Bubblegum ice cream without the hard frozen gum balls… All the yummyness without the tooth-breakers!
I visit this shopping center often for Marshalls and Michaels and noticed this ice cream shop at the other end of the plaza on my last visit. I don’t know if it’s been there a while and I’m just oblivious or if it’s a new addition to the shopping center?! But I made a mental note to try it on my next visit and yesterday was the day!
View of the ice cream shop as you enter.
When I walked in, it had that sweet beloved ice cream shop aroma. You know the smell… the euphoric sweetness of the ice creams melding with the cookie-like scent of sugar cones wrapping you in childhood happiness. But most notably, it was noticably clean, bright and colorfully welcoming! I loved all the party pinatas and festive banners hanging from the ceiling, the large seating area and the unique variety of sweet and savory snacks.
Priced right, don’t forget to tip!
This frozen treat shop was definitely more than just your average ice cream shop. They offer eclectic sweet treats like ice cream with churros (think banana split but without the pesky bananas!), chocolate covered frozen bananas, aqua fresca chock full of fresh fruit, exotic fruit popsicles, mangonada and banana splits as well as savory treats like french fries, Dorilocos, chicarones, nachos & hot Cheetos to name a few (checkout the menus I posted as well!). They had an appealing array of hard ice cream choices. Including my all time favorite childhood favorite flavor like bubblegum ice cream! After a generous sample, I knew I was getting a small ice cream cone to enjoy as I finished shopping! It was as magical as I remembered!
Their colors are so bright and vibrant, very welcoming!Plenty of authentic Mexican sodas, chips and frozen treats to choose from.Traditional American and Mexican sweets, it’s not easy choosing whick snack to enjoy! Plan on multiple visits!
The girls behind the counter were very helpful and accommodating. I had a few questions as I’m not too fluent in Spanish and most of the menu is written in Spanish. Rather, all the good stuff seemed to be written on the menu in Spanish. It piqued my interest but I really wanted my bubblegum ice cream this time around!
I will be back for sure, there were several other treats begging me to try them!
Hey kiddos, there’s a new pumpkin patch in town. And by town, I mean the eastern side of Hillsborough county! Kerby’s Nursery and Landscaping in Seffner has the most festive, spectacular pumpkin display I’ve seen in a long time! And it’s free!!! Such great autumnal displays for colorful photos of the kids or to practice your photography skills.
You can’t miss the enormous wall of pumpkins when you pull into their large parking lot. Even if you went for a quick trip for fertilizer or a basil plant, you are immediately drawn to this magnificent display of harvert happiness! You can walk thru the doorway of the pumpkin wall to the sweetst display of fall joy youvebever semen. They have an attendant to help you in the pumpkin area. This way customers don’t pluck one of the display pumpkins off the pumpkin wall! Everything I glanced at had a price sticker on it and the prices seemed fair for a family run nursery. Quality isn’t cheap but they definitely don’t rob you at the register for your child’s perfect pumpkin pick!
They have several pumpkin and guard varieties such as conus big stem, gladiator, cinderella, prize winner, jack be littles and jarrhdale to name a few. Now when’s the last time you’ve been to a pumpkin patch and had such a unique variety of pumpkins to make your fall and Halloween displays something to remember?!
They have spectacular fall flowers too! Mums a plenty! They had displays with hay bales and corn stalks too but I am not sure if they’re for purchase.
While you’re there be sure to checkout The Butterfly House. It’s a free interactive butterfly enclosure. Monarchs and Gulf Fritillary are the two common butterfly’s you’ll see fluttering around you while you’re there. They sell all the plants and flowers you’d need to make a butterfly garden at home. You may even get lucky and bring home a few eggs or chrysalis on your new plants!
The large screened in butterfly enclosure.
They’ve got a few large butterfly wall murals for one of a kind photo ops.
That’s me!
Kerby’s has meticulously organized paths leading you to several different areas in their garden. They have all of their plants, trees, flowers, herbs, pots and supplies grouped together for the novice and expert gardener alike to plan their garden projects successfully! Kerby’s can assist you with fountains, ponds and water features. As well, you can shop for all the indoor plants you would need to pull off that new boho chic look!
Large display of potted herb plants.HouseplantsA pond with a small waterfall.
So if you come to check a garden project off your to do list, be sure to stop and admire the pumpkin display!
They’re located at 2311 S. Parsons Ave Seffner, FL 33584 Phone 813-685-3265. Please check their website for hours before your visit.
Amazing new and unique beverage spot on Channelside in Downtown Tampa! Two words…. Cereal milk!
I anticipated trying out this new beverage/ coffee/ cereal bar for a few weeks now. My son and I go to the Florida Aquarium every couple of months as our special alone time and Milkin’ It is literally at the same light you would turn in (the opposite direction) for the parking lot of the aquarium, talk about convenient! It was the perfect treat for us to end our aquarium date together!
The store front along Channelside Dr.
When we walked in, we were pleasantly greeted by Sebastian (the owner) and his wife. They definitely gave off the vibe of that small town appeal while being in a busy metropolitan downtown setting. We were offered suggestions after they heard it was our first visit as well as samples of the frosted flake almond milk. I have to say that I am not a cereal fan and haven’t eaten it in dozens of years but I tried it in the spirit of being at a cereal bar. I was pleasantly surprised!! It was actually delicious!!! It was also the first time I had anything with almond milk. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked almond milk.
Vibrant interior, very inviting! Cereal wall decor and Funko Pop display!
The interior is easy on the eye, very bright and vibrant. This shop sits on the corner of a small commercial building. When we were there it was bustling full of happy customers, including a couple that had brought their laptops and settled in to do some work for the afternoon. Milkin’It is dog friendly, as two customers brought their dogs with them. They have ample seating outside, which is perfect for enjoying your coffee alfresco!
View of coffee bar/ service counter. The bright menu board, super easy to read, hard to make a choice!
After reading the well-lit menu board behind the counter, we decided on a vanilla milkshake with coffee in it for my son and a strawberry smoothie for myself. We also got the cookies and cream chocolate cookie and the chocolate chip cookie which were enormous, soft and plump everything you’d want and a homemade cookie!! Sebastian also brought me over a sample of Mood Pie. Hands down the best pie I’d had in forever. It reminded me of pecan pie with no pecans! And the crust seemed sweet like a cookie. I hope they add it to the menu, I’ll be looking for it!
Huge, plump, warm cookies!
They had several vegan options, a nice selection of desserts, almond toast, breakfast sandwiches & milk alternatives.
A very happy teenager patiently waiting for his drink! Ooey gooey chocolate chip cookie, still warm!
If you’re looking for a new unique beverage spot to soothe your sweet tooth, a pit stop before the aquarium or after you cheer on the Lightning at Amelie Arena, I highly recommend Milkin’ It!
My son and I were passing by one of the larger Asian markets in the area on Saturday, MD Oriental Market in Brandon. And we had a little time on our hands, so we popped in and I decided to buy all the ingredients for homemade ramen, as I’ve been wanting to try my hand at it. I was a little ambitious and searched a few recipes while I was in the market. We shopped for the ingredients with some help from one of the helpful young men who was stocking the shelves. Yes, I needed some help with the ingredients since some of the item names were unfamiliar to me.
My grocery haul from MD Oriental Market in Brandon. I ended up not using the hondashi and kelp as I modified the recipes I Frankensteined together!
The cooking process is easier than you’d think but takes a little planning and prep work. Let’s start with the pork belly since it takes the longest!
Ingredients and directions for the pork belly :
1 1/4 c. soy sauce
1 1/4 c. mirin
1/2 c. sake
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 granulated (white) sugar
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 (about 2″) piece fresh ginger, peeled sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 green onions, halved
1 lb. pork belly, skin on
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients except pork belly to a low simmer and reduce heat to low.
In another medium pot over medium heat, bring pork belly and 6 cups water to a low simmer. Drain after 5 minutes and gently rinse pork.
Place pork belly in marinade pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook on low until tender, turning pork occasionally, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Make sure you pat the pork dry for this next step as you will be frying it. Score the fat of the pork belly. Add to a very tall stock pot with about an inch of hot oil. Make sure you use the tallest pot you have, the pork will cause the hot oil to splash back. Do it leave the oil and pork unattended during this step but do not stand too close to the oil, it spit at me something fierce! Sear each side for a few minutes and about 5-7 minutes on the skin side. Cool for about 20 minutes and cut into 1/2″ pieces.
Ingredients and directions for the soup base :
6 c. chicken broth
2 green onions, halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
4 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled
4 shitaki mushrooms, cleaned and slices thin
4 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. fish sauce
Simmer all of the above soup ingredients on low for about a 1/2 hour. Remove, with a spider, all of the vegetables, leaving a clean broth.
While you are waiting on your pork belly to cool for slicing, cook your ramen noodles per the package instructions. This should only take about 7-8 minutes. I also cut my garnish of green onions while I was cutting the vegetables for the soup.
Assemble your soup when you are ready to eat. Do not to this ahead of time (and do not store your soup with the noodles in the fridge for left overs, it will become mush!) Place the noodles in the bowl first, next add the hot broth then lay your pork belly, mushrooms, green onions and any other traditional ramen topping like a soft boiled egg, on top. My husband and I so not like soft boiled egg so we skipped this step! I hear the pork marinade makes a good flavoring for the egg!
So here’s how my family and I viewed our first experience there….
Very fresh and inviting inside of Le Peep, Florida.
We were very excited to be one of the first customers to try Tampa Bays newest breakfast/ brunch/ lunch spots! We went to their VIP soft opening yesterday morning after seeing their Facebook page. And my husband is a huge breakfast fan, so I knew I could easily convince him to go on a brunch date with me on his only day of this past weekend!
Our server brought over every condiment we would need for our breakfast and more. We never needed to ask for anything!
When we walked in, we were promptly greeted and seated. We were escorted to a booth and given disposal menus and our silverware rolled in a paper napkin. Nice low contact touches! We were greeted by a server helping out, and she took our drink order so we didn’t have to wait any longer. Mind you, we weren’t waiting long! I had the strawberry lemonade, my husband had a Coke and my son had milk … all brought over by our server Rose. She asked at that time if we were ready to order and we proceeded.
My hubby ordered The Hen Pen and our kiddo went with the Belgium waffle and bacon… Everything came out exactly as ordered. Notably, my husband, son and I all commented that the bacon was the most perfectly cooked we’d seen at a restaurant in a long time! It wasn’t undercooked, it definitely wasn’t burnt and it surely wasn’t the cheap, thin, restaurant quality bacon you normally get at a diner. I also tasted my husband’s sausage link, it was nice and well cooked. Too well cooked for his liking but absolutely perfect for me, I inherited the sausage he didn’t eat 😉
Hubby’s traditional breakfast of over easy eggs, home fries, a generous portion of sausage links and an English muffin with butter and jelly. My sons Belgium waffle from Le Peep.
I had the Triple Decker sandwich (ham, turkey, mozzarella, bacon and avocado, lettuce and tomato club sandwich on wheat bread) with broccoli cheddar soup. I went with the soup but you had your choose of soup, salad or home fries. My club sandwich was packed with good quality lunch meat, a nice amount of avocado, the same perfectly cooked bacon and hearty toasted wheat bread. I was still full up until dinner!
My Triple Decker club sandwich with a side of broccoli cheddar soup.They did not skimp on the scrumptious sandwich fillings! Perfectly cooked bacon!
Our server came back and checked on us as well as offering my husband a Coke refill without him having to ask. The manager also swung by to check on us and later asked for feedback when I was paying at the front counter. For the first day of this restaurant serving customers, I honestly found no issues and nothing coachable to pass on to him.
The bright, trendy and clean interior, very inviting at Le Peep, Florida.
Le Peep seems to have situated themselves in a residential part of Oldsmar that needed a restaurant just like this in the area. The strip center is new and only has a Tropical Smoothie as a neighbor at the other end of the building. Plenty of parking!
I think Le Peep is just what this part of Tampa needed and I think it’s going to adjust perfectly fine with all of the breakfast and brunch aficionados!
I’ve done a few food genre posts about my favorite tacos and pizza around Tampa and Brandon, so I thought it was time to do a blog post chatting up my favorite sandwiches! I will warn you there are a few fast food sandwiches included in this entry but I assure you their worthy of being posted on my blog! I think I should also preface that I’m not a Chick-fil-A fan. Yeah I said it…. not a Chick-fil-A fan! So when it comes down to my favorite chicken sandwich there will be no mention of Chick-fil-A at all in this blog post!
Let’s start this sandwich celebration with every Floridians favorite place to get a fresh made sub… Publix Supermarket (Where shopping is a pleasure!!)! This food blogger happens to enjoy the Publix Ultimate Sub, I’m all for splurging at The Boar’s Head ultimate as long as it’s on sale that week otherwise I’ve never found the Publix brand deli meat to be disappointing. You can’t beat the fresh baked sub rolls that they get directly from the bakery, a few feet away from the deli counter. Publix subs are always chock full of fresh sliced high quality deli meat right from the case where you would order it for your weekly sandwiches. They also use top quality vegetables and condiments and you can load it up as far as the eye can see! I love adding mayo, spicy mustard, lettuce, onions, green peppers, banana peppers, Boar’s Head garlic pickles and oil & vinegar with salt & pepper to complete my Ultimate Sub experience! Another plus about ordering a Publix sub, you can skip waiting in the long line and order ahead on your Publix app, then your sub is ready without the wait!
I am a huge chicken salad fan and honestly the plainer the better. I don’t like fruity, fancy fru-fru chicken salad. I enjoy tasting the quality ingredients married together with mayonnaise. Simple and classic is how I like to keep my chicken salad. Basic, if you will. If I don’t make it at home, I enjoy Chicken Salad Chicks Classic Carol chicken salad or their Dill-icious chicken salad. The Dill-icious flavor is a limited seasonal release and was available this summer. It is savory, flavorful and exactly how I make mine at home with pickles. They give you several breads or croissant to choose from and depending on my mood I like the berry wheat bread or a croissant. Side note, I really enjoy getting the combo so I can have a cup of their scrumptious potato soup and sweet little cookie!
First Watches Roast Beef & Havarti sandwich is NO JOKE! They load up the roast beef with horseradish havarti cheese on seriously spectacular grilled Parmesan-crusted sourdough bread with their house special roasted onions and tomato (I 86ed the toms, not a fan!) with lemon dressed arugula. And killer horseradish sauce on the side. I’m a sucker for horseradish sauce on my roast beef sandwiches! But the parm crusted bread seals the deal on this traditional take on a lunchbox classic!I don’t commonly order a sandwich from a sit down breakfast place but we were there during brunch hours and it happened to call to me. Boy am I glad I gave it a try! I washed it down with their lavender lemonade, so refreshing.
I saved my favorite fast food chicken sandwich for last but trust me it comes in first! PDQ’s Honey Butter Crispy Chicken sandwich is an All-Star! This sandwich is exactly as its name depicts it is dripping with sweet and salty honey butter on a perfectly crispy chicken breast, naturally served with a few pickle slices. I don’t think any of the chicken restaurant giants skimp on pickle chips!! But believe me when I tell you, the honey butter is the unique twist on the sandwich! Make sure you add their fries and extra creamy garlic dip. Sweet peas and carrots, that creamy garlic dip is a game changer! They sell Cheerwine in an icy cold bottle, it accompanies this sandwich perfectly!
Now we get to the next controversial sandwich, this one’s a little more local, the Cuban sandwich. Florida’s unofficial State sandwich is the Cuban sandwich especially in Tampa, where I live. I have several favorites like Broccato’s Sandwich Shop, La Segunda Bakery and Papa Joe’s. But more often than not I’ve been getting my Cuban sandwiches from Moreno Bakery since it’s only a few miles from my house. Sometimes, I opt for convenience versus my normal “travel anywhere for food” attitude. But in the case of Moreno Bakery I really don’t feel like I’m skimping on quality of sandwich because it’s the closest place to order one. They also bake hundreds of loaves of traditional Cuban bread daily so I know that I’m getting the freshest quality bread for my sandwich. Another noteable fact, they make their roasted pork fresh in house. Another plus for Moreno’s sandwich. And who doesn’t love ordering a savory sandwich and being able to grab a sweet treat while they’re at it!
A new Cuban sandwich stop for me is the Strawberry Hut in Plant City. Don’t let the rinky dink appearance of this beloved roadside eatery fool you, they throw down! You’ll get one of the best Cuban sandwiches you’ve ever eaten in eastern Hillsborough County from here! And you can wash it down with one of their famous strawberry milkshakes. I see a pattern as I’m writing this blog post … I definitely enjoy getting a sweet treat from the same place I get my sandwiches from!
Wrights Gourmet House has been a South Tampa staple since 1963. They serve up notoriously unique sandwiches and top quality cakes, pies and bakery items! Say Wright’s to a local and they’ll finish your thought with Hummingbird cake (their famous banana nut layer cake). I could go on and on about their lusciously rich red velvet cake but then this will turn into a dessert post (which I have plans on writing in the future)! Back to the task at hand, my favorite Wright’s Gourmet House sandwich…. Drum roll please….the Turkey & Pecan Salad sandwich served with thin slivers of red onions on fresh, soft pumpernickel bread! Made fresh before your very eyes. To. Die. For. My parting thoughts on Wright’s is if you go for a sandwich don’t leave without one of their famous desserts and if you go for one of their signature treats don’t leave without a fresh sandwich!
For another one of my all time favorite sandwiches, let’s revisit PDQ! They have a limited Fall menu with the most divine thinly pounded, crispy battered turkey breast you’ll ever rest your lips on! They stack two crispy Butterball brand turkey breasts with cranberry relish, herb seasoned mayo and lettuce, all on a toasted potato bun! Oh my goodness does this work! It is truly the best of Thanksgiving with a twist!
Last but not least, and please don’t stop following my blog from this last sandwich but I am a huge Arby’s classic roast beef sandwich fanatic! It definitely does not hold a candle to any of the above sandwiches that I’ve eaten in the past, but this iconic fast food sandwich definitely deserves an honorable mention. There is something so gratifying about slathering on Arby’s Horsey sauce to their warm “unique” roast beef that brings you back to happy childhood memories. And good golly, they have some of the best curly fries out there!!! You cannot go wrong with this classic pair!!! While you’re at it – add on a Jamocha shake or one of their warm turnovers. Yeah, I obviously have a sweet spot for adding on extra treats!
Tell me all about your favorite sandwich shop, even if it’s not in Tampa. I love suggestions and I enjoy hearing what makes the ordinary such as a sandwich extraordinary!
I’ve lived in Tampa for 15 years and FINALLY made it to Bern’s for the first time, last night. My husband and I went to celebrate our 23rd anniversary! So I finally put my figurative foot down and made our dinner reservation 3 months to the date I needed it. Which worked out perfectly, hubby couldn’t say no if I already made his life easy and planned our special occasion, right?!
The bar area, you can dine here if you are not in dress code. Bern’s won the 2016 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program. Exquisite art collection since 1956.
I categorize this legendary steakhouse as a bucket list restaurant destination. Pre-Covid you get a tour of the kitchen and famed wine cellar but that was not offered during our visit, understandably so. Hey, it just gives us an excuse to go back for the next special occasion! We did feel the special uniqueness as soon as we pulled up to the valet. The 1950s ambiance exudes from the red carpet the moment you step foot through the grand double doors. You really step onto a red carpet in the entry. The reception room, where they take your reservation details, is all aglow from the red wall sconces and the regal chandeliers. The hostess directs you to have a seat on one of the many red velvet chairs or Edwardian style couches or you may slip off to the bar and enjoy a cocktail. We sat and admired all the art and sculptures surrounding us. But it wasn’t long before a hostess came to escort us to our table. As she led us down to the dining quarters closest to the stairs of the dessert room, she asked if we were celebrating a special occasion…. Of course I announced it was our anniversary.
The pared down entree menu for coronavirus.
We were led to the nook where our dining area was, it was very spacious and very socially distanced. There was one couple finishing up & paying their bill and another couple just starting their salad course when we sat down, otherwise the room was very quiet and private. We received paper copies of the traditional menu and wine list and all of the servers and hostesses were wearing masks and gloves. A+ for covid-19 safety precautions!
Our server greeted us promptly and wished a happy anniversary and then proceeded to take our drink order. We ordered a couple of waters, a Jack and Coke for my husband and a Coke with a lime twist for myself. I don’t drink alcohol, I’m definitely a cheap date, except for tonight of course!
Our server brought back our drinks and asked if we had any questions about the menu. I told him that I did my research, refraining from letting him know I’m a food blogger/ reviewer and Yelper, he then replied there was no need for him to go over anything with me. I replied that I still wanted to hear what he had to say but I think he was a little annoyed with me and my Bern’s “research”! This was only one of 2 hiccups last night.
Hubby getting warmed up for dinner with his cocktail.
After much due diligence, my husband and I both ordered the 10 oz Filet Mignons, his medium rare and mine medium. Our server asked if we’d like garlic butter with our steaks in which we gleefully replied YES!!! All afternoon I anticipated adding the Bearnaise sauce to my filet but forgot about it until my steak arrived. The only reason I remembered is the steak seemed a little dry and in need of some salt & pepper and seasoning and I realized we had not gotten our garlic butter on our filet mignons. In hindsight, I wish I had asked our server for some salt or even would have liked having salt & pepper on the table. This was hiccup number two. Mind you these were minor hiccups, still a five-star evening! Our dinners included an amazing French onion soup served with garlic and honey wheat toasts, a fresh garden house salad with every added touch including avocados, hard boiled eggs, sprouts (through my research I found that they grow the sprouts directly in their kitchen!) and celery. The hardest decision of the evening was choosing a salad dressing!! I had heard amazing feedback regarding the macadamia vanilla bean vinaigrette and knowing that my husband’s not a salad eater and I would inherit his I decided to choose a different salad dressing and see which one I liked best. Our server kindly suggested the white balsamic Italian and it was an amazing selection, so tangy and satisfying with chunks of olives and garlic in it! But I have to say, my favorite of the 2 was the macadamia vanilla bean vinaigrette!!! It was a tough decision, reminiscent or Coke vs. Pepsi in the 80s, but the macadamia vanilla bean vinaigrette was the clear victor of the salad dressing competition! It sounds like a unique combination of ingredients for a vinegar based salad dressing but it works and worked well it did and it was so gratifying!! Our buttery soft filet mignon were cooked absolutely to perfection. There was a steak knife at our table but it was truly unnecessary for this meal. My only regret was not calling the server’s attention to the missing garlic butter or requisite salt but otherwise it had a great beefy flavor and well worth every penny that the 10 oz of quality beef cost us! I can’t forget to include the scrumptious loaded baked potato with sour cream, butter, chives and bacon bits as well as my husband’s favorite, the perfectly crispy onion straws. Like any good meal should have, there were fresh vegetables… citrusy carrots almondine and smokey green beans. All were the perfect compliment to the phenomenal filet! Of course we ordered larger portions than either of us could eat in one sitting so we brought half of our fillets home to our 19-year-old. He gobbled it up as if it was a Big Mac from McDonald’s, as soon as the take out container hit the table! I lovingly coached him on the fine art of savoring a good quality cut of beef! Insert sarcasm!
Expertly cooked medium Filet Mignon!
Once we settled our bill we were directed upstairs to the Harry Waugh Dessert Room where we had a reservation to finish our anniversary celebration.
We were immediately led to our private booth. Again I had done my research so I knew about the telephone and being able to request music but sadly on this evening, thanks to covid-19, there was a sign advising patrons not to use the phone. Our Dessert Room attendee left us with paper menus, which was a limited selection to their normal dessert offerings. After much deliberation my husband and I decided to choose something shareable so we went with the Brown Sugar. The Brown Sugar chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake, a cookies and cream ice cream sandwich and a warm Blondie. This was ordered to my husband’s liking because I was very much full from our dinner moments ago but how could we go to Burns for the first time and not enjoy the Dessert Room experience?! I also added a “Cafe Con Leche” Bern to enjoy with my dessert.
The recipe behind my husband provided for interesting conversation. We had to Google a few of the old English spellings!
When our server brought our mouth wateringly delectable dessert platter out, she also brought us a mini cookie dough truffle with a candle on it wishing us a happy anniversary! The speak easy ambiance of the Dessert Room is unlike any dining experience I have ever had! The Dessert Room was the exclamation point on the evening!!! The vibe alone of Bern’s was pleasurable to all five senses and worth every extra penny we may have paid to celebrate our anniversary in style!
When you are looking for something flavorful, savory and gratifying to your foodie soul, check out Al Madina in Brandon!
I’ve been there about a half dozen times now and have never been disappointed in their food, grocery store or super personable employees! I usually head over there for a take away lunch to bring home. I get there a little earlier that the hot food is ready, as an excuse to browse around this unique middle eastern specialty grocery.
I have several favorites at All Medina but usually stick with the (2) Chicken kabab lunch with rice, chopped salad and hummus. I sometime buy extra hummus, garlic sauce and their bakery fresh packaged pita. They always serve up a satisfying lunch! And they pack it well, still warm when I get home to eat and unbelievably flavorful!
This store is SPOTLESS! You can eat off their floor! I’ve never written that about a place I’ve purchased food from, ever! They have every spice you could ever need (including sumac and Za’taar!), Turkish delight, fresh hot pita & pickled grape leaves…. Such a treasure right here in Brandon! They are the only place I’ve seen, locally, that carries my favorite childhood treat… Joray Fruit Rolls! And they have Halavah, my mom & dad’s favorite (talk about bring back happy childhood memories!)!
My entire family fights over that warm fresh pita! There is usually nothing left in the plastic pita bag by the next day!
El Mirasol is my favorite Mexican food market in the area! It is the best kept secret in Plant City! Y’all should not be sleeping in this Mexican food lovers dream!!
They make fresh, in house corn and flour tortillas as well as chips. The standard package of corn tortillas are only $1.25. such a great deal especially when you can but fresh meat in their butcher section to create your own taco feast. I always buy the seasoned beef from the butcher case, it sauteed up nice and is already already perfectly seasoned.
They have a produce section full of exotic fresh goodies like cactus and zucchini flowers. I grabbed some lime and whole garlic during this trip. They have a wide array of Mexican candies, pinatas, spices, pots and pans, worship candles, authentic Mexican pastries and desserts!
I always grab something from their luncheonette, to go. Today I ordered 3 steak tacos – $3 each and 2 chicken tamales – $1.50 each, to bring home for lunch. It was so delicious and worthy of the struggle to get home fast enough to eat it!
I would consider this market a hidden gem right here in Hillsborough County and highly recommend it if you haven’t visited it yet. They are located in the same shopping center as Big Lots and Bealls Outlet at 1419 S Collins St, Plant City, FL 33563.
The Mongolian Beef and Beef Lo Mein Entrees at Win Win Asian Kitchen, Brandon Florida’s.
Lunch date with my friend after a shopping trip at Home Goods (which is close by!). I’ve been wanting to try Win Win Asian Kitchen for a while and was not disappointed! They’re owned by Liangs Bistro and Perry BBQ, so they have a great track record for good Asian food!
The restaurant was clean and the staff wore masks and were polite. They were patient and helpful, especially after we told them we needed a few minutes to look at the menu board above the register and decide what we wanted to eat. The cashier also offered us a paper menu for ease of reading but we didn’t neednit. Win Win is set up fast food style where you order at the cash register but you sit down with a table number and the staff brings you your food. There is an option to leave a tip when you pay, which I did and definitely recommend since somebody brings you your food and cleans up after you. There was an option to make your entree a combo and add a drink and starter like egg rolls, spring rolls or soup. My friend and I took the cashier up on the combo offer.
Well lit, easy to read menu boards. They also offer paper menus if you have trouble with the overhead menu.Clean and trendy dining room area open for dine in!Tables are marked off for social distancing.The new Pepsi soda machine with several varieties like the Coke Freestyle machine!
The food runner brought our soups out first. The wonton soup broth was light and savory, and the (2) wontons were hearty. I noticed a Iittle more ginger than normal but I think it added to the “light” taste. I had the beef lo mein as my entree. It was robust and bursting with flavor! The beef was tender and plentiful. My friend had the Mongolian beef with pork fried rice. She let me taste it, it was also very tender and flavorful! I will be ordering it the next time I eat here!
The Wonton soup.Mongolian beef and veggie fried rice.Beef lo mein.
I’ll attest to Win Win being a winner! It definitely lived up to the hype! Give them a try, they’re located next to Black Rock at 812 Providence Rd, Brandon, FL 33511.
Tampa Food Mom 