FloridaFoodHound

Green Plantains Restaurant

We were craving Cuban food this past Friday so we decided to check out Green Plantains, a newer restaurant located in the Shoppes of Williston Road at the corner of Williston and 34th St. While Green Plantains describes itself as more broadly defined "Nuevo Chino Latino Dining Experience," this was close enough for us.   Our first  and only experience with Latin food with an Asian twist  had been at no-frills local spots in West Tampa.

Green Plantains is nicely done inside and has more of a modern feel than I expected.  It almost felt like I was in a fast-casual chain like a Chipotle, but in a good way.  You order up at the counter and your order is then brought out to your table.  After taking in the menu, I ordered the ropa vieja with yellow rice and an extra side of red beans.  Traci ordered the mojito chicken also with yellow rice and a side of red beans.  We're more black beans and yellow rice fans, but the red beans were tasty and a nice change up.

Traci liked her chicken and also was a fan of the red beans and yellow rice.  As for me, I had no trouble cleaning my plate.  By the end of my meal, I was already thinking about what I would order on our next visit, which is always a good sign.  The chofan nuevo latino (latin style fried rice) and lo-mean caribeno (latin style stir fried noodles), various mofongo and locrio (Dominican style rice casserole) all sound interesting. For $18 for the two of us, for good, fresh-tasting food in an attractive setting, this place is a deal.

In some ways, Green Plantains reminded me of the set-up at Bento Cafe, only our meal at Bento was mediocre to be kind.  I also thought Green Plaintains was a cut above our experience at Mi Apa Latin Cafe, although Mi Apa wasn't bad.  The other Latin-style casual restaurants that I've heard about, Virtually Cuban and La Familia, appear to be open only for lunch and during the week.  I'm sure we'll try out Emiliano's at some point.  What other local Latin restaurants I should check out? 

Bottom-line: If you're a fan of authentic, tasty Latin cuisine in a fast-casual setting, Green Plantains is worth a visit.  We still miss Tampa-style Cuban food, but Green Plantains is a refreshing new find.       

FloridaFoodHound One Year Anniversary

One year ago today, I started FloridaFoodHound (then called TasteTampaBay) as a place for the "off-the-cuff chronicles of a food lover in Tampa Bay looking high and low for the next great meal."

A year later, and a couple of dozen posts and many reader comments later, FloridaFoodHound has been more successful, fun and rewarding than I had ever expected.  My personal goal of posting to this blog roughly once a week has certainly led us to try more local restaurants then we might have done without the blog.  Overall, Traci and I have had a great time exploring new restaurants and sharing our findings.

We're still getting our bearings around Gainesville and I hope to have a restaurant review or two to share soon.  So far, we've mostly hit the typical chain fare (Ale House, Sonny's BBQ, McAlister's Deli,  etc). The only local independent restaurant we've been to so far is Mi Apa Latin Cafe on 34th St.  The prices were good, service was fine and the food was okay, but it wasn't exactly La Teresita or Arco Iris.  Still, I'm not complaining.  We'll likely be back.  Does any place in town offer Tampa-style Cuban bread? 

We did also hit Leonardo's By The Slice on University on one of our first nights in town.  Leo's may have once made great pizza (and it seems to be part of Gainesville lore like Burrito Bros), but I didn't think the pizza we had was anything to get excited about.  We had much better pizza at Satchel's last year. 

When we first moved to Tampa a few years ago, I also thought all the area had to offer was chain restaurants, but after taking time to look under the surface, we started to find good local places.  I expect Gainesville will be the same way.   As always, suggestions are welcome and encouraged.

Thanks again for reading!

Final Two Weeks in Tampa

This post is a bit overdue, due to limited Net access until two days ago, but I thought some of you would still be interested in how our last two weeks of dining in Tampa went before our move up to Gainesville.

The weekend before last, we decided to stop into Castellano & Pizzo Italian Gourmet Foods on Henderson one last time.  This time, instead of bringing my parents, we went with Traci's dad.  In addition to enjoying another pressed Cuban sandwich, we also ordered dessert this time from their  bakery, too.  Mazzaro's is the king of local Italian markets/delis, but I will still miss Castellano & Pizzo.

We hadn't been to Interbay Meat Market in several months, but were looking for a cheap and quick meal one night that was close by and thought of Interbay.  On our previous visits, we had stuck to deli sandwiches, but on this visit we went with some of their cafeteria-style Cuban food.  It's hard to beat a big serving of ropa vieja, black beans and yellow rice for five bucks (and no, I don't want to think about how long that food may have been sitting there).  No frills and good food always works for me.

Speaking of no frills, we also stopped into El Taconazo aka "the Taco Bus" on Hillsborough in Seminole Heights one day for lunch.  While I didn't love the place after my first visit maybe a year ago, the Taco Bus has grown on me with each subsequent visit.  The "specials" for lunch - two soft tacos with refried beans and rice- are a good deal.  The tacos are small but tasty (you do have to be a fan of cilantro to like 'em) and the thick green hot sauce on the table makes things taste even better.  The Bus will be missed.

On our last week in town, in a break from packing, we hit Mel's Hot Dogs on Busch one day for lunch.  I ordered a "Reuben" dog and Traci went with a "Chicago" dog.  Mel's is a cool little place full of history and I'm glad that multiple readers suggested we visit Mel's before we moved.  Mel himself unfortunately wasn't there when we stopped in, which, from what I understand, is part of the unique experience.

I also re-visited another reader favorite, the Tampa Bay Brewing Company, one day for drinks after work.  To me, the  Brewing Company's new location in Centro Ybor doesn't have nearly the charm of their previous location a few blocks away, but the beer selection is still great (I'm a light beer wimp and like their True Blonde Ale the best).  The outdoor bar and patio area at the new location is a good addition.

We also couldn't leave town without having going-away drinks one night at Kahuna's, a favorite neighborhood dive bar of ours on Gandy across from Derby Lane.  The food at Kahuna's can be dicey, but the drinks are  stiff and priced right.  People that think this place has a rough crowd probably spend too much time in SOHO.

Finally, we went ahead and splurged with a Sunday brunch at the Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach.  While the Vinoy and Oystercatcher's may have better brunches, we have a warm spot for the Don since Traci grew up in South Pasadena/St. Pete Beach and we used to spend a lot of time in the area.  For me, the fresh seafood selection was the highlight of the brunch.  Traci liked the made-to-order pasta station.  We were also able to get a table near the window with a direct view of the beach and the gulf.

There's lots of additional local restaurants we would have liked to hit before we moved, but we ran out of time.  While some of the criticism of the Tampa Bay food scene is justified, the area certainly isn't starved for good food and good local restaurants either - if you know where/how to look.  Granted it does take time, effort, experimentation (you can't find "hits" without being willing to eat at a fair share of "misses" as well), talking with your friends and neighbors, and just keeping your eyes and ears open.

And with that, it's time to start focusing on restaurants here in Gainesville...
 

La Teresita & Arco-Iris: Top Notch, No Frills Cuban

After a little bit of a break, we're back.  Over the past few weeks, we've checked out two Tampa institutions when it comes to Cuban food - Arco-Iris and La Teresita.  Both restaurants are located off of Dale Mabry on W. Columbus Drive, which is sort of the Tampa equivalent of Miami's Calle Ocho. 

When we visited La Teresita several weeks ago, the first thing we noticed was the great smells of Cuban food that hit us the moment we got out of the car.  We went on a weekend and the place was buzzing with activity.  We found two open stools at one of the packed counters and sat down.  While our server struggled to keep up with her counter area, the food was great- and the portions were huge and cheap.

I ordered ropa vieja with yellow rice and black beans and Traci ordered traditional chicken and yellow rice.  The buttered Cuban bread at La Teresita was particularly addictive.  Everyone was friendly and we left stuffed.  I've heard the knock before that La Teresita isn't clean etc, but we didn't have any problem (their kitchen I'd rather not think about).  From a customer point of view, it looks the same as pretty much any old diner - worn down, but comfortable.  If you're expecting frills, this certainly isn't your place.

This past weekend, we decided to check out Arco-Iris, which is only a few doors down from La Teresita.  We found the food to be equally as good, although we like the diner-like buzz of La Teresita more.  Arco- Iris is more of a traditional sit-down place.  Again, nothing fancy.  The focus is on the tasty and affordable food.  At Arco-Iris, I ordered carne asada with yellow rice and black beans.  Traci went with chicken and onions with the yellow rice and black beans too.  Again, we came away stuffed and happy.

La Teresita and Arco-Iris both serve several Cuban-Chinese dishes as well, which sounded interesting but we decided to stick with old stand-bys.  Sue Carlton explained in a recent column the Cuban-Chinese connection, which goes back many years.  Fried rice with plantains is certainly a unique combination.

I am glad that I didn't check out the health inspection reports on either until after our visits. 

Bottom-line: I should have explored Columbus sooner.  For those of you looking for authentic Cuban food in big portions at cheap prices, head over to La Teresita or Arco-Iris, two uniquely Tampa experiences.

La Teresita Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection: March 2007 violations - Critical (8), Non-Critical (12).

Arco-Iris Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection: April 2007 violations - Critical (14), Non-Critical (7).

Las Margaritas: Not What We Hoped For

After a mediocre experience last week at flashy corporate-owned Dan Marino's, we were looking for more of an independent, neighborhood place this past weekend.  A place where the focus was on good food and it didn't matter what you were wearing.  Everything I had read about Las Margarita's, a little Cuban restaurant in West Tampa off Hillsborough near the airport, sounded like our kind of place.

When we pulled up to the little restaurant and saw its weather-beaten exterior, I still thought we were in for a treat.  Our favorite Cuban sandwich shop in Ybor, La Tropicana, similarly looks like it has seen better days from the outside.  I was still optimistic after sitting down, even with a TV blaring in Spanish right behind our table.  Our favorite Cuban restaurant in the area, Habana Cafe over in Gulfport (south Pinellas) also occasionally has a TV on in the main room.  Fine with me if the food is great.

For a starter, we ordered chicharrones de pollo, which was described as marinated chicken with a garlic dipping sauce.  What came out were mild little pieces of chicken that tasted fried.  The dipping sauce was oil with a little parsley.  Maybe the main courses were where this little restaurant would shine.  I ordered ropa vieja with black beans and rice, and Traci ordered lemon buttered chicken with rice and beans too.   I'm not an expert on ropa vieja, but my beef was stringy, dry and not very flavorful.  I also didn't really like the rice.  The beans were excellent.  As for Traci's chicken, it reminded us of a typical rotisserie chicken without as much flavor.  A tasty arroz con pollo at The Columbia this was not.   

Our meals also came with side salads which were iceberg lettuce with a slice of tomato and dressing on top.  We weren't expecting anything fancy, and maybe we've been spoiled by the side salads at Habana Cafe or even La Tropicana, but this was a weak little salad.  On the plus side, the prices were very reasonable (under $10) for a full meal - entree, two sides and a salad.  Service was friendly and the place is obviously authentic.  Las Margaritas has been around for over 25 years so clearly it is doing something right.  Maybe we visited on an off night and/or just didn't order the right dishes. 

So what's your favorite Cuban restaurant in the Bay area?  Other Cuban places we've tried and weren't particularly excited by include Habana Village on Dale Mabry and Kennedy, and Miramar (now called Bellamar I think; we haven't been since the name changed) on West Shore.  We'd like to hit Pipo's, La Teresita and some of the other little Cuban places along Columbus one of these days.   

Bottom-line:  Las Margaritas had all of the makings of a good little spot for inexpensive Cuban, but unfortunately our experience was underwhelming.  Midway through our meal I was wishing that we had driven over to Habana Cafe in Gulfport, a mid-priced Cuban restaurant which rarely disappoints.

The Columbia at The Pier and More..

Last weekend Traci and I tied the knot at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in St. Pete followed by a reception at The Columbia restaurant at The Pier.  After months of planning, the big day came and went really fast.

We've had a few uneven experiences at other Columbia locations in the past (their restaurant in St. Augustine comes to mind and even at the flagship in Ybor), but last weekend the St. Pete Columbia was an excellent host at a reasonable price.  Hors d'oeuvres for our reception included mini-Cuban sandwiches (I could have easily made a meal off these), crab cakes and bacon-wrapped plantains.  The unlimited red and white sangria (try the white if you've never had it before) quickly livened things up.   

Dinner choices included Arroz con Pollo (chicken and yellow rice), Shrimp Supreme (marinated and fried bacon-wrapped shrimp) and bacon-wrapped filet mignon Columbia.  If you weren't a fan of the above, The Columbia also provided vegetarian meals for several guests on short notice.  Each meal included the restaurant's signature "1905" salad made at your table.  Service was prompt and attentive.  The view of the Bay and downtown (we could see Ribfest in the distance) was perfect.   

Our wedding cake and grooms cake was provided by Le Cheesecake, a St. Pete bakery that is known for, what else, their tasty cheesecakes.  Perhaps our smartest move in planning the reception, outside of having it at The Columbia, was in hiring Carl Fuerstman as the entertainment.  We first  met Carl a year ago when he was the featured entertainment at Dino's Jazz Piano Bar and Grille.  From grandparents to gradeschoolers, Carl played something for everyone.

The night before, we had our rehearsal dinner aboard the Starlite Princess paddle wheeler, which leaves out of South Pasadena (St. Pete Beach).  We weren't expecting great food when we booked the touristy Starlite Princess.  Instead, we were looking for a memorable experience.  The three-hour cruise itself, once we were finally allowed to board the ship was enjoyable, while the food and service certainly wasn't.  Live and learn.  I'd still recommend taking the cruise, just skip the food.

Bottom-line:  While the quality of service and food can vary depending on the location, overall The Columbia remains a good pick for large groups and out-of-town guests.  The St. Pete location did a great job with our reception.  As for the Starlite Princess, just take the cruise, skip the food.   

Inspection Scoreboard: Last Inspection - August 2006 violations - Critical (1), Non-Critical (3).

Tangelo's in Downtown St. Pete: Good Food, Gruff Service

This past week we decided to try out Tangelo's Grille on First Ave. N. in downtown St. Pete for lunch. We had originally intended to try Tangelo's several weeks ago for lunch after reading a glowing new review of the long-time lunch joint by Chris Sherman in the St. Pete Times. However, we gave up and went to the Thai place down the bock instead after sitting for about ten minutes at a table in Tangelo's and not having anyone bring us drinks or take our order.

I'm all for giving places a second try, though, particularly one that is doing something right with its food if it's crowded at lunch even when the service seems lackluster. So last week we headed back to Tangelo's and grabbed a different table then we had had on our last visit. Maybe a new table would change our luck. Indeed, the manager (I suspect she's also the owner) barked she would be with us soon after we sat down. Next thing I knew she was taking our order. Service wasn't friendly, but it was quick this time.

As we waited for our food, we couldn't help but watch in fascination as the manager (owner?) snapped at a customer standing at the counter waiting for an order. She also saracastically answered a customer that had asked a question about the menu who had sat down at a table next to us. I felt like we were watching the "Soup Nazi" at work on an old episode of Seinfeld.  To be fair, the restaurant was again crowded for the lunch rush and looked like the kitchen was running behind and the place was short on servers. I get the feeling this is just "normal" here.

After waiting longer than we expected, our food came out. I had ordered Tangelo's Ybor City style Cuban sandwich with a bowl of black beans and rice and Traci had orered a Cuban with turkey and a bowl of black beans and rice as well. My pressed sandwich was very tasty and stuffed with generous portions of roast pork and ham.

I also had a few bites of Traci's turkey Cuban and thought it was very good. The black beans and rice on the other hand were bland. They were only saved after Traci grabbed a bottle of what turned out to be a delicious hot sauce from another table. On its own though, these were black beand and rice I'd skip.

As we finished up our meal, Traci caught the manager berating another customer in Spanish as he was about to leave. One side of me actually enjoyed these theatrics, while the other part of me wondered why this lady was in the restaurant business? I am proud to say I wasn't verbally assaulted by her, at least to my face, when I went up to the counter and paid our bill. Speaking of the bill, Tangelo's doesn't break the wallet. The lunch specials we had were about six bucks.

Bottom-line: For good cheap eats in downtown St. Pete for lunch, Tangelo's fits the bill. Come prepared, though, for gruff service. I can't say I'll be in a rush to come back anytime soon.

Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - September 2006 - Critical (6), Non-Critical (5).

La Tropicana: A Great Taste of Ybor

Yesterday for lunch we went the La Tropicana, which has quickly become our favorite lunch spot in Ybor City. While The Columbia restaurant is top of mind for most folks when it comes to good food in Ybor, and I've eaten at various Columbia locations many times before, La Tropicana is tops in my book for authentic Cuban food in Ybor. Compared to The Columbia, La Tropicana is the new kid on the block. The Columbia dates back to 1905, La Tropicana since 1963.

I ordered "the special" which is half of a Cuban sandwich (a good sized portion) and a bowl of black bean soup. I tried to order a chicken salad, which they were out of so I was forced to have a Cuban instead. Traci had a greek salad.

Every meal comes with warm Cuban bread with butter. La Tropicana's Cuban bread is out of this world and reminds me of New Orleans french bread. We sat up at the counter which puts you more in the mix of the hustle and bustle of the wait staff. Service is quick, prices are great (cash only, though, this is old school and family run) and the food is consistently top notch and authentic as it comes. A great no-frills lunch spot.

A fun factoid is that President Bush stopped by La Tropicana for lunch when he was in town a few years ago. La Tropicana proudly displays a picture of the visit up at their register.

Bottom-line: Great Cuban food at extremely affordable prices in a historic setting. No visit to Ybor during the day is complete without grabbing a bite to eat at La Tropicana.