laboheme's Profile
Where to Eat in Lakeland...or Should We Just Drive to Orlando?
Hi there- I'm taking Mom to Lakeland for the MidFlorida Mayfair Art Festival for Mother's Day and would love some suggestions for a great ethnic or just delicious eatery in Lakeland. Or, since it seems so many restaurants in Lakeland have closed, would we be better off just heading to Orlando?
Thanks in advance for your help - greatly appreciated!
St. Petersburg/Fish Tacos at Beach Resturant
I second Agave...some of the best Mexican food in Tampa Bay. Everything is made in house and super fresh. Enjoy!
Cubs Game Sunday- what would you suggest @ Wrigley Field for Lunch?
Hi there:
I'm off to see the Cubs play the Reds at Wrigley Field on Sunday - can't wait. Would like to have a really tasty brunch/lunch beforehand - would you suggest Sola, Andalos or...??? Or (since I fell in love with Lao Sze Chuan the last time I was in town) do you think I'd have enough time to grab lunch at 11am there and still make it in time for the National Anthem?
Thanks for your help!
Lunch at 4 Rivers Smokehouse or Hawkers Asian StreetFare tomorrow?
Thank you all so much for your suggestions and feedback. Sandwich_Sister is right...I am over in Tampa and have been to Ravenous Pig before (love it) but wanted to try someplace new. We went to 4 Rivers and oh...my....gosh were we glad we did. There was a huge line out the door (at 2:30 in the afternoon!) but it moved quickly. The food was amazing. The stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon were out of this world! My new favorite appetizer for summer and one I've got to try to replicate (maybe stuffed w/ pimento cheese for a bit of an extreme southern twist:-). The burnt ends were out of this world...the best BBQ I've had outside of Whole Hog in Arkansas. The greens were smoky, meaty and full of flavor. The smokehouse corn was garlic-y goodness and the cheese grits were tasty. My dining companion was so enamored of the food and laid-back atmosphere that she couldn't stop taking "glamour shots" of our lunch for quite a while. We'll definuetly be back...just wish they had a beer/wine license (we were at the Winter Park location)--those smoked jalapenos cry out to be accompinied by a glass of icy sauvignon blanc. A great suggestion and so happy we went! (BTW, I had read a couple of reviews on the board that said the portions had become skimpy...not true in our case as we had more than enough for lunch and 2 big "to-go" boxes to pack up.) Yum!
Lunch at 4 Rivers Smokehouse or Hawkers Asian StreetFare tomorrow?
I'm heading to Orlando from Tampa Bay tomorrow for the day and can't decide between 4 Rivers or Hawkers - I've been wanting to go to both for a long time. Which do you think is better, or is there something even more amazing for lunch in Orlando? Thanks in advance for your help!
Recs for Tampa Bay Times Forum area..
Your best bet is probably somewhere in Channelside. I'd recommend Tinatapas - they have good small plates and sangria. Avoid the Greek restaurant in channelside--it's not good. Have a great time at the concert!
ABC or Lucky Star in St. Pete
ABC Seafood is amazing. Best Chinese in Pinellas County by far.
Six 50-somethings seek taste of Florida in Tampa/Clearwater
You can't miss Middle Grounds Grill in Treasure Island (a little bit south of Clearwater) for the best stone crab claws in the state (I like them even better than Joe's Stone Crab in Miami) and some of the most imaginative seafood dishes in Tampa Bay. Mise en Place is "can't miss" as well, and the Happy Hour at Sidebern's can't be beat. If you haven't been to the Harry Waugh dessert room in Bern's yet, it's a can't miss. Hope you enjoy your time here!
Gino's East or Lou Malnati's?
Looking forward to a deep dish pizza experience today. Last day in Chicago--which one would you go to? Thanks!
Clearwater Beach Recs
Search the board for suggestions, but off the top of my head I'd recommend Island Way Grill (best food by the waterfront and an amazing brunch), Kiku sushi for some of the best sushi in Tampa Bay (sit at the bar and ask for omakase) or Frenchy's Rockaway Grill....good grouper sandwich in a great beachfront atmosphere. Off the beach go to Greektown Grill...best grilled octopus I've had outside of Greece.
Quick trip Dec 28-31, Aviary, Graham Elliot, Sable, Xoco, Girl/Goat
Thank you so much for your reviews! I am off to Chicago in the middle of this month and trying to figure out the best places for the few meals I will have free. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip...Girl and the Goat will definutely be on my list.
Where to take company on the water around John's Pass?
Waltz Fish Shack is laid back and does super fresh fish simply and well. I was there last Saturday for lunch and had terrific lightly fried grouper cheeks, yucca fries (amazing!) and split a cup of so-so crab corn chowder. It has been nice enough out that you could sit outside like we did and enjoy the water view. Just call before you go...their hours can be erratic, as when they sell out of fish they close.
Tampa / St Pete Beach recommendations?
If you only have 2 dinners in Tampa, you should definuetly make them Bern's Steakhouse (take the kitchen tour and reserve the dessert room for afterwards) and Mise en Place...two truely standout restaurants in Tampa. Laughing Cat is very good as well, but not in the same class as the other tow. I agree with the others in this thread...for Southern Breakfast (grits, biscuits & gravy, etc) you have to do Skyway Jacks. Just bring cash...they don't accept credit cards. (Beverly's LaCroisette also does a decent breakfast...but not as good as Skyway Jack's). Besides the restaurants in the Don Cesar, on St. Pete Beach Fetishes Fine Dining (www.fetishesrestaurant.com) is outstanding...best crab cakes I've ever had. My other favorite (but a bit of a cab drive) is Middle Grounds Grill on Treasure Island- the best seafood restaurant in Tampa Bay. Their stone crabs are second to none, and they always have delicious daily specials...a few weeks ago I had a pomegrante sea bass with chorizo mac and cheese that blew my mind. Hope that you and your family have a great trip!
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Fetishes Fine Dining
6690 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, FL 33706
Skyway Jack's Restaurant
2795 34th St S, Saint Petersburg, FL 33711
Laughing Cat
1811 N 15th St, Tampa, FL 33605
Middle Grounds Grill
10925 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706
Bern's Steakhouse
1002 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
Korean Restaurant recommendations in Orlando?
Thank you all for your recommendations. Based on Dr. Todd's and ratings on Urbanspoon/Yelp, we ended up at Shin Jung. We had a great time grilling out own kal bi (gal bi) short ribs and chicken and enjoying the ban chan...the daikon kim chee was our favorite. I look forward to having the chance to try Beewon next time. I will say that the portions were so generous (and so tasty) that we couldnt' even attempt a Korean taco at Halloween Horror nights 7 hours later...still too full. But they smelled delicous. Thanks again for your great suggestions!
Korean Restaurant recommendations in Orlando?
Hi there - we are heading to Orlando on Saturday for Halloween Horror nights and would love to get a recommendation for a great Korean restaurant to hit first. Searched the board but only found one. Would appreciate your help, thanks!
We make it a point to go there every time we are in St Pete Beach
What is the name of the place?
Looking for a great lunch, dinner and brunch in St. Augustine?
Hi there: Would really appreciate suggestions for the best lunch, dinner and brunch ( will there from Saturday to Sunday). Love all types of ethnic food, but would like very local and typically "St. Augustinian" restaurants. Thanks in advance for your help...I really appreciate it!
3 days in Rome--looking for suggestions on best places to go to make the 3 days count!
Hi there:
I'm spending 3 days in Rome in early September and would really appreciate some restaurant suggestions to make my few meals in the Eternal City count! We are staying near the Piazza Navona but will travel for great food. So far friends have recommended ARCHETTO Restaurante and IL Convivio Troiani--any other suggestions? Are there any dishes that are "typical" for this time of year?
Thanks in advance for your help--I really appreciate it!
Deviled Eggs in Tampa Bay
Three Birds Tavern in St. Pete usually has some great deviled egg specials at night. I'm a big fan of their pimento cheese deviled eggs.
Portuguese/Macanese/Malaysian Restaurants in Tampa Bay?
Anyone know of any good Portuguese/Macanese or Malasian restaurants in Tampa Bay? I'm craving curried crab... Thanks! (Will travel to Orlando or Sarasota in a pinch)
Restauarant suggestions St Pete Beach area
Completely agree with Aguave and Sea Critters (very good casual food on the water). Middle Grounds is my favorite seafood restaurant in the area...good dinner spot. My 2 new favorite places on the beach are Paddy O'Sullivans (gourmet burgers-wild boar, kobe beef, etc served with killer sweet potato fries) and Beachwood BBQ (Their pulled pork pizza is killer bee...try it with their house sweet & hot sauce...it has some serious heat to it.) Enjoy your time at the beach!
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Sea Critters Cafe
2007 Pass A Grille Way, St Pete Beach, FL 33706
Pizza in St. Petersburg?
I second Vito & Michael's...their veggie pizza is top notch, as is their garbage pizza. I like that they sell them by the slice as well as by the pie...and they are open until 3am.
Sarasota for dinner: anyone been to Owens Fish Camp
I went to Owen's Fish Camp last saturday night and really enjoyed it. Their corn on the cob with jalapeno butter and grilled shrimp with chile and garlic was outstanding. Looking forward to going back.
Dim Sum In St. Petersburg
There's a new dim sum parlor opening up in St. Pete/Kenneth City on 54th ave near 275. I haven't been yet, but it might be worth checking out.
Late night St. Pete?
Try Hiro's Japanese on 4th st @ 54th ave. They serve sushi and Japanese food and are open late.
Rec's for Indian Food South Pinellas
My suggestion for great Indian food in south Pinellas is to bite the bullet and drive to Tampa. Sorry, I hate to sound harsh but the last time I ate at Ajanta it was terrible...everything gristly, greasy and served cold. India Grill is no longer open (I think?). Curriez is open but the lunch buffet is fairly bland and pricey. I have not made it to Green Chili yet, but would love for a great Indian restaurant (along the lines of Jai Ho or Cilantro in Tampa) to open up in Pinellas. If anyone hears of anything, please let me know. Thanks!
Proper Bars in Downtown St Petersburg.
You might enjoy a tour of some of St. Pete's new cocktail-centric bars--Bar Milo (300 Central Ave) and Mandarin Hide (231 Central) are both charming and with a bit of a speakeasy vibe gone modern. I love to wander down to Fresco's and enjoy the waterfront bar in the middle of the marina (that they make one of the best bloody marys in town doesn't hurt either...300 2nd Avenue Northeast www.frescosbistro.com) If you or your wife enjoy sangria, you can't miss Ceviche's sangria (especially the sparkling one) and their tapas menu makes a great dinner stop for the end of your crawl. For more beer centric places, try the Ale and the Witch (111 2nd Avenue Northeast www.thealeandthewitch.com) for a great selection of diverse brews and the Independent (29 3rd Street North www.independentbeer.com) is a must. Of course, for a splurge you have to consider the bar at the Vinoy...it's just too pretty to miss. And the Luca Bar at Red Mesa Cantina is terrific too...great happy hour and killer margaritas with a great patio around a huge fountain. Hope you guys have a wonderful time!
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Red Mesa Cantina
128 3rd St, Saint Petersburg, FL
need Tampa advice for best food
If you are up for a bit of a drive (35 minutes), there is no better seafood restaurant in the area than Middle Grounds Grill on Treasure Island. Amazing preparations of super fresh local fish.
www.middlegroundsgrill.com
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Middle Grounds Grill
10925 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706
Lunch near Peter O Knight Airport, Davis Island
Besides Pane Rustica, Cafe DuFrain is right next door on Harbor Island and has a gorgeous view of downtown as well as tasty and creative local-produce based fare: www.cafedufrain.com
There's definuetly something on the menu to please everyone.
Easter Brunch in Clearwater
Absolutely...have had a nice brunch at Island Way Grille too. I just have never found a brunch I love as much as Oystercatchers! (How sad is that....:-)
