We went over to Tampa Bay Brewing Co on Race Track Road in Oldsmar for dinner and it was busy.  We had to wait a while for a table and the noise level in there is rather deafening.  We started off with the Cantonese Calamari because it’s soooo good.

There’s a bit of heat going on in this dish, but the calamari is very tender and the flavors are delicious.  There are also a few shrimp tossed in there for good measure.  Loren went for the Chicken Spinach Salad and I decided to try the baby back ribs with a side of loaded mashed potatoes.

He said the chicken was tender and flavorful, but there was way more spinach on the plate than he could eat.  The ribs were just ok.  Not quite as tender as I would have liked and the loaded mashed potatoes were inedible.  The cheese on top made a very solid barrier and the potatoes within were too thick.  It needed something saucy to loosen it up.  We wanted something sweet to end the meal, so dug into a deep dish apple crisp.

Loren said he’d ordered it before and it had a lot more ice cream, but this one was pretty good.  Just enough sweet & cinnamon, plus tart apples, a crispy crunch, whipped cream and ice cream.  We all but licked the bowl clean. Total bill with a drink was $52.

Tampa Bay Brewing Co
13927 Monroe Business Park
Tampa, FL
813-247-1422

 

 

We enjoyed our dinner so much the last time that we had to return to Craft Street Kitchen with friends again for dinner tonight.  We got there around 5:30pm and sat out on the patio this time and the restaurant was filling up fast.  By the time we left, there was a line out the door.  The food tonight did not disappoint.

Our friends ordered the Smoked Kissed Salmon, the Green Street Salad and the peanut butter pie for dessert.

I don’t think there was any food left on any of the plates.  Everything was so yummy.  The only complaint was that my friend wished the salad had come with some bread.  Loren ordered the Belgium Clucker and I decided to try the duck flat bread they had on special plus a side of mac & cheese.

The Belgium Clucker is their play on chicken and waffles.  The waffle was amazing.  It was light and fluffy, but had this crunchy exterior and a warm vanilla flavor to it.  They should start opening for breakfast and just serve these waffles.  He said the chicken was tender and it paired well with the bacon collard greens and maple BBQ sauce.  It was also covered in a salsa verde sauce.  The plate was all but licked clean.

The duck flatbread isn’t on their normal menu.  It had duck, mandarin oranges, bacon, goat cheese and another smoked cheese.  Did I mention it was huge?  It had some interesting flavors in it.  The mac & cheese tasted ok, but it needed more sauce.  It was just a bit on the dry side.

For our dessert, we tried another thing on special, the State Fair Puffs.  They were fresh, hot donut holes covered in powered sugar and served with a raspberry cream.

They were amazing and there were a bunch of them in the bag.  I hope they add these to the permanent menu because they were delish.  Our bill alone was $44 and there are still a bunch of things on the menu that we can’t wait to try.

Craft Street Kitchen and Drinks
3153 Curlew Rd
Oldsmar, FL
727-314-4270

Surf Shack has become my go-to place for mac & cheese lately.  The filet with mushrooms and onions is my favorite, but the spinach, bacon & goat cheese is pretty tasty too.

The filet is unbelievably tender and the addition of the crunchy haystack onions on top gives the dish that little bit of texture it needs.  The pasta is perfectly cooked with a creamy Monterey jack & American cheese blend.  While I’m going the decadent route, Loren leans toward their salads.  This time he chose the chicken & walnut salad.

The chicken was nicely cooked and the mixture of ingredients gives you a bunch of different textures and flavors, from crunchy walnuts to tangy dried cranberries and creamy goat cheese.  Then on occasion, we feel the need for something sweet… ok, on most occasions.

Their brownie sundae should really be served in a big bowl because it is messy!  Vanilla ice cream, brownie pieces, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and whipped cream.  We made a huge mess, but it was tasty.  Total bill with a drink was $30.

Surf Shack Coastal Kitchen
12217 West Linebaugh Ave
Tampa, FL
(813) 475-5916

There are a lot of little restaurants tucked away on the side streets in downtown Safety Harbor and tonight we made our way over to Pizzeria Gregario. They must have had a line waiting when they opened because we were there pretty early and all of the inside tables were already occupied. Luckily, it was a beautiful evening and the outside tables were in the shade.

Their menu is on the wall as you walk in and then you order at the counter & they bring the food out to you.  Loren started off with a salad.

Honestly, I’ve never heard him rave about a salad as much as he did about this one.  It had a little bit of this & that and seasoned perfectly as far as he was concerned.  I think he would go back just for the salad.  Loren made the mistake of getting a GuS soda which is supposed to be a not too sweet “grown-up soda”.  It was quite awful tasting.  We also ordered a side of meatballs.

He liked them more than I did.  They were well seasoned, but I didn’t find them moist enough for my taste.  The sauce was a bit on the loose side as well.  It had the flavors, just not quite the texture I was after.  That little gator in the background was our table designation.  He looked like he was ready to eat everything brought to the table.  For our pizza, we went with the mushroom.

It was ok, but neither of us would be tempted to order it again.  The crust was good, but it has a gremolata on top and with every bite the lemon zest overpowered all of the other flavors.  Lemon and pizza just isn’t a combination that worked for us.   Overall, the food was fresh, and we may go back & try a different pizza at some point.  If nothing else, Loren would be happy just to have more salad.  Total bill with a drink was $33.

Pizzeria Gregario
400 2nd Street North
Safety Harbor, FL
727-386-4107

It’s been a while since we’ve been to the East Lake Cafe and unfortunately, this visit didn’t change our minds as to why.  I used to really like this restaurant, but the last few times I’ve been here, both the food and service left much to be desired.  Loren decided to try their International Salad.

 

First off, he misread the menu and thought it had bacon, but that was the least of the issues with this dish.  The avocado was under ripe and rock hard and had to ask the waitress to bring him some he could actually eat.  They also don’t dress this salad with anything other than a light sprinkle of oil.  He asked for some balsamic dressing just to get over the dryness of the salad.  Though the individual components of the salad were good on their own; together, they just weren’t cohesive.  It had hummus, ricotta cheese, tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and pita bread.

I ordered the onion & mushroom burger with American cheese instead of the Swiss it came with.

 

It was under done for a medium burger and lacked any seasoning whatsoever.  Just a really dull burger.  The waffle fries were good though.  Total bill with a drink was $25 and I doubt we’ll even bother to try again.

Eastlake Cafe
3430 Eastlake Rd
Palm Harbor, FL
727-772-0707