Tampa Food Mom

Happy Sunday All!

Last night my foodie friend and regular Rolling Pin date, and I finally took a Steakhouse Night Cooking Class we’ve been talking about for a year!! And if you’re not familiar with the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, in Brandon, cooking classes are either Hands-On or demo style. We always choose the demo style because it’s like being at a live taping of a TV Food Network cooking show and getting plates full of what the chef is making for the taping!

https://www.rollingpinonline.com/

My friend, Amarilis and I always review the online class menus the confer about which ones we like. we’re both pretty agreeable but there’s a few deal breakers for instance I’m not a seafood fan but our class last night had shrimp with the wedge salad I was okay with it because I know she enjoys it and I just slide the shrimp over to her. But I generally never pick Seafood classes. She’s not a huge dessert fan, so we don’t do the baking classes. But there is something for everyone, including Teas!

Check out the class schedule here : http://www.cookingschoolsofamerica.com/rollingpin/index.php?flag_menu_index=calendar_php

Last night, we had the pleasure of learning from Chef Dave for Steakhouse Cuisine! We had an incredible wedge salad with homemade ranch dressing (honestly that was the best ranch dressing I’d ever had!) with shrimp, grilled NY Strip Steak on the Big Green Egg with Bernaise sauce, cheesy potato casserole and ginger ale glazed carrots and chocolate walnut cake ala mode and housemade chocolate ganache for dessert!! The cost of your class includes unlimited house wine, beer, iced tea or water.

The entire menu was supurb! They make sure you have a printed copy of all of the evenings recipes to follow along and take home. Questions are welcomed throughout the class!

This was our first class with Chef Dave. Not only is he an excellent chef, he is hysterical and engaging! I loved his enthusiasm!!

If you’ve never attended a cooking class at the Rolling Pin, you’re missing out on a true dinner show!!

I also want to add that it’s a full gourmet kitchen store! Any hard to find kitchen gadgets, utensils, pans, paella pans, cast iron cookware, cake decorating items and spices… Are right here! Including pasta machines! They’re also a Big Green Egg dealer and have a huge selection as well as BGE accessories! They’ve got a large wine selection and even a cold case with fancy cheeses, salami’s and spreads to serve for a wine and cheese party! Keep in mind, you get 10% off your purchases the evening of your class! I grabbed some 00 flour I’d been looking for to make pasta and a wooden turner for the wok!

The staff is super helpful and uber knowledgeable. I’ve never seen them stumped, even when the lady in front of me at checkout wanted Za’taar!

Make sure you let Chef Dave know I sent you!

*I was not paid or compensated for this independent restaurant/ food review. I paid for this meal and experience as any customer would have.

Right now the world is slowly getting back to normal and it had me thinking (more like yearning) about a family road trip. The kind where you stop along the way and sample the best that community has to offer!

If you were on a one day food excursion, a road trip, if you will, and could choose a breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert spot in your hometown….

Which places would you choose and what would you order from there?!

I live in the suburbs of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida. We have a decent amount of diverse eateries. We also have several well known community staples. Not as many as Miami but Tampa has several hot spots offering it’s fair share of unique cuisine.

If you were road tripping through the area, maybe on the way through to Busch Gardens, the Port of Tampa or the beach, there are definitely several routes through the area, Highway 60, I-4 and I-75 to name the big three…

Breakfast is a necessary pitstop to start your trip off right! And a few miles South of Hwy 60 in Lithia, just off of Lithia Pinecrest Road, is a local favorite, the Brunchery. They also have a new location in Tampa. They have phenomenal warm muffins and griddle specialties.

Snack time! If you are traveling westbound on I-4, you definitely have to make a pit stop at Parkesdale market, a farm fresh fruit stand, for their infamous Strawberry Shortcake or strawberry milkshake!

Or you of you want a more substantial snack and you’re traveling west on Highway 60, there are a few roadside produce stands where you can grab hot boiled peanuts!

You could go further down I-4 and exit N 50th Street/ Columbus Dr (toward downtown Tampa) to visit the most iconic Cuban sandwich shop in all of Tampa, Brocatos Sandwich Shop, a Tampa staple since 1948! Grab a famous deviled crab while you’re there too! The perfect lunch spot!

Now that you’ve enjoyed breakfast, a couple of local snacks and lunch let’s get you to a great dinner spot….

Jesse’s Steak and Seafood in Brandon, Florida – also on Hwy 60. Established in 1980, still exudes the 80s classic local steakhouse charm. And the best prime rib special you’ll find in all of Hillsborough county! The prime rib dinner starts out with a warm bread loaf and butter, your choice of salad or soup and a juicy, well cooked, fabulously seasoned prime rib in au jus, with mushrooms served with creamy horseradish sauce and your choice of side. You definitely need to go with the loaded baked potato!

If you’re not too full from that remarkable prime rib dinner- you can end your road trip through eastern Hillsborough County with a great dessert stop at Campbell’s Dairy Land (I’m keeping you on Highway 60 at this point!). Located a few blocks off of Highway 60, on Parsons Avenue, you’ll find this longtime Brandon staple still exhibiting it’s vintage community charm. The vertical banana split is a popular treat but I enjoy the Reese’s cup sundae! You can’t go wrong with any frozen treats from there!

If your crew is more of the nightcap kinda group, we have a local winery off of I-4 in Plant City, Keel and Curly Winery. I don’t drink alcohol but have been there several times for other occasions. It’s a local winery with a wide range of menu items, event planning/ venue, UPick farm fresh produce, winery tours, live music, festivals, wine and beer samples.

I hope you found a good spot to rest for the night, you will definitely be ready to hit the sack after a food excursion through my neck of the woods!

Now it’s your turn… in my comment section, leave me your picks for a food road trip through your home town!!

I have been chomping at the bit for a pasta machine for a very long time! And the week before Mother’s Day, my oldest son asked if there was anything special I’d like him to get me for my gift. So I threw this idea out there… he was very successful making my pasta machine wish come true! In fact, he did great and chose a high quality, name brand machine. The machine didn’t arrive on Mother’s Day but he sent me a screenshot from the Bed Bath and Beyond site he ordered it from. Waiting only built my anticipation!

Now to find an easy, beginner pasta recipe…. Lucky you, I found one and have used it a few times, proving it’s simple to use and get phenomenal results!

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

• Measure out 3 cups of the flour onto a large cutting board.
• With your fingers, make a hole in the center of the flour creating a well. Add eggs one at a time and beat. Incorporate the olive oil into the eggs and begin gathering the flour from the well walls. I start this process with a sturdy fork and finish with my hands. Continue mixing the flour into the egg & oil mix until well incorporated, you may add more flour if it’s wet.
• Gather the dough and begin kneading with clean hands until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for about 10 minutes. The dough will resemble the texture of pie dough.
• Cover the pasta dough with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Cut and roll as desired.
• Note : Dough will last one day refridgerated.

To cook :

Boil for about 3-4 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Taste test for doneness. Serve immediately with your favorite sauce!

Bon Appetit

Rachel

My husband and I took the week off originally to celebrate our sons graduation from high school and achieving his AA degree from HCC. We planned on family being in town, which was unable to happen due to the coronavirus and graduation schedules changing. We decided to still keep our week off and relax at home with the kids as a staycation. We still had a lot to celebrate this week! And we definitely celebrated!

I started my week out, Sunday, by taking a drive and grabbing some pastry and the West Tampa staple, the cuban sandwich from La Teresita. I didn’t think call ahead, I ordered from the register at the takeout section in the back of the restaurant. It was a quick and easy process and it wasn’t too long before I had my crispy, meaty sandwich and was on my way. I decided to nibble on my sandwich in my car to take safety precautions. This sandwich was worth all the buttery crumbs left in my car, it was delish!

Tuesday, we had a doctor’s appointment to get my son’s last immunization to be able to register for classes at UCF. The doctor is pretty close to Panera, so I asked if he wanted to have an early lunch date with me…. I knew he would never refuse Panera! He ordered a buttered bagel, I had the broccoli cheddar soup with hot bread to rip off & drown in my soup and we got a loaf of sourdough bread to bring home. Their soup never disappoints & was definitely a great choice to enjoy some quality time with my son!

Tuesday evening we chose to dine at Hooters after we drove thru our 8th graders award ceremony at school. We found out that he was the 8th grade salutatorian, so there was surely a reason to celebrate! We knew Hooters offered shrimp on the menu, one of my kiddo’s favorite entrees to order when we go out, we chose to eat there. I will be honest and say that as much as I love Hooters traditional wings, they are very overpriced, especially for the quantity you get. It always takes forever to get your order and on this occasion our server never came back to check on us or even tell us our food would be out shortly. As much as I enjoyed my wings, I can honestly live without patronizing Hooters again.

My family went to Mission BBQ in Brandon to celebrate our seniors graduation parade on Wednesday night. As you can see I have no pictures to add showing our meals from Mission BBQ because they were not noteworthy. I ordered the smoked ribeye steak which was the Black Plate special. My husband and middle son ordered pulled pork sandwiches and my youngest had the turkey plate. My ribeye was completely raw in the center. Like purple raw. I brought it back up to the counter and the manager offered to replace it. I got the sliced brisket plate as a new entree. It was ok. Although I was disappointed to not get the ribeye I usually order there, the manager came over to me and stated he had it removed from my check. I was pleased with their generosity and great customer service. Another manager came by later and offered us a free dessert and handed me a gift card for a free sandwich meal. Wow! Great customer service definitely helps make an ordinary meal amazing! And they have pretty darn good fries!

My husband’s favorite Mexican spot is Mi Casa, either the Riverview or the Plant City location. Since he moved work locations, he hasn’t been able to stop there for lunch anymore. Eating here was his only request during our staycation week. I am torn between Sabor a Mexico in Brandon and Mi Casa as my favorite Mexican restaurants. They’re both have authentic Mexican American dishes, they’re equally amazing and satisfying to the palate! He loves the shredded beef burrito and I am a traditional taco LOVER… and Lord have mercy, I love a naked taco doused in fresh salsa! So pure and gratifying! Our server was great as always.

Yesterday, my friend Nancy, met me for lunch at Acropolis in the Shoppes at Winthrop in Riverview, for a lunch date. She left the decision up to me where to meet up and I thought Acropolis would be great for the ambience and I absolutely love the chicken souvlaki. Seemed like a slam dunk lunch decision! Our server came by a few times to take our order and was really a patient when we told him we weren’t ready to order yet… Nancy and I were enjoying to chat chatting too much! He did grab our drink order and set a dish of fresh tzatziki and warm pita at our table, which we enjoyed nibbling on as we gabbed! My friend chose the pork souvlaki and I ordered the chicken souvlaki. Both of our meals came with refreshing Greek salad and Greek fries with feta cheese. Nancy was on the fence with her pork skewers but I thoroughly disliked my chicken skewers. I barely ate one chicken piece and my friend explained to our server how I disliked it when he came to clear our plates. I explained it was very fatty and I was surprised it was dark meat. He told me that they changed their chicken skewers to dark meat and if you want white meat chicken, you have to request it. I said that would have been great seeing that on the menu. He brought it back to the kitchen and offered to prepare me the same entree but as white meat, to take back home with me. Again, great customer service saves an unsatisfying experience.

I was in Tampa early this morning for a graduation party I was hired to decorate for. Since I was on this side of town, I called my husband and asked if he wanted me to pick up Yummy House to bring back home for lunch. I knew he would not refuse my offer! Yummy House is, hands-down, our most favorite Chinese place to eat at! I called my order in as I was driving down Dale Mabry. I ordered our usual … honey sesame chicken, Mongolian beef and two orders of BBQ pork fried rice. My order was ready when I arrived. But it was the longest half hour drive home – smelling our phenomenal food in the back of my VW and controlling myself from pulling over and nibbling on a piece of the honey sesame chicken!! Have no fear, all of the food arrived home safely for me to share with hubby!

Since I was in the neighborhood and right around the corner from Alessi Bakery…. there was no way I could just get in my car and get on the highway without stopping in and grabbing some treats to bring home for the family! I don’t know what they were baking when I walked in but the aroma of cinnamon and caramel was divine! Pure heaven! I like that they display their specials on the bakery counter. I ordered 4 of the bogo mini eclairs, 2 traditional canolis, 2 cherry danishes and 1/2 pound of italian bitter cookies (mama’s favorite!). I’ll be honest, a few cookies didn’t make it home… They were too good to resist!

All in all, Mi Casa was the clear restaurant winner of the week!! 🏆🏆🏆 We had the best experience there. Service, value, overall taste and ambiance!!!

Get out and support your local economy!

Rachel

Earlier this week, my 19 year old son and I ventured out of the house for a change of scenery. I decided going out for ice cream would be a fun evening getaway! I’ve been reading about an ice cream shop in FishHawk called Uncle Louie G’s which originally started in New York. They serve hard ice cream, soft serve, Italian ice and pastry…. how could this new (to us) shop be anything but spectacular?! Spoiler alert, it was definitely spectacular!

When we walked into the extremely clean ice cream parlor we were greeted by several girls behind the counter, as well as the owner’s daughter. They were all very helpful and accommodating – offering a samples of any of the flavors we had questions about! I think I sampled six different ice cream flavors and Italian ices before I settled on my favorite, cherry with a dollop of vanilla soft serve! I had been eyeballing the Spumoni flavored Italian ice but went with my usual favorite! The cherry was a very unique ice, it had an overload (in a good way!) of Maraschino pieces throughout my serving. I’m used to the smooth Italian ices but it was a nice treat to get a cherry in every bite!! My son had orange creamsicle Italian ice with vanilla soft-serve throughout it!

They’re conveniently located along the main roadway, through the neighborhood areas of Fishhawk, 15280 Fishhawk Blvd, Lithia FL. It was a 20 minute drive for us, but I would gladly make the drive whenever we want to go out for ice cream in the future. Finding a friendly, clean, visually appealing, updated ice cream shop around here was a gem of a find! Fishhawk Pizza is also in the same plaza, talk about the perfect family night out…. pizza and ice cream!

Uncle Louie G’s also has an ice cream food truck that will visit your neighborhood if you call ahead or bring to your birthday party for hire! This is definitely not your Grandma’s ice cream truck!

Bon Appetit

Rachel

*I was not paid or compensated for this independent restaurant/ food review. I paid for this meal and experience as any customer would have

I am ready to welcome Taco Tuesday in a big way today! Enchiladas, chicken and beef tacos with yellow rice & refried beans on the menu tonight with lots of fresh, homemade salsa!

Salsa is one of the easiest and most gratifying “sauces” to make, it’s often overlooked when people look to challenge themselves in the kitchen. I often make this mistake as well.

This morning, I planned a quick trip to Publix to grab what I needed to make our tacos tonight and quickly added homemade salsa to the menu! I swung through the produce section and grabbed 3 ripe tomatoes on the vine, a bunch of cilantro, a jalapeno and a big red onion. (I had fresh garlic at home.)

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 1/3 red/ Spanish onion
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno
• 2 gloves fresh garlic
• 5-6 sprigs cilantro, leaves removed from stem
• pinch of sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

Let’s get started!

The first thing I did when I got home was to rinse the produce.

Then I put a pot of water to boil and made an “X” on the bottom of each tomato and boiled them for about 3-4 minutes to easily remove the skin. I drained the water and ran cold water over the toms for easier peeling.

I use about 1/3 of the red onion, 5-6 cilantro sprigs, 1/2 the jalapeno (remove the seeds for less heat) and 2 fresh garlic cloves. I roughly chop each item and then throw it all into my food processor and whiz around for a few pulses.

Add the peeled tomatoes, salt & pepper and pinch of sugar and pulse around another 5 times or until the salsa is to the consistency you like. I prefer my salsa to resemble a chuncky gazpacho!

Refrigerate until it’s well chilled and enjoy for the next several days. Perfect on tacos, quesadillas, nachos or just as a dip with salty tortilla chips!

Bon appetit!

Rachel

The first week of May has slowly crept upon us and commerce beginning to open back up, including restaurants and businesses, with limited capacity. I’ve struggled with needing to go to a few nationally owned chains or businesses, but then I reminded myself I’m still supporting my neighbors that work for those national companies. As much as I want to support small and locally owned businesses, I’m not going to beat myself up for needing to go to big box stores or chain restaurants.

This week I supported the following businesses in my community….

I visited Moreno Bakery, in Brandon, on Monday for my husband’s birthday treats. While I find it to be on the expensive side for the size of their bakery items (I have noticed the chocolate horn has been getting smaller and smaller the past 15 years), it’s the only Cuban/ Italian family-owned bakery in the Brandon area. So I find myself to be a captive audience. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy it I just wish there were more bakeries to choose from, locally.

I am a content home cook, but every once in a while, I also need a break. Eating somebody else’s cooking is always a treat for me. And since I’m pretty good at cooking almost any dish I find a recipe for, I am extremely picky when I do go to a restaurant or order takeout. My family and I love Pizza Haven in Brandon. We always get the “Gator Special” and opt for the garlic knots but this week we tried their wings. They weren’t as crispy as we’d like but that garlic parmesan butter made up for it and flavor. The special we always order includes 2 large one-topping pizzas, garlic knots or 8 wings and a 2 L of soda.

I was off yesterday so my 14 year old son and I got out of the house for a lunch date. We knew our chances of dining inside a restaurant would be slim since they were only able to seat at 25% capacity. And we didn’t really have a plan or anything in particular we wanted to eat so we just started driving west on Highway 60. We finally settled on Portillo’s and it ended up being a good choice. I got a burger and onion rings, my son had the chicken tenders and fries. We shared a large vanilla milkshake and by share, I mean I got about four sips! I brought home some shakes and lunch for my older two sons that stayed home to finish their video game. All in all, it was a decent lunch, definitely not the best burger I ever had but it was nice getting out and seeing different scenery. I like the 1930s Chicago mobster interior of portillo’s it’s unique and very eye-catching.

This morning I went out to Felton’s Meat Market, in Plant City, to purchase a beef rib roast to make prime rib for Mother’s Day. The market smelled a little bit cleaner than usual but it was also a little busier for 9 a.m then I recall it being during my past visits. But that’s probably because of the alleged “meat shortage” on the news. I will say I am very disappointed in Felton’s for two reasons. #1- the butcher had to cut a prime rib the size I needed and after he handed it to me, he turned back to get my attention again and tell me that the product of Mexico sticker was an error. The beef I was purchasing was actually USDA. It’s my experience that if it is USDA beef, it would be stated on the label and as you’ll see- it isn’t. I don’t really like being fibbed to or taken advantage of as a consumer. #2- I also had an incident with the cashier who didn’t like me using a covering on my hand (a plastic bag I had over the shopping cart handle) with the keypad. She immediately got defensive and said that she sanitizes her register area several times a day. If that was true then she would have wiped it down after I used it but instead, immediately rang up the next customer behind me. This may have been my last visit to Felton’s. We will see how my prime rib tastes tomorrow!

Before heading home from Plant City, I decided to drive through downtown and finally try a locally-owned coffee shop called Krazy Kup. It’s located in the parking lot across the street from Snellgroves. It has an adorable alleyway that is very reminiscent of Harry Potter. There were several wrought iron tables and chairs lining the alleyway with a takeout window for minimal contact ordering and receiving of your beverage & breakfast treats. A very pleasant woman, who I imagine was the owner, took my order. After browsing the drink menu, I decided on the London fog which is a milky Earl Grey beverage and a muffin. They have a few signs advising of their homemade pastry and muffins, how could I not try something?! She rattled off which muffins they had for today and I decided on the cappuccino chip, which was still warm when I got it, tender and absolutely perfect! I am kicking myself for waiting so long to finally try Krazy Kup and I will definitely be back!

Every other Saturday I go to Lone Oak Baptist Church in Plant City to pick up my produce co-op. Our co-op coordinator purchases all of the fresh vegetables and fruit on our behalf from CF Produce. This is some of the freshest produce I have had since living in the area, I am never disappointed!

And to round out my Saturday, I had a delivery of a dozen Mother’s Day cupcakes that I had ordered from the Suburban Baker. I follow her on Instagram, she’s located in Riverview and offered free delivery for the holiday weekend. I ordered a dozen- which consisted of six vanilla and six chocolate artfully decorated cupcakes! I can’t wait to try it tomorrow!

So there you go folks… a detailed list of how my family supported our local businesses and neighbors. Even if you’re socially distancing yourself still, please get out there and order from these restaurants and businesses!

Stay safe!

Rachel

Since we have been on “coronavirus lockdown”, our country has been in an economic crisis, especially our small, locally-owned businesses. I’ve made it my families goal to choose a few locally owned restaurants each week and support them with our business.

Today I’d like to share with you the businesses we supported this week and the delicious food/ dishes we enjoyed from each of our choices. Please note as you read, these were the prices that I paid as of the week ending May 3, 2020 – all prices are subject to change by the individual establishments.

Thursday night, I ordered the “2 protein/ 2 sides” family meal deal from Fred’s Southern Kitchen in Plant City. We haven’t eaten at Fred’s in a long time, we aren’t huge buffet fans. But I kept seeing Fred’s Facebook page with this incredible deal for only $30. I conferred with my husband and we agreed on the 8 pc fried chicken, the smoked pulled pork, mashed potatoes & gravy and green beans, it also came with four fluffy yeast rolls. We had enough left over for the next day for lunch! It was delicious and an amazing value. Disclaimer – I don’t know how long that special price will last, so if you’re reading this in the distant future you might want to call ahead before you get your heart set on that great meal deal!

https://www.fredsmarket.com/

We ordered the Friday night special from Pizza Rock in Brandon, a large 2 topping pizza, 10 wings and a 2 liter of soda for $28. I cannot eat at Pizza Rock without ordering the Marty salad – it’s phenomenal! So I added the salad as well. I called ahead, early, as I’ve been reading all over the internet that Pizza Rock’s been very popular – which is a good thing! When I pulled into the parking lot, one of the employees came out to confirm my order, take my payment and then bring me my food after a few minutes. It was super safe and very convenient.

http://pizzarockbrandon.com/

Hole in One Donuts, Brandon, just opened back up for business on Saturday May 2nd, so I made sure I was one of the first people in line to get my dozen! I was inside the donut shop by 9:30 and there was very limited donuts still available. But I still managed to get my family’s favorite donuts!!

Hole In One Donuts 923 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Brandon, FL 33511
(813) 436-0130

I’m really like the owner of Tasty Venues Italian Bistro! Chef Cinzia is an authentic Italian chef, right here in Brandon, who knows how to satisfy her clients tastebuds! She is a great human being with a wonderful outlook through all of this uncertainty. Last week I ordered a family meal from her and this week I ordered her risotto cooking class. I called ahead of time, midweek and paid over the phone. I picked it up on Saturday morning, the cooking instructions and all the ingredients were in a well prepared package and the cooking class link was sent to me on Sunday afternoon. I plan on making the risotto Tuesday night so stay tuned….

https://www.mytastyvenues.com/

My son and I were in the same plaza as Bubbaques BBQ on Saturday afternoon so we decided to run in and grab some lunch to bring home. We got two pulled pork sandwiches with a side and a soda each and a quarter white meat chicken meal with the fried corn for less than $29. This is my favorite barbecue place in Brandon by far! The chicken breast was perfectly smoked and tender & juicy. The fried corn on the cob is my favorite side there, if you’ve never had that you are missing out!

http://www.bubbaquesbbq.com/

Bon Appetit

Rachel

*I was not paid or compensated for these independent restaurant/ food reviews. I paid for my meals and experiences as any customer would have.

If you’re like me, you miss breaking bread with your family and friends right now. I was always a homebody but still enjoyed my freedom and always looked forward to meeting up with friends and family for a great meal, at one of our favorite local restaurants.

Of course I’m sensible and want everything to open back up when it is safe to do so. But it doesn’t stop me from missing out on one of the few things I enjoyed doing outside of my house.

So I went through myphones camera roll and found several pictures that put a smile on my face! I thought it would be a great idea to share them with all of you and tell you about my favorite meal or uniqueness of my dining experience that I shared with my special friends and well loved family!

My all time favorite salad, hands down, is the 1905 salad at the Columbia! I can’t even tell you how much I miss this salad! Seriously who misses a salad?! It’s made tableside and served with warm the locally-made Cuban bread and soft butter! My 14-year old loves their bacon wrapped shrimp!!! The ambiance is second to none! You feel as if you’re dining in a prominent restaurant on a busy calle in Barcelona. The Columbia Restaurant has been locally owned by the well known Gozmart family for decades and is a quintessential Tampa dining experience that you should not miss out on.

My monthly girls-night-out buddy, Star, had asked me to try Circles Waterfront Dining in Apollo Beach for several months. We finally ate there, in the beginning of the year, and I loved the ambience. The outside dining patio highlighted the phenomenal sunset view over the water! I highly recommend this restaurant solely for that view!!!

I love my local Mexican restaurant, Sabor a Mexico, in Brandon, for their tacos! I have no problem going there on my own for lunch when I have a day off and everybody else is at school or work but I more so enjoy it when I get some girlfriends together. What I love most is the $9.99 all-you-can-eat night (every Wednesday), this special includes tacos, quesadillas, flautas, to name a few!

My middle son and I enjoy going to Pizza Rock, in Brandon, for special lunch dates, just the two of us. His favorite is the garlic cheesy bread, we both share a pepperoni pizza (with leftovers for lunch the next day) and Mom’s favorite is the Marty salad. You cannot go to Pizza Rock and NOT get the Marty salad…. it is phenomenal!

A few years ago I discovered the very popular Sunday Morning Thai Food Fair @ Wat Mongkolratanaram in Palm River. Seeing is truly believing in this case! Who would think that a beautiful Buddhist temple in the middle of a well known neighborhood in Tampa would provide such a culinary hidden treasure? You can get at various Thai curries, elaborately decorated gelatin desserts, popular noodle bowls and even well curated orchid plants!

I’ve made it known several times, I’m not a chain restaurant fan, but Tijuana Flats was started in Florida so I’m going to count this as a locally owned restaurant. Last baseball season, they supported the Tampa Bay Rays by giving all fans a free taco lunch (as seen here being eaten by my friends and I) so it’s definitely a win-win. Support your local MLB team and a local restaurant chain at the same time.

I miss congregating at any coffee shop or tea house with my boys! They’re always great company and happy to jump up and go with me when the mood strikes, even if it’s 8 on a Tuesday night!!

One of my husband’s favorites is barbecue … Any BBQ. I think what he most enjoys is a simple and satisfying smoked turkey or pulled pork sandwich, between two pieces of thick garlic toast, and a heaping side of beans!

Bahama Buck’s opened near us, in Brandon, a little less than two years ago and has been our family’s favorite spot to grab an ice cold, refreshing, sweet treat! they have excellent customer service and the kids behind the counter are happy to let you sample the enormous variety of flavors they offer. They provide several board and card games to enjoy while you nibble on your sweet treat and make family memories! I am a cherry fan with vanilla ice cream on the bottom and sweetened condensed milk on top! To order it you’ll want to let the counter person know you want a Bahama Mama Rama!

If you love Berns Steakhouse and their amazing dessert room, you must try their affordable and trendy dessert ice cream shop, the Little Midway. It’s easy to find across the street (Howard Ave) from their flagship restaurant. This quaint dessert shop carries Burn’s famous macadamia nut ice cream and their banana cheese pie. It’s an extremely affordable version of Bern’s dessert room and a must-see when in Tampa!

No matter where I eat, as long as it brings me joy whether I’m there with my family or friends or whether I’m watching another table full of happy diners celebrating laughter and life with good food, community and love, I’m happy!

Don’t forget to call your local favorite restaurant to see if they offer curbside pick-up or delivery, so you can still support their business right now! It’s very important, at a time like this, that we support our community!

Bon Appetit

Rachel

Good morning and happy Monday friends and family… I say family because I am putting this recipe in writing because my boys have asked me to do that for them several times. Since you can’t ever anticipate that your “tomorrows” are guaranteed, I better get this recipe in the books while I’m thinking about it! 

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast – cut thin
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs (I always use Progresso brand)
• garlic salt & pepper
• Neutral oil for frying

Directions :

• Cut your boneless, skinless breasts into two or three pieces each. Place your chicken between two pieces of parchment paper, you can also slip it in a closed zip lock bag or between two pieces of plastic cling-wrap, pound thin with a meat mallet or rolling pin. How thin you pound it is totally up to you, my kids like it paper-thin so that the final cutlet is crispy. (Thicker pieces will need a longer cooking time)
• Prepare your three dipping stations, in three separate bowls or pie pans; a flour station, an egg wash (whisk your eggs and water in the bowl for the egg wash) station and the seasoned Italian bread crumbs station (add garlic salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs). I line up the bowls in the order I will be using them … 1) flour 2) egg 3) breadcrumb and then a platter to rest the breaded cutlets before frying.
• I always use my cast iron skillet for frying. Heat your cooking oil to a medium-high heat. This is just to get started, you will be lowering the temperature once your first batch goes in so that you don’t burn the outside, leaving the inside undercooked.
• Fry each cutlet until it’s golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
• Place the fried cutlets on a clean paper towel lined platter and sprinkle with salt.
• You can also make Chicken Parmesan once the cutlets have been fried: heat your oven to a low broil, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or the non stick side of foil, place your chicken cutlets, spoon on your favorite heated marinara sauce, top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, broil until the cheese bubbles. Keep a close eye on it so the cheese doesn’t burn!

I always serve my chicken cutlets with fresh sauteed garlic butter and one of my familys favorite green vegetable, usually green beans or peas.

I love you boys!

Mom