I each ordered a different appetizer, entree and dessert to be able to taste as much as possible. My order was: Fish Spread, Pork Chops w/garlic mashed potatoes & steamed butter broccoli and Bread Pudding; my guest ordered: Ceasar Salad, Ribeye w/ garlic mashed potatoes and garlic green beans, and Key Lime pie.
Fish Spread - I was not impressed, it lacked flavor and I think it was made with cream cheese. I did like the use of celery to make it crunchy. It really could have used more of a kick; honestly it tasted like chicken salad especially because the fish chucks were HUGE! I wouldn't order again, but my guest liked it, so this is probably simply personal preference.
Ceasar Salad - First, this could easily have fed 4 people. This salad is HUGE! The dressing has a bit of a kick to it, but overall enjoyable. Even with two of us eating, there was still 1/2 a bowl left before our entrees got there.
Pork Chops Entree - the mashed potatoes and broccoli were good sides, nothing really exciting to them, except for again, the portion sizes are huge. The pork chops were delicious and the peppercorn pomegranate dressing awesome (I used it as the gravy on my mashed potatoes) I brought home literally half of my meal.
Rib-eye - first, the green beans are fantastic - order them if you can! The steak was cut & cooked perfectly. Seemed to have very basic seasoning of only salt & pepper. My guest also brought home half of their meal.
Desserts - I normally skip dessert, but since it was part of the prix fixe, we went ahead and ordered it; however, I warn you, as with everything else on the menu, these are huge. Any one dessert could be split by 2-4pp. The Key lime pie is extremely tart, so if you only like a light flavor, stay clear. The bread pudding almost tasted like custard it was so smooth, however, it might have been because it is soaking (yes soaking) in warm butter!
Drinks: if you can get there before 7pm, they have a plethora of drink specials, otherwise, drafts are $2 and pitchers $7.
Allegren Info: If you can't eat butter, this is not the place for you! Everything has butter and lots of it! While looking over the menu, there seems a little something for everyone, but remember the portion sizes are HUGE! Be careful with the dessert or make sure you speak with the manager/chef. For those with a gluten allergy, ask about the sauces used on the meat, I believe they are flour based.
Price: The prix fixe price was $25pp; our meals would have costs $28.50 and $33.50 respectively with out the discount, but that is including dessert ($11.00 extra) which I normally wouldn't do. Truthfully, the menu is pretty normal for the area, and you could easily share the salad and the appetizer.
Final thought: I will be back to try other items. Overall, my experience was pleasant and the food ample. Because of the size of all the items, this would probably be a very good place to host a dinner party. Plus....now I have lunch for today!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Been off the radar...
Dear Fans:
I apologize for being off the radar for so long...since my last post, my life has changed dramatically - I have moved, started two new companies, been involved with a few national fundraising campaigns, and am within weeks of finally getting divorced, so its been a tremendous roller coaster (actually, its been pretty darn exciting)!
Restaurant Week in the Tampa Bay Area begins on Thursday, and I was asked by a dear friend to write up rants on all the restaurants I visit...so stay tuned!
Thanks for following!
Ingrid Shawn Magnani (soon to be Rodriguez)
I apologize for being off the radar for so long...since my last post, my life has changed dramatically - I have moved, started two new companies, been involved with a few national fundraising campaigns, and am within weeks of finally getting divorced, so its been a tremendous roller coaster (actually, its been pretty darn exciting)!
Restaurant Week in the Tampa Bay Area begins on Thursday, and I was asked by a dear friend to write up rants on all the restaurants I visit...so stay tuned!
Thanks for following!
Ingrid Shawn Magnani (soon to be Rodriguez)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Courtside Grille, Clearwater, FL
Date: November 18th
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: Ulmerton Road, Clearwater, Fl
Party: Me
Immediate Impression:
Loud sports bar, yuppie-ish, but upscale sports bar feel
Service:
My server was fantastic, prompt and stayed on top of things. The manager however was unhelpful and lacked managerial skills. I sat in a booth which had its own TV, I asked to get the TV switch to the Bolts game; 4x my waitress said she had to find the manager. The manager never materialized after 15 minutes the game was over. I was not please at all.
Menu/Food:
I kept my order simple - French Onion Soup, Chicken & Steak K-Bob's (their spelling not mine) and a Guinness. The soup was digestible but had a bit too much vinegar; the Guinness was old and a terrible pour; however, it was the K-Bob's which ruined my evening. They looked delicious. I promptly took them off their stick and mixed them with the rice pilaf they came with. I started eating the vegetables and chicken first -no really problem, but every once and a while there was a funny taste. Then I had my first piece of beef - which was 100% rotten meat!! OMG, it was nasty spit it right out. Just to be sure, I cut a small piece of another piece and - yuck - exactly the same thing. I lost my appetite completely.
When I told the waitress - she showed some concern and asked if I wanted anything else. She said she would talk with the manager. Although the manager took the k-bob's off my bill, the manager never came to the table to talk with me; furthermore, s/he had the waitress tell me - "the steak is marinated overnight maybe you just didn't like it." Which was extremely insulting cause if you've ever had bad steak its not a taste you soon forget.
Allegren Info: The french onion soup comes with tons of scallions on top, and be sure to make sure they do not put almonds in your rice pilaf. And I recommend smelling your meat before you place it in your mouth. If you have severe allergies to mold, you may want to only drink bottled beer, the taps are dirty.
Price: Pricing is high. My Guinness was $5.25 before tax, and my entree would have been $16.95.
Final thought:
This is my local bar now; its a good happy hour spot. I would go back for sports, appetizer and happy hour drinks, but other than that, its expensive and a little to self-important for my taste.
Time: Dinner/Drinks
Type: Restaurant/Bar
Where: Ulmerton Road, Clearwater, Fl
Party: Me
Immediate Impression:
Loud sports bar, yuppie-ish, but upscale sports bar feel
Service:
My server was fantastic, prompt and stayed on top of things. The manager however was unhelpful and lacked managerial skills. I sat in a booth which had its own TV, I asked to get the TV switch to the Bolts game; 4x my waitress said she had to find the manager. The manager never materialized after 15 minutes the game was over. I was not please at all.
Menu/Food:
I kept my order simple - French Onion Soup, Chicken & Steak K-Bob's (their spelling not mine) and a Guinness. The soup was digestible but had a bit too much vinegar; the Guinness was old and a terrible pour; however, it was the K-Bob's which ruined my evening. They looked delicious. I promptly took them off their stick and mixed them with the rice pilaf they came with. I started eating the vegetables and chicken first -no really problem, but every once and a while there was a funny taste. Then I had my first piece of beef - which was 100% rotten meat!! OMG, it was nasty spit it right out. Just to be sure, I cut a small piece of another piece and - yuck - exactly the same thing. I lost my appetite completely.
When I told the waitress - she showed some concern and asked if I wanted anything else. She said she would talk with the manager. Although the manager took the k-bob's off my bill, the manager never came to the table to talk with me; furthermore, s/he had the waitress tell me - "the steak is marinated overnight maybe you just didn't like it." Which was extremely insulting cause if you've ever had bad steak its not a taste you soon forget.
Allegren Info: The french onion soup comes with tons of scallions on top, and be sure to make sure they do not put almonds in your rice pilaf. And I recommend smelling your meat before you place it in your mouth. If you have severe allergies to mold, you may want to only drink bottled beer, the taps are dirty.
Price: Pricing is high. My Guinness was $5.25 before tax, and my entree would have been $16.95.
Final thought:
This is my local bar now; its a good happy hour spot. I would go back for sports, appetizer and happy hour drinks, but other than that, its expensive and a little to self-important for my taste.
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