Review – Copperfish Seafood Grille and Raw Bar
Historically, the location at 1502 SoHo has never really been a place I paid much attention to, largely because it’s located at the very end of Howard Ave. When you’re rolling the dice you literally have 30 other restaurants or bars to pass before you get to the end of the strip and something else always caught my attention before I got there. When I first moved to Tampa it was Le Bordeaux. After that it became St. Bart’s Island House. Most recently it was the Samba Room. Honestly I never really had the desire to try any of them. However, the new concept, CopperFish Seafood Grille and Raw Bar aims to change that. If my dining experience last night was any indication, they’re going to do an incredible job.
After valet parking (VERY much appreciated in a place like SoHo which can get really crowded), the first thing I noticed was the feel of the place. It has a slightly upscale vibe but without that pretentiousness that restaurants like this can sometimes fall victim to. The decor is a really interesting blend of contemporary and New England coastal. The heavy beechwood tables, wrought iron fixtures, copper art and bright white hurricane shutters almost made me feel like I was dining on the water in Rhode Island, Connecticut or Massachusetts. There’s an outdoor bar with couches, white curtains and a cool-looking fountain and the patrons there seemed to really be enjoying themselves.
Our group was seated immediately at our reservation time and our server was well versed in the menu, specifically noting the items on the largest raw shellfish selection I’ve seen anywhere in Florida.
Our group started with the Grilled Gulf Oysters as an appetizer and they were absolutely amazing. They had at least eight different types of seasonal oysters available from all different regions and we decided to go with the Gulf variety. Grilled as opposed to steamed, which is something I’ve never tried before, these were cooked with a little garlic, butter and parsley, a bit of parmesan and romano cheese and a light dusting of seafood seasoning. Easily some of the best oysters I’ve ever had and you could tell how fresh they were in the first bite.
Following the apps, I had to decide on my entrée, and I was drawn to one item on the menu before anything else… the Hot Lobster Roll. A lobster roll is a New England thing and it’s incredibly hard to find a place down here that serves one. If they do, it’s usually a mayonnaise-laden cold lobster roll (which I maintain is not a real lobster roll; it’s a lobster salad sandwich). CopperFish does serve a cold version of the roll if that’s your preference.
This was a phenomenal Lobster Roll. The lobster meat was incredibly fresh, the bun was toasted perfectly and the sandwich was lightly buttered rather than slathered in it as lobster rolls can sometimes be. There was also the welcome addition of a tiny bit of what I can only describe as a creamy seafood au jus and it kicked the whole dish up a notch. If you’re from New England like me and you really miss a good lobster roll, definitely consider this.
The roll came with their signature Old Bay Kettle Chips, but I wanted to try a side item that looked really good, so I also grabbed an order of the sea salt and vinegar potato planks. These were crispy and pulled in the flavor notes without overpowering you with salt or being so drenched in vinegar that they’re soggy. They also served the planks in an individual fry-basket on top of a heavy cutting board which I thought was an ingenious presentation choice on the part of the chef.
It’s worth noting that their alcohol selection, while not overly extensive, included quite a few uncommon wines and unique microbrews. There were a handful of 22 oz “bomber” beers and I tried the Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale which is a microbrew I’ve never had before. A deep red-brown ale, it had a great flavor and complimented the seafood perfectly.
Each of my friends enjoyed their meals as much as I did and we left more than satisfied and intending to return. The manager even stopped us on the way out to ask how we enjoyed our experience which just proved to me how serious they are about making sure their patrons are pleased.
If you like seafood as much as I do and you’ve driven by 1502 without ever giving the eatery there a second glance, do yourself a favor and try CopperFish. I can’t imagine anyone having anything less than a stellar dining experience.
Tried CopperFish? What did you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Ground Duck Burger @ Square 1
I’ve been a fan of Square 1 Burgers for quite some time now. Since I can’t eat red meat but still love burgers, I’ve found their variety of other burger options to be really impressive. In addition to the standard turkey and veggie burgers that can be found as substitutions in most other restaurants, Square-1 also serves ground ostrich, duck, chicken, salmon, and portabello mushrooms, among others.
Decided to give the ground duck a shot and I’m glad I did. While they had a specific duck burger that was served with ginger, carmelized onions and baked apples, I decided to go with their standard Old Fashioned burger. Just lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, american cheese and Dijon mustard. Subbed out the standard fries for sweet potato with a little sugar and cinnamon.
The flavor was incredible. Duck tends to be gamey but the meat was made with a decent grind and it wasn’t overcooked so gaminess wasn’t even a concern. With a good char, this was probably the closest thing I’ve come to an actual beef burger (although since I haven’t had one in about 14 years my memory may be a little shaky) Bottom line, even if you’re not a fan of game birds, this is well worth a try.
Ostrich is next on the “to try” list, but I’ll still hold the duck pretty high up there.
Have you tried the duck or another of Square 1’s specialty burgers? Leave a message in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Yellow Curry Chicken & Chips @ the Pub
Was at the Pub with some friends this weekend and tried the Yellow Curry Chicken & Chips
Really good stuff. I’m not a huge fan of the really spicy red type of curry so the fact that they had a milder yellow curry option on the menu was awesome. Went perfectly with a pint of Hobgoblin Ruby Ale.
Review – Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant and Winery
Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant recently opened a Tampa location within a relatively close proximity to my office (yes the Food Dude has a day-job) and a co-worker gave it a shot and really liked it. A couple of weeks later another friend of mine was talking about it and she was absolutely raving. This had me more than a little curious. A quick internet search yielded a whole lot of people echoing the same sentiment so I resolved to give it a try.
After paying them a visit with a couple of buddies, I can happily report that it’s everything it’s been hyped up to be and more. If there’s a phrase that applies to Cooper’s Hawk, it would dining experience.
I love it when a culinary experience is about more than just food. It’s a rare thing when ambiance, character, flavors and personality all come to to provide a level of immersion that you don’t find very often.
Being both a restaurant and a winery, Cooper’s Hawk includes a shop and tasting room. The shop sells various wine accessories and of course you can purchase bottles of their wine. My friends and I decided to show up about 45 minutes before our reservation to do a tasting. Tasters are given multiple options for a tasting; whites, reds, a mix of both, desert wines and seasonal samples comprised of some of their limited offerings.
We went with the mixed sampler composed of both reds and whites. There wasn’t a bad wine in the bunch. Our server was knowledgable both about the history of the winery as well as the wines she was serving us. She also allowed us to substitute a Sangiovese for an Orange Muscat that none of us were interested in and it turned out to be my favorite of all the reds. I never once felt like it was just a gimmick to get you to buy their wine.
Our table wound up being ready shortly before our tasting was done but we were told we could come back after our meal to finish up, another great service move. I would still recommend showing up at least an hour ahead of time if you would like to do a tasting in order to get the most out of it and not be rushed.
The restaurant itself is casual but the design is so contemporary it has an almost an upscale air to it. Our server knew her stuff and was quick to explain the menu concept. Each dish is prepared by the chef to work with a particular wine, with certain specials coinciding with seasonal vintages. Each dish has an associated Bin number which is the pairing suggestion they recommend.
There are also wine specials. On the server’s recommendation we all decided to try the Vintner’s Blend which was a red table wine made from five noble grapes. Once again adding to both the value and the experience, she brought us each a sample so we could taste it before committing to a full glass. Hands down one of the best glasses of red that I’ve had in a long time.
For an appetizer we decided to try their sampler platter which included their Over the Border Egg Rolls, Tenderloin Sliders, Chicken Potstickers and Mini Crab Cakes. Far from your standard greasy pub food, the flavors went perfectly with the Vintner’s Blend. The potstickers, crab cakes and eggrolls were excellent and although I don’t eat red meat, my compatriots stated the sliders were phenomenal.
For dinner I decided to try the Roasted Eggplant Ravioli. This was a ravioli stuffed with eggplant, squash, zucchini, red onion and mozzarella and it was served with artichokes, kalamata olives and goat cheese in a San Marzano tomato sauce. Perfectly executed, this was a really flavorful dish and my iPhone photos do not do it justice. The tomato sauce was light and not acidic at all and the goat cheese gave it a creamy balance.
This dish was paired with their Lux Pinot Noir that had a slightly spicy finish to it and it could not have complimented the meal better. When they say they build the menu around perfect pairings they’re NOT kidding.
Portion sizes were spot on which was something I was worried about before the food came because one of the first things I noticed about the menu was how reasonably priced it was. I fully understand that the booze is what they’re making their money on but oneophiles know what kind of pricing to expect when drinking wine. The fact that they offset that by making their food prices as reasonable as possible is a great business plan. So if you’re not a wine drinker, Cooper’s Hawk is some incredible food at a great price.
After the disappointing visit to the Cigar City Brewpub, a similar concept that was executed very poorly, I couldn’t have been more pleased with my first visit to Cooper’s Hawk and intend to return multiple times with more wine-swilling friends in tow. If you like wine or contemporary american cuisine, give them a try some weekend. If you like both, give them a try NEXT weekend.
Tried Cooper’s Hawk? What did you think? Leave a message in the comments!
And remember… the food abides…
Review – Cigar City Brewpub
I’ve been a fan of Cigar City for quite some time now. The Tampa-based brewery has long produced some really great styles of microbrews. In fact their Autumn seasonal, Good Gourd, is one of my favorite pumpkin ales. When I heard they were opening a Brewpub in the Carrollwood area I was more than a little curious. So last Saturday a buddy of mine and I decided to head up there and check it out.
I made a reservation and it was a good thing I did, because it was extremely crowded and I’m assuming that was a good sign. The majority of the traffic seemed to be going in and out of the bar, as is to be expected from an establishment such as this, but there wasn’t an empty table anywhere else in the place and plenty of patrons waiting for a seat.
The decor was interesting with dark wooden panels, Key West-style shutters and lots of brass. It felt like a throwback to a pre-revolution Cuban jazz club, which isn’t surprising given Cuba’s influence on our city’s local culture. However there’s also a trendy contemporary influence such as the wall borders made from vintage beer cans.
Our server wasted no time taking our drink orders and we obviously chose the beer. I was a little disappointed that they did not offer any beer flights. They have so many unique beers on draft and I would have preferred a sampling of all of them rather than just having to choose one or two for the evening. She knew her beer and was able to answer questions on the fly with a complete knowledge of their catalog.
I started with the Maduro Brown Ale which I’d had before. I wanted to see if there was a consistency in their brewing and there was. This is easily one of my favorites among their standard offerings. Rich and hearty, it’s a deep brown ale with a nutty, oatty complexity. There’s faint hints of cocoa and espresso which is good, because I don’t like being overpowered by those flavors unless I’m drinking a desert beer. It’s heavier for an ale, but in the right proportions. Definitely a solid beer.
After the Maduro, I tried the Hotter than Helles Lager. As a Lager it’s a lighter brew which admittedly I don’t do as well with, but not a bad beer at all. There’s a citrus and strawberry note which mellows out into a light grassy flavor after a while. I didn’t expect such hints of fruit which may have caused my palette a little bit of confusion and ultimately I didn’t enjoy it as much as the ale but it still got the job done.
After a while we moved onto the food. This is where Cigar City Brewpub is a rousing success while simultanouesly being somewhat of a disappointment. Like Cigar City’s beer, the food is a throwback to the Latin influences of our city. The chef obviously did his research and it’s apparent in the menu.
As an appetizer I ordered the Devil Crab Roll. This was a breaded crabmeat roll infused with lime and spices and really packed a flavorful punch. It was served with a very spicy habanero sauce which complimented the roll perfectly. My sole complaint with this roll was its size, as can be seen in the photo. Yes, I’m aware I’m eating crab and crab isn’t cheap but this is not what I would consider proportionate at all. If they had brought me two of these for $14 instead one for almost $10 they would have made money and I would have been satisfied with the dish. Sadly this was not the case.
For dinner I ordered a Grilled Yellowtail with Root Vegetables and Sautéed Collard Greens. The fish was flavorful, moist and served under a brownish sauce that I couldn’t identify; it tasted very similar to an Asian fish sauce but with a slightly more Latin flavor. The root vegetables (which were not named but tasted like turnips and celery root) were crispy and not greasy but could have used a pinch more salt. The collards were excellent but I’m a sucker for my leafy green veggies so I may be biased. The flavors went well together and I was a little more satisfied with the portion size to cost than I was with the Devil Crab.
Ultimately I was left with a feeling of not quite enough food for the price I paid. I know portion sizes are a pet peeve of mine but this is doubly so when you’re dealing with a drinking establishment. If I’m going to sample their beer I want a solid base in my stomach so I can better avoid a state of inebriation and I shouldn’t have to break my wallet doing so.
Final thoughts: give this place a shot if price is no object as the food is worth experiencing. If not, I’d recommend eating somewhere else and just partaking of the beers at Cigar City Brewpub. It’s their forte and when it comes to beer they know what they’re doing.
Tried the Cigar City Brewpub or any of their microbrews? Leave a message in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Review – Gallery Eclectic Bistro
Recently had some family in town for a quick overnight trip. On our way to the airport we had a couple of hours to kill before their flight so we decided to grab a little lunch and figured Bay Street at International Plaza would be a good idea due to the proximity. We had planned on just grabbing a table at the Cheesecake Factory but they were slammed even at 2PM on a Saturday afternoon and the wait would have left us cutting it a little close to their flight. After a quick scan of the local establishments we decided to try the Gallery Eclectic Bistro.
I must have walked past this place at least twenty times without giving it a second glance, probably because I’m usually making a beeline right for the Pub, one of my all-time favorite watering holes. I’d read a couple of reviews on Yelp and another in Creative Loafing and everything seemed to insinuate that this place could be a little bit hit-or-miss. Always one to form my own opinions unless a rabid majority is telling me otherwise, I went in with an open mind.
Gallery seemed to be an appropriate name as the entire restaurant looked like one big art gallery. The architecture is art-deco, there’s modern art on the walls of most of the tables and art lamps lighting them up which gives it a true gallery feeling. I have no idea if the art is local or if they switch it out every so often, but it makes for a pretty interesting environment.
I’d heard complaints about the service but found no such problems during our visit. Our server was attentive and took no time at all bringing us our orders. Additionally, I always consider it a huge plus when I ask “what do you like here” and the server doesn’t just rattle off random names but actually conveys personal favorites; our server did so with gusto.
I wound up ordering the Goose Island seasonal brew which I’d never tried before. Goose Island is a midwestern microbrew which is starting to slowly make its way into the bars and restaurants down here and this is a boon as I’ve found most of their other varietals to be rather flavorful. I’m glad the Gallery Bistro decided to carry it.
When it came to the food, “Eclectic” is definitely an apt title. I would consider this contemporary american cuisine with a little twist. Each dish had kind of a cool spin on what would usually be considered normal.
For an appetizer we ordered a plate of fried zucchini and blue cheese stuffed olives. It was quick-fried in a tempura batter rather than your standard flour and egg dredge (typical of pub food), which actually made a huge difference. I’d also never had a fried olive before but the flavors were rather unique. I’d recommend this app to anyone who is a fan of tempura.
Entrée was a caribbean jerk whitefish topped with an amazing pineapple, mango and jalapeno salsa with some raisins thrown in for good measure. These flavors melded together perfectly, with the sweetness of the fruit complimenting the heat of the jalapeno and jerk seasonings, giving an excellent taste to a usually bland type of fish.
My cousin ordered a sesame-honey cedar plank salmon (a bite of which she insisted I try can be seen on my plate) and her husband got the thai-grouper reuben wrap. Both noted that their dishes were excellent, with my cousin especially impressed that the salmon wasn’t dried out which sometimes happens when cooking on a cedar plank.
Portion sizes were spot-on and I left feeling full. If I had one nitpicky complaint it would be that they put a good amount of food on plates that are kind of gigantic which makes the presentation look a little empty. However, I suppose if they did it the other way around, smaller plates would give the illusion of skimping on food and that would probably be worse.
Given that it seems a lot of people pass this place by and the reviews are so hit-or-miss, I have to say I’m a little confused. Gallery Eclectic Bistro was an excellent dining experience and my first visit left me with one hell of a positive impression. If you’re on the fence, give it a shot.
Tried the Gallery Bistro before? What did you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
And remember… the food abides…
Road Trip – Chicken Sandwiches @ Sam’s Bar and Grille, PCNY
Had to head up to Connecticut for my cousin’s wedding this weekend and since most of my family was at the rehearsal dinner, my two best friends volunteered to pick me up from the airport. I usually fly into New York and since one of them lives in Greenwich, we figured that general area would be a good place to stop for a little dinner and a couple of beers.
We wound up heading to Sam’s Bar and Grille. It’s just a tiny little dive bar right on the Port Chester NY/Greenwich CT line. The rumor was that this place supposedly had one of the best chicken sandwiches around.
They weren’t kidding. There’s usually nothing special about chicken sandwiches but this one is definitely the pick of the litter. The sandwich itself was huge (a plus because I was starving from a day of traveling on an empty stomach). It was crispy and crunchy and not greasy at all. The breading was fantastic and while they wouldn’t tell me what it was seasoned with, it’s not any chicken sandwich breading I’ve ever tasted before. We washed it down with a couple of really great ales that they had on draft which complimented the meal perfectly.
I doubt many Tampa readers will find themselves in that area, but if you do, it’s worth stopping in to try.
And special thanks go out to my boys, Trev and Z for the ride, the meal and the chill session. Always good catching up with you guys.
And remember… the food abides.
Road Trip – Inside-Out Chicken Pot Pie @ Prime Time Cafe
We headed up to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this weekend and for dinner we decided to eat at the Prime Time Cafe. Prime Time is a 50’s theme restaurant famous for their comfort food, black and white TVs on every table and servers who yell at you to get your elbows like your mother would.
Aforementioned comfort foods included classic staples like meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and pot roast amoung other choices. I opted for the Inside-Out Chicken Pot Pie:
Disney is not known for cheap meals, especially at most of the sit-down restaurants, but this was well worth the price. There was at least 1 and 1/2 chicken breasts worth of meat in this dish which was cooked perfectly in a creamy sauce filled with carrots, peas, celery and mushrooms. See that giant flaky pastry on top? Well there was another one on the bottom of the bowl sopping up all the liquid. The chefs there knew what they were doing when they came up with this.
For desert I had a Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake and yes it was as good as it sounds. It was served in a gigantic milkshake tin which unfortunately made a photo quite moot.
Prime Time is an interesting little restaurant so if you’re ever up in Walt Disney World, give it a shot…
Ciao Revisted
In November I reviewed the Ciao Bistro in Wiregrass Plaza and if you recall, even though I had a major problem with the portion sizes, I still resolved to give them another shot. Well I did so last night. Tried another shrimp dish, the Shrimp Provencal and as last time, it wasn’t bad at all.
Portion sizes were still a little bit less than what I would consider appropriate for the price but they’ve earned a stay of execution. I’ll give it a try one more time before passing final judgement. Hopefully they will continue to refine.
Want to judge for yourself? Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments!
And remember… the food abides…
Review – Ciao Italian Bistro
Was up at Wiregrass this past weekend with my special lady friend doing a little shopping. We wanted to catch the Symphony in Lights Christmas show but we had a little time to kill before the next one started so we decided to grab a bite. Since Ciao had just opened a couple weeks earlier, we chose to give it a shot.
Cards on the table, I will fully admit to the fact that I am more critical of italian restaurants than most, probably due to my heritage and upbringing; nothing can hold a candle to what my Mom, Dad or Grandmothers cooked for dinner on a Sunday evening. However even adjusting for the inherent bias, Ciao didn’t impress me, mostly because they broke one of the cardinal food sins that I’ve mentioned multiple times before.
Located in the Shoppes at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, Ciao currently occupies the space that was once filled by Pagelli’s, another Italian restaurant which, interestingly enough, I throughly enjoyed. They did no remodelling whatsoever so you still feel like you’re sitting in Pagelli’s, at least until the food comes.
The staff was friendly and our server was polite, attentive and surprisingly knowledgable about all the dishes we inquired about. I have to assume since they just opened, the menu training was fresh on his mind but I was still glad he was able to answer every question without hesitation. The food came out quickly which again, was a good thing considering they were quite crowded due to the Black Friday weekend.
I decided to try the Shrimp and Lime Tortellini which was cooked in a pinot grigio and fresh tomato sauce while my special lady friend ordered the Mushroom Ravioli. We shared and I can honestly say the food was not bad but it didn’t floor me either. I really enjoy any dish that uses lime as it’s one of my favorite infusion ingredients. However I didn’t taste much lime at all and it was curiously served with a lemon on my plate. Barring that however, Ciao had one major flaw: the portion sizes.
As you are well aware, I’m a stickler for portion sizes. I’m not expecting King Henry’s feast when I go to a restuarant, but I do expect the portion sizes to match the pricing, especially in a bad economy. I don’t mind paying a little extra for a large portion of food, nor do I mind small portions if the price is equally reasonable. Ciao’s portion sizes were just way off. 19 dollars for five normal sized shrimp and a what amounts to a ladel-full of tortellini is not kosher. My date claimed her Mushroom Ravioli was sufficient but her six little pasta pockets looked awfully sparse on the plate as well.
Perhaps it was an off-night. It’s possible that because they’re new, their chefs aren’t quite used to making the dishes yet and are moving foward sparingly as a result. Maybe they had high patron turnover due to the Black Friday shopping weekend and they needed to make their supplies last until their Monday delivery. I don’t know.
What I do know is that I will probably give Ciao one more try to see if they’ve adjusted but until then I would not recommend it. There are plenty of other great restaurants at Wiregrass like Cantina Laredo, Prime Bar, Grillsmith and Yamato where your dollar will go much farther and you will still leave satisfied.
Have you tried Ciao? If so, what was your experience? Leave a note in the comments section!
And remember… the food abides…
Review – Boca
Last night I had plans to meet some friends down in South Tampa for drinks at their place in Hyde Park and then we were going to grab some dinner at a local restaurant. When they suggested Boca I was ecstatic as I’ve been looking forward to giving that place a try for quite a while now. I was not disappointed.
A couple of months ago, I reviewed the Refinery which is somewhat in the same vein as they both tout local ingredients. Indeed, when you enter Boca there is a wall-sized blackboard listing the local farms they are currently purchasing from. The main difference is that both establishments change their menus based on the ingredients they can obtain, but Refinery has a completely new menu every week and Boca does a partial rotation combined with certain fixed items.
Upon entering the establishment I noticed a distinct difference. Where the Refinery’s style is very hipster and trendy, Boca goes after more of a classy feel. They occupy the same place where the open-air BBQ joint, Smoke used to be. They did a really good job converting the building to a more upscale, enclosed area while still retaining some of the unique architecture. The clientele seems to be a little older and the staff slightly more serious. Not to imply anything negative about the Refinery, they’re just two separate ideas.
I chose to stick with the Samuel Adams Octoberfest, because I know the season is drawing to a close, but some of my friends tried some of their crafted cocktails. Some of the more eclectic libations were the Thai One On, (coconut, lemon grass, lime and gin), the Georgia on my Mind (grilled peach and honey with sour mash whiskey) and the Indian Summer (watermelon, apple shrub, basil and Bombay).
The menu was on the smaller side but very diverse, with apps, salads, signature flatbreads, main entrees and deserts. Every item appears to be a slight twist on a standard dish.
For an app, I tried the Fire Roasted Mussels with fresh herbs in a Sambucca and garlic reduction sauce. I’ve never seen anyone use Sambucca in a seafood dish before but the fennel/black licorice taste of the alcohol mixed with the mussels was a wonderfully unique melding of flavors. They served it with a couple hunks of crusty italian bread, which was perfect for sopping up the sauce.
For my entree I chose the Penne & Prawns with wild mushrooms and baby heirloom tomatoes in a truffle butter and parmesan reggiano sauce. The penne was a whole wheat, organic and gluten-free variety of pasta and did a good job holding the incredibly rich sauce. The prawns were cooked in a blend of spices that almost made them taste like they were smoked.
Boca’s portion sizes were spot on. Some of my party finished their meals feeling full while others had leftovers to walk away with. I’m a stickler for portion sizes, especially when the menu is a little pricey; I’d rather order a dish and take home what I don’t finish than walk away still feeling hungry. Plus, I like to enjoy a few cocktails when I’m dining with friends or family and with a full stomach I can safely enjoy one or two without worrying about becoming inebriated. I chose to skip desert but there were a few items that caught my eye. Most notably, the local berry tartlet with vanilla bean ice cream and what appeared to be some kind of pistachio fritters with candied bacon.
The staff was friendly and professional. Our server was weeded to begin with and then they stuck him with our party of eight, yet he did an excellent job attending to us. I noticed the wait staff was in such synchronization that other servers helped him out if it looked like he was going to be fall behind. An attentive manager walked around ensuring guests were satisfied. In an interesting little twist, the checks were delivered on a cedar plank rather thank those vinyl bill folders which I thought was a nice touch.
Boca is a perfect place for dinner and drinks in an intimate, classy environment and I can’t recommend it enough. I spent the evening with a group of friends, some of whom I do not get to see as often as I would like. The amazing experience we had at Boca was a perfect end cap on a great night.
Eaten at Boca before or interested in trying it? Drop me a line in the comments section!
And remember as always… the food abides…
Octoberfest Milkshakes @ Red Robin
Headed up to Red Robin for lunch with my buddy so we could try one of their new signature drinks, the Octoberfest Milkshake!
This bad boy is made with vanilla ice cream, caramel, vanilla syrup and Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer. It’s an interesting comination of flavors and textures. The beer itself is a marzen-style ale which has plenty of caramel brewed into it so it goes really well with the vanilla.
I won’t say it’s good or bad, but I will say that I think you have to like the Octoberfest beer in order to get any real appreciation out of this concoction.
Shrimp Tacos @ Prime Bar!
Headed up to Prime Bar last night with a buddy of mine to grab a beer, catch the baseball game and munch on some shrimp tacos. Black beans, a stiff white rice and a little lime-infused salsa. Washed it down with a Dunedin Redhead Ale.
Review (sort of) – Snow Crab Night @ the Rack
A group of friends and I had been talking about trying to get together and find an All-You-Can-Eat Snow Crab place for quite some time. I don’t know if it’s that snow crab is out of season or if the economy is just so bad, it doesn’t make fiscal sense for any restaurant to offer it but we’ve had no luck finding a place. We did however run across an advert for the The Rack in Brandon which had a Snow Crab special: 14.99 for 2 lbs of snow crab and 5 for another half pound. That wasn’t a bad deal and most of us had dined at the Rack’s other location in South Tampa so we decided to give it a shot.
The crab itself was very tasty but as long as it’s not prepared wrong, crab is crab. It was sweet and not at all overcooked or rubbery which is a pitfall some of these places encounter when they’re pushing mass quantities of crab out the door for these specials. Was served with a side of hush-puppies, fries and some corn-on-the cobb, which added to the value.
It was the service that I have to call into question because they did something rather bizarre. It was a Monday night so I wasn’t necessarily in the mood to drink but I always take a look at the beer options just in case someone happens to be carrying something I haven’t tried before. So I asked the server what they had on draft and nothing jumped out at me. Then I asked her what they had in bottles and she said she didn’t know.
“Umm. Is there any way you can find out?”
She comes back a few minutes later with a beer menu but warns me that it’s old. I see a choice I’d like to try. She says they don’t have it. I see another one, they don’t have that either. At this point I am completely over it and like I said, I really didn’t feel like anything alcoholic in the first place so I just ask her to bring me a water and go back to my conversation.
About five minutes later the manager, a big burly guy who looks like he completes in competitive MMA, comes over to the table and says “Sorry about the thing with the beer, I can comp you a glass if you’d like something.”
I respond, “Awesome, can you tell me what you have in bottles.” He replies that he cannot.
At what point is the staff going to figure out that all I want is for someone to go into the cooler, look at what kind of bottled beer they carry and let me know? This just seems like a foreign concept to them. Hell I would even have been okay with going back there myself and looking but to no avail. At this point my friends are starting to get annoyed on my behalf.
By now I’m completely over it and I’ve now gone on to expend more energy on this than any human being should have to spend. I just look at him and say “Hey man, I’m okay. I really didn’t want to drink tonight anyway” and then I turn around and go back to my conversation for the second time.
This is when it gets weirder. MMA-looking manager just stands over my shoulder for a good two or three minutes. I have no idea if he didn’t understand that I was no longer interested in a beer or if he was insulted that I turned away his free offering. One of my friends noted that at one point we were talking about how I was a critic so it’s possible someone on the staff overheard that and they were trying to head off any negative reviews.
Regardless, the whole experience was just bizarre. Maybe they had an off-night; it was a Monday after all. Either way my evaluation stands; food was great, service was… strange. I hesitate to call it bad, as no one was rude or inattentive at any point. Just strange.
If you’re in the mood for some good snow crab, give them a shot. If you’re looking to drink anything other than Bud Light, look elsewhere because apparently they are not aware of the existence of any other beer which may or may not be stored in their establishment…
Review – The Refinery
Located in a renovated house on Florida Ave in the Seminole Heights area of Tampa, the Refinery is something unique.
The building itself is has a kind of self-styled hipster vibe going on and although that’s become more and more commonplace in the Heights, the Refinery owns every bit of it, right down to their purple walls and “Hippie Side Entrance.” Beyond the decor, the first thing I noticed was that seating was sparse and every table was filled. It’s small and doesn’t appear to be conducive to small groups but I find that to be a positive, because I prefer smaller, more intimate settings. Fortunately there were only three of us and my friends had the foresight to book a reservation early. It was a good thing too, because after a quick conversation with the person who seated me, I learned that apparently the next open table they had available was two-and-a-half hours later.
I was greeted with an amazingly varied selection of rare craft beers which is something love seeing as I’m somewhat of a beer snob. I settled on one from Colorado called Crazy Mountain Amber Ale. Deep red, malty and a thousand times more refreshing than a Coor’s Light, I was happy with my choice and even happier with the restaurant for introducing me to a new microbrew.
My friends had already made me aware of the fact that the restaurant features local food. But I had no idea how far that actually went. The chef, who recently won an award for “Best Chef in the South” buys locally and builds his menu based on what was currently available that week. Some people see food as an art and this guy is no exception as the menu was incredibly interesting. A completely new menu is created every Thursday. The boon here is that the adventurous get some amazing dishes to choose from, and should the picky take a look at their menu on their website and not see anything appealing, they can simply wait a week.
There are a variety of small plates, the sizes of which in comparison to the price left a little to be desired. We each settled on a small plate and shared: duck wing confit, clams in an onion cream sauce and some firecracker grilled corn on the cob with lime-butter. All three were amazing and the flavors were perfectly complimentary.
The main course options were even more interesting. I saw a game hen with ancho-cocoa sweet potato puree which looked good. There was also an eggplant cannelloni with roasted quinoa. There was a chocolate chipote burger which I swear I would have ordered on the spot if I could eat red meat. Yes, you read that right. Chocolate… chipotle… burger. These dishes were just so inventive I had to make a mental note of some others to come back and try (but promptly erased it once I realized this menu would be gone in five days).
I settled on the polenta cakes with creamy chai butternut squash, collards, red potatoes, chick peas and toasted cashews. Being italian, polenta is a staple but I have never had anything like this before. It was a perfectly balanced dish despite having no meat course. The polenta was buttery and firm, the veggies were crisp and flavorful and the seasoning was perfect.
We had tickets to a show at Skipper’s Smokehouse later that night so we opted to skip desert but upon making a trip upstairs to the restroom I realized there was a second floor with a rooftop bar that looked really cool. The mental note was definitely made to return, try another dish and spend some time up there.
All through the meal the service was attentive and prompt. Our server was personable and able to recommend his favorite dish-of-the-week when asked (which is something I value). Aside from the size of the small plates, I don’t have a single complaint and would recommend that anyone who’s looking for something off the beaten path in location, creativity and taste.
Check out the menu at http://www.thetamparefinery.com and if you give it a shot, let me know in the comments.
And remember… the food abides…
Tampa Food Dude 