Manderley's Profile
Favorite Long Island Restaurants
I moved from Long Island to the Tampa Bay area six years ago. The only place I'll go for Italian food AND pizza is a little place in Dunedin called "Umberto's of Long Island". They're related somehow :)
It's a 45 minute drive from my home, but worth it. Oy oy oy those baked clams. And fried calamari. okay now i'm salivating.
New spot in South Tampa- "Wimauma" is up and running
Had a very late dinner at Wimauma last Friday night. I promise to never again make fun of their name by calling them Wachovia, WeekiWatchee or Walmart. i have to say i was really impressed; was expecting to be disappointed and i was shocked outta my shoes at how delish everything was. every single thing.
first, i enjoy having a bunch of small plates; who wants to commit to a lot of something when you could have small plate after small plate of a lot of wonderful little bites? (sigh). started out with a couple of glasses of Stella while nibbling on those super-wet boiled peanuts and looking at the menu.
ordered a few small dishes that had been recommended...first was rhnault's recommendation, Fried Green Tomatoes w/crispy country ham, watercress & buttermilk ranch vinaigrette. hellllo, lovah. i loved that the tomatoes were cut in big chunks instead of slices. this dish was delish. Amy (who was quite lovely, by the way; we were the last table, she had a glass of wine in her hand, had a sense of humor about her "reputation in the media") recommended the Salt & Pepper Fried Okra w/ cilantro, jalapeno, fried garlic and shallot (an homage to yummy house) which was wonderful. then, of course, HAD to have the Crispy Fried Florida Oysters w/Guacamole, cilantro and smoked tomato jam. Mama Mia, i'll have what SHE's having. the fried oysters go surprisingly well with the soft guacamole, and oooh that nice sweet little dollop of jam pulled the whole thing together into one perfect bite. We actually had to order a second plate of the oysters. By the way, my guy hates seafood (and cheese, and ALL dairy, and anything mousse-like or pudding-like in texture, etc etc ) he's a real meat-n-potatoes guy, but he loved the oysters, i still can't get over it. it's all he talks about, he wants to go back.
we added a wonderful bottle of Chilean Savignon Blanc, and ordered the Country Mac n Cheese with English Peas, Cheddar, Benton's Bacon & Scallion. Really, really nice. My guy had the Southern Style Fried Chicken Bucket w/ French Fries, hushpuppies and honey mustard sauce. the chicken was really tasty, crust was panko. one small piece of chicken was dry, most were moist and fine. french fries were good, had some kind of batter or light coating on them. i found the hushpuppies to be a bit dry and tasteless; it was really the only thing i didn't LOVE.
wait...dessert. he had the Key Lime Pie (fabulous) with fresh banana ice cream (delish) and Basil Chantilly (mind-boggling). and now, three days later, he's still talking about how good it was.
i had the Grits Creme Brulee with Champagne Sorbet. I have never liked grits, but they gave the creme brulee a wonderful texture, almost like little tapioca pearls or soft rice, a nice contrast to creme brulee's nothing-but-smooth consistency. i just loved it. the champagne sorbet alone would have been a wonderful dessert, but on top of the creme brulee, it was heaven.
very, very, very nice and good. warm staff who were surprisingly helpful and well-versed in all components of all dishes (despite critiques i've read). i was very pleased and wish the morans well in this venture. i even like the fact that they feature local artists' canvases on the walls (for sale, too. very cool). Really impressed. :)
Domenica Macchia now at Three Birds Tavern in St. Pete (review)
I finally made it to Three Birds Tavern for my first time. It was on a Thursday. It has been one of those places "on my list" that I've wanted to go to for a while. Now I see why nobody talks about it anymore. I have to say it was a MAJOR disappointment. Sorry to say that, since I'd heard such great things about Donnie. I bought the $12 for $25 worth of food deal from Creative Loafing, , thinking okay, good. I mean, it's a tavern, right? not Armani's. Shouldn't cost too much. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
2 of us went. I ordered Chimay (my fave ale). okay so they get points for having Chimay, but instantly lost points since both the waitress AND the bartender did not know which Chimay (i actually prefer red cap) they had, and even after locating a bottle, had to show it to me since they didn't know the diffference. Then ...it was served in a tall beer glass. Chimay should be served in a wide-mouthed goblet. (sigh).My dinner partner had Spaten and was happy with that. We both ordered one starter and one sandwich.
i ordered the short rib egg rolls with gorgonzola sauce, since i had been hearing about them since they opened. eh. gorgonzola sauce? first, it was hot, and it was peach colored and i didn't taste any gorgonzola. i kept tasting the sauce and tasting the sauce by itself, and could not determine what flavors were in it. i think with the hot short rib egg roll, a cold (or cool) sauce that tasted like gorgonzola would have been nice. this was....i don't know, like mcdonald's special sauce from the big macs? i didn't really get a taste of anything from the short ribs, it was just some kind of unseasoned shredded meat.My dinner partner had the vegetable risotto, which was asparagus. he liked it. i tasted, it was good, but overly spiced. too many flavors going on.
then our sandwiches came. he had the meat loaf sandwich with frites. he loved the frites, i wasn't particular impressed. i was disappointed in the mushy meat loaf. damn, no one makes meat loaf like my mama!! i had the bratwurst, it was good....but the bun immediately fell apart. i ended up having to eat it with a fork and knife. i have to say my side dish was positively delicious, it was baby spinach very lightly sauted in lemon and garlic. the star of the meal, absolutely.
we decided on one dessert, had the chunky monkey bread pudding. i have to say this was not bread pudding , to me. it was banana bread. no "pudding" at all. with chocolate chips and chocolate sauce. parts of it were warm, parts were ice cold. didn't finish it.
then the surprise! bill for lunch for the 2 of us...over $70...with tip would have been $85. for two starters, two sandwiches, and one dessert...yeah, and four beers. but still. All in all, i loved the spinach, he really liked the risotto. thank goodness I had the $25 off, so the lunch actually cost us about $75 including tip.
We were assured that Donnie (Domenica) was in house, and was preparing our food for us. Since I told the waitress to tell Donnie that we were friends of friends of hers, and that it was my birthday, and that i had been dying to come to Three Birds for so long, I kind of expected her to make an appearance at our table, if just to say hello. Jeannie Pierola does that for me at the super-crowded KitchenBars. But nope, they just said that Donnie would like us to fill out the comment card. Well, okay then.
There were only maybe 8 or 10 tables occupied, so for sure it wasn't that she was super busy.
the $75 would have been better spent at a myriad of other places. I finally ate at Three Birds, and I won't go back. :(
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
Whitefish salad on a toasted bagel....oooooh now i'm really homesick. (sigh).
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
whaaaa? i LOVE the bus. and was disappointed in taqueria monterrey. guess it's all a matter of taste, but seriously, WHO doesn't like the bus????
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
excellent reviews, indie, i enjoyed reading your take on our local fare. glad you enjoyed yourself. it's a shame you missed kitchenbar, but rumor has it chef jeannie is planning on opening a permanent restaurant as well as continuing with the pop-ups, so maybe you catch some of her creations next time you hit town.
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
i agree, i really enjoy the columbia. excellent service, absolutely, and that cava sangria is mouth-watering.
Broken foot in St. Pete....
i broke a bone in my foot while on vacation in maine, i couldn't put any weight on it at all, omg agony, had to cut my vacation short and return home. you "walk it off" if you've eaten or drank too much, not if you've got a broken bone! (folks, he's not really a doctor, please don't take his joke as a serious medical recommendation!)
Jeannie Pierola and Kitchenbar
the buena noche tasting was $66, the wine pairing with it was thirty something. my total bill for the meal and wine was $109. i couldn't do that every night of the week, but as my Christmas gift to myself, it was worth it.
Jeannie Pierola and Kitchenbar
i didn't see you there tonight, cfishman, did you cancel your res? i did see dr todd who very graciously treated me to a glass of champagne, perfect way to start my wonderful meal.
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
i've never really been into mexican, it surprises me how much i love taco bus :) and i believe it was you, TA, who recommended my fave butternut squash tostada. (or maybe it was your hubby). but then again i also like ceviche and its little counterpart whose name i can never remember. ohhh i know, pincho y pincho. actually liked that little spot better than ceviche.
Jeannie Pierola and Kitchenbar
I just returned from my Christmas Eve dinner at KitchenBar. I am a control freak and usually order several dishes, I like to chose my own. I had heard about the Lobster Risotto, and the poutine, and the chicory and peanut butter milkshake...but i decided to trust Chef Jeannie and order the Buena Noche tasting menu without even looking at the menu.
The meal was just exquisite. I also had the wine pairing. I have a tendency to pick a little bite of each component so i can experience the taste and texture of each before assembling the one "perfect" bite to see how it all comes together. Not only was each blended bite perfection but the meal itself was a perfect progression.
the yellowfin tuna conserva in the appetizer course was so delicious i savored each bite as slowly as i could. the gruyere snow and liquid olives of the salad course were ingenious. the snow was just a hint, it disappeared on my tongue like magic. left me wanting more more more.
the zarzuela de mariscos was heavenly, i finished all the sauce using my spoon. wouldn't leave a drop in my bowl. no way.
the pork three ways...oy oy oy. pork cheek. pork cheek, i love you. come kiss me. can food be sexy? hell yeah.
cheese course was lovely.
the dessert...well the dessert was just not fair. dark chocolate sponge with pistachio mousse was dense but not too heavy and just wonderful...until i added a little mouthful of that blood orange sorbet. that pushed me over the edge. foodgasm. i'll have what she's having. uh huh. oh, mama. can it be possible that something is just TOO good?
followed by a perfect little glass of cortadito, not too sweet, just right.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
LOL Todd I was at Vizcaya with YOU! yeah i tried the pulpo, it was just ok. the only dish i found really outstanding was their tuna tartar.
as for taqueria, i can't even remember what i had. whatever it was, it was not memorable! .
Restaurants open Xmas Day
i'd try that site called "Open Table"
here's a link:
http://www.opentable.com/
Merry Christmas.
Decent casual restaurant near Tampa airport?
i remember reading an article about that a while ago. i love historical foodie stuff.
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
Why would you pass up an exquisite dining experience just because of "bad press about unpaid servers and broken equipment"? what does that have to do with the fantastic food Chef Pierola is putting out? and let's not forget the bad press could be a lot of sour grapes or jealousy because KitchenBar is such a hit.
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
i was not impressed by vizcaya or taqueria monterrey.
Tampa recommendatons please (Researched!!)
as i was reading down this thread, i was going to suggest KitchenBar as well. I've got a res for Christmas Eve, it's my Christmas present to myself.
Jeannie Pierola and Kitchenbar
i have reservations for Christmas Eve. Do you have any info on the Buena Noche feast?
Small, currant, contemporary cuisine
do you mean "current", as in relatively new and up to date, or are you looking for a restaurant that serves dishes which include currants as part of the ingredients?
We make it a point to go there every time we are in St Pete Beach
the only "maryland style" anything that i know of is crab.
this is a crazy thread, are we supposed to have ESP?
The Refinery (Tampa)
excellent post, miss e, and i agree wholeheartedly. i also give kudos to greg and michelle for supporting local farmers and suppliers.
The Refinery (Tampa)
omg you're right, i had completely forgotten about that...ohhhhh nooooo now i can't get it out of my mind!!!! arrrrgghhhhhhh
The Refinery (Tampa)
LOL TampaPete, my guess is that would be Michelle, she and her husband Greg (the chef) own the place. Michelle is tall, blonde and tattooed. Greg reminds me of Keith Richards. I think they both look fine, kind of over the top, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the food there, in my humble opinion.
The Refinery (Tampa)
i completely agree, andy. while i have never experienced the "misleading menu text", i have noticed inconsistent execution and the flagrant misinformation provided when a very gentle and loving "complaint" was made...not actually a complaint, just wanted to bring the inedibility of a dish to someone's attention so that the problem could be rectified. it was my favorite restaurant and i didn't want other patrons to be dissatisfied with a dish. upon being told that there was nothing wrong with our dish, we noticed other patrons eating it without a problem when ours could not even be cut into with a sharp knife. it was awkward and uncomfortable to be told we were wrong, the dish was supposed to be impossible to cut into, and then we saw others eating it.... not a good experience at all.
i am aware that all of my "foodie" friends are no longer fans...and this makes me sad. i have had some incredible meals there. i am always very quick to "stick up for" the Refinery when people say their dishes have been "hit or miss", because i feel that with a menu that changes weekly, every single offering is just not going to be perfect. i myself have had a few dishes that are just ok, and many that are just incredible. i must say i've never had a "bad" dish there...even the one that was partially inedible, we were able to take a mouthful of the stuffing and it was delish.
i hope they manage to return to the way they were before all the awards and raves started pouring in. i loved that place, and want to go back...if only i could find someone willing to go with me!!
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The Refinery
5173 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603
Recipe wanted: Florida Salad
mmm thanks srsone. in that case, it's probably at publix....off to the store now!
Recipe wanted: Florida Salad
wow that sounds excellent, thanks for posting it. i have one question....what is "creole mustard"?
Change in bagels from Flakowitz?
i see i'm not the only peak cake fan. seriously....that cake was to die for.
is your hubby from Jericho?
