FloridaFoodHound

Vino E Pasta: A Nice Surprise, Good Italian

Thanks to Cappy's Pizzeria on Bay to Bay in Palma Ceia for being rude to us this past Friday evening.  If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have stumbled upon little Vino E Pasta on Gandy instead.

Our original plan for dinner on Friday had been to try out Cappy's again.  This time we planned to order Cappy's New York style pizza.  The place was crowded when we got there with folks standing around for tables, which was fine and what we expected.  We put our name on the list at the front door and helped ourselves to beers from the cooler.  After waiting a few minutes, we noticed that one of the tables on the small deck outside had opened up.  We were pretty sure we had been told on a previous visit that outside was "open seating."  Just to make sure, Traci asked one of the guys behind the counter if outside was open seating.  He said it was indeed seat yourself so outside we went to the table.

Within a minute of us sitting down, the server told us that, sorry, we had to leave.  I asked why and she said she had promised the table to another group.  I explained that we had asked at the counter before taking this table (i.e. we didn't just "steal it") and she told me the guy "didn't know what he was talking about."  Next, a guy who I assume was the manager, walked up after we had already exited the table and were walking out.  Instead of being apologetic or offering us another table or letting me explain things, he tell us "just leave" and walks off.  Wonderful.  The service was mediocre previously, and I didn't like their Chicago style pizza, so shame on me for giving the place a second chance.  Never again.

My experience at Cappy's left me in a pretty crummy mood and I wasn't really up for waiting in another line.  As we turned onto Gandy we thought of Vino E Pasta, a little Italian restaurant near the corner of Gandy and Himes that we had passed many times before but hadn't tried.  Now seemed like as good a time as any.  Vino E Pasta doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, with its dim lighting, the restaurant was nicer than we expected.  It didn't take long to notice that this place provides a level of service and attention that is much higher than you typically get at mid-priced restaurants around town.

As the name Vino E Pasta implies, the restaurant's fairly simple menu is built around wine and pasta. An interesting twist is that the restaurant has a fixed price wine list (all wines are around $5 per glass and $24 per bottle if I recall).  We're not big wine drinkers, but after the Cappy's fiasco we figured why not and ordered a bottle of white.  We also received a complimentary bruschetta sampler.  For my entree, I went with one of the specials, a salmon stuffed with crab meat and pasta on the side.  Traci decided upon a penne pasta with a marinara sauce with sausage.  Each dinner came with a nice side salad. 

My salmon with crab meat was excellent as was my pasta.  Traci's pasta was good too.  Going all out, we split an order of tiramisu for dessert.  This ended up being a pricey meal with the wine and dessert, but still a good deal.  I think you could do dinner for around twenty bucks per person.  This may not be the best Italian in town, but if you're looking for a neighborhood spot where not only is the food good, but they're likely to treat you like a regular even on your first visit, then this place fits the bill.

Bottom-line: Thanks to a rotten attitude from Cappy's, we had the chance to try Pasta E Vino.  Good food and friendly service was a pleasant surprise at this nice  little neighborhood Italian restaurant. 

Trib Writes About Local Blogger Meetup Last Week

There's a nice piece in the Trib today by Sarah Hoye about the local blogger meetup last week at Hawks Neighborhood Grill, which was organized by the State of Sunshine, Sticks of Fire, Seminole Heights, Out in Left Field, and In Theory.  There was a good turnout and it was indeed nice to get out from behind the keyboard and meet more local bloggers in a casual setting with no set agenda.

Another article in the Trib today profiled Eric Sturm, who was also at last week's event and writes the very useful Weekly Options of Tampa Bay newsletter.  He's also the author of ACCESS: TAMPA BAY.

Additional pictures of the event can be found at Tim Fasano's Tampa Taxi Shots.

Hao Wah: Fairly Typical Chinese Buffet Place

If you go to a buffet restaurant thinking "quantity over quality", you're much less likely to be disappointed with the food and the experience.  Such was the case with our recent visit to Hao Wah, a Chinese restaurant with a buffet-focus on S. Dale Mabry.  We were in the mood for Chinese this past Friday night, but didn't feel like doing take-out or delivery.  Instead, we were looking for more of a sit-down place.  Hao Wah the closest place we knew of by our house so off we went.

Hao Wah looks like your typical Chinese buffet place from the inside - lots of seating and generic Chinese decorations.  The interior appears well maintained, our table was clean, and our server was friendly, which is more than I can say for most of these places.  I decided to go with the buffet, while Traci ordered off the menu.  In addition to the normal Chinese fare, Hao Wah also has  Vietnamese dishes (pho beef noodle soups, mi-egg noddles etc) available off the menu.  Traci ordered sweet and sour chicken and chicken fried rice (there was only pork rice on the buffet). 

For around ten bucks per person for dinner, it's hard to argue with Hao Wah's buffet.  Yes, some of the items tasted a little dried out and had probably been sitting out for too long, but you get what you pay for.  Like it or not, buffets generally require a "quantity over quality" mindset.  Indeed, if I had paid fifteen or twenty bucks for the buffet, I probably wouldn't have been a happy camper.  I've been to Chinese buffets before with bigger selections (I still miss the Chinese buffet place near where I used to live in Altamonte Springs), but Hao Wah is solid.  Based on my sampling of what Traci ordered, the food off the menu does appear to be a cut above the buffet, as you'd expect.

I'd put Hao Wah in the same category as I do Jimbo's on Kennedy for barbecue - not a bad choice in a pinch, but not the best in town either.  To Hao Wah's credit, I did think their buffet was better than China Garden Super Buffet in Britton Plaza off Dale Mabry.  We went there once a year ago and said never again. Local Chinese restaurants I've seen mentioned highly include China Yuan on Armenia and the more upscale TC Choy's on SOHO for dim sum on Sundays. 

So what's your favorite local Chinese place?  A chain everyone already knows about like PF Chang's doesn't count and no lectures please on how Chinese buffets are all a waste and unhealthy! ;)

As a side note, I couldn't locate a health inspection report on Hao Wah, which is probably just as well.  Even well-regarded TC Choy's had a whopping 14 critical violations on its last inspection! 

Bottom-line: Hao Wah is certainly not gourmet, but if you're in the mood for inexpensive Chinese food, this place isn't a bad choice.  The focus is on the buffet, but you can also order off a menu.

Cappy's in Palma Ceia: Deep Dish, No Thanks

Last Friday night we were in the mood for pizza and wanted to try a place we hadn't been to before so we decided on Cappy's Pizzeria on Bay to Bay in Palma Ceia.  I had received generally positive feedback about Cappy's after my review of the Gourmet Pizza Company a few months ago so I thought it was worth giving this independent pizzeria a try.

Last year, Cappy's moved from its long-time location on SOHO into an old two-story bungalow on Bay to Bay.  I like the location and the funky style of the place.  We had expected the restaurant to be busy, since it was a Friday evening.  What we didn't expect was that the place would be packed with little kids and families.  Our wait for a table was made more bearable, though, by Cappy's cool "serve yourself" beer case.  This fits perfectly with the vibe of the place, minus the rug rats.    

After about a thirty minute wait, we were seated.  Cappy's menu smartly keeps things simple.  We decided upon a small Greek salad to split as a starter, an order of cheese bread, and a medium-sized deep-dish "Cappy" pizza.  "The Cappy" is their name for a supreme.  After placing our order, I looked around and noticed that most folks were eating Cappy's New York-style pizza and not the deep dish Chicago-style, but at this point I still thought we were in okay shape.  How wrong I was.

First out was our Greek salad and cheese bread.  While the Greek salad was delicious and better than I expected, the cheese bread was a little disappointing.  While the bread tasted fresh, it could have used some garlic and other seasonings to make it a little more interesting.  As for our pizza, not only was it drenched in sauce, which overwhelmed the flavor of the toppings, but the sauce itself was pretty bland.  The toppings also seemed non-existent.  For the above average price, I definitely expected more. I'm no expert on deep dish pizza, but this certainly wasn't a pizza I'd wait in line for again.  I'm guessing that Cappy's New York-style pizza is what brings people back.

Whatever the case, Cappy's might have the best New York-style pizza in the world, but their deep dish makes me cautious to go back.  Cappy's is only open at night and cash-only. I'd wait until after 7pm on the weekend, otherwise you may feel like you've stepped into Chuck E. Cheese. Parking is tight. There is also a second Cappy's location in Seminole Heights.  The Seminole Heights location did flawless on its last health inspection, while the Bay to Bay location didn't do nearly as well.

I still have Eddie & Sam's NY Pizza in downtown Tampa  on my list to check out.  What other local pizza joints do you think I should try?      

Bottom-line: I can't speak for the old location in SOHO, but I like the vibe and atmosphere of the Bay to Bay location.  We didn't have a good experience with their Chicago-style deep dish pizza, but maybe you'll have more luck with their New-York style pie. 

Inspection Scorecard:  Last Inspection - December 2006 - Violations - Critical (8), Non-Critical (3).

Schiller's German Deli: A Good New Find

This past Saturday, we had planned on having lunch at Wright's Gourmet, but after walking up and seeing the line to the door, we switched to a back-up plan.  A friend of Traci's had told her about a little German deli on Manhattan so off we went in search of it.  A few minutes later we came upon the fore-mentioned deli, Schiller's German Delicatessen, at the corner of Manhattan and El Prado.

It turns out that Schiller's is one of the oldest delis in Tampa.  The deli was opened by the Schiller family in 1952 and has been owned and operated by the Trunk family for the past twenty-three years.  There are a few shelves of German foods and a German beer section in the back of Schiller's, but the main attraction at the little place is clearly the deli and its long list of German sandwiches.

I decided to give the trademark Schiller sandwich a try- piled with meats, cheeses and cole slaw on rye - and Traci decided upon a turkey sandwich on an onion roll.  I also ordered a side of cole slaw.  We sat at one of the handful of tables and both enjoyed our sandwiches.  Traci said it felt like we were eating a sandwich in grandma's kitchen and I couldn't agree more.  Everyone was friendly.

On the way out, we noticed that Schiller's also offers a lunch plate special, which includes your choice of two different types of sausages, and also offers all-beef hot dogs.  Schiller's is also open for breakfast.  While the sandwiches weren't as big as what you'll get at Wright's, they were tasty and cost a few bucks less.  I hate lines so not having to wait forever was a big plus as well.

We'll definitely be adding Schiller's to our list of local sandwich joints that we visit.  While my favorite remains Wright's, Schiller's has its own charm and is a good second choice, as is Italian market and deli Castellano & Pizzo down the road on Manhattan.  The no-frills Interbay Meat Market, south of Gandy (SOG) on Interbay and MacDill, also turns out good, hefty-sized sandwiches.

Three other local sandwich shops I have on my list to try out in the coming months includes Zudar's on Platt near Bayshore Blvd, Mott & Hester Deli on Dale Mabry, tucked into a strip center almost across the street from Wright's, and the well-known Mazzaro's Italian Grocery on 22nd St. in St. Pete.  What places am I missing?  What's your favorite local sandwich joint and why?

Bottom-line:  The next time you're faced with a long line at Wright's, consider heading over to Schiller's German deli for tasty sandwiches in a homey setting.  You'll save a few bucks, too.

Palm Restaurant: Underwhelming, Fool Me Twice

This past Saturday night, after seeing comedic legend George Carlin perform at Ruth Eckerd Hall,  we were invited to a late dinner with one of our friends and his parents.  These New York transplants are big fans of the Palm, where the steak house got its start, so off to the Palm at Westshore mall we went.   Traci and I had been to this location once before, about a year and a half ago, and had a decidely mediocre experience.  We were hopeful for a better visit this time.

Unfortunately, our experience at the Palm was worse than before.  We didn't wait particularly long to be seated, but once we were seated, the fun began.  Service at our table (keep in mind this is only a group of five and the place wasn't packed at this point of the night) was painfully slow even for a steak house.  Later we found out that our server was new on the job.  Great.  Lucky us. 

Our appetizer, the Palm's signature "half & half" (half cottage fries, half fried onions), tasted mildly burnt. When our food finally did come out, I wasn't really that hungry.  My filet tasted okay and the sides (mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and mushroom caps) were decent - nothing great.  I do have to say that Traci's chicken dish was very good as was the veal I sampled from another plate.

The capper to the pricey dinner was when the restaurant manager only half-apologized to our friend's father, who had complained about how long everything was taking.  The manager would have been better off not saying anything.  There was even a big ordeal in boxing up the left-overs and dividing them up properly into two different bags. Needless to say, we passed on the offer of free dessert.

I've eaten once at the Palm location in Orlando (inside the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios) and had a good experience so clearly all Palm's aren't like this.  That said, the Tampa location will continue to be on my avoid list.  Call me crazy, but Charley's remains my favorite local steak house, followed by Bern's.  I'd like to try out the Capital Grille at International Plaza & Bay Street next.      

Bottom-line:  Forget three strikes, two strikes and you're out when it comes to the Tampa location of the famous Palm Restaurant.  Better local steak house experiences await at Charley's and Bern's.  I suspect the Tampa locations of Ruth's Chris and the Capital Grille do a nicer job also.   

Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - October 2006 - violations - Critical (15), Non-Critical (2).

Wild Oats: Good Food in Cafe, Unpredictable Service

After watching USF thump Pitt at RayJay on Saturday, we stopped at Wild Oats on N. Dale Mabry for a late lunch.  If you've never been to a Wild Oats before, it's similiar to a Whole Foods.  If you've never been to either before, you're missing out.  I'm not a greenie or granola-type and I dig 'em.

One of my favorite things about Wild Oats and Whole Foods is that they both have big selections of freshly prepared grab-&-go foods.  All different kinds of stuff.  The new Wild Oats on Dale Mabry has a cafe section, which makes various coffees and smoothies.  There's also a big salad bar, and a deli that makes sandwiches and salads.  Other cafe sections includes a soup area, sushi area, pizza area and an area that features more traditional meat-and-potatoes dinner items with a twist.

On this visit, instead of hitting the big salad bar, I decided to try some sushi and a bowl of soup, while Traci stuck with her favorite from the deli, a chicken meatball sub.  Their deli sandwiches may not be Wright's or Castellano & Pizzo quality, but they're good.  There were four of five soups to choose from. I picked a Hungarian mushroom soup. For sushi, I picked up some spicy shrimp rolls. 

One big problem we've had in the past at Wild Oats is clueless service from the checkout people in the cafe section at Wild Oats, which ruins the experience.  On our first visit one evening after the store had first opened, the cafe checkout was closed and we had to wait with our food in hand at one of the main checkout lines.  Then we had to re-enter the store so we could sit in the cafe section.  On another visit, we stood holding our food at the checkout register and were ignored for several minutes before we were asked if we needed help.  No, we're standing here with food for fun.

Thankfully, on our visit this past Saturday, the service in ordering our lunch and checking out was pleasant and prompt.  The cafe seating area was also clean and didn't look disheveled as it has on a previous visit.  Traci enjoyed her sub and I liked my soup.  Unfortunately, the sushi tasted mediocre, which was probably because Wild Oats uses brown rice - not what I expect for my sushi.  While we have a love-hate relationship with the service at Wild Oats, more times than not, we've been pleased with the food, the prices are fairly reasonable, and the place is convenient for us.

On a related note, we also recently checked out the new Fresh Market store at the corner of Henderson and Dale Mabry. It's a smaller version of Whole Foods and Wild Oats with an emphasis on fresh products (big produce section, meat and seafood department, and a cool looking rotisserie chicken area, if you can use cool to describe rotisserie) as the name implies.  Fresh Market is worth checking out next time you're in the area.  Now why is the closest Whole Foods still in Sarasota?

Bottom-line: If you've never checked out a Whole Foods, Wild Oats or Fresh Market store before, you're missing out.  The deli and grab-&-go meals are pretty good, just be prepared for unpredictable service.

Castellano & Pizzo: Authentic Italian Market & Deli in South Tampa

Thanks to a recommendation by a reader, we decided to try out Castellano & Pizzo Italian Gourmet Foods on Henderson Blvd. in south Tampa this past weekend.  Castellano & Pizzo is the most authentic Italian market and deli I've come across in Tampa.  We stopped in for sandwiches, but also ended up checking out the wine, cheese, produce, meat and fresh prepared-food sections.   

Traci decided on a classic chicken parmesan sandwich and, instead of ordering a traditional Italian sandwich or Cuban, I went with the "salmon delight" sandwich.  This ended up being good decisions on both counts.  My sandwich - a combination of smoked salmon with sliced tomatoes, delicious big slices of mozzarella, oil and lettuce - was very tasty.  Traci liked her chicken parm.  The sandwiches at Castellano & Pizzo are big and reasonable priced.  Service was a little slow, but very friendly.

I couldn't help but order a small side of prosciutto salad (sort of an Italian meatlover's salad), while we waited for our sandwiches to be made.  I also ordered a small side of stuffed green peppers after another customer gazed into the deli case and raved about them to us.  I could have easily made a meal out of sampling the many freshly-prepared salads, olives, peppers, you name it in their case.  The prosciutto salad and the stuffed peppers (filled with meat, cheese, etc.) were both excellent.

I still give the nod to Wright's Gourmet House for being my favorite sandwich shop in Tampa, partly because Wright's has a bigger selection of sandwiches and more salads to choose from.  Plus, that's all they do.  However, my experience with Castellano & Pizzo this past weekend was very positive.  Anyone that has never stopped in before is missing out.  We had fun just exploring the store.  Tampa is fortunate to still have an independent Italian market of the quality of Castellano & Pizzo.

In doing a quick Google search on Castellano & Pizzo, I found they are offering a four-week class on Italian language, cuisine and culture.  Includes dinner with each class.  $205.  For more information.

Bottom-line:  Wright's remains my favorite sandwich joint in Tampa, but the deli at Castellano & Pizzo is a strong number two.  This gourmet Italian market offers up tasty sandwiches and a wide selection of freshly-prepared Italian dishes to-go. 

Wright's in South Tampa: Top Sandwiches in Tampa

On Saturday we decided to pick up lunch at Wright's Gourmet House on S. Dale Mabry.  I had just received two complimentary gift certificates from Wright's and they were already burning a hole in my pocket.  Wright's owner Jeffrey Mount graciously mailed out gift certificates to the Diploma-see volunteers (of which I was one recently) for Franklin Middle School.

Wright's has been serving up some of the best sandwiches, salads and desserts in south Tampa for over 40 years.  The restaurant was founded by Marjorie and Pete Wright in a tiny storefront and is today run by grandson Jeffrey who has significantly expanded the restaurant's operations. 

When we arrived at Wright's on Saturday, the line was long as usual but moving at a solid pace.  I ordered a turkey & pecan salad sandwich on wheat and Traci ordered a turkey breast sandwich on white.  We also picked up two bags of Zapp's potato chips.  I had my fair share of Zapp's spicy kettle-cooked chips growing up in New Orleans.  If you've never had them, you should try them.

We were "forced" into selecting two dessert items as well since they were included with the gift certificate.  We picked a brownie and a slice of chocolate cake.  Wright's registers are set up so you have no choice but to walk past the refrigerated case filled with desserts begging to be bought.

When we got home we realized that we had received two turkey breast sandwiches instead of a turkey and a turkey & pecan salad.  After a few bites of the turkey sandwich I forgot all about this mistake.   The brownie was solid, but not outstanding.  The slice of chocolate cake, on the other hand, was knock-out.  We liked the peanut butter frosting even more than the moist cake.

Wright's remains my favorite sandwich shop in south Tampa.  I'd have to give second place to Interbay Meat Market on Interbay.  You really can't compare the two, though.  On my short list of sandwich shops and delis to try out next is Castellano & Pizzo Italian Foods on Henderson Blvd. 

Bottom-line:  If you want big delicious sandwiches and great home-made desserts, it's hard to beat Wright's Gourmet House.  Here's hoping they're around for at least another 40 years. 

Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection - June 2006 - Critical (1), Non-Critical (6).

Pane Rustica in South Tampa: Good Food, We'll Be Back

This past Friday we decided to try Pane Rustica Bakery & Café on S. MacDill Ave. in south Tampa for dinner. I had always heard good things about Pane Rustica. After eating there this past weekend I now understand why and am glad we checked it out.

Pane Rustica started out in a small space on MacDill where the bakery developed a strong following. After moving down the street into bigger digs, Pane Rustica expanded last year beyond bread, coffee and sandwiches into a full dinner menu with table service.

While Pane Rustica is nondescript from the outside, inside the place is deep and open with hints of trendiness (but not over the top where it would turn me of). After taking in the menu and surroundings, Traci and I both ordered a bowl of gazpacho (a chilled tomato based soup) as a starter and split a mixed green salad with apple slices, pecans and a sweet vinaigrette dressing.

For our main course we shared a flat bread pizza topped with sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and mozzarella. We gobbled up the complimentary fresh bread with olive oil and a creamy hummus as we waited on our order.

The pizza and the salad were both enjoyable. The gazpacho was solid, but the taste was a little on the bland side. Our favorite gazpacho is at The Columbia. My only other minor gripe was that, in the area where we sat at least, the other tables are practically on top of you. A little more privacy would have been nice. The couple next to us bickering got annoying very fast.

I've read some comments about Pane Rustica's servers being slow and disorganized, but at least on our visit last Friday the server was friendly and attentive. My favorite meal over the past few months remains Red Mesa on 4th St. N. in St. Pete, but Pane Rustica comes in a solid second. We definitely plan to eat at Pane Rustica again and explore more of its menu.

Bottom-line: We had an enjoyable meal on our first visit to Pane Rustica last week and look forward to going back. Prices are reasonable for the food quality and we didn't run into poor service.

Inspection Scorecard: Last Inspection- June 2006 violations - Critical (6), Non-Critical (7).