Gulf Coast Goings On!

Have your cake and eat it too...later on even from The Boll Weevil

2011-05-06T13:52:00.000-04:00

Stopped in a little place in Augusta, Georgia today for a quick bite. Augusta is much more famous for the world's best golf tournament but down on the river in downtown is a cute little cafe and sweetery, as they call it, for lunch and some cake. Lot's of cake. Decisions, decisions So, as we waited for out table the little fella and I perused the cake cabinets up front and I told him to decide

Tampa vs. Ft. Lauderdale: Cage Death Match

2011-02-26T20:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, maybe not a high profile wrestling match but..... I find it hard to believe that Tampa is as culinarily ( is that even a word?) challenged as it is after a quick weekend trip to Ft. Lauderdale for an event. I mean, we had maybe five meals altogether but I must say four of them put almost all of our Tampa meals out as of late to shame. Is it the familiarity of your home base that does it vs.

Christmas Gifts That Cost You Little

2010-12-18T11:16:00.005-05:00

And mean MUCH MORE to the receiver than you will ever realize. This Christmas, in the true spirit of the season, which is the celebration of the greatest birthday in human civilization, why not let His love shine, through you and find opportunities to give to others you would not normally think of giving to. You say money is tight? I hear you brother. Many of the gifts I am talking about do not

My French Quarter Eating Tour

2010-11-11T16:06:00.065-05:00

The Quarter: Always Exciting As many times as I have been to New Orleans for business and/or pleasure, I still have a built in GPS if you will, that leads me to the same places time and again. In this edition, I will cover one of my French Quarter eating/beverage tours. If I had to guess I would say I have done this tour in some form or fashion well over 100 times over the years. There may

A Simple Meal Of Beauty And Taste!

2010-10-29T14:20:00.013-04:00

Seafood. Fresh. Simple. Delish. Waterfront. Pictures tell the rest. Enjoy. Gumbo, Grouper, Oysters.......Fruiti De Mare Indeed!

Stone Crab Season On The Island

2010-10-28T21:34:00.011-04:00

Expensive and Tasty The search.....I mean chase is on to try and find the restaurant(s) not OUT of the seasonal and succulent Stone Crab claws that are actually harvested right off the west coast of Florida where they reside. Tonight we ended up visiting three different places and did not actually eat any of the coveted claws BUT we did have an enjoyable evening nonetheless and will

Do You Know The Way To Don Jose

2010-10-23T17:14:00.020-04:00

From Their Site: Cafe Don Jose The other night after a long day, make that long week, of work, I was pretty tired but wanted to grab some dinner on the way home since the results of the hard week were all positive. As usual, the conversation..or should I say conversation(s) with my wife over where to meet me took three or four phone calls and much silence on each end of the phone

Emerils vs. NOLA: Battle Of the Bam!

2010-10-22T03:42:00.011-04:00

Just like any big title bout this one will pit two formidable competitors who train in the same gym so to speak. Under the venerable Emeril Lagasse. One is younger with flash and pizzazz, one is the more seasoned veteran with years behind him, maybe his best ones. From The NOLA Website In this corner.....weighing in with Chicken and Waffles, Superb Atmosphere and The Namesake....is

Seafood: Hole In The Wall Number Three

2010-10-12T13:27:00.010-04:00

For now, this will be my third and final entry into the Seafood Hole In The Wall Hall Of Fame. For now. After hitting Harbor Seafood over in Kenner, La. and then stopping in for some oysters at Hunt's Oyster Bar in Panama City, Fla., we head south to another Florida locale for a fresh out of the water Grouper sandwich or Oyster Po-Boy in Anna Maria Island, my new favorite beach getaway

Put a steak....I mean stake.....I mean fork in it!

2010-10-09T18:17:00.011-04:00

Yeah, that's the ticket! I'm talking about some grilled cow. A steak. A big one or a small one. A medium rare one or a medium well one. (Others are really not steak anymore if they are raw or shoe leather). Filet, Strip, T-bone, Ribeye, Porterhouse and Prime Rib. One of life's simple pleasures is sitting down to a nicely cooked, sizzling steak brought out with some complementary sides and

It's in da hole......

2010-10-03T14:06:00.008-04:00

Hunt's Oyster Bar, Panama City, Florida As Carl, our friend from Caddyshack once screamed....."It's In Da Hole!"......the best seafood places are usually just that, in a hole...... in the wall. We started over in New Orleans on our HITW Seafood journey and now we travel east a bit to Panama City, Florida to stop in at #2 on my list of seafood delights in a humble space. The place? Hunt's

Christmas Eve at Waffle House

2010-10-03T13:53:00.009-04:00

It all started rather simply. A meal at a Waffle House in a Florida town. My son and I on Christmas Eve almost 9-10 years ago now. I really do not know what started it except that we did buy a meal fairly often for a military table or for someone anonymously to pass on a blessing to them. But on this occasion it was decided that we would buy the entire restaurant their meals in the spirit of

The Search Continues

2010-09-18T09:35:00.006-04:00

Dickey's Sliced Brisket Sandwich Yes folks, I am going into four years here in the Tampa area now and I still haven't found what I'm looking for. And that thing is.......mouthwatering, tear inducing, sheer gastronomic pleasure that is found in truly authentic smoky BBQ. Now let me admit right up front that I have had a few instances of good BBQ here in the area BUT I am not talking about

I Wanna Wok!

2010-09-17T10:00:00.012-04:00

Our Local Fave: China Wok Reminds me of that song........................... or maybe Wok This Way and yes, I do want to Wok sometimes. This little piece of GCGO pays homage to all those Chinese Take-Out joints and their place in our culinary adventures in life. They are in every little strip center along every major road and have names like Ho Wok, China Wok, China King, China Dragon. China

Better Than Ezra?

2010-09-11T12:14:00.006-04:00

Are there places I like Better than Ezra? Yes. But it does hold some promise for another try next time I am down in Bradenton. My first trip to this little place, hidden off one of the main drags was a study in contrasts and irony. I decided to give them a try based on my research on Urbanspoon and a conversation I had with one of the Marriott foodies who knows the area very well and

Redeeming The Shrimp

2010-09-11T11:31:00.006-04:00

I finally succumbed to taking the exit to Ybor City after terrible traffic detoured me once again here in fabulous driver Tampaland. And it led me down 22nd to a place I had tried once before and where we had some issues. I let some time go by to let the place work out some of the kinks and the shills tire out on giving glowing reviews that seemed out of place. Here I was, back at

Best Thing I Ever Ate

2010-09-05T09:36:00.013-04:00

From The Mr. B's Website Best thing I ever ate? It gets a "B"! As in Mr. B's Bistro in New Orleans. A place I have dined in over 50X in my life and that I look forward to visiting each time I have the opportunity to travel to the Big Easy. Mr. B's is the benchmark, or should I say, a benchmark restaurant for me as I eat in other cities and the total experience here has almost always been

Anna Maria Eats!

2010-09-03T18:16:00.034-04:00

.Ok, so I am heading back to my secret little place..... taking you with me..........Shhhhhhhh, remember, all this is just between you and me. Don't want the whole world to know what we do now do we? ;o). This time to broach the subject of a few of my fave places up on the north end (only place to stay IMO) of the Island to grab a bite or make an evening of it. There are some good choices for

Speaking of Ice Cream....Man

2010-08-31T13:57:00.002-04:00

Doug Beghtel/The Oregonian Talk about your 31 flavors.......how about your basil, rosemary and thyme ice cream? No one needs a reason to eat homemade ice cream. But if you're looking for an excuse to make some this holiday weekend, we can help. Herbs love ice cream. And homemade ice cream flavored with fresh herbs is a revelation. When sprigs of rosemary or thyme, basil or mint meet hot

Da Beers....

2010-08-30T20:13:00.004-04:00

World of Beer Now, right off the bat let me tell you that I am not a huge beer drinker.....let me re-phrase that. I am not a person who drinks tons of beer. BUT, I do enjoy a good brew, a different brew, a brew that has some flavor, a brew that makes a statement and yes, sometimes even a strange brew. So, when I am at most restaurants I tell the waitstaff to skip to something at the level of

In Praise Of A Chain

2010-08-28T15:59:00.051-04:00

Cassi, the happy Grillsmith bartender! Grillsmith. Sounds kind of everyday. Sounds kind of plain. Sounds like a steak place. What it is. It is a nice place to come and sit in the bar, enjoy some apps and a cocktail or glass of wine and talk to the folks behind the bar and around you while maybe catching a game on the tube. If I had to say any place I go to is like the Cheers of TV fame, this

Seafood served from a Hole In The Wall.....

2010-08-26T18:02:00.008-04:00

Some of the best places in my memory for seafood, you know the kind, steamed, broiled, boiled and grilled, are those with very little to do with putting on airs. I can count on my left hand (yes we are in our right minds) the number of these little joints that make my "Best Of" list. Of course there will always be arguments for what is and is not a "hole in the wall" but to me these few are

Oui, Oui for the Brasserie!

2010-08-24T10:57:00.014-04:00

I am not French nor do I speak the language but this past weekend I did visit a place that reminded me that I do like their food. And one day will sit and eat it on the Champs De Elysee with my lovely bride. I will thank them for the Statue Of Liberty and for Steak Frites. I digress. We visited the other side of the bay and stopped in for dinner at The St. Pete Brasserie on Central Avenue.

Ella's in Seminole Heights

2010-08-19T10:10:00.014-04:00

Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe continues to climb the ranks of spots to hit in my book. My most recent stop with most of the family in tow was a treat and really solidified this joint on my list of repeats in the area. No small feat for the cuisine deprived Tampa area. We hit them right as they opened for dinner at 5 PM and were seated promptly at a comfy cozy booth near the front door and

I love Thai and I love Sushi...

2010-08-16T20:12:00.012-04:00

So, always a welcome sight when a decent place comes along that caters to both types of cuisine in the same space. Such was the case this past weekend when I ventured down 54 to the shadow of the Sun Coast and found Bangkok Thai and Sushi in a little strip center right off the road. I was actually fairly surprised at the nice relaxed and almost upscale feel when I walked in and was greeted