FloridaFoodHound

Great Outdoors, Green Mango and Best Local Burger

Hope everyone is having a nice summer so far. I've received several reader suggestions over the past few weeks of Gainesville area restaurants to check out. Please keep these ideas coming. On with two quick reviews and then some thoughts on an article in the latest issue of Gainesville magazine.

Great Outdoors Restaurant: At the suggestion of a reader, we headed up the road to downtown High Springs to check out Great Outdoors Restaurant a few Friday evenings ago. The place was packed when we arrived, and being my normal impatient self, we decided to eat up at the bar on the outside patio (the outside fireplace is a nice touch). The waitstaff was clearly shorthanded and service was forgettable. On the plus side, we enjoyed our selection of appetizers (sugar cane steak sticks, black and tan rings and fire cracker wings) and choice of beer (the restaurant's own Tail-Gator pilsner). The wings were large and meaty and the steak skewers were juicy and tender. The menu seemed priced to the high side (easy to spend twenty-thirty bucks a head), but then the place was packed so what do I know. A mix of appetizers and beer worked for us. The night of our visit the entertainment had been canceled due to the threat of rain, but it looks like live music generally runs Thursday through Sunday.

The Green Mango: After several months of passing by the Green Mango and hearing about it from several people, we decided to give this little take-out only, vegetarian only Indian restaurant a try. I wanted to like the place, but unfortunately the food was very average and the prices higher than we expected. I ordered the palak paneer curry and Traci tried the aloo mattar curry. We both agreed that the best part of our meals were the samosas. Less rice and more of the curry would have been appreciated. If you decide to give Green Mango a try definitely call in your order to help lessen the wait. For my taste and money, I prefer Indian Cuisine. For the same price that we spent on a take-out meal at Green Mango, we could have enjoyed the nicely prepared lunch buffet at Indian Cuisine. 

Best Local Burger in Town: The latest issue of Gainesville magazine has a feature about the perfect burger (The article doesn't seem to be online yet or I would link to it). Recipes for burgers are provided by several local restaurants - New Deal Cafe, Bev's Burger's and Buddha Belly - all of which we've dined at at least once. The burger at New Deal Cafe is definitely a winner. For a fast-food style burger, Bev's is also a good choice, as is Mac's Drive Thru. I can't say I think of burgers when I go to Buddha Belly- the curry and fried rice are the mainstays. If you're into nostalgia, Louis' Lunch is worth checking out (a warning that you'll likely either really like or dislike their burgers. I find them enjoyably unique). Copper Monkey also does a good burger. So what's your favorite Gainesville-area burger?

TooJay's, Bev's Burger's and Ti Amo

As usual lately, this post is long overdue. Thanks to the combination of a helpful reader e-mail and a brief pause in school-related deadlines, I wanted to weigh in with some quick updates on the food scene in and around Gainesville. As usual, please e-mail me with suggestions of new places to try.

TooJay's: While I don't normally write about the opening of new chain restaurants in town, TooJay's Gourmet is worth making an exception for. TooJay's opened a few weeks ago in Butler Plaza close to the intersection of Archer and 34th in the old Rafferty's location. I've long complained about the lack of a really good deli/sandwich shop in Gainesville (Hogan's doesn't do the trick for us). My first introduction to TooJay's was when I lived in Orlando. If you like deli style fare (and baked goodies), then TJ's will likely be up your alley. Big menu and good sized portions at reasonable prices (much of the menu is under ten bucks). Apparently, we're not the only ones who are TJ's fans, as there have been lines nearly out the door on our two visits. We endured the lines twice and bailed a third time.

Bev's Better Burgers: Maybe a month or so ago on a Saturday we checked out Bev's Better Burgers up in Alachua on the suggestion of a reader. Bev's is a classic greasy burger joint that does walk-up business and drive-thru. The weather was nice that day so we decided to walk-up and eat at one of the old picnic tables out front. I ordered a cheeseburger and onion rings and Traci went with a hamburger and fries. We both enjoyed the greasy goodness. If I had to rank Bev's against other independent fast-food burger joints, I'd put Bev's ahead of Ralph's Burger House in Chiefland, but behind Mac's Drive Thru in Gainesville. Traci says she would take Five Guys over all of them (see, we're becoming shills for the chains). For pure nostalgia, I still think Louis' Lunch is worth a visit.

Ti Amo!: As part of an early Valentine's present, we decided to check out Ti Amo, a relatively new upscale Mediterranean-styled restaurant located downtown (because nothing goes  together like a nice meal and then seeing Old Crow Medicine Show). Ti Amo! shares the same owner as Mildred's and New Deal Cafe (the group's committment to local ingredients is laudable). I continue to think New Deal is one of the best values in town. As for Ti Amo, the unique twist to the restaurant is its interesting mix of tasting plates (think tapas style). Full sized entrees are also available. Ti Amo is set in a beautiful location and overall we had a good meal (the roasted Georgia quail with stuffing was knockout). We felt like we had escaped to a big city for a while.  A good date or special occasion place.

On a side note, does anyone really think David's has some of the best barbecue in town? After a lackluster meal there when we first moved here two years ago, we gave David's another try recently - same result. Mediocre food. The best thing about David's maybe the radio jingle ("Everybody loves David's barbecue.."). On the other hand, a recent return visit to Adam's Ribs was a good experience.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Gordon Ramsay coming to Florida?

I don't want to turn this blog into a casting call for reality food shows, but I do think the following information is worth sharing.  Particularly in a tough economy, independent Florida restaurant owners can use all the exposure (and help) they can get. 

With this in mind, I've re-posted below a note I received a few days ago from a producer with Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" show on FOX. Happy New Year's!
 
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Hey Matt!

Love your blog!! We have just begun casting Season 2 of Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" for FOX in Florida, NY/Tri-state, Boston, Philly, and So Cal. Thought you might have a few insider tips on some kitchens that need turning around ;) Or maybe one of your favorite restaurants that just can't seem to fill the seats or has terrible service....

If you know anyone who might want to apply to have Chef Gordon Ramsay come into their establishment for one week to troubleshoot their problems and try to get them back on the road to success have them email us at KitchenNightmares@TheConlinCompany.com

* Restaurants must be open for 1 year and have at least 35 seats.