stevez wrote:I just got back from another trip to Tampa. I don't have much new to report other than the big Bern's scandal I posted about above. I revisited a few of the places that I've posted about before. Waltz-still a can't miss. Hugo's-still turning out great Cuban Sandwiches and even better pork sandwiches. Ted Peters-still going strong and serving the best key lime pie North of Key Largo (not to mention the smoked fish).
One classic place that I've never posted about is Frenchy's. Frenchy's is the classic on-the-beach grouper shack.
Man does not live on the east coast of South Florida alone.
On Seinfeld, Jack Klompas tells Jerry he has to "...drive Doris over to Naples" from Boca.
If that ever happens to any reader here, he would be well-served by taking Hwy. 41 west (runs parallel to Alligator Alley a few miles south) to Hwy. 29, then south about 10 miles to Everglades City for the freshest, biggest & most succulent stone crabs in the USA.
Grimm's Stonecrab, like many of the other stone crab establishments, sits on the shore of one of the inlets, and they do a brisk business selling three different sizes of stones to be eaten under the canopies at picnic tables. They're not cheap (usually in the teens per pound--enough stones to stuff four people runs me ~$70) but with their famous honey mustard sauce, it's a combination hard to beat. Yum. To go, there's a Circle K around the corner with cheap styrofoam coolers & plenty o'ice.
I have to drive from Tampa once a year to visit a client in Miami, and a quick visit to Grimm's really paves the way for good conversation and eventually, sales.
Don't miss it in season, between October 15 & May 15.
Grimm's Stone Crab, Inc.
205 Copeland Ave. N.
Everglades City, FL 34139
(239) 695-3222
JeffB wrote:The better seafood places are on or near the beach, so not particularly convenient from 75. The places in Ybor for Cubans, Devil Crabs (NOT deviled, and not crab cakes), garbanzos and cafe con leche are all just a short hop down I-4 and then back to 75.
......
Tropicana will sell you frozen devil crabs. Brocato's too, most likely (don't know for sure). You will need to deep fry them, or at least pan fry in an inch of oil.
.........
I'd go up to Frenchy's for the view and grouper if you don't mind the sometimes tedious drive up the beach, but Waltz is basically across from TI at John's Pass. Keegan's has the most interesting menu (especially for FL on the beach) but it's on a side street in a neighborhood off the beach. No view. Ted Peter's is a destination and on the mainland right next to the bridge to the beach at TI. Skyway Jack's is right off of 275 north of the Skyway bridge, which is one of America's most spectacular and underappreciated. I'd suggest that you come back up that way to go to the beach. It is not much out of the way compared to 75 on the way down, but it will actually save some minutes on the way up.
jnm123 wrote:Sea Critters is right across the street from Gennaro's, which maybe 20 years ago was a single storefront & quite good Italian, dirt cheap. Still there?
heading down to Tampa this weekend for business/leisure. Business dinner at Columbia, can't wait.Cynthia wrote:In Tampa, a trip to Columbia was a necessity, not having been there in at least 30 years. Oldest restaurant in Florida, at 110 years -- and just as beautiful as I remembered, and just as good. The new revelation was Ulele -- a restaurant that focuses on ingredients found in early Florida, but prepared with modern sophistication. Adored the alligator hush puppies, lobster cakes were great, and garlic bathed oysters were beyond amazing.
http://www.ulele.com/
Sweet Willie wrote:heading down to Tampa this weekend for business/leisure. Business dinner at Columbia, can't wait.
I looked at the menu for Ulele as I was intrigued by your description of garlic bathed oysters. I didn't see that on the menu but did chargrilled oysters.
JeffB wrote: it is the intersection of cultures in Tampa and the essentially local product. Day old bread and the ugly pickings of blue crab.
Is there generally less of a crowd at Brocato's http://brocatossandwich.com/ on weekdays or Saturday?JeffB wrote:Brocato's is a safe bet due to the quality of the product and high turnover.
Sweet Willie wrote:Is there generally less of a crowd at Brocato's http://brocatossandwich.com/ on weekdays or Saturday?
JeffB wrote:Tropicana was always a solid option for garbanzos and house made crabs too. My last visit wasn't that great but it could've been an off day.
JeffB wrote:Alessi is always good. The goofy Alessi imports commercials are in heavy rotation on the food channels these days. I tell my kids I know those guys from the old neighborhood bakery. I believe they also have the Vigo brand of Spanish stuff. I wonder if Alessi is still promoting boxing. A very entrepreneurial Siciilian/Cuban/Spanish outfit.
boudreaulicious wrote:Sweet Willie wrote:Is there generally less of a crowd at Brocato's http://brocatossandwich.com/ on weekdays or Saturday?
In my experience, there is no time when Brocato's isn't a zoo, though certainly avoiding prime lunch time would be helpful.
JeffB wrote:All I can tell you for sure is that it's crowded for weekday lunch, which is generally the only time I've been.
JeffB wrote:Well, like anything else there are better and worse versions of Devil Crab. You didn't happen to mention the source of your single experience with them before affirmatively advising everyone not to waste their time. So to balance that out, I'm emploring all Tampa visitors to eat Devil Crabs (with Crystal hot sauce and a bowl of garbanzos ideally) and report back.
And, to be fair, all of the Cuban/Puerto Rican fried snacks - empanadas, croquetas, papas rellenas, yucas rellenas, etc. go from sublime to sodden quickly. They need to start out well and be handled properly. That isn't often enough the case. Brocato's is a safe bet due to the quality of the product and high turnover.