Harr’s Surfside Cafe recently opened in the space vacated by MecaFresh.  It’s owned by Harr’s Surf & Turf next door.  They don’t have a very large menu, but I couldn’t resist the lobster roll & chowder combo.

Though I did think the lobster roll was a bit on the small side, it was all fresh perfectly cooked lobster meat with just a hint of celery and mayo.  This is the perfect lobster roll in my opinion.  Nothing to get in the way of the lobster.  The chowder also had some nice flavors going on.  Loren ordered one of the specials, the spicy pastrami.

I made him get the mac & cheese as his side dish.  Though it had a very cheddary flavor, it wasn’t quite creamy enough for my tastes.  He said the pastrami wasn’t very spicy, but overall the sandwich was good.  Total bill with a drink was $23.

Harr’s Surfside Cafe
3235 Tampa Road
Palm Harbor, FL
727-754-4992

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We were over in Dunedin today & stopped for lunch at Delco’s.  They still don’t take credit cards, but it doesn’t seem to have slowed their business down at all.  There was a line at the counter the entire time we were there.  This was the first time we’ve been back since they moved into their new space.  We actually ordered the same thing this time as we did the last, a cheesesteak for me and a roast beef sub for Loren.

Loren still prefers the sandwiches at Jersey Mike’s, but I think the cheese steaks here are yummy.  We both ended up taking half of our sandwiches home.  I still find the way they handle the counter to be a bit odd.  You place your order at the register, but you’re not supposed to pay until you leave.  It just makes for a bottleneck up front that could be handled so much easier if you just paid when you ordered.  Being able to pay with a credit card would also be pretty handy.  Total bill was $17 with a couple of drinks.

Delco’s Original Steaks and Hoagies
1737 Main St
Dunedin, FL
(727) 738-4700

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I was in the mood for a sub for lunch, so we drove over to Largo to Cesarina Deli & Bakery.  They have a big variety of cold and hot subs along with some Italian dishes.  I went for the California cheese steak.

I couldn’t even begin to pick it up & eat it until I had taken half of the meat off.  There was so much of it and it was really flavorful and delicious.  It had a wonderful seasoning to it and the bread was fresh and tasty.  I was only able to eat half of it.  Loren went for the muffalata.

He was only able to eat half of his too.  He said the bread was crusted in some really tasty herbs, the deli meat was fresh and the olive spread was tasty too.  Overall, some really yummy sandwiches.  With a couple of drinks, the total bill was $19.  I also ended up spending about $30 in the deli on some meats, olives, a really delicious cannoli, and some other baked goods.  I had to buy some of this cake just so I could photograph it.

Definitely check this place out if you’re in the area.  The subs are delicious.

Cesarina Deli & Bakery
2575 East Bay Dr, Ste 1
Largo, FL
727- 536-2119

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Wanted a cheese steak for lunch today, so we headed over to Marina’s in Westchase.

They were running a special today for a 6″ sub plus fries & a drink.  I like the cheesesteaks here.  The bread is just perfect to hold all the ooey, gooey goodness.  Loren got the meatball sub special.

He said it was good too.  We both cleaned our plates, not even a french fry left over.  Total bill was $13.

Marina’s Pizza and Pasta
12121 W Linebaugh Ave
Tampa, FL
813-854-1616

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After going to the movies this morning, we headed out to Harvey’s Sandwich & Salads in Palm Harbor for lunch.  It’s a little place next to Mike’s Sushi.  Loren got a Genoa sub.

This is one of those subs that comes with everything but the kitchen sink on it.  Salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, green pepper, and green olives. He enjoyed it and ended up taking half of it home.  I went for the Cuban with a side of macaroni salad.

While we were there, every person who placed an order, ordered a Cuban sandwich.  It was pretty good.  Perfectly pressed with good flavors inside.  It was way too big for me to eat the whole thing.  The macaroni salad was homemade.  Total bill with a drink was $20.

Harvey’s Sandwich & Salads
33839 US Hwy 19 N
Palm Harbor, FL
727-785-9090

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The last couple of new restaurants we visited were really good, but our luck ran out when we went to the Lombardi Cafe today.

The place was empty for Sunday lunch.  Just one other table with a bunch of annoying children.  It’s an Italian restaurant with pasta dishes, pizza and sandwiches, but it’s sort of set up like a sports bar with a bunch of TV’s all tuned to sports channels.   Plus there was a DJ set up in one corner & a disco ball on the ceiling, so I’m not totally sure what the overall vibe of the place is supposed to be.

But, on to the food.  We started off with some calamari.

It had a decent crunch, but was a bit chewy and definitely underseasoned.  The sauce was really thin and watery.  The flavor was ok, but it just dripped off the calamari.  Loren got an Italian sub with potato salad.

It was huge.  Definitely enough for two meals and he liked it.  I, on the otherhand, ordered a Philly cheesesteak and ended up sending it back.

I’m not sure how to describe what it was that I didn’t like about the sub.  The first thing I did was just pick a piece of meat off and tasted it and immediately didn’t like the flavor.   I don’t know if it was herbs blended with it or what, but it just didn’t taste right to me.  I tried a couple more bites, but just couldn’t get past the odd flavor.  Loren tried it and didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with it, but it wasn’t something I was going to eat.  I also didn’t like how crusty the bread was.  The waiter saw I wasn’t eating it and offered to bring me something else, so I went for a simple ham & cheese.

It was ok, nothing to write home about, but at least it was edible.  I wasn’t a fan of the bread they used here.  It was just too thick and hard to eat.  I also didn’t like the potato salad.  It was too sweet and very generic.  Definitely not homemade.

I also got a dessert to go since I figured it wasn’t likely we’d be coming back to eat again.

Believe it or not, there’s a cannoli in there somewhere.  Talk about overdoing it.  I’m of the mind that you should be able to eat a cannoli with your hands.  There was so much extra filling, whipped cream & chocolate sauce ladled on top of it that you had to eat it with a fork.   The overall flavor was ok, but it was way too messy.  Total bill with a drink was $32.

Lombardi Cafe
34210 US 19
Palm Harbor, FL
727-330-7594

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Went to Marinas’s for lunch today.  Loren was craving an Italian sub and I just can’t help but get a cheesesteak here.

Actually, the cheesesteak was on special today with fries.  They just make an ooey gooey yummy cheesesteak here.  The bread is soft with a little crunch on the outside.  So good.  Total bill with a drink was $15.

Marina’s Pizza and Pasta
12121 W Linebaugh Ave
Tampa, FL
813-854-1616

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Remember that PSA from the ’70′s where the little guy sang a song about not drowning your food in “..mayo, salt, ketchup, and goop”?  That’s all I could think about when I got my cheesesteak from Marina’s.  I asked for mayo on it, and boy, did I get mayo.

The cheesesteak was good, but next time, I’m definitely asking for a little mayo.  Loren got an Italian sub.

The subs here are pretty big and very filling.  Both of us could have stopped with just half a sub.  I do like the rolls they use here.  Total bill with a drink was $16.

Marina’s Pizza and Pasta
12121 W Linebaugh Ave
Tampa, FL
813-854-1616

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Friday night around 8pm and we still hadn’t eaten dinner.  Decided to just grab a couple of subs from Jersey Mike’s.  They had a pretty busy day since all they had left was wheat bread and not that much of it.  They had their fingers crossed that it’d be slow in there for the next hour.

Loren got an Italian sub, Mike’s way.

He really liked it.  They slice the meats to order and he really likes the oil and vinegar mixture they have.  I got a cheesesteak with onions and mushrooms.

It was pretty good as well.  They cook it up fresh on the flattop, unlike Subway that just tosses it in the microwave.  I was afraid the wheat bread was going to be tough, but it wasn’t.  It was fresh and fluffy.   They make some good subs here.  For $14, we were satisfied. 

And yet, I still wanted dessert, so we drove over to TGI Fridays and got a slice of vanilla bean cheesecake.  It didn’t last long enough to get a photo taken.  Well worth the $6. 

Jersey Mike’s Subs
3860 Tampa Rd Unit A
Oldsmar, FL
(813) 854-6453

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We needed a break from turkey, so we headed out to Vetture’s in Palm Harbor for lunch before walking through John Chestnut Park.

Since we’ve been eating non-stop for the last two days, we decided to split a 12″ cheesesteak sub and an order of fries.

I like the cheesesteaks here.  The unique thing about them is that they put a little bit of  tomato sauce under the cheese.  It gives it a different flavor and makes the whole thing very moist and gooey.  The roll is lightly toasted so you get a little crunch as well.  The 12″ sub was more than enough for the two of us.  With the fries and a drink, the total bill was $15.

Vetture’s Restaurant and Pizzeria
36137 East Lake Road
Palm Harbor, FL
727-797-4858

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One thing I can say about Jimmy John’s is that they are quick at putting together a sub.  By the time we had paid and walked over to the soft drink fountain, both our subs were ready. 

We ordered a #8 Billy Club and a #7 Smoked Ham along with chips and drinks.  I thought the rolls were a little on the tough side today.  They were a bit chewy.  Total bill was almost $18, which seemed a little on the high side. 

Jimmy John’s
2519 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL
727-259-0000

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I used to work in Dunedin and when we were all craving cheesesteaks, we’d head over to LaSpada’s.  They’ve since changed their name to Delco’s, but everything else is still the same.  From the tiny dining area where you’re lucky to find a table to paying on your way out and cheesesteaks with ooey gooey goodness.

I get my cheesesteak with mayo, onions and mushrooms.  It comes to the table lava hot and it’s difficult to wait long enough so you don’t burn the roof of your mouth.  But, it’s definitely worth the wait.  The rolls are soft and yummy and the whole thing just brings a smile to my face.

Loren went for a roast beef sub which was piled high.

There’s roast beef on the bottom, then all the fixin’s and then more roast beef on top.  Good stuff.  With two drinks, the total was $16.

Looks like they’re expanding as well.  There used to be a Quiznos in the same shopping center, but I heard someone say they moved out recently and the signage out front is Delco’s now. 

Delco’s Original Steaks and Hoagies
1737 Main St
Dunedin, FL
(727) 738-4700

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We went over to Gino’s in Palm Harbor for lunch today.  We’d eaten here a few years ago and figured it was time to check it out again.  They were pretty crowded for a Tuesday. 

Loren ordered a salad and half Italian sub lunch special.

He said the meats were good, but the sandwich was a little dry due to the dressing not being spread out across the whole sandwich.  Lot more bread than meat on this one.

I ordered the steak and cheese sub.

It was huge.  I found it to be a little dry as well.  Definitely not very greasy, but the cheese wasn’t gooey enough for me.  Mind you, I ended up slathering the whole thing in mayo anyway, but it just didn’t have a lot of juicy goodness. 

There was only one waitress working the dining room and she was running around quite a bit.  It took a while to get our drinks & check.  Total lunch with a drink was $16.

Gino’s
3394 Tampa Rd
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
(727) 789-6883

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Had to run to an autoparts store in Oldsmar at lunch today and since Subway was right next door, figured it’d be a quick, easy, cheap lunch. 

I got a sweet onion teriyaki chicken on wheat.

It was ok, nothing to write home about.  I swear the lady at the counter told me 5 times that it was really hot, having just come out of the microwave.  I was a little dismayed to not be able to grab a couple of extra napkins at the beverage stand.  Guess you have to go back to the counter for those.  Subway has never been my favorite sub shop, but for $5 it was a quick and inexpensive lunch.

Subway
3775 Tampa Rd
Oldsmar, FL
(813) 749-8205

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When we were at Johnny’s Italian Restaurant a while back, I noticed the sign for the Hillside Cafe next door.  We went over there today & ordered a couple of sandwiches. 

They have a long menu of sandwiches and it was hard to decide which one to get.  Loren opted for the Muffaletta.

He still hasn’t found one that tops the one at the Cleveland Street Cafe, but he said this one was ok.

I ordered the Cuban.

It was more like a pressed Italian sub.  Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to have a grasp on how long to let the sandwiches stay in the press.  I had the paper that it was wrapped in burnt into the crust on mine.  Definitely not good eats.  After I picked off the burnt parts, the rest of the sandwich was ok.  $14 for two sandwiches and a drink.

Hillside Cafe
2907 State Rd 590
Clearwater, FL
(727) 796-1466

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I’ve worked in Oldsmar for more than 5 years and have driven past the Warehouse Deli twice a day every day and never stopped in.  Finally decided today was the day to just walk down there and grab a sandwich.

It’s a small, hole in the wall sandwich shop that isn’t much to look at inside.  There are a few tables, but we opted to get takeout because a storm was on the way.

I built my own sandwich and got a ham & cheese on Cuban bread with a side of potato salad.

This was a tasty sandwich.  The bread was fresh and the ham flavorful.    The first few bites of the potato salad were good, but then I got a bite of near frozen potato.  Looks like the container was a little too far back into the cooler.  But, for less than $6 this is definitely a great option for a quick lunch.

Warehouse Deli
141 Stevens Ave
Oldsmar, FL
813-818-7700

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We were just looking for a quick bite for dinner and decided to try Jimmy John’s.  After looking over the big board menu we opted for a #1 Pepe, which is ham & cheese, and a #9 Italian Night Club.

The French bread rolls were tasty.  The subs were on par with subs you get elsewhere.  Loren’s comment was better than Subway, not quite as good as Jersey Mikes. 

And maybe it was just me, but I felt as though the cashier had a little bit of an attitude.  She was just a little snarky, trying to be funny, I think, but it just rubbed me the wrong way.   

For $13, we got two subs and a drink.

Jimmy John’s
2519 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, FL

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We went out in the rain in search of lunch and ended up at Pickles Plus on McMullen Booth Rd.  Loren had been to the one in Clearwater before.  It was pretty crowded for a rainy Sunday at lunchtime.

Loren started off with some chicken soup.

It had a nice flavor to it and was very welcome on such a dreary day.  He ordered one of the specials for lunch, Jay’s Fried Chicken Salad.

It was a big salad.  Lots of lettuce, fried chicken, tomatoes, boiled egg, bacon, cheese, cucumber, and of course, a pickle.   He ran out of dressing before he ran out of salad.

I got a chicken salad sandwich with fries.

And of course, a pickle. The chicken salad was pretty bland.  The fries weren’t crispy enough either.  They were too soft, like they’d been taken out of the fryer and left to sit for a while. 

For $26, it seemed overpriced for what we got.  I’ve had better sandwiches elsewhere for less money.

Pickles Plus
2530 N McMullen Booth Rd
Clearwater, FL
727-725-3325

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Ended up having to run out for a quick sandwich around 1:30pm today because I had meetings that ran through lunch.  Headed over to Firehouse for a chicken salad sub.

I like the bread they use at Firehouse.  It’s a nice soft roll.  The chicken salad was actually pretty tasty.  $8 for the combo with chips and a drink. 

Firehouse Subs
3434 East Lake Road
Palm Harbor, FL
727-210-4376

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Today seemed like a good day to go out for sandwiches for lunch.   Central Park Deli & Grill in Oldsmar has a wide selection and it’s close, so that’s where we headed.

Loren ordered the Brooklyn Bridge with chips.

It was a huge Italian sub.  Lots of meats, cappicola, pepperoni, salami, and ham plus cheese and veggies.  He only ate half of it and took the other half home for dinner.

I got the New York Ranger with potato salad.

This was also a pretty big sandwich.  It was two fried chicken breasts, one big and one smaller, on a Kaiser roll.  The chicken was ok, but didn’t really have a lot of flavor.  The potato salad was extremely garlicy.  I don’t think I’d order the sandwich or the potato salad again.  I’ve had other sandwiches here that were good, so we’ll probably go back.

Total lunch was $16 for two sandwiches and a drink.

Central Park Deli & Grill
4058 Tampa Road, Ste 4
Oldsmar, FL
813-854-3613

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