winger1930

Any word yet on having a Friday Savignon and Seafood? My 'rents are coming into town on March 5 and, being the good Catholic son that I am, want to get them some seafood.

Just stopped through Orlando this past week while being trapped in Tampa due to the weather up here. Went to Mama Nems' for dinner after a day at SeaWorld (feed the dolphins - it's worth it!). Mama Nems' is exactly the type of food that you want to eat after going to upscale restaurants and just crave a home cooked meal. Not the best food EVER, not revolutionary, but just solid soul food. For dinner, we did their main with three sides deal. The wife had fried chicken with red beans and rice, fried green tomatoes, and cheesy grits. The fried chicken was two thighs and a leg, well fried and seasoned - perfectly crispy on the outside, with not too much batter. The sides were good - fried green tomatoes were a little bland but the red beans and rice were rich and tasty. I had the smothered pork chops with fried okra, mac and cheese and collard greens. I was eying the oxtail (and should have gotten it!), and the pork chops were good, but not great. The pork chop was fried, then "smothered" in brown gravy. Nothing special, but the okra was great. Not slimy at all, and nice a crispy. Mac and cheese was standard and the collards were nice and smoky. Got a slice of red velvet cake to go, which had walnuts in it, so I didn't taste it. We walked out of there for around $30. The location of this place is NOT really tourist friendly. It is relatively close to Universal, but you really need to hop in a rental car to get there. When I was in Orlando for business a couple years ago and took a cab to this place, we got stranded there trying to get home. No cabs in the area, and if it wasn't for the cops (who were also eating there) who literally pulled over a cab just so we could get in it, we would have been stuck there waiting 40 minutes for a cab to arrive. They seem to do a very healthy take-out business and very much seem to be a locals only type of joint.

Instead of Chifa, I'd recommend going over to Amada (another of Garces' restaurants, and I believe that was his first in Philly) and get the tasting menu (we got the $65 one). I had it back in November, so the details may be a little fuzzy. The highlights were: Oyster shooter - Kumomoto Oyster with some sort of roe. I can't find it on their regular menu, but I remember it was very fresh. Cheese plate - GARROTXA w/ Garlic Dulce de Leche was the highlight here. The garlic dulce de leche was not spicy, but more like carmelized garlic. ALBÓNDIGAS - Lamb Meatballs & Shaved Manchego - Very light meatballs with a truffled cream sauce, and fresh peas. PULPO A LA GALLEGA - Spanish Octopus - I remember these were like little thin disks of octopus with a good amount of smoked paprika. Tasted like octopus bacon. PERNIL ASADO - Roasted Pork, White Beans, Arugula & Orange - highlight of the night. Was a very rich and tender roasted pork with crispy skin, sitting on a bed of creamy beans. I second hitting up some BYOBs as well, highlights being: Matyson - I went there for an early New Years Eve dinner a couple of years ago, but I remember excellent, simple food. L'Angelo - a very small Italian restaurant in South Philly. Their gnocchi was light, and the grilled octopus tender. This is a VERY neighborhood restaurant way down Broad street close to the stadium, but it's worth it. One of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. Marigold's Kitchen - Never been, but it's on my list. Heard lots of good things about their "modern" cooking - doing the whole molecular gastronomy thing. Also, Philadelphia has a great beer scene, the highlights being: Monk's The Irish Pol - I think 30 or 40 beers on tap, many local ones. Euology - Belgian beer If you get a chance, head down to the Italian Market and go to Di Bruno Brothers. Lots of cheeses and meats, get whatever is to your liking, and some bread, and sit in the parking lot in front of the huge Frank Rizzo and Di Bruno Brothers murals. Now THAT is a VERY Philadelphia thing to do.

Anyone been recently? Heading down there next week for a few days and looking for some recs, and I'm staying in downtown Tampa but have a car. I know about Bern's, and probably going to go to Frenchy's. Looking for a couple good places for dinner (need to celebrate wifey's 30th there) and any seafood shacks/super casual places near the beach (Clearwater and maybe further south).

Second time I've visited this place, second time I got take out. The first time I went we had the "Fish Filet & Soft Bean Curd w. Spicy Sauce ( Spicy&Numbing)". Excellent sauce with some hints of cumin and anise. I'm a sucker for silken bean curd and this really hit the spot on a cold night. The only downer is that I THINK they put peanuts in this dish, which I'm allergic to. I don't think it's a lot since I didn't get ill, but it was hard for me to tell the difference between my allergic reaction and the numbing sensation from the szechuan peppercorns. I also think it was a case of mind over matter as I REALLY didn't want to stop eating it. Yeah, I know, not the smartest thing to do.... Second visit, last night, we did one dish from the Cantonese side, one from the Szechuan side. From the Cantonese side, Shrimp Dumplings & Noodle in Soup was excellent. Good broth and the noodles were nice and crunchy still, not soggy. The dumpings survived the drive home intact, but I didn't get a chance to eat them (the wife was too fast for me). From the Szechuan side, I got the Braised Beef Noodle Soup which was awesome. Noodles were silky without being mushy, and the broth was nice and spicy (got the sweaty forehead to prove it!). The only down side is that when you get to the bottom of the bowl, I got some jarring bits of crunchy star anise in my last few spoonfuls. Not a big deal at all, but a little surprising! One thing to note about the braised beef - often times, when you get braised beef at most places, you get lots of chewy beef joints and other unidentifiable stuff. The beef they used here still had some of that, but also a good amount of actual beef that wasn't dried out or a rubbery mess. Maggie, the host and probably manager of the place, already recognized me after my second visit, which is always a nice way to keep you coming back. I'll have to eat my way through the menu some more, but I'm hooked to this place for takeout now.

Check out La Plancha Del Mar. I was just there this past July for my own wedding (our rehearsal dinner was there), and 3 great guys run the place - Mike, Jonathan and Jason. Really good food, not expensive, and just really friendly folks. Its in the Marketplace so you can also get any groceries and booze downstairs as well. Grotto's deli was a good stop on the way to the beach from Cruz bay. Just sandwiches and breakfast food, and not expensive. Sogo's was excellent for island food - lots of conch and whatnot, and an excellent goat stew. Also in Cruz Bay. Head down to the Beach Bar in Cruz Bay for excellent drinks. We spent many a drunken night down there, sitting on the beach and sipping on dark and stormys. Definitely head out to Skinny Legs on the other side of the island. Its a total DIVE, but has that whole beach bar theme down real good. I think Tourist Trap is out there too, which is just good diner style food. La Tapas is good for a special occasion. The location isn't GREAT (right next to Woody's) but excellent tapas, and a little pricey. I used this website as my bible when I was there: http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/sj/ Excellent information on what to do in St. John, especially within their forums. Have fun out there - we loved it and make sure you get out from Caneel Bay! St. John is the perfect island to explore!