HUE is a restaurant located in downtown Orlando at the corner of East Central Avenue and North Summerlin Avenue.
The website describes all of the awards and accolades that they have been awarded in years past.
It is visually appealing due to the 20-foot ceilings and the Minimalist style interior design.
It was on a Monday early evening and the place was relatively empty. Paul was our waiter through-out the meal and he was very cordial and attentive to our needs.
We started the appetizer course with a bottle of the Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuisse. (Very good)
The first course consisted of Shrimp Cocktail Ceviche and the Tuna Tartare.
The tuna was very good and was served with avocado and a carrot-cucumber slaw with sesame ginger vinaigrette.
The shrimp on the other hand was tough and unappealing and not anything like a true ceviche.
Why on earth they would poach the shrimp to serve as a ceviche is a mystery.
Next came the Golden Lobster Bisque. I asked why it was termed "golden" and the response was that it contained yellow heirloom tomatoes. The soup was of the right consistency and tasted
very good.
For the main course we ordered the Pan Seared Grouper and the Roasted Lamb accompanied by a bottle of Freemark Abbey Chardonnay 2007. (Excellent)
The Grouper was perfectly cooked but it was flavorless. So was the accompanying Cous Cous.
That was a total waste of $28.
The Roasted Lamb though, was delicious. It was rolled in Prosciutto and stuffed with cream cheese and caramelized garlic and served over a bed of green lentils and root vegetables.
We checked out the deserts menu but did not find anything that demanded any further investigation.
We had hoped that HUE would be an exceptionally excellent restaurant.
It was not, but it was very good. Hue merits 3-Forks
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Birthday Dinner at Ruth's Chris - 11-06-08
A few days ago, we celebrated my Birthday, at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Lake Mary, and it was delicious.
I have been a fan of Ruth's Chris for many years but had not visited them in a while, so this was a welcomed treat. This was Ken's first visit.
The Lake Mary location has very upscale interiors with high ceilings and tasteful decor.
Our sever was very pleasant and helpful. She handed us our menus and explained how the side dishes are good enough for two persons.
With that in mind we went ahead and placed our drink order
We started with a couple of Gray Goose and sodas while we looked at the menu.
For starters we ordered an onion soup and a lobster bisque. Both of these were delicious.
Then came the feast for the evening; The Cowboy Ribeye which was cooked perfectly as we requested, medium rare. We ordered and shared a side each of mashed potatoes and cream of spinach. The side as well as the steaks were very tasty and delicious.
We had a Five Bars, Granite Belt, Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia with our meal which was excellent.
We really enjoyed our dinner and will be back for more. We give Ruth's Chris..........4-Forks.
I have been a fan of Ruth's Chris for many years but had not visited them in a while, so this was a welcomed treat. This was Ken's first visit.
The Lake Mary location has very upscale interiors with high ceilings and tasteful decor.
Our sever was very pleasant and helpful. She handed us our menus and explained how the side dishes are good enough for two persons.
With that in mind we went ahead and placed our drink order
We started with a couple of Gray Goose and sodas while we looked at the menu.
For starters we ordered an onion soup and a lobster bisque. Both of these were delicious.
Then came the feast for the evening; The Cowboy Ribeye which was cooked perfectly as we requested, medium rare. We ordered and shared a side each of mashed potatoes and cream of spinach. The side as well as the steaks were very tasty and delicious.
We had a Five Bars, Granite Belt, Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia with our meal which was excellent.
We really enjoyed our dinner and will be back for more. We give Ruth's Chris..........4-Forks.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Adora Inn Presents Dutch Henry Winery Wine Maker's Dinner
This is our second visit in as many months to the Adora Inn and again we had a very enjoyable experience.
The theme for this dinner was the wines of Dutch Henry Winery in California. Gary Kohler was there as the wine maker's representative from the winery who also treated us to his accomplished dulcet notes on the acoustic guitar.
The weather was perfect Sunday afternoon, so the welcoming reception was held out on the lawn of the Adora Inn.
The appetizers were our favorite course. They offered: 1) grilled shrimp wrapped in pancetta ham and sweet red bell pepper skewered on a sprig of Rosemary covered in a spicy warm vinaigrette, and 2) filo pastry filled with zucchini and feta cheese. We had several of each and really enjoyed them. These were served with a Dutch Henry Rose which was good but not a red-wine drinker's first choice.
The first course was served promptly at 6:30 PM inside the Inn. This was the Pumpkin Soup.
It was very good but I would have preferred it a little more velvety. The Rose wine also accompanied the soup.
The 2nd course was an Avocado salad with tomatoes and greens dressed in a mustard vinaigrette. The salad was good but ordinary. It was served with a Dutch Henry Pinot Noir which we considered to be good.
The main course was a Grilled Rib eye with sauteed wild mushrooms, broccoli and Parmesan Brown Rice. This was really good. We both enjoyed it. The beef was served with a Dutch Henry Argos which was excellent.
The desert was an flour less chocolate cake that had the consistency of chocolate fudge dressed with a dab of cream and raspberry sauce. The desert was accompanied by a Uruguayan desert wine, Alcyone. Both the wine and the desert were too sweet and were not as enjoyable as they could have been.
The food and the wine, although primary components of these get togethers, are not the only consideration. The people that we have met during our two visits have been very nice and we look forward to their company at future wine dinners. At our table last night we met Bill and Marijane, Si and Angela, and . We also saw others that we had met the fist time we were there: Kevin, David and Terry. By networking with these new friends, we can get to know more about wines and local eateries that sponsor wine dinners.
Our hosts, Arthur and John were very gracious and accommodating as usual.
We look forward to our next Adora Inn Dinner on November 16th. This is another wine maker's dinner so it should be a good one.
We give the Dutch Henry Winery Wine Maker's Dinner at the Adora Inn.......4-Forks.
The theme for this dinner was the wines of Dutch Henry Winery in California. Gary Kohler was there as the wine maker's representative from the winery who also treated us to his accomplished dulcet notes on the acoustic guitar.
The weather was perfect Sunday afternoon, so the welcoming reception was held out on the lawn of the Adora Inn.
The appetizers were our favorite course. They offered: 1) grilled shrimp wrapped in pancetta ham and sweet red bell pepper skewered on a sprig of Rosemary covered in a spicy warm vinaigrette, and 2) filo pastry filled with zucchini and feta cheese. We had several of each and really enjoyed them. These were served with a Dutch Henry Rose which was good but not a red-wine drinker's first choice.
The first course was served promptly at 6:30 PM inside the Inn. This was the Pumpkin Soup.
It was very good but I would have preferred it a little more velvety. The Rose wine also accompanied the soup.
The 2nd course was an Avocado salad with tomatoes and greens dressed in a mustard vinaigrette. The salad was good but ordinary. It was served with a Dutch Henry Pinot Noir which we considered to be good.
The main course was a Grilled Rib eye with sauteed wild mushrooms, broccoli and Parmesan Brown Rice. This was really good. We both enjoyed it. The beef was served with a Dutch Henry Argos which was excellent.
The desert was an flour less chocolate cake that had the consistency of chocolate fudge dressed with a dab of cream and raspberry sauce. The desert was accompanied by a Uruguayan desert wine, Alcyone. Both the wine and the desert were too sweet and were not as enjoyable as they could have been.
The food and the wine, although primary components of these get togethers, are not the only consideration. The people that we have met during our two visits have been very nice and we look forward to their company at future wine dinners. At our table last night we met Bill and Marijane, Si and Angela, and . We also saw others that we had met the fist time we were there: Kevin, David and Terry. By networking with these new friends, we can get to know more about wines and local eateries that sponsor wine dinners.
Our hosts, Arthur and John were very gracious and accommodating as usual.
We look forward to our next Adora Inn Dinner on November 16th. This is another wine maker's dinner so it should be a good one.
We give the Dutch Henry Winery Wine Maker's Dinner at the Adora Inn.......4-Forks.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Ken's Birthday Dinner - Del Frisco's, Orlando - 2008
Last Friday night was Ken's birthday and dinner was planned at Del Frisco's, Orlando.
That is one of my favorite restaurants and my favorite steakhouse in Florida.
The entrance has recently been redone to provide more room for the large banquets that they accommodate.
I am partial to the way it was but they had to do it to improve the pre-function area.
However they left the original bar and restaurant intact. With its beautiful mahogany walls and bar, this is what a typical upscale steakhouse should look like.
We were made comfortable from the moment we arrived. On the way to our table we saw Dan Colgan, the Sommelier and asked him to come see us when he had a chance.
We were seated in one of the signature red leather booths and were handed our menus.
Were served water immediately and told that our server would be with us shortly.
A very pretty young lady named Taryn introduced herself and said that she would be helping us with our orders for the evening. She was very courteous and pleasant and this set the tone for a great meal to come.
We ordered a Campari on the rocks and an Absolut and soda to start things off.
We were in no hurry so we decided to enjoy a leisurely gourmet experience. We would only order one course at a time which gave us time to savor our food and wine.
For the first course we shared: the Shrimp Sampler Platter (This was made up of two of each creole and marinated shrimps) and The Shrimp Scampi. (Three shrimp in a garlic and olive oil sauce) The shrimp were large, tender, and delicious. Dan helped us select an excellent half-bottle of Chardonnay; Overlook by Landmark 2006 to accompany this wonderful appetizer.
This was followed by the soup course. We both ordered the Lobster Bisque. The bisque was velvety, rich and full of small lobster bits at the bottom of the bowl. We love lobster bisque and have become quite the connoisseurs of this dish. We liked this version very much, it lacked a little bit of tarragon and brandy. We decided to stick with the Chardonnay with the bisque and ordered another half bottle. The wine was excellent.
For our entrees we ordered the 8oz Filet Mignon Oscar and the Osso Bucco.
The filet was requested "black and blue" and it was served just that way. This refers to the steak being charred on the outside and red but warm on the inside. It is also referred to as being "Pittsburg Style". The Oscar dressing was requested on the side. This was made up of delicious lumps of fresh crab served with asparagus in a Hollandaise sauce. The steak and the sauce were both spectacular.
The Osso Bucco (Braised Veal Shank) was also excellent. It was a generous, falling-of-the-bone tender dish, filled with aromatic spices in a tomato sauce ragu. It was delicious. This was served with a side dish of Angel Hair pasta with a Bolognese sauce.
For accompaniments, we ordered the Skillet Potatoes (a beautiful arranged rosette of sliced potatoes that had been baked semi-crispy topped with caramelized sauteed onions) and the Corn.
The portions were enormous. In fact next time we will probably only have one side dish.
The wine for the beef dishes was a new arrival at Del Frisco's; a Volnay, Betouset/Prieser 2004 from France. The first half-bottle he opened was not right, so Dan took it back and brought us another. I liked it , but Ken and Dan thought it was a little "light" for a 2004 so he didnt charge us, because he was returning all bottles of this wine back to the supplier, but allow me to finish it. For Ken, he then brought a Sonoma County 2005 Zinfandel by Blockhedia Ringnosh. I didn't care for that one, so Dan brought me a glass of the premium, house Pinot Noir and it was delicious.
I have learned a lot about wines lately and that is, that it is more important to remember the region where they come from than the actual vineyard that produced it. The vineyards come and go if they are small, but the region maintains the same type of soil and climate that gives a grape variety its unique flavor. Most restaurants like to promote obscure vineyards because they can get maximum profit on their sale.
I am glad we know the wine Stuarts at the restaurants we enjoy. But the lesson learned here is that if the wine doesn't taste right to you, send it back, after the first sip. Chances are that it is bad.
We skipped desert for obvious reasons, and after two hours of fine dining, we ask for our check.
Please note that we had private transportation arrangements for the evening and that we would never drive after drinking alcoholic beverages. We encourage you to do the same.
We called Terry, our driver, before we left our table and he pulled the car around to the front and was waiting for us when we exited through the front doors. Terry is with Terry's VIP Transportation and he can be reached at 407-592-3307 or at terrysvip@cfl.rr.com
We loved the food at Del Frisco's and we rate it..............4.25-Forks and we rate the whole experience of the evening.......................4.75 Forks.
Now that dinner was behind us, we were off to Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island.
(Please see our Trips Sections on this blog)
As always, thank you for visiting our little bit of cyberspace.
Ken and Len
http://www.delfriscosorlando.com/
That is one of my favorite restaurants and my favorite steakhouse in Florida.
The entrance has recently been redone to provide more room for the large banquets that they accommodate.
I am partial to the way it was but they had to do it to improve the pre-function area.
However they left the original bar and restaurant intact. With its beautiful mahogany walls and bar, this is what a typical upscale steakhouse should look like.
We were made comfortable from the moment we arrived. On the way to our table we saw Dan Colgan, the Sommelier and asked him to come see us when he had a chance.
We were seated in one of the signature red leather booths and were handed our menus.
Were served water immediately and told that our server would be with us shortly.
A very pretty young lady named Taryn introduced herself and said that she would be helping us with our orders for the evening. She was very courteous and pleasant and this set the tone for a great meal to come.
We ordered a Campari on the rocks and an Absolut and soda to start things off.
We were in no hurry so we decided to enjoy a leisurely gourmet experience. We would only order one course at a time which gave us time to savor our food and wine.
For the first course we shared: the Shrimp Sampler Platter (This was made up of two of each creole and marinated shrimps) and The Shrimp Scampi. (Three shrimp in a garlic and olive oil sauce) The shrimp were large, tender, and delicious. Dan helped us select an excellent half-bottle of Chardonnay; Overlook by Landmark 2006 to accompany this wonderful appetizer.
This was followed by the soup course. We both ordered the Lobster Bisque. The bisque was velvety, rich and full of small lobster bits at the bottom of the bowl. We love lobster bisque and have become quite the connoisseurs of this dish. We liked this version very much, it lacked a little bit of tarragon and brandy. We decided to stick with the Chardonnay with the bisque and ordered another half bottle. The wine was excellent.
For our entrees we ordered the 8oz Filet Mignon Oscar and the Osso Bucco.
The filet was requested "black and blue" and it was served just that way. This refers to the steak being charred on the outside and red but warm on the inside. It is also referred to as being "Pittsburg Style". The Oscar dressing was requested on the side. This was made up of delicious lumps of fresh crab served with asparagus in a Hollandaise sauce. The steak and the sauce were both spectacular.
The Osso Bucco (Braised Veal Shank) was also excellent. It was a generous, falling-of-the-bone tender dish, filled with aromatic spices in a tomato sauce ragu. It was delicious. This was served with a side dish of Angel Hair pasta with a Bolognese sauce.
For accompaniments, we ordered the Skillet Potatoes (a beautiful arranged rosette of sliced potatoes that had been baked semi-crispy topped with caramelized sauteed onions) and the Corn.
The portions were enormous. In fact next time we will probably only have one side dish.
The wine for the beef dishes was a new arrival at Del Frisco's; a Volnay, Betouset/Prieser 2004 from France. The first half-bottle he opened was not right, so Dan took it back and brought us another. I liked it , but Ken and Dan thought it was a little "light" for a 2004 so he didnt charge us, because he was returning all bottles of this wine back to the supplier, but allow me to finish it. For Ken, he then brought a Sonoma County 2005 Zinfandel by Blockhedia Ringnosh. I didn't care for that one, so Dan brought me a glass of the premium, house Pinot Noir and it was delicious.
I have learned a lot about wines lately and that is, that it is more important to remember the region where they come from than the actual vineyard that produced it. The vineyards come and go if they are small, but the region maintains the same type of soil and climate that gives a grape variety its unique flavor. Most restaurants like to promote obscure vineyards because they can get maximum profit on their sale.
I am glad we know the wine Stuarts at the restaurants we enjoy. But the lesson learned here is that if the wine doesn't taste right to you, send it back, after the first sip. Chances are that it is bad.
We skipped desert for obvious reasons, and after two hours of fine dining, we ask for our check.
Please note that we had private transportation arrangements for the evening and that we would never drive after drinking alcoholic beverages. We encourage you to do the same.
We called Terry, our driver, before we left our table and he pulled the car around to the front and was waiting for us when we exited through the front doors. Terry is with Terry's VIP Transportation and he can be reached at 407-592-3307 or at terrysvip@cfl.rr.com
We loved the food at Del Frisco's and we rate it..............4.25-Forks and we rate the whole experience of the evening.......................4.75 Forks.
Now that dinner was behind us, we were off to Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island.
(Please see our Trips Sections on this blog)
As always, thank you for visiting our little bit of cyberspace.
Ken and Len
http://www.delfriscosorlando.com/
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Dining Provencal at the Adora Inn, Mt Dora
We met Nancy and Dan of the Wine Cellar in Mt. Dora (a wine shop with a smaller store also in Apopka) over a year ago. They were the first to tell us of the themed wine dinners held at The Adora Inn in Mt. Dora once a month.
The Adora Inn is a Bed and Breakfast located in the Patterson-Hague House (named to honor its builder in 1916 and its longest resident respectively).
I wanted to kick off Ken's birthday week so I made reservations to eat there this past Sunday. The theme for that dinner was French Provincial. This was to be a 5-course gourmet dinner where each course was accompanied by the appropriate wine.
We got to Mt. Dora a little early, so we stopped off for a before dinner drink at The Viking Lounge where their motto is "Take a Liking to a Viking". This is a friendly little neighborhood pub in the heart of downtown Mt Dora. A nice little place to meet friends for a drink. We kept an eye on the time and left soon after arriving because of our previous commitment
We arrived at The Adora Inn and we were warmly welcomed by one of the two owners, John Cataldo.
We were the first to arrive but during the next 10 minutes the remaining guests (26 total) made their entrance.
We met several of the dinner guests including the owners of the Blue Heron Inn (Marge and Randy) and the Mt. Dora Historic Inn (Jim and Ana and his parents)
Of course Nancy from the Wine Cellar was there as the wine hostess. She was assisted by a wine vendor, born in France, who provided the wines named Pascal.
All of the persons we met were charming and delightful.
While we mingled they served a wonderful Pissaladiere ( an anchovy and onion tart) that was delicious. The tart was accompanied by Ramon Canals Canals Cava Brut Champagne. The champagne complimented the tart beautifully, although I prefer the drier brut imperial when available. Of course we had seconds of both.
We were seated promptly at 6:30 PM and Pascal introduced the wines we would be having and made us a little more knowledgeable of what was to come.
The first course was a Sweet Roasted Bell Peppers served with olives and chard. A simple but tasty dish accompanied by a Cotes du Provence Rose 2007 which was perfect for the delicate tastes of the roasted peppers.
The fish course was Salt Cod and Cream Pie. This was an unusual pairing of fish and cream but it worked very well. I think it would have been tastier had the pie been warmer but having to serve 26 people at the same time creates some logistic restrictions and we had to sacrifice the temperature of the dish. It was very good nevertheless.
This was surprisingly served with a Cabernet Sauvignon by Valvitis. The paring was excellent since the fish was so strong that the red wine complimented it beautifully. Delicious combination.
The beef course was the Baked Lamb Shank with New Potatoes and Ratatouille. The lamb was falling-of-the-bone tender. It was delicious although it could have been a little more savory. This was paired by a Chateau Du Luc Corbieres. The wine was great with this dish and the dish better because of the wine.
Desert was a chocolate mouse with raspberries that was excellent. This was accompanied by the Cave de L'Etiole Banuyis Rimage. This was a perfect sweet wine for the desert. Almost like a Porto but not quite as sweet.
Overall, dinner, the wine, the service and the ambiance was very good. We enjoyed it so well that we look forward in attending their next Wine and Dine function on the 26th of October where the theme will be, "Wine Maker's Dinner"
We enjoyed the Adora Inn very much and we give it..............4-Stars.
The Adora Inn is a Bed and Breakfast located in the Patterson-Hague House (named to honor its builder in 1916 and its longest resident respectively).
I wanted to kick off Ken's birthday week so I made reservations to eat there this past Sunday. The theme for that dinner was French Provincial. This was to be a 5-course gourmet dinner where each course was accompanied by the appropriate wine.
We got to Mt. Dora a little early, so we stopped off for a before dinner drink at The Viking Lounge where their motto is "Take a Liking to a Viking". This is a friendly little neighborhood pub in the heart of downtown Mt Dora. A nice little place to meet friends for a drink. We kept an eye on the time and left soon after arriving because of our previous commitment
We arrived at The Adora Inn and we were warmly welcomed by one of the two owners, John Cataldo.
We were the first to arrive but during the next 10 minutes the remaining guests (26 total) made their entrance.
We met several of the dinner guests including the owners of the Blue Heron Inn (Marge and Randy) and the Mt. Dora Historic Inn (Jim and Ana and his parents)
Of course Nancy from the Wine Cellar was there as the wine hostess. She was assisted by a wine vendor, born in France, who provided the wines named Pascal.
All of the persons we met were charming and delightful.
While we mingled they served a wonderful Pissaladiere ( an anchovy and onion tart) that was delicious. The tart was accompanied by Ramon Canals Canals Cava Brut Champagne. The champagne complimented the tart beautifully, although I prefer the drier brut imperial when available. Of course we had seconds of both.
We were seated promptly at 6:30 PM and Pascal introduced the wines we would be having and made us a little more knowledgeable of what was to come.
The first course was a Sweet Roasted Bell Peppers served with olives and chard. A simple but tasty dish accompanied by a Cotes du Provence Rose 2007 which was perfect for the delicate tastes of the roasted peppers.
The fish course was Salt Cod and Cream Pie. This was an unusual pairing of fish and cream but it worked very well. I think it would have been tastier had the pie been warmer but having to serve 26 people at the same time creates some logistic restrictions and we had to sacrifice the temperature of the dish. It was very good nevertheless.
This was surprisingly served with a Cabernet Sauvignon by Valvitis. The paring was excellent since the fish was so strong that the red wine complimented it beautifully. Delicious combination.
The beef course was the Baked Lamb Shank with New Potatoes and Ratatouille. The lamb was falling-of-the-bone tender. It was delicious although it could have been a little more savory. This was paired by a Chateau Du Luc Corbieres. The wine was great with this dish and the dish better because of the wine.
Desert was a chocolate mouse with raspberries that was excellent. This was accompanied by the Cave de L'Etiole Banuyis Rimage. This was a perfect sweet wine for the desert. Almost like a Porto but not quite as sweet.
Overall, dinner, the wine, the service and the ambiance was very good. We enjoyed it so well that we look forward in attending their next Wine and Dine function on the 26th of October where the theme will be, "Wine Maker's Dinner"
We enjoyed the Adora Inn very much and we give it..............4-Stars.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Labor Day Weekend 2008 - Eating Out in Flagler County
Friday Night - Late night meal at Blue at the Topaz Hotel
We were here during the Memorial Day weekend and we liked it well enough to return tonight for a late night snack. (Plus it was convenient since we were staying on property) All we wanted was an appetizer or two and a glass of wine.
The appetizer specials that night included the Escargot in olive oil and garlic and the Stuffed Shrimp Oscar with asparagus in Hollandaise sauce.
We ordered one of each and enjoyed them with a glass of the house chardonnay. The appetizers were both delicious and the wine was very nice.
We felt like we could eat a little more so we ordered a bowl of the Black Bean Tequila Lime Soup topped with shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack cheeses, red onions and sour cream and a bowl of the Creamy, Rich, Lobster Bisque with a hint of Tarragon and Brandy flavors. The Black Bean soup was good but not as good as we make it at home. The Lobster Bisque on the other hand was very good, although a few pieces of lobster would have enhanced the texture.
Blue is a great restaurant in the sleepy beach town resort of Flagler Beach. We are glad to have found it.
We give this visit at Blue..........................................................3.5-Forks
Saturday Morning - Brunch at La Piazza Cafe
This restaurant is located at the European Village Resort in Palm Coast, Florida just 8 miles north from Flagler Beach.
It is a small restaurant with only 6 tables indoors and 10 tables outside. It is simply yet handsomely decorated.
We liked it from the moment we walked in.
We ordered flavored champagne cocktails during our Brunch; First round we had an Apricot/Peach and a Mango; then we had the Blue berry/Pomegranate and another Apricot/Peach.
The drinks were trendy but good.
We ordered the Papa Frittata, with eggs, potatoes, sausage and Swiss cheese and the Eggs Florentine, with spinach in garlic and olive oil. We also enjoyed the fried Prosciutto ham, the crusty Italian bread and we shared an ordered of pancakes with syrup.
The food was delicious and the service was gracious, courteous and prompt.
We loved La Piazza Cafe and we give it...........................................................4-forks.
Saturday Night - Dinner at Flagler Fish Company
Flagler Fish Company is a very popular restaurant because of the delicious fresh fish that they serve. This was our second time there, because we liked it so well the first time.
It is simply decorated and fresh fish is visible on ice in refrigerated display coolers.
The place is casual, with about 12 tables very tightly packed in a small space, making your nearby diners more intimate than you would otherwise prefer.
As always there was a long wait to get a table at 8:00 PM. We were told that we would be seated in 45 minutes. Normally people wait outside on high-top tables having a glass of wine. These tables were also full.
We didn't want to wait sitting on the hood of our car with the evening's lingering humidity, so we decided to go next door to an Italian Restaurant named Giuseppe's.
We were seated, reviewed the menu, and decided that we would have appetizers here then go back to get our table next door at FFC in 45 minutes.
We ordered the Shrimp-ka-bobs and a glass of white wine. The shrimp and the wine were both good and the service was excellent and timely. At 8:45PM we went back next door and our table was made ready and we sat down to enjoy a great seafood dinner.
We give Giuseppe's............................................2.5-Forks
Back at FFC, we each ordered the Creamy Lobster Bisque for starters which was very good.
We also ate some of the complementary fish dip and home made potato chips although we felt it was not as delicious as it had been on our first visit.
For our entrees we had the Baked Mangrove Snapper with an olive oil, tomato and parsley sauce, and the Grilled Talapia with a Salsa Verde. These were accompanied by several sides including, sauteed spinach in olive oil and garlic, potato salad, and cole slaw.
The food was excellent once again although next time I will order my fish grilled or blackened and not baked.
The wine however was excellent. We had a bottle of the Louis Latour White Bordeaux 2002.
We had the same excellent server we had on our first visit so the total experience was again, very pleasant. I think we will eat here every time we find ourselves in Flagler Beach.
We give the Flagler Fish Company..........................................................3.75-Forks.
Sunday - Brunch at Barbara Jean's
This is another of the several restaurants that we have found at the European Village in Palm Coast, Florida and it had come highly recommended.
Barbara Jean's is a chain of restaurants specializing in Home Style cooking
The restaurant has a clean pleasant appearance and it appeared to be quite large (about 50 tables)
We ordered a couple of drinks to wet our whistle while perusing the menu; A Southern Icepick and A Summer Breeze.
For starters we ordered a bowl of the creamy spicy She Crab Soup and a bowl of the soup special, Cream of Squash.
The bread basket was delivered warm with an assortment of corn bread and pumpkin bread. Both were moist and delicious.
The soups were not very good. The She Crab soup was not spicy nor flavorful. It tasted like a bowl of liquid flour. I tried to give it some flavor with Tabasco and salt. You would be amazed how much Tabasco sauce it took, before the soup acquired any of the taste.
We traded soups so we could both try some of each and the Creamy Squash soup was marginally better. The main problem with this one though, was that is was NOT creamy. It was runny and the only flavor I could taste was the lemon juice and Tabasco sauce we put into the soup.
We thought perhaps they cooked blandly on purpose because of all of the elderly patrons who seem to patronize this establishment. But bland still implies flavor. These had none.
For our entrees we had ordered the Spicy Shrimp Creole Special of the Day with a side order of their signature Crab cake and the Coastal Platter which consisted of a Crab Cake, Buttermilk battered fried shrimp and a fried fish fillet, which by default turned out to be catfish. Excellent huh? NOT.
You know that there are at least 200 recipes for crab cakes and about 195 of them are not very good. You would think that a place that ships crab cakes all over the United States would have good crab cakes. Well, they don't. They crab cakes were fishy and bland. Terrible.
The Spicy Shrimp Creole was not spicy and it had 5 "normal" size shrimp on the top, about 1.5 inches long, but the rest of the shrimp (15) were one quarter inch long. I have served my Angel Fish bigger shrimp. The dish again was bland and flavorless. The buttermilk shrimp were OK. The catfish fillet was flavorless other than the taste of the grease used to fry it and it was about 1/4 inch thick with 1/2 inch of batter.
The entrees were served with a side of green beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil which were good and sweet potato.
We could not wait to get out of there. Although it was so bad, we couldn't stop laughing, so all was not lost.
This is the most disappointing meal we have had since we established our Blog. When they picked up our plates they knew we had not enjoyed it because the plates went back almost as full as they were when they were served. We must say though that they did offer to give us a gift certificate for future use at their restaurant but we opted against it. We do not want to relive that experience ever again.
We give Barbara Jean's .........................................................1-Fork.
Sunday Night - Dinner at Royale Restaurant and Grill
This is another of the several restaurants at the European Village. This is the most formal of the lot, with more expensive furnishings and trimmings. The place is lofty with tall ceilings and the decor is deliberate but understated.
This turns out to be a Portuguese restaurant. It was not crowded at all but it was Sunday night. Most of the patrons opted for an outside table but we prefer the comfort of air conditioning in Florida from May to November. Our server was the restaurant manager and brother-in-law of the owner. He was shy at first but we got him to open up and be friendlier and more informative.
For appetizers we ordered: a) the Escargot a la Bourguignone; tender jumbo snails in a garlic and parsley butter and the b) Tuna Tartar served in the most original and delicious way we have seen: Raw Tuna with onions and a teriyaki sauce topped with a compacted chilled avocado paste.
Both appetizers were excellent.
For our entrees we had the Beef Wellington Royal; a beef tenderloin coated with pate de foie gras and topped with duxelles mushrooms, which is wrapped in a puff pastry and baked; And the Steak Portuguese Style(I asked for the porterhouse cut grilled medium rare) served with prosciutto, a creamy beef-garlic sauce and topped with one pan fried egg with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The Portuguese Steak was awesome. The Beef Wellington was very good but we preferred the meat grilled rather than baked.
The wine was a Kendall Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon and it was great with our meal.
For desert, we had a glass of 10 year old Porto wine.
We spoke to our server after dinner and he indicated that they also own another restaurant about 20 miles south called Top of Daytona. (We will let you know how we like it when we visit it soon.)
Dinner was very good. We loved The Royale Restaurant and it merits...............4-Forks.
Monday - Breakfast at The Piazza Cafe
We decided to try The Piazza Cafe for breakfast since we had enjoyed the food so well Saturday for Brunch. This time we had Mimosas with our breakfast and I had the Papa Frittata and Ken opted for the more traditional eggs, sausage, and potatoes, both served with crusty bread. Again we had a side order of the pancakes with syrup and a side order of fried prosciutto ham.
Breakfast was very good and the service was impeccable. We look forward to having dinner here one night since the evening menu looked so very good.
We give this visit to The Piazza Cafe................................................4-Forks.
We were here during the Memorial Day weekend and we liked it well enough to return tonight for a late night snack. (Plus it was convenient since we were staying on property) All we wanted was an appetizer or two and a glass of wine.
The appetizer specials that night included the Escargot in olive oil and garlic and the Stuffed Shrimp Oscar with asparagus in Hollandaise sauce.
We ordered one of each and enjoyed them with a glass of the house chardonnay. The appetizers were both delicious and the wine was very nice.
We felt like we could eat a little more so we ordered a bowl of the Black Bean Tequila Lime Soup topped with shredded cheddar and Monterrey jack cheeses, red onions and sour cream and a bowl of the Creamy, Rich, Lobster Bisque with a hint of Tarragon and Brandy flavors. The Black Bean soup was good but not as good as we make it at home. The Lobster Bisque on the other hand was very good, although a few pieces of lobster would have enhanced the texture.
Blue is a great restaurant in the sleepy beach town resort of Flagler Beach. We are glad to have found it.
We give this visit at Blue..........................................................3.5-Forks
Saturday Morning - Brunch at La Piazza Cafe
This restaurant is located at the European Village Resort in Palm Coast, Florida just 8 miles north from Flagler Beach.
It is a small restaurant with only 6 tables indoors and 10 tables outside. It is simply yet handsomely decorated.
We liked it from the moment we walked in.
We ordered flavored champagne cocktails during our Brunch; First round we had an Apricot/Peach and a Mango; then we had the Blue berry/Pomegranate and another Apricot/Peach.
The drinks were trendy but good.
We ordered the Papa Frittata, with eggs, potatoes, sausage and Swiss cheese and the Eggs Florentine, with spinach in garlic and olive oil. We also enjoyed the fried Prosciutto ham, the crusty Italian bread and we shared an ordered of pancakes with syrup.
The food was delicious and the service was gracious, courteous and prompt.
We loved La Piazza Cafe and we give it...........................................................4-forks.
Saturday Night - Dinner at Flagler Fish Company
Flagler Fish Company is a very popular restaurant because of the delicious fresh fish that they serve. This was our second time there, because we liked it so well the first time.
It is simply decorated and fresh fish is visible on ice in refrigerated display coolers.
The place is casual, with about 12 tables very tightly packed in a small space, making your nearby diners more intimate than you would otherwise prefer.
As always there was a long wait to get a table at 8:00 PM. We were told that we would be seated in 45 minutes. Normally people wait outside on high-top tables having a glass of wine. These tables were also full.
We didn't want to wait sitting on the hood of our car with the evening's lingering humidity, so we decided to go next door to an Italian Restaurant named Giuseppe's.
We were seated, reviewed the menu, and decided that we would have appetizers here then go back to get our table next door at FFC in 45 minutes.
We ordered the Shrimp-ka-bobs and a glass of white wine. The shrimp and the wine were both good and the service was excellent and timely. At 8:45PM we went back next door and our table was made ready and we sat down to enjoy a great seafood dinner.
We give Giuseppe's............................................2.5-Forks
Back at FFC, we each ordered the Creamy Lobster Bisque for starters which was very good.
We also ate some of the complementary fish dip and home made potato chips although we felt it was not as delicious as it had been on our first visit.
For our entrees we had the Baked Mangrove Snapper with an olive oil, tomato and parsley sauce, and the Grilled Talapia with a Salsa Verde. These were accompanied by several sides including, sauteed spinach in olive oil and garlic, potato salad, and cole slaw.
The food was excellent once again although next time I will order my fish grilled or blackened and not baked.
The wine however was excellent. We had a bottle of the Louis Latour White Bordeaux 2002.
We had the same excellent server we had on our first visit so the total experience was again, very pleasant. I think we will eat here every time we find ourselves in Flagler Beach.
We give the Flagler Fish Company..........................................................3.75-Forks.
Sunday - Brunch at Barbara Jean's
This is another of the several restaurants that we have found at the European Village in Palm Coast, Florida and it had come highly recommended.
Barbara Jean's is a chain of restaurants specializing in Home Style cooking
The restaurant has a clean pleasant appearance and it appeared to be quite large (about 50 tables)
We ordered a couple of drinks to wet our whistle while perusing the menu; A Southern Icepick and A Summer Breeze.
For starters we ordered a bowl of the creamy spicy She Crab Soup and a bowl of the soup special, Cream of Squash.
The bread basket was delivered warm with an assortment of corn bread and pumpkin bread. Both were moist and delicious.
The soups were not very good. The She Crab soup was not spicy nor flavorful. It tasted like a bowl of liquid flour. I tried to give it some flavor with Tabasco and salt. You would be amazed how much Tabasco sauce it took, before the soup acquired any of the taste.
We traded soups so we could both try some of each and the Creamy Squash soup was marginally better. The main problem with this one though, was that is was NOT creamy. It was runny and the only flavor I could taste was the lemon juice and Tabasco sauce we put into the soup.
We thought perhaps they cooked blandly on purpose because of all of the elderly patrons who seem to patronize this establishment. But bland still implies flavor. These had none.
For our entrees we had ordered the Spicy Shrimp Creole Special of the Day with a side order of their signature Crab cake and the Coastal Platter which consisted of a Crab Cake, Buttermilk battered fried shrimp and a fried fish fillet, which by default turned out to be catfish. Excellent huh? NOT.
You know that there are at least 200 recipes for crab cakes and about 195 of them are not very good. You would think that a place that ships crab cakes all over the United States would have good crab cakes. Well, they don't. They crab cakes were fishy and bland. Terrible.
The Spicy Shrimp Creole was not spicy and it had 5 "normal" size shrimp on the top, about 1.5 inches long, but the rest of the shrimp (15) were one quarter inch long. I have served my Angel Fish bigger shrimp. The dish again was bland and flavorless. The buttermilk shrimp were OK. The catfish fillet was flavorless other than the taste of the grease used to fry it and it was about 1/4 inch thick with 1/2 inch of batter.
The entrees were served with a side of green beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil which were good and sweet potato.
We could not wait to get out of there. Although it was so bad, we couldn't stop laughing, so all was not lost.
This is the most disappointing meal we have had since we established our Blog. When they picked up our plates they knew we had not enjoyed it because the plates went back almost as full as they were when they were served. We must say though that they did offer to give us a gift certificate for future use at their restaurant but we opted against it. We do not want to relive that experience ever again.
We give Barbara Jean's .........................................................1-Fork.
Sunday Night - Dinner at Royale Restaurant and Grill
This is another of the several restaurants at the European Village. This is the most formal of the lot, with more expensive furnishings and trimmings. The place is lofty with tall ceilings and the decor is deliberate but understated.
This turns out to be a Portuguese restaurant. It was not crowded at all but it was Sunday night. Most of the patrons opted for an outside table but we prefer the comfort of air conditioning in Florida from May to November. Our server was the restaurant manager and brother-in-law of the owner. He was shy at first but we got him to open up and be friendlier and more informative.
For appetizers we ordered: a) the Escargot a la Bourguignone; tender jumbo snails in a garlic and parsley butter and the b) Tuna Tartar served in the most original and delicious way we have seen: Raw Tuna with onions and a teriyaki sauce topped with a compacted chilled avocado paste.
Both appetizers were excellent.
For our entrees we had the Beef Wellington Royal; a beef tenderloin coated with pate de foie gras and topped with duxelles mushrooms, which is wrapped in a puff pastry and baked; And the Steak Portuguese Style(I asked for the porterhouse cut grilled medium rare) served with prosciutto, a creamy beef-garlic sauce and topped with one pan fried egg with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The Portuguese Steak was awesome. The Beef Wellington was very good but we preferred the meat grilled rather than baked.
The wine was a Kendall Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon and it was great with our meal.
For desert, we had a glass of 10 year old Porto wine.
We spoke to our server after dinner and he indicated that they also own another restaurant about 20 miles south called Top of Daytona. (We will let you know how we like it when we visit it soon.)
Dinner was very good. We loved The Royale Restaurant and it merits...............4-Forks.
Monday - Breakfast at The Piazza Cafe
We decided to try The Piazza Cafe for breakfast since we had enjoyed the food so well Saturday for Brunch. This time we had Mimosas with our breakfast and I had the Papa Frittata and Ken opted for the more traditional eggs, sausage, and potatoes, both served with crusty bread. Again we had a side order of the pancakes with syrup and a side order of fried prosciutto ham.
Breakfast was very good and the service was impeccable. We look forward to having dinner here one night since the evening menu looked so very good.
We give this visit to The Piazza Cafe................................................4-Forks.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Bosphorous Restaurant, a Turkish Delight
Last Thursday (8-14-08) was a day for celebration for Ken; he was sworn in as a US citizen. (Just in time to vote for one of the fabulous people running for president of this great land).
I was lucky to get the day off to celebrate this momentous occasion with him.
The day started when we went down to the convention center in Orlando for the ceremony. There were over 800 persons sworn in that day and about 1200 family and friends there to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment. After it was over, and he registered to vote, it was about 11:00 AM.
My niece was on her way back to south Florida with 4 of her friends on the 12:30 PM Amtrak train that afternoon, so we had decided earlier that we would go to the station to see them off and we would then go to lunch. When we got to the station we were told the train had been delayed by at least an hour, so we decided to take them all to lunch with us.
Right across the street the train station on Park Avenue in Winter Park we found Bosphorous.
This restaurant was very simply, but nicely decorated and we thought we liked the menu well enough to stay.
While we waited for the girls to arrive, I enjoyed a Mango Mai Tai and Ken had a Melon Green Tea-ni.
We started lunch off with the stuffed grapes leaves as an appetizer. It must be a Turkish tradition to serve them chilled versus the Greek style of serving them warm. They were delicious but I think I prefer them served warm and not chilled. With the grape leaves we had some Lavas bread which was very interestingly served as a bread dome, almost souffle style.
The bread was good.
Ken ordered the Adena Kebab (skewered lamb) - hand chopped lamb flavored with red bell peppers, light hot peppers, slightly seasoned with paprika and grilled, served with rice and garnished with red onions, red cabbage, a spicy banana pepper and carrots. Ken thought his meal was good but would have preferred if they had served it hot and not barely luke warm.
Gisele (my niece) and I both had the Beyti Wrap which consisted of lightly hot-seasoned ground lamb in a flat bread wrap topped with yogurt served with rice, red onions, red cabbage, a spicy banana pepper and carrots. We both though that was delicious although it could have been warmer also.
The rest of the table enjoyed 2 each Chicken Kofte ( minced chicken blended with onions, garlic, parsley and special spices served with ...yes you guessed it, rice, red onions, red cabbage, a spicy banana pepper and carrots); 1 each Bamya ( a fresh okra dish, cooked with green peppers, onions, garlic in a light tomato sauce, served with rice; and one Falafel wrap ( a mixture of chickpeas, celery, parsley, onions tossed in spices.
For dessert we enjoyed 2 each Kazandibi (baked and caramelized light milk pudding); 2 each Baklava ( a Turkish version made of many layers of paper thin dough filled with crushed pistachios) and one Sutlac (an oven baked rice pudding). The most common comment about the desserts was they they could have been sweeter.
The service was excellent and the prices were moderate for lunch.
We wish the food had been warmer though. The place was not crowded and they may have been able to manage our dished better so that they were all served hot.
Overall, we recommend Bospshorous (that is the name of the strait that separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side) just make sure you ask that your food be served hot.
We give Bosphorous....................................................3.25-Forks
I was lucky to get the day off to celebrate this momentous occasion with him.
The day started when we went down to the convention center in Orlando for the ceremony. There were over 800 persons sworn in that day and about 1200 family and friends there to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment. After it was over, and he registered to vote, it was about 11:00 AM.
My niece was on her way back to south Florida with 4 of her friends on the 12:30 PM Amtrak train that afternoon, so we had decided earlier that we would go to the station to see them off and we would then go to lunch. When we got to the station we were told the train had been delayed by at least an hour, so we decided to take them all to lunch with us.
Right across the street the train station on Park Avenue in Winter Park we found Bosphorous.
This restaurant was very simply, but nicely decorated and we thought we liked the menu well enough to stay.
While we waited for the girls to arrive, I enjoyed a Mango Mai Tai and Ken had a Melon Green Tea-ni.
We started lunch off with the stuffed grapes leaves as an appetizer. It must be a Turkish tradition to serve them chilled versus the Greek style of serving them warm. They were delicious but I think I prefer them served warm and not chilled. With the grape leaves we had some Lavas bread which was very interestingly served as a bread dome, almost souffle style.
The bread was good.
Ken ordered the Adena Kebab (skewered lamb) - hand chopped lamb flavored with red bell peppers, light hot peppers, slightly seasoned with paprika and grilled, served with rice and garnished with red onions, red cabbage, a spicy banana pepper and carrots. Ken thought his meal was good but would have preferred if they had served it hot and not barely luke warm.
Gisele (my niece) and I both had the Beyti Wrap which consisted of lightly hot-seasoned ground lamb in a flat bread wrap topped with yogurt served with rice, red onions, red cabbage, a spicy banana pepper and carrots. We both though that was delicious although it could have been warmer also.
The rest of the table enjoyed 2 each Chicken Kofte ( minced chicken blended with onions, garlic, parsley and special spices served with ...yes you guessed it, rice, red onions, red cabbage, a spicy banana pepper and carrots); 1 each Bamya ( a fresh okra dish, cooked with green peppers, onions, garlic in a light tomato sauce, served with rice; and one Falafel wrap ( a mixture of chickpeas, celery, parsley, onions tossed in spices.
For dessert we enjoyed 2 each Kazandibi (baked and caramelized light milk pudding); 2 each Baklava ( a Turkish version made of many layers of paper thin dough filled with crushed pistachios) and one Sutlac (an oven baked rice pudding). The most common comment about the desserts was they they could have been sweeter.
The service was excellent and the prices were moderate for lunch.
We wish the food had been warmer though. The place was not crowded and they may have been able to manage our dished better so that they were all served hot.
Overall, we recommend Bospshorous (that is the name of the strait that separates the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side) just make sure you ask that your food be served hot.
We give Bosphorous....................................................3.25-Forks
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