Blue Desert Cafe, New Deal Cafe, Sweet Dreams, Five Guys and Original Pizza Palace

While it's been far too long since I last posted some restaurant reviews, we haven't stopped trying new places (and revisiting old ones) over the past two months.  Below is a quick run-down on our latest hits-and-misses in and around Gainesville.  As always, drop me a line with suggestions.

So here's goes with the latest and greatest:

• Blue Desert Cafe: Last night we were in the mood for something different.  One restaurant that has intrigued us each time we've passed it on the way to Cedar Key is a funky-looking, little place called Blue Desert Cafe.  So yesterday evening we called ahead to make sure they were open and then took the 45 minute drive out to Cedar Key.  Little did we know the long drive would be the quickest part of our dinner.  While the server was pleasant (and she warned us of the wait), we literally sat and waited for over an hour from the time we placed our order until we were served.  Traci ordered a personal sausage pizza and I had a shrimp and scallop burrito.  The menu is an eclectic mix and our meal was good, but this still couldn't make up for such a long wait on top of our drive.  For a kicker, we were pulled over leaving for supposedly "speeding".  Cedar Key's finest graciously gave us a warning (We were doing "41" in a "30"; the sign said "35", anyways).

• New Deal Cafe and Sweet Dreams:  This evening we stayed much closer to home and went back to New Deal Cafe for dinner.  New Deal is the  casual accompaniment to the adjoining upscale Mildred's Big City Food.  After having eaten at both, we prefer to save our money and enjoy New Deal's very reasonably priced menu.  We tried New Deal for the first time last month.  On this second visit, I ordered a Maytag blue cheese burger and Traci had a regular hamburger.  Both burgers were winners.  For an appetizer, we shared a Mediterranean plate (a sampling of vegetable spreads with fresh bread).  After dinner, we walked down to Sweet Dreams where I was able to twist Traci's arm into ordering some ice cream.  She selected a cup of Mojito italian ice and I had a cup of  chocolate hazelnut and toffee flavors.  I've heard multiple people rave about Sweet Dreams having the best ice cream in town, and it's easy to see why (Sweet Dreams is also available at Buddha Belly and goes down great after a hot, spicy plate of curry).

• Five Guys Burgers and Fries:  I guess we've been on a bit of a burger kick lately.  A few weekends ago we hopped in the car one Saturday and drove down to Ocala.  Why there isn't a Five Guys Burgers yet in Gainesville I have no clue.  I think a Five Guys would be a slam dunk in a college town.  It's likely only a matter of time as new locations are popping up all over Central Florida.  Originally started in Virginia, Five Guys is all about serving up big giant, sloppy hamburgers and bags full of fries.  Nothing is frozen and the fries are cut daily.  The Ocala location, which was swarming with retirees (maybe a steady diet of burgers and fries are the real secret to a long life?), didn't disappoint.  On an unrelated note, there is a surprising amount of new construction on the southwest side of Ocala.  There's several Five Guys now open in Jacksonville and a growing number sprouting up in and around Orlando and Tampa.

• The Original Pizza Palace:  Dan Rua of the Florida Venture Blog turned me on recently to the re-opening of the Original Pizza Palace on NW 13th Street a few blocks from campus.  Apparently, before it closed in 1999, Original Pizza Palace was something of the Satchel's of its day.  The Sun recently did an interesting piece about the back story of the restaurant's re-opening.  On our first visit, we had a spunky server and a pretty good meal.  I had a tasty lasagna and Traci had a plate of "mama's meat sauce."  On our second visit with two friends, the level of service went down the tubes and our food was mediocre at best.  Plus, unless we're imagining things, it seemed like the place had already raised prices since our first visit.  The pizza was fairly plain tasting.  I like the laid-back vibe of Original Pizza Palace and I hope it makes it, but the food isn't Satchel's or Blue Highway caliber.  If you've been since Original Pizza Palace re-opened, I'd love to hear about it.

That's all for now.  With a little luck, I'll have the chance to post more frequently this summer...

Comments

[Danny]

I live down the street from the pizza palace, I just got to say the atmosphere at the place is amazing, the staff seems to still be working out the kinks, but that can be expected from a new restaurant. Definitely worth a night out

[matt]

Danny,

Thanks for the note about the Pizza Palace. Last week I received a cautionary note from someone saying they were a server there that been fired, and complained about the food, the owner, etc.

I did like the atmosphere on both visits, but after mediocre food and service on our second visit it will be some time before when/if we go back. Thanks again for reading and sharing.

[Arlene]

Vegetarians Beware the Original Pizza Palace

Being from South Florida, I’m accustomed to rude waiters, poor service, and even having food and drinks spilled on me while dining out. But I have never been more disrespected and mistreated at a restaurant than I was at the Original Pizza Palace, right here in Gainesville. Not only did management show complete disregard for the fact that I’m a vegetarian, it made no attempt to rectify the situation and expressed no regret for its oversight.

After taking a few bites of the “vegetarian” lasagna that I ordered and realizing it contained meat, I notified the waitress. She took the dish away and upon return was very apologetic, although the owner, Duane Olsen, cowardly hid behind a column while this unfolded. She offered to let us speak to the owner, whom sat himself at our table without being invited. His demeanor was extremely condescending and disdainful. We informed Duane of what had occurred and he said to us, “What do you want me to do, kill the cook?” His attitude was basically, “you already ate it, so there’s nothing I can do about it.” No apologies, no offer to make amends, just “too bad.”

One of the probable reasons for the poor customer service we received at the Original Pizza Palace is that Duane doesn’t know what he’s doing as a restaurant owner. A recent food-licensing inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation found that the manager lacked proof of obtaining Food Manager Certification, which ensures that proper food protection practices are employed in restaurants, as required by law. In addition, the wait staff had not undergone the necessary food service employee training. In all, 5 critical violations were found at the Original Pizza Palace.

One of the great things about Gainesville is how vegetarian-friendly most restaurants are. The Original Pizza Palace is not one of those establishments, though. Don’t let the vegetarian menu choices fool you into believing so. Duane Olsen and the Original Pizza Palace have little consideration for anyone’s personal or religious food preferences.

[Big Sue]

Who the hell keeps posting the same exact text about vegetarians beware in reference to the O.P.P.?? I've seen it 4 times in the last 8 minutes!

The service is good but can be slow...the food is good.

The place has only been open (again) for a few months....Its awesome.

Go there. Eat, Drink and be merry :) :)

[Over-Exaggerated]

In regards to the "vegetarian" poster, I must say that as an employee at the OPP(working in the kitchen) that we take serious care that we give vegetarians vegetarian food choices as well as PLENTLY of vegan options. How can you not tell it's meat? Give me a break.

[Gruntled]

I know for a fact that the Pizza Palace uses raw (not pasteurized) eggs in several of their desserts. The owner, Duane Olsen, has been aware of this since the restaurant's opening, yet has refused to take steps to make these desserts safe for consumption despite the fact that he has been informed of this problem by staff several times.

As for the owner's personality, I can vouch for the fact that he has a habit of throwing temper tantrums in the kitchen and ogling female customers in a pretty disgusting way. With so many excellent restaurants in Gainesville, you can afford to skip this one.