Tucked inside the Sarasota Square Mall off of Tamiami Trail in South Sarasota, an impressive steakhouse is serious about their steak! Walking in the door, we were greeted by a friendly hostess and given a buzzer to alert us when our table was ready. Just behind us as we were waiting, is the custom butchershop. It truly is a sight to behold as the expert butcher carefully works to craft the perfect cuts of steak. As stated on their website and on their menu: "All of our steaks are aged a minimum of 28 days and hand cut in our own butcher shop from Chairman’s Reserve, corn-fed Iowa beef." The restaurant itself has the feeling of an upscale steakhouse with a beautiful divider between the bar area and the dining room consisting of their expansive wine collection. The tables are set with rolled silverware, wine glasses and a classic wooden butcher's block as a placemat. Yet, I can say we felt comfortable in our every day attire and enjoyed the ambiance that the bold colors and brilliant artwork brought to the dining room. After we were seated, our server was quick to arrive with a friendly smile and a cold glass bottle of water with two small glasses filled with ice. I love that the water was left for us to pour at will, as I tend to drink my water (with a little lime) pretty quickly. My husband and I decided to split a bowl of the lobster bisque to start, as it is one of our favorite simple dishes to indulge in. I ordered an 8 oz sirloin with a simple baked potato and he ordered their Prime Steak Burger with a side of mac & cheese. Our entrees were served with a house salad prepared tableside with a peppercorn ranch dressing and fresh baked popovers. The lobster bisque was delightfully creamy, rich with flavor and I'm not ashamed to say that we fought over the last bite (possibly even used a bit of the popover to sop up any remaining drops). We loved watching the salad be put together, (though it was a bit more of just throwing ingredients into a bowl and pouring a premade dressing on top) it provided a nice distraction as we waited for our entrees. I have to say, if our meal ended with the soup, salad and popovers, we would have been happy diners! But alas, the best was yet to come. Before our entrees arrived, the server brought out this magnetic knife block made from wood with our steak knives for our meal. (I really want one for my kitchen now!) As our plates were served, we questioned if we would be able to even finish it with how fantastic our first course had been. My steak was juicy, seasoned perfectly and cooked to a perfect Medium with expertly presented grill marks that enhanced the flame grilled smoky flavor and gave it a nice textured crust. It was so tender it practically melted like butter in my mouth. Jason dove right into his burger with a grin, excited that not only was my steak perfect, but so was his burger. Served on a toasted kaiser roll with melted cheese (and no veggies, as per his request). The only downside to the meal is he was not a fan of the mac & cheese, he said it lacked a bit of creaminess and a bit of salt. When we thought we couldn't possibly finish another bite, the dessert menu was presented. As delicious as it all sounded, we simply had to skip it for fear of being able induced into a food coma on the drive home! All in all, it was about $60 for our meal including a tip. It was one of the best date nights we have had in a long time, and we can't wait to return! Sunday through Thursday
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We were so thrilled when my father in law and his wife offered to take us out for lunch as our Christmas present. I have always valued shared experiences over physical gifts, memories are so much more valuable!
After reading the reviews on The Star Thai & sushi Venice I simply had to go. We started off with Crab Rangoon, Miso Soup and Chicken Satay.
The Crab Rangoon was lightly fried, rich and creamy filling that was a little more cream cheesy than crabby, but nevertheless, the sauce accompanying it was deliciously sweet and sour with a pop of spice. Miso soup was served piping hot and the broth was really tasty. I hate to argue with Lisa, but there wasn't one bite that I thought was bland. The chicken satay was flavorful and the peanut sauce that accompanied it was warm and rich.
For entrees, my father in law and his wife both got different Bento boxes that they raved about, while my husband went with his normal Pad Thai (with Tofu this time!). (The Pad Thai was a lunch special that include the egg roll, miso soup and a small side salad.) Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal... and I got my sushi. The Super Crunchy Roll looks just as delicious as it tasted. Crunchy tempura shrimp with cream cheese and asparagus topped with smoked salmon, tempura crunch and eel sauce for a creamy, crunchy, sweet and salty bite. It hit all the right tastebuds.
I'm definitely going back.
You all definitely need to try it and decide for yourselves.
After reading the reviews on The Star Thai & sushi Venice I simply had to go. We started off with Crab Rangoon, Miso Soup and Chicken Satay.
The Crab Rangoon was lightly fried, rich and creamy filling that was a little more cream cheesy than crabby, but nevertheless, the sauce accompanying it was deliciously sweet and sour with a pop of spice. Miso soup was served piping hot and the broth was really tasty. I hate to argue with Lisa, but there wasn't one bite that I thought was bland. The chicken satay was flavorful and the peanut sauce that accompanied it was warm and rich.
For entrees, my father in law and his wife both got different Bento boxes that they raved about, while my husband went with his normal Pad Thai (with Tofu this time!). (The Pad Thai was a lunch special that include the egg roll, miso soup and a small side salad.) Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal... and I got my sushi. The Super Crunchy Roll looks just as delicious as it tasted. Crunchy tempura shrimp with cream cheese and asparagus topped with smoked salmon, tempura crunch and eel sauce for a creamy, crunchy, sweet and salty bite. It hit all the right tastebuds.
I'm definitely going back.
You all definitely need to try it and decide for yourselves.
After research and planning weeks in advance, including emailing the restaurant to confirm... we made reservations for the Thanksgiving buffet this evening. When we made the arrangements, we were told that the only reservation time left was at 4 pm. No problem.
My family including my elderly grandparents and my four year old daughter arrived just before 4 PM to notice there was a line out the door and round the corner with people sitting in chairs in the parking lot. There was no parking left and we made do with parking across the street.
We checked in with the hostess who told us it would be about a half hour as they were just waiting for a few tables to leave and they would get us in.
Fine, no problem.
Half hour came and went with no answers.
An HOUR went by, still no answers. My grandparents, (who both owned restaurants in the past), thought perhaps they were struggling with the size of our party and having tables together for us.
90 minutes went by before finally my little girl looked at me with tears in her eyes about how hungry she was, and we went in to say something about getting a table. They walked us into a nearly empty dining room, as my grandparents (who both owned restaurants in the past) took note of just how many configurations could have been done to accommodate us.
Our waitress and the woman at the Prime Rib station were very nice, which was this restaurant's only saving grace.
Dinner was decent at best, but I suppose for the cost of $24.99 per person, with prime rib as part of that deal, I guess you get what you pay for.
I found the salads to be overdressed, the Lobster Bisque was oversalted (with not even a lump of lobster to be found). The cornbread stuffing needed to be cut with a knife it was so hard..and the "yeast rolls" looked like dinner rolls you buy at Publix. With the sad state of affairs, I stuck to the Prime Rib (which was great) and left the rest of it alone.
The restaurant is beautiful, but they obviously need help with large events like this, as I don't believe they had enough food prepared or the organization for reservations like they were supposed to.
My family including my elderly grandparents and my four year old daughter arrived just before 4 PM to notice there was a line out the door and round the corner with people sitting in chairs in the parking lot. There was no parking left and we made do with parking across the street.
We checked in with the hostess who told us it would be about a half hour as they were just waiting for a few tables to leave and they would get us in.
Fine, no problem.
Half hour came and went with no answers.
An HOUR went by, still no answers. My grandparents, (who both owned restaurants in the past), thought perhaps they were struggling with the size of our party and having tables together for us.
90 minutes went by before finally my little girl looked at me with tears in her eyes about how hungry she was, and we went in to say something about getting a table. They walked us into a nearly empty dining room, as my grandparents (who both owned restaurants in the past) took note of just how many configurations could have been done to accommodate us.
Our waitress and the woman at the Prime Rib station were very nice, which was this restaurant's only saving grace.
Dinner was decent at best, but I suppose for the cost of $24.99 per person, with prime rib as part of that deal, I guess you get what you pay for.
I found the salads to be overdressed, the Lobster Bisque was oversalted (with not even a lump of lobster to be found). The cornbread stuffing needed to be cut with a knife it was so hard..and the "yeast rolls" looked like dinner rolls you buy at Publix. With the sad state of affairs, I stuck to the Prime Rib (which was great) and left the rest of it alone.
The restaurant is beautiful, but they obviously need help with large events like this, as I don't believe they had enough food prepared or the organization for reservations like they were supposed to.
When Elena started asking for spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, and for the first time in a long time, I didn't have a can of crushed tomatoes in the house (I hope my family will forgive me for being a bad Italian here) I started hunting around for a good delivery deal on pasta. In case you thought, like I did, that Italiano's was mainly pizza... Let me just tell you that they have great range of dishes including the most delicious salad I've had in a very long time.
This fantastic dream of a salad had a great combination of sweet pineapple, a little tartness from the strawberries, a nuttiness from the pecans, mixed with a nice bite from the red onion all tossed with a delicious vinegarette and chopped cilantro. Amazing! I decided to pair my sald with a nice cup of soup. For my personal tastebuds, the cup of lobster bisque was a bit thinner than I normally prefer for me, but packed with lobster goodness that was seasoned perfectly.
Elena is a carb queen, she LOVES pasta of any kind, but her favorites are spaghetti and ravioli. Knowing this, I ordered an adult portion for her because the price was right and I thought I would be able to get at least 3 meals out of it for her. Well, she ate half of her very generous portion with a big smile on her face. Between her smile and my husband's happy little "yum" sounds as he finished off his fettucine alfredo... I'd say we have a hit.
Personally, I'd go just for that salad.
This fantastic dream of a salad had a great combination of sweet pineapple, a little tartness from the strawberries, a nuttiness from the pecans, mixed with a nice bite from the red onion all tossed with a delicious vinegarette and chopped cilantro. Amazing! I decided to pair my sald with a nice cup of soup. For my personal tastebuds, the cup of lobster bisque was a bit thinner than I normally prefer for me, but packed with lobster goodness that was seasoned perfectly.
Elena is a carb queen, she LOVES pasta of any kind, but her favorites are spaghetti and ravioli. Knowing this, I ordered an adult portion for her because the price was right and I thought I would be able to get at least 3 meals out of it for her. Well, she ate half of her very generous portion with a big smile on her face. Between her smile and my husband's happy little "yum" sounds as he finished off his fettucine alfredo... I'd say we have a hit.
Personally, I'd go just for that salad.
Yesterday, we had lunch at Pita's Republic off of University in Sarasota. I didn't realize they were a chain until I got home, but regardless, this place had the feel of a family run joint.
(I regretfully left my phone behind and neglected to get my own photos, but found a few great ones from Mary Ellen Mancini on SarasotaDay.com's blog that I shared with you.)
My husband had his favorite, a Gyro with just the meat and tzatziki sauce, and we were delighted to find out the meat was roasted on a spit versus the prepackaged that is commonly used.
I had the hummus platter, which was a delicious, creamy hummus topped with gyro meat, served with a greek salad and a scoop of potato salad. I loved that the meat had crispy little edges and was seasoned really well. The salad itself was simple, but the fresh crunch of the lettuce with crumbly feta cheese, red peppers and tomatoes... every bite was better than the last!
My picky little princess absolutely devoured her chicken and rice dish, screaming out often that it was "the best food ever!"
We finished off our meal with a sweet "belly buster" smoothie which was a strawberry, banana, pineapple and coconut milk smoothie that was just the right blend of fruity deliciousness.
They are currently looking into expanding into Venice, and if they do, I know we'll be regulars. I HIGHLY recommend visiting this place. It's definitely a meal that will make you feel good with healthy options, great portions and the prices are fantastic.
(I regretfully left my phone behind and neglected to get my own photos, but found a few great ones from Mary Ellen Mancini on SarasotaDay.com's blog that I shared with you.)
My husband had his favorite, a Gyro with just the meat and tzatziki sauce, and we were delighted to find out the meat was roasted on a spit versus the prepackaged that is commonly used.
I had the hummus platter, which was a delicious, creamy hummus topped with gyro meat, served with a greek salad and a scoop of potato salad. I loved that the meat had crispy little edges and was seasoned really well. The salad itself was simple, but the fresh crunch of the lettuce with crumbly feta cheese, red peppers and tomatoes... every bite was better than the last!
My picky little princess absolutely devoured her chicken and rice dish, screaming out often that it was "the best food ever!"
We finished off our meal with a sweet "belly buster" smoothie which was a strawberry, banana, pineapple and coconut milk smoothie that was just the right blend of fruity deliciousness.
They are currently looking into expanding into Venice, and if they do, I know we'll be regulars. I HIGHLY recommend visiting this place. It's definitely a meal that will make you feel good with healthy options, great portions and the prices are fantastic.
Another adventure to show off our local food to the family today, had to go back to Blu' Island Bistro for lunch!
We started off with the Hummus and Pita platter, as well as the housemade potato chips. Let me just say that the Hummus appetizer could have been a meal itself. Delicious roasted red peppers, creamy feta cheese, and the thick, rich hummus on the toasted pita, So Good!!
I stuck with my tried and true Reuben, while hubby and my cousin order the Cuban. My cousin's boyfriend is a real foodie, and can never decide on simply one plate. He ordered a cinnamon roll, coffee cake, banana french toast and the bistro burger with cheddar cheese and spinach.
My favorite little touch from lunch today though, was the ice cold apple cider... I could drink that all day long!
We started off with the Hummus and Pita platter, as well as the housemade potato chips. Let me just say that the Hummus appetizer could have been a meal itself. Delicious roasted red peppers, creamy feta cheese, and the thick, rich hummus on the toasted pita, So Good!!
I stuck with my tried and true Reuben, while hubby and my cousin order the Cuban. My cousin's boyfriend is a real foodie, and can never decide on simply one plate. He ordered a cinnamon roll, coffee cake, banana french toast and the bistro burger with cheddar cheese and spinach.
My favorite little touch from lunch today though, was the ice cold apple cider... I could drink that all day long!
**Update**
We went back in to Darrell's, because how could we stay away, and I grabbed a bunch of photos for my lovely readers! Check them out in the bottom of the post, especially that Brisket Loaded Baked Potato with the Blue Cheese Crumble topping!!
~*~
I love having family from out of town and showing off the amazing food we have in this area! No photos from this trip, we were hungry and too busy catching up with the family and forgot! Forgive me?
We were the first table in at Darrell's Restaurant today for lunch. Delicious plates of food all across the board. Starting off with the pork rinds and down on the keys mac and cheese... my cousin's boyfriend is a massive foodie, and just started ordering a bunch of different things to try and his smile just kept getting bigger.
His favorite aspect was the homemade dressings and sauces, mixed with the fall apart tender bbq meats on his Andy Dandy platter and he said the baked beans were the best he's had in a very long time. He also commented about how he loved that the owner was obviously so passionate about his business, it really influences the atmosphere of the restaurant.
My cousin tried fried okra for the first time and found it "interesting" but liked it, collard greens, fried chicken and the mashed potatoes, loved every bite and really enjoyed the cornbread. We added on an order of "Pig Wings" which are like little pork lollipops of happiness. Juicy and tender with just the right amount of sauce, it's easy dive right in.
It's never a bad meal at Darrell's. When you can get there early and get parking right up front, that's even better.
We went back in to Darrell's, because how could we stay away, and I grabbed a bunch of photos for my lovely readers! Check them out in the bottom of the post, especially that Brisket Loaded Baked Potato with the Blue Cheese Crumble topping!!
~*~
I love having family from out of town and showing off the amazing food we have in this area! No photos from this trip, we were hungry and too busy catching up with the family and forgot! Forgive me?
We were the first table in at Darrell's Restaurant today for lunch. Delicious plates of food all across the board. Starting off with the pork rinds and down on the keys mac and cheese... my cousin's boyfriend is a massive foodie, and just started ordering a bunch of different things to try and his smile just kept getting bigger.
His favorite aspect was the homemade dressings and sauces, mixed with the fall apart tender bbq meats on his Andy Dandy platter and he said the baked beans were the best he's had in a very long time. He also commented about how he loved that the owner was obviously so passionate about his business, it really influences the atmosphere of the restaurant.
My cousin tried fried okra for the first time and found it "interesting" but liked it, collard greens, fried chicken and the mashed potatoes, loved every bite and really enjoyed the cornbread. We added on an order of "Pig Wings" which are like little pork lollipops of happiness. Juicy and tender with just the right amount of sauce, it's easy dive right in.
It's never a bad meal at Darrell's. When you can get there early and get parking right up front, that's even better.
It was quite a night at the Taste of Venice event last night!
Responses to some of the posts I've read:
- Yes, we definitely need a larger venue for next year, (They severely underestimated the power of the Foodies! No one predicted that many attendees).
- The restaurants were not charged a fee to attend the event, which is where the non-food vendors come in to play. We needed them (as they do pay a fee to join) in order to pay for the venue, etc.
- For the first year of this event, it was an INCREDIBLE turnout. Kudos to all the vendors!
- Proceeds from ticket sales were to benefit the Shriner's Van that transports sick children to the Shriner's Hospital in Tampa, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
-Bada Bings as well as Chicanos committed to the event and DID NOT show and DID NOT Call.
As for the food:
The wild mushroom ravioli in the white truffle cream sauce from Blu Island Bistro was phenomenal. I'm not normally a mushroom fan, but the pairing of flavors worked well and the ravioli were cooked perfectly.
The salmon puff and gazpacho from Saltwater Cafe: It's difficult to have anything fried at an event because I felt there wasn't enough crunch, and the gazpacho was relatively one note.
The pulled pork from Gold Rush with the coleslaw: I really enjoyed the pulled pork and the variety of sauces. The coleslaw had an interesting aftertaste of celery, but overall, not bad.
One of the non-food vendors, Nancy from Young Living, offered a lavender cookie topped with sugar crystals: I've never had one like it before, but the cookie was soft with a nice texture from the sugar and the floral undertone was an intriguing new flavor.
Sonny's BBQ also had a very nice pulled pork slider. I found the pork to be a bit on the greasy side, but the smoking BBQ sauce was very good with a little kick to it.
The chili from Brew Burgers: A hearty, chunky chili that had just the right spice punch to it with a nice melty cheese. I'll have to remember this when the cold weather comes, as it's one of the few chilis that I've enjoyed as much as my own.
Paradise Grill had the Seafood Dip on a Saltine: Made with mahi, this dip was a pretty tasty bite, but a little too spicy for my liking (although I must admit, I'm not into spicy foods, someone who likes hot sauce/tabasco would probably enjoy this more.) They also served a Meatloaf slider: Meatloaf was pretty dry and crumbly and lacked seasoning. It was also on the greasier side and not really something I'd like to have again. I only took one bite and left the rest.
Overall, we had an incredible night, and I LOVED getting to meet some of you! Let's do something together again soon.
Also, BIG thank you to everyone who asked about my business or my non-profit. It means the world to me that you took the time to check out what I do outside of the group!
Responses to some of the posts I've read:
- Yes, we definitely need a larger venue for next year, (They severely underestimated the power of the Foodies! No one predicted that many attendees).
- The restaurants were not charged a fee to attend the event, which is where the non-food vendors come in to play. We needed them (as they do pay a fee to join) in order to pay for the venue, etc.
- For the first year of this event, it was an INCREDIBLE turnout. Kudos to all the vendors!
- Proceeds from ticket sales were to benefit the Shriner's Van that transports sick children to the Shriner's Hospital in Tampa, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
-Bada Bings as well as Chicanos committed to the event and DID NOT show and DID NOT Call.
As for the food:
The wild mushroom ravioli in the white truffle cream sauce from Blu Island Bistro was phenomenal. I'm not normally a mushroom fan, but the pairing of flavors worked well and the ravioli were cooked perfectly.
The salmon puff and gazpacho from Saltwater Cafe: It's difficult to have anything fried at an event because I felt there wasn't enough crunch, and the gazpacho was relatively one note.
The pulled pork from Gold Rush with the coleslaw: I really enjoyed the pulled pork and the variety of sauces. The coleslaw had an interesting aftertaste of celery, but overall, not bad.
One of the non-food vendors, Nancy from Young Living, offered a lavender cookie topped with sugar crystals: I've never had one like it before, but the cookie was soft with a nice texture from the sugar and the floral undertone was an intriguing new flavor.
Sonny's BBQ also had a very nice pulled pork slider. I found the pork to be a bit on the greasy side, but the smoking BBQ sauce was very good with a little kick to it.
The chili from Brew Burgers: A hearty, chunky chili that had just the right spice punch to it with a nice melty cheese. I'll have to remember this when the cold weather comes, as it's one of the few chilis that I've enjoyed as much as my own.
Paradise Grill had the Seafood Dip on a Saltine: Made with mahi, this dip was a pretty tasty bite, but a little too spicy for my liking (although I must admit, I'm not into spicy foods, someone who likes hot sauce/tabasco would probably enjoy this more.) They also served a Meatloaf slider: Meatloaf was pretty dry and crumbly and lacked seasoning. It was also on the greasier side and not really something I'd like to have again. I only took one bite and left the rest.
Overall, we had an incredible night, and I LOVED getting to meet some of you! Let's do something together again soon.
Also, BIG thank you to everyone who asked about my business or my non-profit. It means the world to me that you took the time to check out what I do outside of the group!
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