Langrrr's Profile
Visiting Naples
We had great meals at Fernandez the Bull on Piper, and El Tapatio on 41.
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Tapatios
734 E Memorial Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33801
Best Fernandez the Bull location?
My wife and I had a wonderful meal at the FTB on Piper in late July...
Any "must eats" in the Destin / 30A area?
Big City Cafe in Fort Walton Beach.
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Big City
4046 Wedgewood Ln, Lady Lake, FL 32162
Houndish Places In/Near Marco Island and Naples
Oh, and I know we can get great cupcakes. But anywhere where we can get frozen, chocolate-dipped key lime pie?
Houndish Places In/Near Marco Island and Naples
Hi, all!
Heading down to Marco Island with the family for a week. This is a first for us - we're spent considerable amounts of time in NW FL.
It's my wife, myself, and two kids under 10 (well-behaved little girls). The kids can be adventurous, but we're not looking to do anything fancy - we're going to try one of the Thai restaurants, for instance, and the girls love Vietnamese food. But we do love hole-in-the-wall, family-owned places that serve down-home cooking.
So, I'm looking for recs on the following:
- Soul food or cajun. Good red beans and rice;
- cuban/puerto rican. Any good mofongo in the area?
- STEAMED sea food - yes, I know snow crab aren't local, but I good steamer bucket with crab, gulf-shrimp, etc;
Any place else that we ought not miss?
Thanks in advance!
Molecular Gastronomy... FOR LUNCH??!!!
Folks,
Taking a friend of mine out to lunch for her birthday next week. We always like to try something new, and since we've been unable to ever secure dinner reservations at Minibar, I'd love to find out if there's any place that does molecular gastronomy at lunch time...
Looking for Something VERY specific: Shredded Chicken with Garlic Sauce
It has been forever since I've posted, but I've had a real hankering for something since some memories got triggered last night. Growing up, we had really great szechuan and hunan cuisine where we lived, and my favorite dish was "shredded chicken with garlic sauce". I haven't seen an appropriate version of this in years: tiny sticks of chicken, minced water chestnuts, cloud or elephant ear mushrooms, all in a silky garlic sauce with flecks of hot pepper.
I've attached a picture from the Sichuan House in Chinatown, NYC that someone else took. This is what I am looking for!
Any ideas, ANYWHERE in the DC area?
Orlando, 1st Time in 2 Years - Anything to Add to Itinerary?
Thanks, Qwertop - found out the hard way about Asia Bagus. Drove down there last night, discovered it was closed. Wound up grabbing a so-so dinner at Kobe. Standard teppanyaki fare.
We'll check out Anh Hong and Vietnamtown!
Lechoneras in Orlando or Kissimmee?
I'm looking for recommendations on the lechoneras in Orlando/Kissimmee. Any ones that stand out? Are there any that actually display the roast pig for customers to see/watch as they're carved up?
Thanks!
Orlando, 1st Time in 2 Years - Anything to Add to Itinerary?
We're heading back to Orlando for the first time in quite a while, and we're looking to see if there's anything new and houndish that we ought to be checking out. You can see what I've reviewed in the past to get a sense of what we tend to look for: family-friendly, unique restaurants and don't necessarily have to be inexpensive, but by all means if they are inexpensive, please do recommend. At this point here's what we're looking at:
- Tropifongo
- Asia Bagus (still open, I take it?)
- La Frontera
We love Korean and Vietnamese. Real Cuban. Kosher Deli. Barbecue. Soul Food. A good burger joint, etc. Pernil, lomo asado. Anywhere that has roast pig?
Staying down near Disney for the most part, but can venture just about anywhere for a good meal.
Thanks!
- Andrew Langer
best crab cake baltimore
- Faidley's at Lexington Market
- G&M in Linthicum
- The Narrows on Kent Narrows across the bridge on the Eastern Shore
Staying Near Times Square - Looking For Unique, Fun, and Semi-Quiet
It has been forever and a day since I've stayed in New York City, and had time to just hang out. And I'm hanging out with an old friend I haven't caught up with in forever.
I'm staying at a neat hotel near Times Square, and am looking for a good recommendation - someplace where the food is excellent, where it might not be too crowded (it could be off the beaten path - yes, I know that's an odd request for near Times Square, but I think we're willing to venture afield), someplace where we can eat and talk for a few hours.
French bistro fare works or contemporary American. I'm not sure if my friend likes Asian - and while I would have liked to have tried Sofrito, I'm not sure the ambience is right (on the other hand, if there are cubano or puertoriqueno places in that neck of the woods, that would be fine, too).
Oh, most importantly - a quiet little bar recommendation would be helpful, too - for either before or after dinner.
Thanks!
- Langrrr
Caribe Royale - World Center Drive - Orlando
Check out my trip report from last year. You're right around the corner from Tropifongo, which I love, and there's a great Asian place down the street from there called "Asia Bagus". I have two small kids, and they had a lot of fund there.
Help! Vietnamese Near Celebration?
All -
I've been down in Orlando on my vacation, retracing my steps from last year's successful culinary adventure (more to follow later...). One thing we have discovered is that Mekong, out on 192 near 27, is no more. It's now "Mr. Kong", a Chinese restaurant that no longer serves Vietnamese cuisine.
We're considering heading up to Lac Viet in Orlando, but if there's anything closer, that would be helpful. We're staying off the Disney property, near 192 and Vineland...
Thanks!
- Andrew Langer
Cuban Restaurants Near Disney World?
I'd recommend Tropifongo, down near Kissimmee. I've reviewed it elsewhere on Chowhound...
Bob Mervine! I'm Coming To Orlando Again!!!!
Bob -
You were a big help last year, and are the guru on all things Houndish in Orlando....
We're coming back down for the family trip again, and I'm wondering if there's anything new in the past year. Not fancy - definitely family-friendly and houndish. Anything down-home would be fantastic. We're definitely going to do La Frontera, Tropifongo, and Asia Bagus again, but I'd love to hear about some place we ought not to miss - especially down near Kissimmee, Celebration, etc.
Thanks - and I'll offer a full report, as I did last year!
- Andrew Langer
Cantonese-style pan-fried noodles in Orlando?
You might try the Bakmi Goreng at Asia Bagus, down near Kissimmee. It approximates what you're looking for.
http://www.orlandoweekly.com/dining/review.asp?rid=11481
Beaches of South Walton - Lunch Spots
Drive over to Fort Walton Beach and go to Big City Cafe. The owner/chef is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and, even though I left NW Florida 8 years ago, I still dream about that roast beef sandwich.
- Andrew Langer
Top Orlando Restaurants
Here is my post from my trip last October to Orlando...
Orlando Trip Report, Part 1: Asia Bagus, Tropifongo, La Frontera, Epcot Food & Wine
This is going to be somewhat long - four different nights of reviews, representing the first part of the trip down to Orlando. Following the advice of Bob Mervine, as well as some of my own research, we've eaten very well since we got to Orlando.
ASIA BAGUS
Did this on Sunday, as Tropifongo closed early (more on this in a moment). Two minutes away from where we are staying, right at the intersection of 192 and 535, it's location couldn't have been better.
We're familiar with Indonesian food, as we've traveled there, and are big fans. It's not something we do often, so this was a treat. As far as appetizers for us and the kiddos, we got the following:
Lumpia - South Asian spring rolls, these were all noodles, cabbage and carrots, and not in a bad way. Different than other lumpia we'd had before, these seem to have been battered in a tempura batter before frying - leaving them with a crisp skin that was airy as well. Good sweet chili dipping sauce.
Chicken Sate - If it had been for me, I'd have gotten lamb, but they weren't for me. Nevertheless, flavorful, with a great peanut dipping sauce.
Celery-Corn fritters - I can't remember the Indonesian name for these babies, but boy where they good! I heard the chef pureeing the celery-corn mixture, and they were sweet and savory and very unique.
Entrees/Sides
Bakmi Goreng - We'd had this in the past as "Mee Goreng", fried thin egg noodles (akin to chinese mai fun, only egg noodles and not rice noodles). Because they were for the kids, we specified that they not be too spicy, but they were packed with flavor nevertheless, and thankfully there were enough to go around. Chock full of seafood, sliced meatballs, cubes of chicken, etc.
Beef Redang - I've had this at Malaysian restaurants before, braised beef in a sort of red curry-like sauce. Silky smooth with a great kick. Fantastic.
Braised Lamb in Yellow Curry - also marvelous with an even heat. The sauce, full of cubed potatoes and surprisingly crisp veggies (in a good way - in other words, not mushy), was the perfect complement to the mounds of jasmine rice we were served.
All in all, a great recommendation - great meal at a tremendous value. I almost wanted to shout at the family that was having sushi, "what are you doing? It's an _INDONESIAN_ restaurant!!!!"
TROPIFONGO
This is the restaurant I was referring to - the one I'd found last year in poking around near our hotel. Thankfully, it was still in business (you visit someplace once a year, you run that risk). Unfortunately, when I stopped in there to grab take-out on Sunday, I found that they had closed early. Too bad for me.
Anyhow, they are also on 535, north of 192, in the same shopping center as the Super Wal-Mart, which puts it into the 3200 block of Vineland. The strip-mall it's in fronts directly onto Vineland.
It's a bare-bones kind of place, perfect for hounds. They've got a steam-table, but if you speak a little Spanish and are pleasant, they may make some things that aren't out there for you (like for us, we got chicharrones de pollo, even though they were out).
Started off with some tostones, fried mashed plantains, which were made as I watched. Unbelievably good - you can't beat tostones fresh out of the fryer. I put some salt on them, and the mojo they came with was great.
Also got some platanos maduros - I'm not normally a big fan, but the family liked them. Not sure if you can screw them up, though there are probably places out there that do.
No frijoles negros, but the yellow rice had specks of pork and black beans in them. The kids loved it.
As for entrees:
chicharrones de pollo: fried chicken pieces, well-marinated, and hot out of the fryer. I had to grab one out of the container on the way home, I couldn't wait. Tremendously juicy, full of flavor, incredible.
pernil asado: shredded roast pork. It's what I'd been waiting for - moist, redolent of the roaster, I sopped up the juice with some extra pieces of tostone.
costillas: these are braised pork ribs. I also had to grab one while driving back to the hotel. Excellent.
I may have to go back for some mofongo. As I remember, it was pretty good.
LA FRONTERA
Garibaldi's is no more - and after trying to go to Azteca, and finding it not open on Tuesday night, we drove up and down Vine for about a half-hour, trying to find Garibaldi's (and not having any luck with either information, or the other Garibaldi's).
Turns out it's because Garibaldi's is not La Frontera, and boy am I glad we took the chance to try it.
The gringo tacos and quesadillas are standard fare. The kids ate them up voraciously (actually, the taco meat was on a tostada). But it was the traditional stuff that stood out.
My wife got the sopes (pronounced SO-pays), which are like tostadas only they are on puffy corn tortillas and use the mexicano taco fillings (as opposed to the orange-y ground beef in gringo tacos). She got the carnitas and the al pastor, pork cooked in two different preparations. The carnitas are like pernil or puerco asado, shredded and lightly flavord. Puerco al pastor is cubed, in an ancho chile/cumin marinade, and sauteed after having been roasted. Some places make their al pastor with pineapple. La Frontera doesn't.
The sopes are covered with lettuce and tomato (I think) as well as queso fresco, a soft white cheese.
She loved them.
I got three different kinds of tacos: carnitas, al pastor, and carne asada. Let me tell you, I loved all of them, but especially the carne asada, which was so flavorful it reminded me of Vietnamese Bo Luc Lac (shaky beef), beef cubes sauteed in a peppery-citrusy sauce. How much did I enjoy them? So much that I asked for a second helping.
The tacos were served traditionally - soft corn tortillas, with two corn tortillas per taco to hold the fillings, covered in onions and cilantro.
We also got tamales. They were fine - not astounding like the tacos and sopes, but very good nevertheless. Good chunks of pork held in the masa.
EPCOT FOOD and WINE FESTIVAL
I love Epcot. It's my favorite of the Disney parks. And because I'm a foodie, I thought it was serendipitous that they were having the food and wine fest while we were visiting. Unfortunately, because I'm traveling with young kids, I can't do the in-depth educational stuff that I'd normally enjoy.
Nevertheless, we hit upon the brilliant idea of doing the individual nation tents before going to the fireworks last night. Yeah, I know, big mistake - actually, the only part of it that was a mistake was the food part. Terribly disappointing.
Why? Because unlike "Tastes of {insert your city here)" where you have individual restaurants offering up samples of their fare, generally as a way of showcasing their talents and drumming up their business, you had nebulous "national tents", with no real accountability for the quality of the cuisine. Moreover, the portions were tiny (as you can imagine), with commensurately large costs.
How unbalanced was the cost-value ratio? Example: potstickers, normally $3-$5 for 6 at your local hunan restaurant? The lame and soggy chicken versions at Epcot came 2 for $3.25. My youngest, normally a dumpling fiend (loves korean mandoo, for instance), wouldn't eat them.
I think every piece of cuisine I tried, save for the brazilian beef empanada, was disappointing. The beef was spicy enough, and had a good, flaky, shortening laden crust. But across the board, everything else was disappointing:
- norwegian meatball (and I say "meatball", as we got one on our plate with some mashed potatoes). Salty.
- Lobster Roll. At $6.25, I looked down on the plate and said, "is this it?". Tiny. Laden with celery, as you can imagine. Good, buttery roll, if a bit fragile.
- pork rib with roasted corn. They must literally slice each ear of corn into 8 pieces, these are so tiny. Bought this because my dumpling-loving little one can't resist corn on the cob. The rib was nothing spectacular.
- Spanish sampler. The almonds were alright, and the chorizo was pretty good. But the olives were straight out of a jar from Safeway. If I want jumbo pimiento stuffed olives, I don't have to go to Epcot to get them.
- Lamb sliders. Not at all what I was expecting, and a little odd. The lamb was a bit gamy, and it had this mystery sauce on it. When I thought "sliders", I thought of ground lamb patties, maybe with a little onion on them.
I do not recommend the individual tents. Overpriced and just not worth it.
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So that's it for now. I think Mekong is on the agenda tonight.
- Andrew Langer
Looking for Two Ingredients: Tasso and Fresh Blue Corn Tortillas...
After calling every Whole Foods market in the DC area, I finally found them at the Whole Foods in Old Town. Because of inconsistency with their supplier, Whole Foods may be discontinuing them...
But it worked - I won my Iron Chef competition...
The secret ingredient was Eastern Shore Sweet Corn, and I made the following:
Pork and Sweet Corn Tacos al Pastor in Blue Corn Tortillas with an Ancho Mole Barbecue Sauce
Maque Choux (cajun creamed corn) with Andouille Sausage and Jumbo Lump Maryland Blue Crab Meat
Looking for Two Ingredients: Tasso and Fresh Blue Corn Tortillas...
It's a very long story, but I'm looking for two ingredients for two dishes I am cooking for next week, and I'd rather not have to go through mail order to find them.
I need tasso, which as many (if not all) of you know is a smoked, spiced, cajun ham.
I'm also looking for fresh blue-corn tortillas (6" taco size).
Any ideas where I can find these items in the DC area? They do _NOT_ have to be in the same place, obviously.
- Andrew Langer
One More Request: Between VA Beach and Rocky Mount, NC
Thanks! I wound up finding a recommendation for Ralph's, and after a bit of a search (made the wrong turn off 95), we arrived.
Omigod. Great barbecue. We used to go to Pierce's in Williamsburg, but authentic NC 'cue is on a completely different level. I gotta say, the pulled pork off the buffet was the way to go, and we had to order collards off the menu, but they were fantastic.
I only wish my parents had stopped there - they were a few hours ahead of us.
Somerset NJ -- Help!!!
I was up in Somerset in March, and found a really good/authentic Jersey pizza place (reminded me of the NY pizzerias of my youth). I can't remember the name, but it was in a strip mall on Easton Avenue, just at the intersection of Easton and Cedar Grove Lane (the strip mall on the southeastern side of Cedar Grove).
I had the Veal Parm wedge and a salad. Real veal cutlet (not veal patties - very important distinction).
- Langrrr
One More Request: Between VA Beach and Rocky Mount, NC
Still planning the trip and we're stopping in Rocky Mount - traveling south via Virginia Beach to stop there for lunch.
I understand Rocky Mount, NC is a chow wasteland (is that still the case?) - is there anyplace worth stopping between the two?
Again, we're talking basic chow. Nothing fancy. Good 'cue, good fried chicken, etc. Traditional home-style cuisine.
Any thoughts on good lunch places in Virginia Beach?
Thanks!
- Langrrr
Bluffton - Beaufort - Port Royal Recs
All -
DC Hounder here, heading down to the Low Country for a Marine Corps graduation at the Island.
We're staying in Bluffton, and this is a 3-generation family affair. We're a family that likes to "eat local" when we travel - we can do fancy and exotic when we're at home. So, we're looking for authentic Low Country, Gullah, BBQ, or Southern Cuisine when we're down there.
Any recs? Any particular places for "Meat & Threes"?
Thanks!
- Langer
Brisket Tacos - Comidas Authenticas Harlingen - Brownsville - South Padre Island
All -
DC Hounder here, coming down for a quick turn-and-burn series of meetings at the end of the week. I'm flying into Harlingen and then going over to South Padre Island, with a possible detour to Brownsville.
Seeing as how I'll have the lunchtime free, I'm looking for some recommendations. Unfortunately, I won't be in town on Sunday, so no BBQ from Vera's for me.
Anything similar? Any place that might have brisket tacos, like the ones I got near Dallas last summer? Or really authentic tex-mex places? I do speak passable Spanish (especially when it comes to food!).
Gracias!
- Andrew Langer
Creative Sushi in DC?
Say what you will about Signatures, I loved their sushi. Very creative and fun.
I've been to Zengo, and like what they do.
I'm just wondering if there are other creative sushi places in town.
- AML
New Places for Lunch Between Georgetown and Potomac?
This is an absolutely perfect suggestion! Thanks!!!!!
New Places for Lunch Between Georgetown and Potomac?
It's an annual tradition that when I take one of my friends out for her annual birthday lunch, we go someplace that neither one of us has tried. Since we're both avid Hounds, this usually limits us to places that are relatively new.
Since she's home in Potomac with a newborn, I'd like to do something out by her, or at least, halfway between where she lives and where I work (down near Metro Center).
I would have liked to have gone to Black Salt or Agraria, but she's been to the former, and the latter isn't open for lunch.
Bezu, in Potomac, seems like a real possibility, but I haven't seen any credible reviews.
Thought I'd ask for suggestions here: lunch, unique, good food, and good fun. Price isn't really an object in this case.
Thanks!
- Andrew Langer
Good place for group dinner near Crofton
As mentioned in another thread, there's a japanese hibachi restaurant in the Waugh Chapel shopping center - it could easily accomodate a group of 10. There's a good thai place in Odenton, as well as Hunan L'Rose in Odenton.
