Little Greek Packs Big Flavor

Have you ever become particularly attached to a cuisine, becoming more and more picky with every meal, working hard to perfect the best dishes and learn everything you can about the different profiles and then you visit the restaurants that feature that cuisine only to be disappointed in what they have to offer and so, except for the occasional time that you try to find another good restaurant, you stick to your tried and true?

That's me. And that's especially me with italian and greek cuisines. I'm pretty particular about those Mediterranean flavors and while I'll go to Carrabba's any day of the week, I know a true italian restaurant when I see it. I also tend to frequent the same greek restaurants and now it's time to add Little Greek to my list.

Little Greek is a very unassuming greek restaurant that, upon first glance, you may or may not expect to get really quality food from. I mean, Little Greek doesn't have waiters or special lighting or fancy table settings. Upon your arrival, you approach the very friendly employees behind the counter, order your food, grab plastic utensils, fill your drink at the fountain and sit down, waiting for your food to be delivered to your table. Little Greek just...is, they don't make any crazy airs about the food that they produce. Honestly, they don't need to, the food speaks for itself and it speaks volumes. 

On the visit (and I say that because there will be many more to come) the first item I had to try was their Avgolemono, a homemade chicken-lemon rice soup. I'm very much into having lemon in a soup (my lemon chicken noodle soup is my go-to meal and one of my favorites). Combine the creaminess of the soup with the tangy and bright lemon flavor and my heart soured to Athens. I was that person, sitting in the booth, scraping the styrofoam bowl and catching every last droplet. 

To me, the word greek is synonymous with the word hummus. Ever since I discovered that hummus was actually tasty despite its appearance, I started ordering hummus wherever it appeared on the menu. Little Greek was no exception and I loved their hummus, but they change it up a little bit by offering either grilled pita bread, or the more unique, fried pita bread. 

Anything fried is a win in my book so given this choice, I obviously went with the fried option. The hummus was flavorful and homemade and the portion was great, but those fried pita chips took the cake. They were crunchy with a light seasoning and I just really appreciated having a little something to make a typical hummus side dish into something special.

While I would have liked to try everything on the menu, I felt like it was only appropriate to have the Chicken Pita and Greek Salad, two staples on any greek menu. If you look closely, you'll notice the sauce, glistening among the lettuce. With one tip of the pita, the sauce would have dripped all over my plate. And that folks, is what makes my mouth water. If I have a sandwich, wrap, pita, what have you, with a thinner sauce, I relish the juiciness of it and the taste of the bread soaking up all of the delicious flavors. This Chicken Pita has lettuce, tomatoes, onions and tzatziki, but the sauce was more than just the tzatziki. The tzatziki sauce blended with the juice from the tomatoes and the drippings from the grilled chicken to make the sauce that I was more than happy to dip my warm pita bread in after. I had a small pool of tasty, sitting right there on the paper wrapping, and I took full advantage.

The Greek Salad was clearly a greek salad in its components, but with a flavor all its own, separate from the local greek food I've tried before, it impressed. I opted for potato salad on the bottom, which just further absorbed and enhanced all the great greek dressing. 

Little Greek won Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay 2012, has 8 Florida locations (Carrollwood, Clearwater, New Port Richey, Palm Harbor, South Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fowler/USF, Westchase and Westshore Mall), and prides themselves on only serving quality food that is freshly-sourced and local.

Try Little Greek and see what makes this place so wonderful!

Pelagia Trattoria: A Gem of a Restaurant

When I was a little girl I loved books, riding my bike, playing hide and go seek, and being in the kitchen. I was happy to make my younger brother waffles for breakfast. I always volunteered to be my mom's taste tester for favorites like Italian Potato Salad. I ate like a bird, but I ate often. It might not be surprising to hear that despite my love of food as a child, there were some items I wouldn't go near. In general, children can be relatively picky about the food that's put in front of them. They pay attention to how it looks, how it smells, and what it actually is.

What may surprise you is that those same foods I shunned as a child, I continued to shun into my adult life. I started this food blog staying away from those same foods. Fish? No way. Sushi? I'll pass. Mussels? Forget about it.

As I started getting more opportunities to attend menu tastings and sample dinners at great area restaurants, I knew I had to let those shunned foods into my life. I don't proclaim to always know the names of certain dishes, or have the best vocabulary for describing them, but I didn't think I could have a food blog I could be proud of without at least giving these food items a chance. And, I have. I'm loving some fish, I'm obsessed with sushi, I tried mussels a couple of weeks ago.

Now, enter: Pelagia Trattoria, a gem of a restaurant in Tampa. This past Monday I had the opportunity to attend a dinner with some of my favorite food bloggers where we tasted samples of new menu items and I was able to try something I never would have before I created my little part of the internet.

As always, Pelagia hosted a fabulous dinner and really showcased their perfectly crafted dishes, courtesy of Chef Andrew Basch and Chef Brett Gardiner. Now, let's get to the food!

With a plethora of beer and wine at our disposal, we settled in for the first course (of ten!) of a Cured Meat & Cheese Board.

I love charcuterie and just looking at the picture of this meat and cheese board again today is making my mouth water. Pelagia can expect to see me in shortly for some wine, cheese, meats, breads. Some of the items you can choose from when building your board include: Serrano Ham, Duck Prosciutto, Auricchio Provolone, and Bel Paese and Taleggio Cheeses.

Next was Chargrilled Octopus with Chorizo Oil, Frisee & Blood Oranges. I've had calamari plenty of times, but always fried so I did have a little hesitation with this dish. In all actuality, it was one of my favorites of the night. Tender and grilled perfectly, it paired so well with the chorizo oil.

Ahhhh! My favorite item of the evening was the lovely Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Tomato Jam that you see above. All crab, with a beautiful aioli drizzle, this cake was so plentiful and delicious.

Next up: Grilled Pear & Watercress Salad with Maple Bacon, Blue Cheese & Cilantro Pesto. Oh wait, now this was my favorite (do you see a trend here?). I'm a really bit fan of grilled fruit. The juice from the grilled pear drizzled over the salad. I loved the sweet notes in this dish.

This next one, the Sausage & Ricotta Pizza, became my guilty pleasure of the night. Thin, crispy dough, rich sauce, cheese that was perfectly bubbly, flavorful sausage, fresh basil- pizza doesn't get any better than this. It has an elegant quality to it and I can't wait to go back for more.

The Porcini & Black Truffle Cream Cavatelli reminded me of my love for anything truffle. This pasta was so rich, but it was exactly how I would want it to be. I loved the earthiness that the mushrooms provided. 

The Squid Ink Linguine, Seared Scallops & Blue Crab was next and another new item for me to try. The linguine has a great flavor and I heard plenty of others around me naming this one their favorite course!

Would you believe me if I told you that I've never had quinoa? Well, it's true, but I've just never been around it, and I've never noticed it on a menu. Luckily, with the Florida Snapper with Charred Yellow Pepper Bisque & Organic Quinoa, I was able to change all that. I cleaned every last morsel of quinoa off my plate- and now I can't wait to have it at other restaurants! The snapper was grilled perfectly and paired so well with the sauteed spinach.

Again, time for some quinoa. The last dish of the evening was a Lamb T-Bone with Minted Quinoa Tabouli & Juniper Berry Saba. The lamb was grilled perfectly and I loved the way it meshed so well with the mint from the quinoa. 

Not pictured: White Anchovies, Radish Carpaccio & Orange Zest. 

I basically rolled out of Pelagia with all this food in my belly, but it'll be a long time, if ever, before I forget this meal. Thank you to Pelagia for being as wonderful as always!

For you folks who have not had the pleasure of dining at Pelagia, they are located on the ground floor of International Mall's outdoor area, right next to the Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, this is most definitely a restaurant you want to visit soon.

Dishcrawl Is Touring Bayshore Beautiful!

I'm getting married this year and fortunately for me, I am done with the planning. Five months early and I don't have anything left to do- it's a little surreal as I expected to be running around like a crazy person for my entire engagement period. The only thing I have to tackle for my wedding? A diet, and it's proving to be easier than I thought. That's right: I'm doing what most women do before one of the most important days of their lives and having a go at losing some poundage and having fantastically toned arms.

However, don't misunderstand me. When a food event presents itself to me, I grab at it and don't let go, allowing myself to indulge and appreciate what went in to each dish. I'd like to highlight Dishcrawl, a relatively new concept in the Tampa Bay area. Dishcrawl takes attendees on a tour of the selected Tampa neighborhood of the night, presenting four different restaurants and allowing those restaurants to showcase a sample of a dish (or a couple of bites of multiple dishes). Dishcrawl also fosters relationships between these ticket-holders and chefs and owners.

Dishcrawl is a fantastic concept, allowing me to take full advantage of all the food offered, but without having foodie's remorse the next day. Chefs prepare thoughtful dishes to share and they can be decadent, savory, sweet, flavorful, juicy, rich, spicy, or any combination of the millions of food adjectives you can think of. I think it's so wonderful to be able to visit a handful of different restaurants in one night, sampling what they have to offer, feeling satiated at the end without growing a food baby, and making some friends in the process.

In fact, I spent my last Dishcrawl event with two new food blogger friends of mine, Blaire of Dreaming Ingredients and Joe from Tastiest Spot in Town. We had so mush fun going from one restaurant to another, from one cuisine to another, and if you think all of the above sounds like a good time, I recommend purchasing tickets for the Bayshore Beautiful tour taking place on Tuesday, March 26th, at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at dishcrawl.com/tampa and, if you would like $5 off your ticket, enter code "Jen" (without the quotations, obvi) at checkout.

Oh, and if all that didn't convince you, Dishcrawl Tampa's ambassador is our very own Tracy Guida, food blogger extraordinaire at My Other City by the Bay. She knows her stuff.

Marchand's Bar & Grill Celebrates Local With Their Farm-to-Fork Menu

Go local. Now more than ever, it's so important to support our local farmers. It's a cause I can stand behind and implore people to do the same. Let's support our local farmers and local businesses. When I was asked to attend a dinner debuting the new Farm-to-Fork menu at Marchand's Bar & Grill, I knew it would be right up my alley.

Marchand's Bar & Grill is located inside the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in downtown St. Petersburg. This Farm-to-Fork menu is inspired by the seasonal ingredients from local farms. For each dish, I'm going to point out the local farm where the ingredients are from. Here is a list of the local farms that Marchand's has formed a relationship with:

• Mitchell's Natural Produce
• Glory Road Farms
• Pure Florida Apiary
• Worden Farm
• Geraldson Farms
• Seeley's Ark
• Pasture Prime Family Farm
• Hunsader Farm
• 3 Boy Farm
• Jones Potato Farm
• Watercress Farm
• Eco Farms

Marchand's, just as I expected, provided us with a quality six course dinner with wine pairings. To begin, we were treated to a Florida Orange Mojito, shown the ballroom of the hotel with it's magnificent chandelier, heard some history of the hotel, learned how the hotel supports local artists and then we were lead to the Marchand's dining area. 

How cool is that??

The first course ended up being my favorite of the night: the Mangalitsa "Croque Madame".

This toasted treat had the perfect combination of, well, everything. This dish was absolute perfection. Made with ham, Georgia Red cheese, a fried quail egg and served on toasted brioche with a Silk Onion Soup Shooter on the side, I was so pleased. I ended up spreading the yolk over the bread and getting a taste of all of the components with each bite. It was a very, very grown up grilled ham and cheese sandwich, essentially. Wonderful textures, contrasting flavors that all worked very well together- I would drive all the way to Marchand's just for this dish (and I live a good 45 minutes away). 

[Mangalitsa: a curly-hair hog that has been raised at Pasture Prime in Summerfield, Florida. Georgia Red: a washed rind, semi-soft cow's milk cheese produced by Flat Creek Lodge in Southeast Georgia. Florida sweet onions: grown by Cincotta Ranch.]

The next dish was Tile Fish, something new to me. This plate featured Golden Tile fish, Romanesco cauliflower, Sun choke hush puppies and Rock Shrimp Nage. This fish, cooked with the skin, was flaky and tender, yet had some crunch from the skin. This dish is also low in fat, but it fooled me- that's how rich and flavorful it was. 

[Golden Tile: From East coast of Florida. Rock Shrimp: Deep-water shrimp caught off the coast of Florida. Romanesco grown by Worden Farm.]

This next one was my second favorite of the evening. What else is better than pork and fried mac 'n cheese together? Nothing, I tell ya!

The macaroni and cheese was fried crispy with traditional mac 'n cheese inside and served over smoked bacon collard greens, but the main highlight of the dish was the pork cheek, served in a Murcott Tangerine BBQ sauce, which reminded me of upscale asian cuisine. Tender and full of flavor, I savored each bite, willing more pork cheek to just keep coming out.

[Pork Cheek: Mangalitsa again. Murcott Tangerine: grown by Mixon Fruit Farm. Collard Greens: grown by Hunsader Farm.]

Next up!: a Key West Yellowfin Snapper with a chorizo black bean cake and warm yellow tomato vinaigrette and olive oil. It may seem a little strange, but the vinaigrette was my favorite item on this plate. It was light and refreshing, making for a great pair. 

[Peppers in Black Bean cake: grown by Worden Farm. Yellow Tomato: grown by Hunsader Farm.]

Our last course before dessert was Braised Rabbit with Savoy cabbage and Gold Creamer potato puree in a Pinot Noir reduction.

Well, it's true: I've never tried rabbit. The thing I love most about being a food blogger, besides all of the wonderful people I get to meet, is that I'm forced to try new food. That's a good thing. Without that experience, I never would have discovered sushi, duck, deer, etc and now, rabbit.

I loved the flavors of this dish, with the creaminess from the potatoes being the highlight in my eyes. The braised cabbage added just the right amount of crunch.

[Rabbit: raised by Seely's Ark. Gold Creamer potatoes: grown by Jones potato farm.]

With the night nearing to a close, it was time for dessert. We were presented with a trio (from left to right): Tiramisu, Caramel Oatmeal Pie, Smores Hazelnut Ganache Torte.

First, the tiramisu was very yummy. Second, the Caramel Oatmeal Pie was my favorite. Like eating an oatmeal cookie that just makes your mouth water, this pie was that but juicier. Third, I'm not a chocolate fan, but this torte had a graham cracker crust, beautiful lightly torched whipped cream, fruit and pieces of strawberry meringue. 

[Strawberries: from Honeyside Farms. Orange Blossom Honey: from High Hat ranch. Oranges: from Mixon Fruit Farm.]

Finally, I just want to thank every single person who made tonight possible. To every member of the staff from servers to the chef to the restaurant and hotel managers: thank you for an unbelievable night and great conversation; I can't wait to come visit again. Cheers!

Piquant: A Flavorful French Bakery & Restaurant in Hyde Park

Have you ever been to the Strawberry Festival? Full of shortcake, milkshakes, funnel cakes, corn dogs  etc and it's good times and you leave with the Guinness Book of World Records food baby and life is glorious. That's what was in store for me, Blaire (of Dreaming Ingredients) and Kerry (from Snark & Pepper) this past Sunday. Then, I received a text on Saturday that was more glorious than the glorious day I was anticipating. Blaire explained that she got caught in Strawberry Festival traffic coming back from Orlando and that, combined with chilly weather, her new idea was for us three to go to Piquant in Hyde Park for brunch instead. Bring.It.On.

Blaire and I had both been to Piquant before during the Dishcrawl Hyde Park tour and I was all too excited to drop everything else we were planning on doing just to go back and introduce Kerry to this charming, beautiful French brasserie. Piquant, taking over the space where Sophie's used to be, has such a classic, wonderful vibe. There are beautiful white tables, clear chairs, a brightly-lit pastry case, classy wallpaper, happy employees, enthusiastic chefs/owners...I mean, the list goes on and on. I am so incredibly impressed. Piquant also serves many gluten-free and vegetarian items. They clearly already have a following, even in their 5 short weeks of being open.

During this visit, I was reminded that my favorite people to have a meal with are foodies because I'm encouraged to order as much as my little foodie heart desires, take pictures and then spend half my time sharing the pictures on various phone apps. In fact, when I spoke aloud about all the dishes I would be ordering, I was met with a resounding, "Do it!" from my companions. And do it I did.

It's relatively hard to decide on a single dish at Piquant in one sitting. This is why I not only ordered a handful of items, but I also have many a plan to go back for more. My goal is to order every item off of the menu through my visits. This is not a joke. I will conquer all of the Piquant goodies.

Since it was brunch time, I started with the breakfast menu. While everything caught my eye, there was one dish in particular that I had to have and it's all because of two words: GOAT CHEESE. 

Oh, goat cheese, you have my heart. Your silky creaminess leaves me in awe. I'll never let go, goat cheese...I'll never let go. xoxo.

This Goat Cheese Omelete also consists of cantimpalo chorizo, cilantro and caramelized shallots, inside perfectly cooked eggs. The components are spread throughout the omelete so you can really experience the blend of all the ingredients with each bite. The eggs, goat cheese, chorizo and shallots created four very different textures, making this omelete very dynamic.

I also decided to order a side of the Du Jour Pommes de Terre which happened to be purple potatoes today, another new item to me. These potatoes were slightly crispy and perfectly seasoned. No salt or condiments necessary. 

I certainly appreciated having Kerry at brunch because she decided to order the Banana Bread French Toast...as an appetizer. Yep, I'm in the company of good people. 

Although I wouldn't normally order a sweet dish for breakfast such as this one, Piquant has pretty much changed my mind. The banana bread was wonderful and served with whipped cream, banana slices and maple syrup, then dusted with powdered sugar. 

Next up was the Sunday special: Braised Short Ribs on a french baguette with a red wine demi-glace, poached egg, chipotle hollandaise and crispy onion. 

Just look at that dish. Every plate at Piquant is like a work of art, something to be admired and appreciated. 

The last item I had in-house was the Passion Fruit Meringue. Just as wonderful as I remembered it to be, I'd venture to guess that every future visit to Piquant will end with me ordering one of these. The creamy, slightly tart meringue is presented in a crisp shell and it's to die for. To DIE, I say.

Per the usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach and I knew I couldn't fit another bite. However, I wanted to be able to eat Piquant for dinner too! So, I ordered some items to-go from the lunch menu and the bakery case.

Again, every item caught my eye and I had a very hard time deciding. Eventually I fixed on the Pulled Chicken Sandwich with fontina, cilantro aioli, tomato, crispy shallots and balsamic glaze, served on challah. 

All sandwiches on the lunch menu come with Piquant's Root Vegetable Chips or Pomme Frites. The root vegetables making up these chips include taro, Caribbean sweet potato and yucca, very thinly sliced and crisped.

Of course, as I'm learning, it's virtually impossible to skip on taking home additional bakery items. I decided on Zucchini Bread and the Kiwi Lychee Mousse. 

The bread was soft with a hint of zucchini and a slight crunch on the crust. A very pillowy bread that I can't wait to try more variations of. The mousse was sweet and juicy, with a very cleansing taste, and the kiwi was an excellent choice to round out the flavors of this dessert.

I would say to make sure to browse the bakery items during your Piquant visit, but it's not necessary; your eyes will already be drawn to all the opinions available. From cookies and pastries to mousse and freshly-baked bread, the bakery case will definitely provide you with a dilemma on what exactly to order. My suggestion is to just order it all. 

A delightful area to just relax

I implore you, dear reader, to visit Piquant. Chefs Rosana Rivera and Ricardo Castro put so much care and creativity into their restaurant and it absolutely shows. The food is quality. Rosana and Ricardo are genuine and appreciative of every visitor. This restaurant deserves everything I see coming their way and I couldn't be happier to be supporting Piquant as they impress Tampa.

Even though this was only my second visit to Piquant, I immediately felt at home when I walked through their doors. In fact, I felt at home on my first visit as well. It's just that special. I have a feeling Piquant and Tampa residents will blend into a big, happy, huggy family and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Dishcrawl: The Hyde Park Edition

One of my favorite parts of going to food events is the fact that we can sample multiple dishes, thereby allowing us to get a feel for the menu and not get completely stuffed in the process. Dishcrawl is doing it right with their walking tours of different areas of Tampa Bay, featuring four restaurants with samples at each.

This past Tuesday I attended the Hyde Park tour with my newest foodie friend Blaire from Dreaming Ingredients. Blaire won a ticket to this tour from my blog and her blog should be in everyone's Google Reader. She's not only hilarious, but she really knows her food- two marks of the perfect food blogger, in my mind.

Our first stop was Irish 31, the pub I've been meaning to visit. We sat outside on the patio with live music and with the great weather, it was a perfect first stop to meet some new people.

Irish 31 certainly set the tone for the rest of the night, in a positive way. I was hoping that every other place would be just as good (and they were)! I mentioned in my food truck post that I'm a newbie to Shrimp and Grits. Thank you, Irish 31, for continuing my love for this perfect combination. The trio we were presented with consisted of a take on Chicken Pot Pie, a perfect sample amount of their Pot Pie made with celery, carrots, onions, mushrooms and peas in a rich gravy and topped with a bite-sized puff pastry; Legendary Boxty, a perfectly crispy rolled mashed potato ball, lightly fried and served with a housemade horseradish sauce; Shrimp and Grits, sauteed tiger shrimp with red tomatoes, onions and herbs on top of velvety grits.

Each dish seemed to be made with such precision, from conception to presentation. The smooth mashed potatoes paired nicely with the slightly spicy flavor of the horseradish. Since the potato ball was fried, there were different textures going on in this dish that I appreciated. 

 

I could have continued to spend my evening on Irish 31's patio, sipping my drink, eating their food, and listening to the live music, but it was time to walk the block to Piquant, a new French restaurant and bakery that took the place of Sophie's Bakery & Cafe. Sophie's was eclectic and certainly had its charm, but I have to say that I'm so glad Piquant is in existence. In fact, I went to brunch yesterday and will be posting about it tomorrow. From the moment we walked into Piquant, I knew it would become a favorite restaurant of mine- the decor is classy, light and welcoming. I can picture myself sitting in their cozy reading area with my book and some tea when I just want some time to relax. 

At this stop, we were able to sample their peach-infused iced tea, chocolate croissant, almond croissant and a delightful passion fruit meringue. The croissants were flaky and delicate, with the almond croissant having almonds and honey on the outside and almond paste on the inside. The passion fruit meringue had such a mixture of flavors. There was a tartness and a sweetness and it was served atop a crispy shell. The meringue turned out to be the highlight of my evening. It was so light and airy and really cleansed the palate. 

The third stop of our Hyde Park tour was Wine Exchange, a bistro and wine bar. I've been to Wine Exchange many times and I always opt for something with mushrooms. I was excited when a plate of two salads were placed in front of me instead. It's times like these that force you to step away from your go-to dish and try something new. Wine Exchange offered a Cuban Salad and a Grape-Pecan Chicken Salad.

The Cuban Salad consists of iceberg lettuce tossed with ham, swiss, tomato and green olives with a Cuban vinaigrette dressing. This salad reminded me very much of the 1905 salad from Columbia. Normally I don't like comparing one restaurant's dish to another restaurant's dish, but in this case, it's to point out just how great this Cuban salad is. Everyone in Tampa has heard of and most have experienced the 1905 salad and it's delicious and popular and amazing...and the adjectives go on and on. For Wine Exchange to have something similar is something I definitely want to highlight and congratulate them on because it's different enough to be unique to Wine Exchange, but similar enough that anyone who likes a good vinaigrette salad needs to try this one.

The Grape-Pecan Chicken Salad features the Wine Exchange's signature chicken salad over mixed greens and tossed with pecans, celery and grapes, with an herb vinaigrette. Our dish was served with a white wine blend from Stark Raving. Blaire said that she thought this combination would be perfect for a quick and light lunch and I completely agree. 

The final stop on our tour was at Timpano Italian Chophouse, a place I have visited before and love. In fact, Blaire and I have plans to visit again for a full meal and some cocktails. 

We arrived to Black Skillet-Roasted Mussels, tossed with EVOO and sea salt; Fire-Roasted Meatballs, with housemade marinara and basil chiffonade; and Mozzarella Bocconcini, served with Pomodoro sauce. This was my first time eating mussels (I know, it's basically blasphemy), but it's because of Timpano that I will continue to try mussels at other area restaurants. Bravo. One thing my readers should know is that when I go to Timpano, I grub. This is why no pictures exist of my food but rest assured that it was savory with perfect punches of flavor. 

I strongly recommend all of these restaurants and can't wait to feature some additional items on this blog. 

With Cigar City and Bayshore tours coming up, be sure to sign up for a Dishcrawl event soon! 

And with a thank you to Tracy for being a fantastic Dishcrawl ambassador and Blaire for being the kind of foodie you can laugh with and learn from, this blog post is over. Fin.