We got some burgers at Red Robin tonight.  We’ve never been disappointed in the food, but I don’t usually blog about chain restaurants so  I didn’t take any photos.  That is, until we got to dessert.  I’ll just leave this Mile High Mudd Pie here.  Try not to lick the screen.

It was absolutely decadent and divine.  How can you go wrong with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, Oreo cookies, & caramel??

Red Robin
27001 US Hwy 19 N
Clearwater, FL
(727) 726-7249

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We were driving through Ocala today and at the recommendation of a friend, stopped at the Ivy House for lunch.  It’s a good thing this place isn’t closer because I’d be eating there constantly.  This is what down home southern food should taste like.  We started off with the BBQ shrimp and grits appetizer.

I could have eaten two bowls of these grits.  They were creamy, cheesy, and perfectly seasoned.  The shrimp was nicely cooked with a tangy BBQ sauce.  I’m pretty sure we licked the plate clean.  For his entree, Loren got the Krispy chicken salad.

Perfectly cooked chicken with a tasty ranch dressing.  It also came with a roll and cornbread.  I ordered the Krispy chicken platter.

It came with macaroni & cheese, a side salad, veggies, a roll & cornbread.  I was in heaven.  The chicken is drenched in butter and covered in Rice Krispies and baked to a mouthwatering tenderness.  The mac & cheese was creamy and tasty.  Everything on the plate was delicious.  We couldn’t leave without dessert.

This monstrosity is the Hot Tin Roof sundae.  There’s a brownie buried in there somewhere, plus ice cream, whipped cream, strawberries and all sorts of sauces drizzled on top.  It looks like a mess, but it was tasty.  I was very impressed with the food and the prices were very reasonable.  I would absolutely eat there again.  Total bill with a drink was $44.

The Ivy House
917 East Silver Springs Blvd
Ocala, FL
352-622-5550

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After going to a movie this morning, we were looking for a quick lunch and found it at Sweet Caroline’s.  I thought I remembered a cafe there the last time we grabbed a dessert and sure enough, they had a selection of soups and sandwiches available.  Loren went for the turkey BLT croissant with a cup of creamy roasted asparagus soup.

The soup was a little thin, but he said it had a really good flavor.  He also enjoyed the crunchy bacon and the sandwich as a whole.  The cole slaw had a pineapple taste to it.  I ordered the chicken salad croissant with a side of the sweet corn chowder.

This is the way I like my chicken salad.  It had grapes and other sweet things in it and the crossiant was fresh and tasty.  The chowder was also on the thin side and needed some salt, but otherwise pretty tasty.  It just wouldn’t be right to leave this place without grabbing a dessert.

Loren went for the chocolate ginger cookie, but don’t be fooled, he had quite a few bites of my French eclair.  From the moment I walked in, I knew I was getting it for dessert.  A layer of pudding, a layer of whipped cream all tucked into a pastry shell and topped with dark chocolate.  Yum!  Total bill with two drinks was $29.

Sweet Caroline’s
3347 Tampa Road
Palm Harbor, FL
727-781-1888

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I’ve been searching for a restaurant to satisfy my Ipswich clam cravings.  Having grown up in New England, it’s one of those tastes of my childhood that I miss and can’t find anywhere.  That is until tonight when we ate at Rosie’s Clam Shack in Pinellas Park.  But first, we had to try the clam chowder.

This was a thick, rich chowder with lots of potatoes and clams.  It had a very mild flavor and needed a little salt, but otherwise, pretty tasty.  Loren decided to try the stuffed grouper.

For his two sides, he chose the parsley potatoes and the pasta salad.  He really liked this dish.  He said the grouper was cooked perfectly and the stuffing had a nice flavor to it.  The pasta salad had a little spicy kick to it that he liked as well.  Loren said he wished he had taken a photo of the happy look on my face when I ate the first fried clam.

These were perfectly cooked.  Crunchy, with tender bellies, just like I remembered them.  I really liked the parsley potatoes too.  Since everything else was tasting so good, we decided to try the apple blossom dessert.

I think if I had turned around this would have been gone before I was able to look back.  The apple filling and tender crust were just yummy.  It was a very simple dessert, but sometimes, those can be the best.  My only complaint about the restaurant is that it took quite a while for the food to come out of the kitchen.  We will definitely be back.  Total bill with a drink was $52.

Rosie’s Clam Shack
6657 49th St
Pinellas Park, FL
727-527-6700

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I think we’ve found our new favorite German restaurant down in Largo.  German Bistro 2 is in a little strip mall, has about 10 tables inside and some very tasty and hearty German food.  They started us off with some bread and coleslaw.

The bread was fresh and tasty.  The coleslaw was a bit on the peppery side, but still very good.  I knew I shouldn’t have ordered an appetizer, but I just love potato pancakes.

Normally, Loren isn’t a fan, but he really enjoyed these.  They were nice and crispy with a little bit of herbs on them and served with applesauce and sour cream.  I have to admit, I was already full by the time our entrees arrived.  Loren got the Gypsischnizel with a side salad and dumpling.

They forgot to bring out the dressing for his salad, but other than that the meal was very good.  His pork had a tomato and green pepper sauce on it.  The dumpling was made of stuffing.  It was different.  I ordered the Jaegerschnizel with spaezel and warm potato salad.

The pork was very tender and the mushroom gravy had lots of thick slices of mushrooms.  The spaezle was so good that I had to order seconds.  I forgot to mention, all the sides have free refills.  Loren really enjoyed the potato salad.  It had bacon and that distinct vinegary German flavor.  We both ended up with lots of leftovers and yet, we still ordered the apple strudel for dessert.

It was served with ice cream and whipped cream.  Seriously, we were both so stuffed by this point that we couldn’t finish the pastry, though we did eat all of the apples inside.  Another thing to mention is that they also offer complimentary beer or wine.  It was a very enjoyable experience.  The owners are very friendly and accommodating.  They want to make sure you enjoy every last thing on your plate.   This is definitely a restaurant we’ll be returning to.  Just have to remember to bring a big appetite.   Total bill was $55.

German Bistro II
1300 E Bay Dr Ste L
Largo, FL
727-216-6519

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