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RisaG's Profile

Our Vacation Reviews - Siesta Key & Sarasota, FL (LONG)

You must go to Phillippi's. It is our favorite place in Sarasota. I have been coming to the Sarasota/Siesta Key are for 20 years. We go every time, sometimes twice a week, and it is always good. They have a huge menu, great food, not everything is Friedman,the service is wonderful. My only problems are it is overly crowded, takes forever to get a table and the wait is long but it is always worth it. My favorites are the Gator Bites, the gumbo, the blackened grouper sandwich and the fried oysters. I love sitting on the patio and watching the catfish. It is wonderful.

We love Curt's. We were the first people in today at 11 am. Had raw oysters (which were ok, not great) and a basket of fried clams. They were great, as were the fries. My son had the Garlic Mussels and they were delicious. Hubby had fried shrimp that he thought were ok but he isn't big on fried foods in the first place. It is loud but if you go for lunch it is better and less crowded.

Yoder's is wonderful. They have the largest pancakes on the planet, homemade pie and the nicest wait staff,

The Carrabba's, altho it is a chain, is the best one ever. We always love it and try to go once every vacation. Appetizers are wonderful, great pasta, pork chops, and they always have something my picky 15 year old will eat. If they have that appetizer with the melted Italian goat cheese and tomato sauce over the top, it is f-in amazing.

We love Cafe Continental in Siesta Key. Owned by a British couple, they serve wonderful English breakfast and also American. Unfortunately they found out a few days back that the landlord wants them out in month because they found someone who will pay more for the space. They have been there for 20 years. It is a real shame. The landlord should be ashamed of himself. They are really nice folks, the food is always wonderful, they have good coffee (and they leave a thermal pot on the table), and their version of Bubbles and Squeak is out of this world.

The Village Cafe on Ocean Blvd in Siesta Key is great too, as is The Broken Egg. Our other 2 faves here.

And I can't forget Big Olaf Ice Cream in Siesta Key. Always a favorite. Had Key Lime Pie Ice Cream with chunks of pie in it the other night. TDF.

Also you must go to Floribbean Flo's Bakery and Gifts on S. Tamiami Trail for the Frozen Key Lime a pie with Chocolate Covering on s Stick! Excellent. You must love dark chocolate though. $4.95 for a slice but sooo worth it.

Good to know that Bijou isn't all that great. Sounds stuffy to me. Not my kind of place.

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Cafe Continental
5221 Ocean Blvd Unit 6, Sarasota, FL 34242

Key Lime Cafe
211 Colorado Ave, Stuart, FL 34994

Carrabbas
7620 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne, FL 32940

Broken Egg Restaurant
140 Avenida Messina, Sarasota, FL 34242

Yoder's Restaurant
3434 Bahia Vista St, Sarasota, FL 34239

Gainesville in July - Need Dinner

On the way to Sarasota and Siesta Key for a week, we'll be stopping in Gainesville. I want a place that is good local eats - fish, seafood, anything good that is reasonable in price. No more than $$. The only time I was there was for lunch and we stopped at a sandwich place. Forget the name but I remember it was open for Breakfast and Lunch only.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Any Fried Chicken on Sanibel Isand?

We went to Schnapper's Hot's on Periwinkle Way when we were there 2 years ago. They have chicken wings (with different strength sauces), fried chicken breast, and tenders but not real fried chicken. I had the wings and they were excellent.

My suggestion.

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Schnapper's Hots
1528 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957

Sarasota for dinner: anyone been to Owens Fish Camp

My husband has family that lives in Siesta Key and every other summer we drive down there to spend a week. I have never been to Owen's but we go every time to Phillippi's on Tamiami and the food is always wonderful. Always. The gumbo, the fried gator, the sandwiches, grouper, the fish platters, you name it, all great. I have never, in 20 years ever had a bad meal. It can be a long wait though. If you have children with you, there are some fun things to do on the dock while you wait but it can get boring. Bring something for them to do. There are some places in Siesta Key too but they can be quite busy at night. Crowded and noisy but we do love the Siesta Key Oyster Bar and the Lobster Pot.

Just stay away from Marina Jack's - too expensive altho' the view is incredible and any place in St. Armand's Circle or Longboat will be too expensive too. Just my 2 cents.

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Lobster Pot Restaurant
5157 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34242

Siesta Key Oyster Bar
5238 Ocean Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34242

Marina Jack
2 Marina Plz, Sarasota, FL 34236

Need Restaurant in Christiansburg, VA - in July

We'll be taking our annual road trip to FL this year. We are stopping in Christiansburg, VA on the way home and I need a good suggestion for lunch and dinner. I have the Road Food book but it is a bit old and has the names of 2 places, one I can find online, the other not.

I've heard of Dude's Drive-In and also a cafeteria called Stone's on Roanoke Road. I also need to know the hours. Being that it is the end of our road trip, it also has to be fairly cheap. I prefer places that have some history in the area, well loved local food.

No franchise restaurants or fast food (altho Drive Ins and Diners are acceptable and so is BBQ or Cafeteria style). Chinese is good too, as is Italian.

Any suggestions would be wonderful.

HELP......fingers are burning from cutting jalapenos. Remedies?

That is easy - dunk them in dairy so milk or yogurt (real plain yogurt). Capsaicin does not like dairy. Drink milk for your tongue and soak your fingers in it. Works for me.

What to do with cheese powder

I would put some in a sprinkle jar (a spice jar with one of those plastic pieces with holes in it) and add your favorite seasonings and mix it up, sprinkle into pasta salad, or on Mac n cheese. I took the packets of cheese powder leftover from overcooked Mac n cheese and mixed it with chili powder and sprinkle it over popcorn. Also, use it to season white sauce next time you make homemade Mac n cheese.

ISO: Restaurant in NJ Near NY border

Taking my son to camp in Port Jervis area. Normally we either go to the one restaurant in Colesville, off Rte 519. Sometimes we go to the diner in Milford. We're bored with both places and would love suggestions of something else. Otherwise we will end up with burgers at Tom's on Route 6 Port Jervis. Rather not if possible.

Any help would be appreciated. I realize there isn't a lot of choice. Pretty empty area for good, fun food. Pizza, burgers, Chinese, anything decent? We will be on Routes 519, 206 and onto Route 6 going through the Hawks Nest area. heeelppp!

Best diners in NJ

Maybe you are thinking of the Manalapan Diner? Or Empire Diner? I think that the Manalapan is now called All Seasons II Diner and it is pretty good. I had an excellent buffalo burger there not roo long ago.

ISO: Port Jervis Area Restaurants

For many years, we have been driving our son to karate camp near Port Jervis, NY. We have taken 519 to 206 and have done it a million different ways. We have stopped at the one restaurant in Colesville, and it was pretty good, not great. We have been to the Italian place in Port Jervis, which was very good but expensive, and we've heard good things about the pizza place. What i want to know, is there any place new or just really good, reasonable in price, to eat along the way. He will not be served dinner on the day we take him there and we want to get a good meal on the way. I know about the diner in Milford, which is a possibility.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated. How about Tom's Burgers? Any good? We've seen it every time we go. Homer's Diner is great but I don't think they are open that late.

Anything worth going to would be appreciated.

Cape Cod Restaurants - Our Faves and Not So Faves

A month or two I came on asking for recommendations for restaurants across Cape Cod. I was given an awful lot of names but only a couple we actually got to.

Here is my whole review of what we did:

Last month, my family and I went to Cape Cod. We rented a house in E. Sandwich, .5 miles from a private beach (a rocky one at that). We found quite a few great places to chow down - not all fancy or clam shack-y. Some were expensive, some were medium priced. The cheapest one happened to be a great pizza place.

If you want seafood, even raw bar - expect expensive. We went to Falmouth Raw Bar, off the Main drag in Falmouth, right on the water. The oysters were from Wellfleet (1/2 hour away) and they were $3 each. The clams were local too and they were $2.50 each. If you wanted a dozen, expect a lot of dough. I just wanted fried local clams and usually I pay no more than $7 for a plate with french fries and cole slaw. Instead it was market price, which means expensive. Why? Anyway, they weren't the best fried clams I had ever had. I had some in Maine a few years back that were $5 with fries. My sons burger was very good and the cheapest thing on the menu.

In the seafood category, we went to Arnold's in Eastham. We got there as they were opening and there was already a short line. We got on it and stayed until they opened half an hour later. We ran to the back and got a good table, and hubby stayed on the line to order. We decided to order one Ginormous Lobster Roll for $28. Now that sounds like a lot but it was double the price of 2 regular lobster rolls but it had MORE than double the amount of lobster. That and fries and we were set. Our son had a burger with cheese and fries and he was happy. It still came to like $40 for lunch but if we had gotten 2 separate rolls we would've gotten less lobster for the price.

At Aqua Grille in Sandwich, MA we had a magnificent meal - not for overly expensive prices. Hubby and I both had some corn chowder with lobster and shrimp. It was thick, had a few pieces of lobster and shrimp and a bit too much potato but it was still excellent. Nice little kernels of corn that exploded in my mouth. I had the Sonoran Fish Tacos which were made with local cod. It was fried in panko crumbs and served in a corn tortilla (actually I got 3 in the serving) with little side pots of guacamole, pickled red onions, pico de gallo, and black beans. There was cabbage in the tacos too. It was just delectable. Hubby had some french recipe that had scallops in it (Voul e Vant?) and I forget what our son had. We were all very happy though.

At Cafe Alfresco in Brewster, in the Lemon Village?? we had sandwiches. I had the Fried Nantucket Scallops on Ciabatta with bacon, lettuce and tomato and a bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips (made in Hyannis). Hubby had a smoked salmon sandwich on pumpernickel bread with a bowl of their Peach Mango Cold Soup. Delicious. Son had a burger (see a pattern there?) Everything was just delicious and it cost less than $30 for all three.

In Hyannis we went to Brazilian Grill, 680 Main Street for a very expensive meal but worth every single dollar. It was all-you-can-eat meat. If you wanted the salad bar, which was more than salad, it was an additional $16. So close to $100 but sooo good. The Churrasciara (spelling?) came around with meat on a skewer that looked like a sword. Each man had a different type of meat cooked on the grill. There was tenderloin of beef, sirloin of beef, chicken, pork loin, chicken hearts, lamb loin, you name it. Everything was excellent. I also had some rice and beans on the side from the bar and some pudding for dessert (also from the bar). We all ate too much meat. So good.

In Mashpee, we had Asian food at Asia Restaurant in the Mashpee Commons mall area. It is a combination of chinese, japanese and korean food. We had mainly chinese dishes - not all that great and a wonderful korean dish - Spicy Korean Calamari. So good. The fried rice was the worst of the dishes with canned mushrooms. Ick.

In Sandwich, we went to The Painted Lady, a restaurant in an old house, I think it was also a B&B. The food was a bit quirky but all locally grown or foraged. I had Fish & Chips made with Rhode Island Skate. Unbelievably good. Hubby also had some type of local fish. Son had a...yes you know it...a burger. Made with Kobe beef! It was pretty expensive but it was really delicious. The place had this great artwork all over the walls and the place was painted this great shade of lavender.

The best of all was Sweet Tomatoes, a pizza place in Sandwich on Route 6A. It was excessively thin crusted, like a cracker. The pie was huge, had 12 slices, and the toppings were amazing. The quantity was good, the quality was out of this world. We had sausage and it was really thinly sliced, in nice size pieces, easy to eat. The pizza was the best I have ever had. Same with my hubby. We agreed on that. We have had fabulous NY style pizza in Manhattan - John's on Bleeker Street, the actual Original Ray's, you name it - Otto (Mario Batali's restaurant) on 8th Street and Fifth Avenue and this was the tops.

and the best ice cream we had was at Ben & Bill's Chocolate Euphoria a candy and ice cream store on the main drag in Falmouth. They had some wild flavors including Lobster ice cream, which I had to try. Unfortunately there was maybe enough for a kids cone so the woman gave me a scoop of Butter Crunch too. They were both vanilla based ice creams so they didn't take away from each other. The lobster ice cream had real pieces of frozen lobster in it. It was really good. I am not lying.

For breakfast we went to 2 great places along Route 6A in E. Sandwich - Route 6A Cafe and Marshland Restaurant. At the 6A Cafe, I had the Buffalo Chicken Omelette. Unbelievable - so delicious. Chunks of white meat chicken in buffalo sauce inside an omelette with some cheese. Yummy. At Marshlands, I had a Bacon, Egg and Cheese on Portugese English Muffin. The Bacon was actually Luiguisa sausage, a portugese specialty. It was thick sliced like bologna. It was so good.

So all in all, the eats were great on Cape Cod. A bit more expensive than expected but worth it. We didn't go to any of the more famous places such as Four Winds or Sir Crickett's - recommended to me. We passed Sir Crickett's but we weren't hungry.

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Aqua Grille
14 Gallo Rd, Sandwich, MA 02563

Brazilian Grill
680 Main St, Hyannis, MA 02601

Painted Lady
8 Jarves St, Sandwich, MA 02563

Sweet Tomatoes
421 E Falmouth Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536

Recommendations in Salem, Hyannis...

We went to Brazilian Grill, 680 Main Street in Hyannis, on a wim. We had never been to Hyannis before (not Hyannisport). We starting driving down Main Street, with the AAA book in my hand. I saw the name of the restaurant and was fascinated. When I mentioned to hubby that it was all-you-could-eat meat, he was in.

It is a very big place. It is expensive, that i have to tell you. If you just want the salad bar (which has much more than that) it is just $16 but you don't get the meat. You get Rice & Beans, potatoes, salads of all types, desserts of different types and soups.

The Churrascuria (the man who walks around with the meat) comes around with a big skewer in his hand. he tells you what he has and if you want it, he slices off some and you take it with this special tool they give you. If you want them to stop and not give you anything else, you turn over this card on the table. Red for stop, Green for go. They see the card and come when you call. There are all kinds of meats - lamb, beef sirloin, beef tenderloin, chicken breast, chicken thigh, pork loin, chicken hearts, you name it. Each one more delicious than the next.

The salad bar is pretty good. A good selection of salads aside from Brazilian stuff - rice and beans, soups, breads. Also dessert - ice cream, pudding, stuff like that.

My picky 14 year old loved it. He had so much meat. He was happy with everything. He also had some plain rice from the salad bar and some bread. They also come around with this specialty bread that they bake. He tried that too.

We all left happy and full. Our pockets were emptier but it was worth every single bite.

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Brazilian Grill
680 Main St, Hyannis, MA 02601

Main Street Cafe
85 Main St, Woonsocket, RI 02895

MUST HAVES - Espresso and Good Coffee

I need some good coffee choices for the Cape - starting next Sunday (I'll be in the Cape from Saturday through the next Saturday). Espresso and Cappuccino preferably but anything good with some good eats too would be great.

Thanks.

MUST HAVE - Bakery Items to Look For

I'll be in Cape Cod starting next Saturday. I will be cooking only a couple of times that week and need some good Bakery places that also serve coffee - and have seating preferably.

I'll be staying in E. Sandwich but can drive - preferably 10-20 minutes away for bkfst.

Any help would be appreciated.

Farmers Markets Cape Cod - Which One is the Best?

I went to Google and put in Farmers Markets Cape Cod and came up with a site that listed them all. Don't remember what it was called. Sorry. I guess I could re-do the search to let you know.

I got a few from there -

Dennis port - Village Green, Town Hall - Mondays 2-6 p
Hyannis - 232 Main Street, Bank of Cape Cod parking lot Wed 8-1 pm
Mashpee - Village Green, Mashpee Commons - Wed 11a -6 p

There were more. Didn't write them down. Hope this helps. I don't know which one is better than the other though. That is what I wanted to know.

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Village Green Restaurant
97 Chapel St, Wallingford, CT 06492

Farmers Markets Cape Cod - Which One is the Best?

I am going to be in Cape Cod (staying in Sandwich) for a week in July. I need to know which is the best farmers market to hit. I went to a site that listed all the MA Farmers Markets and I made a long list of the ones in the areas I will be in (most likely). I will be doing some cooking in the house (2 breakfast, 2 lunch and 2 dinner) and want some rocking local fruit and veg to cook with.

Not only which one is the best and has the best selection, but what is being harvested in the 2nd week of July (is it the same as here in NJ?) - I know we both had horrible winters and really wet spring time so I know that a lot of the local foods aren't even ready - except strawberries (I guess they just passed) and asparagus and peas. Anything different? I want to create the best local food I can while I am there. I always like to cook the local food that I can't get in NJ at any time of the year.

Any help would be appreciated.

Boston Farmers Markets - Which Ones are Open on Tuesday or Wednesday?

I will be in Boston the last week of my vacation, in late July. I wanted to know which ones are open on Tuesday or Wednesday and what the latest foods are to find. I will buy some stuff to take home with me on that Wednesday. I live 4 hours away and I will be in an air conditioned car.

I am looking for fruits (berries of all kinds) and anything else that would not go bad in a day and also I could cook with when I got home (or the next day).

ISO Cape Eats - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

I have read most of the other threads on this so I know not to go to Land Ho or Capt Frosty but I want to try and find some good breakfast places and some simple, reasonably priced lunch places. I'll be staying in Barnstable for a week and need places either direction on 6A or South to Hyannis. Just me, hubby and 14 year old son. Son is a bit picky when it comes to restaurant food but will try things if necessary.

We love brunch and want a good brunch place OR breakfast - we will be eating breakfast out 2 times that week, same with lunch and dinner.

I assume that almost any of the places in mentioned in the other threads would be good for lunch - Sir Cricket, Friendly Fisherman, Cooke's in Mashpee or Hyannis (not Orleans),, etc.

I want to eat mostly seafood while i am there (for lunch and dinner) but need places that also sell burgers and such aside from seafood as my son is allergic to shrimp (not clams) and would rather eat a burger or spaghetti than seafood.

Any suggestions would be helpful. I haven't been on the cape since I was 16 and we stayed at an all inclusive place in Falmouth that time. I have no idea of any restaurant on the cape.

Thanks.

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Land Ho Restaurant
RR 6 Box A, Orleans, MA 02653

ISO: Reasonable Restaurants in Boston Area

I will be in Boston for 4 days in July. I used to live there many years ago and have no idea what places are still open and good, or any new restaurants - not necessarily kid-friendly but not fancy and expensive. My son is a bit picky but will eat Chinese, seafood, Italian (what child won't eat Italian?), diner and deli food.

I was thinking about No Name but I wasn't sure if it was still good and worth going to or not. It used to be THE place in the 1970's when my sister went to MIT and in the late 70's and early 80's when I went to Emerson. I do not want to go to Legal's if I can help it. It is always good but a bit expensive.

Any place in the North End worth going to that isn't expensive? Last time we were there in 2006, we went to a place that was over $100 for the 4 of us and only one of us had a glass of wine. I figured with the red & white table clothes that it would be cheap and it was far from it. I can get ziti with red sauce for $8 here in NJ why pay $15 in Boston? Any reasonable place would be appreciated.

Also, I used to go to certain places in Chinatown but haven't been there in over 20 years so have no idea if they are still good. A friend who lives in Somerville says that almost any place has good chinese in Chinatown but had no name of specific places for me.

I'll be staying at the Omni Parker House, so I will be close by.

Any help would be appreciated.

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No Name Restaurant
151-2 Fish Pier, Boston, MA 02210

Where To Eat Near Nag's Head, NC?

I agree - Tortuga's Lie is just fabulous. Sooo good. I also loved Awful Arthur's and Basnight's was so wonderful. A bit fancier but worth the money. So good. We had the most yummy scallops wrapped in prosciutto. So good. We loved our breakfast at Sam & Omie's. Thought it was far from middle of the road. My husband had the Eggs Benedict made with fresh crab. It was outrageous. The ice cream at Logan's was just the best. Also there was this great ice cream place in a strip mall, I forget the name of the place. It was near this place with kayaks in all colors. The thai food at Thai Garden rocked. Plus we got there before they opened and they opened for us and the owner cooked for us. The food was TDF.

OBX rocks. You will love it. I spent a week there last summer. We'll be back again as we all loved it. It was a bit crowded, a fairly young crowd, but there was so much to do and the food in general was excellent.

Good Eats in Pittsburgh

I'll be in Pittsburgh on my last 2 days of vacation. Need good breakfast joint and good food. Not particular on type - Italian, Chinese, regional foods, whatever. The only thing is the places have to be reasonable in price. Nothing expensive. Nothing fancy.

I know to go to specific places - Primanti Brothers for one - I know to go to the Strip District - but what other restaurants and food shops? Since this is the end of my vacation I can do some shopping on the last day - food items that is. Regional food items specifically. I've been told to go to Robert Wholey & Co in the Strip District, but where else?

RisaG

One Night In Valdosta

We're thinking of driving into Valdosta kind of late at night so we just need something that is right outside of town - Diner, Drive-In, BBQ OR anything good - nothing expensive. I know that Valdosta has a lot of fast food and franchise restaurants. We don't want anything like that if possible. Only if necessary. A place that locals like would be preferrable. No real preferences in kind of food.

BBQ or Just Good Food - Summersville, WV area

I'll be in the Summersville area for one night. I need something good either right before or right in the area for dinner. We love good BBQ, a good diner, maybe Italian or Chinese (I don't expect good chinese along there but you never know) or even a good burger joint. Maybe a drive-in? Nothing expensive - just cheap to medium in range. I've checked the internet and they mention a few places on the Summersville page BUT I want a good place that locals would go to. Nothing too far from Rte 19 OR Professional Park Drive would be great. Nothing that takes too long to get to. Our hotel is on Professional Park Drive.

North Carolina seafood restaurants - which ones source locally?

Lone Cedar is amazing BUT a bit expensive. Especially for a large group. I had the best Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops there! OMG. Our whole family was thrilled with the place. We didn't have a reservation and yet we got right in pretty much. Waited only a tiny bit. The place was packed. You should dress fairly nicely though, altho' we were pretty casual and we had no problems. For more casual and less expensive I would go with Awful Arthurs. They also have a few NON seafoody places there. One of them was Cajun, I forget the name now. We also had terrific Thai food at Thai Gardens. Unbelievabley good.

ice cream/dairy stands and good italian ice

Applegate Farms in Freehold on Main Street across from the shopping strip with DuSals in it. Homemade ice cream, don't know if it is made right there but it rocks! They have so many flavors and everything I've had has been excellent. They have interesting flavors too - not just Rocky Road and such.

http://www.applegatefarm.com/

They make the best homemade ice cream in that area. We also love Jersey Freeze on Route 9 and Route 33 in Freehold.

New authentic D.C. institutions? (Read on.)

Definitley Five Guys. I just saw NBC's thing with Brian Williams where he spent a day with Obama and he made a run to Five Guys for burgers for his whole staff! He went in, freaked everyone out and came back with bags of burgers and fries. So, go to Five Guys! You might see Obama!

Louisville,KY & beyond

One thing for sure - do not eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Altho a beautiful building with fabulous chandeliers their pasta was sub-par. Their Chocolate Derby Pie was excellent. The food wasn't very good altho' the service was excellent.

I saw Lynn's Paradise Cafe on The Food Network. Looks like an excellent breakfast place BUT we never got there.

North Carolina Food, Drink, Product - Local

I've spent some time in different parts of NC and I have to agree that Cheerwine rocks and definitely is the drink. When it comes to other products, there is a wonderful farmers market in Charleston. I was there 2 years ago. They had homegrown food and canned goods - chutneys, salsas, etc. Hot sauces too. They had wonderful warm pretzels and goat cheese. I can't remember it all but I also bought some fabulous grits that were from a grist mill outside of town. You must showcase grits!

Also some of the restaurants from around there may give you stuff - such as Jestine's Kitchen - they have the best Coconut Creme Pie in the world! It was even in O Magazine. Oprah adores their pie. I ate it and I have to agree and I'm not big on Coconut Creme Pie at all. They had the best Pecan Crusted Whitefish I have ever tasted.

I hope this helps.

The Mecca (Raleigh, NC) - Don't Go!

In 2003, I was at the Mecca and it was a Mecca to us, we got stuck in quite a thunderstorm and needed shelter on the way to the Science Museum. We thought the food was wonderful. I guess things change.

Not for the best, I guess. I had an Eggplant Plate and it came with mac n cheese and another side. I loved it. My husband had some kind of meat which he liked. My son ate their mac n cheese (so used to the blue box that nothing is the same) and he liked it.

At the time, the service wasn't the best, I have to admit. We had silverware though and the food was very good.

Too bad it has changed so. We loved it. Sorry to hear this. At least you know that the fish was fresh, not frozen, with all those bones!

Rec`s for Sarasota!

My husband and I have been going to the Sarasota area since 1990. His relatives live in Siesta Key. For the last 18 years we've had specific favorites - depends on what you are looking for BUT for great breakfast there is The Village Cafe on Ocean Blvd in Siesta Key, the same with The Broken Egg, right across from it. Excellent Oysters at the Siesta Oyster Bar on Ocean. Also, there is Habanero (which is not the chile) along Main Street in Sarasota for Cuban. I think it is still there. I had excellent fish there along with Yucca and their own hot sauce. The best seafood, gumbo and fried alligator at Phillippi's Oyster Bar on Tamiami Trail. We go there every single time - sometimes several times a visit. Phillippis does not have a wine list as far as I know but they have a bar so I am sure they have some wine. Also another favorite in Siesta Kay is a place called The Continental Cafe on Ocean. It is on the top floor of a shopping plaza. They have breakfast and lunch - no dinner and it is owned by a British couple. They serve British food along with the usual - their Bangers & Mash are excellent and our favorite thing is their version of Bubbles & Squeak. Theirs does not have cabbage. It is mashed potatoes and peas and it is out of this world.

I hope this helps. We'll be there in 2 weeks and I can't wait. We're staying in Siesta Key.

Enjoy yourself!