The Lodge

My time at The Lodge started at 7pm last Friday. I was invited to sample their menu and was eager to get started. My first impression was that The Lodge was inviting and would be a great place to gather with friends for fantatic food, delicious drinks, sports and hanging out. I immediately noticed that the walls were painted a deep red, there were multiple big-screen TVs (and a projection screen!) lining the restaurant. Drink and food highlights were proudly displayed on chalkboards against a main wall and the area behind the bar. Everyone was laughing and enjoying what they were eating and drinking.

We were greeted by the manager, David, and led to our booth which had a "Reserved for Jennifer Buggica" sign that, I admit, made me a little giddy. David introduced himself and sat with us, explaining the concept of the restaurant, where they've been and where they're going. Having not been to The Lodge before, David and Chef Carlos prepared a sampling of the cuisine The Lodge has to offer.

The Lodge's dinner menu is composed of Appetizers, Almost Famous Sliders, Crisp Salads, Lodge Sushi, Brick Oven Pizzas (offered in full, half and quarter sizes), Mac-N-Cheese, TV Dinners, Sweets & Sides and Open Flame Grilled Burgers and Sandwiches.

While waiting for our first nibble, I ordered a white sangria and a State Fair Appetizer Platter for Two, which consisted of Crispy Calamari, Pot Stickers and Baby Corn Dogs.

Each item came with its own dipping sauce: Marinara for the Calamari, Sweet Sesame Soy for the Pot Stickers and Mustard Aioli for the Baby Corn Dogs. The Mustard Aioli was great, with the typical mustard taste, only more creamy and also sweeter.

Next, we were given Lodge Salads. Mixed greens, apple, bacon bits, tomatoes, walnuts and cheddar cheese, tossed in a sherry shallot vinaigrette, the salad more complex than one would think, and was so different from the typical salad you'd find elsewhere.

(taken after I ate half of it)

I honestly would never have thought to throw these ingredients together in a salad, but it worked wonderfully. And besides, you can never go wrong with a mix of sherry and shallots.

At this point, David came back out to sit and chat. Upon noticing that my white sangria was a little low, he offered to bring me a Seabass Martini, a drink he personally created.

The Seabass Martini is made with Malibu, Peach Schnapps and Pineapple Juice, and topped with Champagne. This martini was so good and definitely something I'll order again. Refreshing and light, its popularity is no surprise.

With a continuous stream of food, we pretty much tried something in each part of the menu. We sampled:

• Buffalo Chicken Mac-N-Cheese. The Lodge has a special section of the menu dedicated to Mac-N-Cheese, which makes me believe I'm not the only one obsessed with this side dish. The other choices include Regular, BBQ Chicken, Italian Meatball and Chicken Parm. While the macaroni is great by itself, the real highlight of this particular flavor was the bits of buffalo chicken and the crispy breadcrumbs. This Mac-N-Cheese had a nice kick to it.

• Tempura Fried Sushi. I can honestly say that it is the best sushi I have ever tried. The Tempura Fried Sushi is made with spicy shrimp and crab rolled with crispy onions and cream cheese then tempura fried and topped with Kabayaki sauce and Sriracha Aioli. Honestly, I was sold at Sriracha, but the sushi continued to impress. It was perfectly fried and there was a nice ratio of all the fillings so nothing was overpowering.

• Popcorn Chicken. This chicken has a sweet and sour glaze and is not yet available on the regular menu. They have it available some nights on the same menu with their specials and if you see it, it's a must-order! One of my favorite dishes of the whole night, this chicken's glaze is simply delicious.  It was savory, juicy and sweet with a slight kick.

Buffalo Calamari (left), Sweet & Sour Calamari (right)

• Buffalo Calamari and Sweet & Sour Calamari. The Lodge will be doing a slight revamp to their menu soon; neither of these are available on the regular menu yet, but we were lucky enough to preview them. I thought both had great flavor and the dipping sauces were wonderful too.

• Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad. This salad was brought out as our last side before dessert. Cucumbers are at the top of my list of favorite fruits and cucumbers paired with a vinaigrette is so palate-cleansing, refreshing and delicious! I highly recommend getting this side.

• Fried Raspberry Cheesecake with ice cream. What a perfect end to our meal! Even though it was fried, the dessert was not heavy. The hotter fried cheesecake mixed with the cold ice cream had exceptional flavor.

Finally, we were treated to their Blue Long Island fishbowl! A massive fishbowl with plenty of fresh fruit and my favorite, dried ice, it was too large to finish between two people, but it was fun and tasty!

The Lodge's bar was pretty impressive. They feature an extensive collection of beer, wine and liquor. Wines, sake, sangria and classic cocktails are offered on the menu. Group drink dispensers are available and you can always find a number of tables partaking in either the fishbowl or these dispensers.

The Lodge features a daily happy hour from 11:30am-8:30pm (until 7:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays) with $3 select drafts, $4 select wines, $5 select martinis, $5 Sangria, $5 Svedka & Call Cocktails, $6 Jager and Patron shots and more! Promoters from liquor companies are also present if you want to try their brand. Last Friday, we happened to try Bushmills Irish Honey Whiskey.

In addition to the daily happy hour, there are other specials to be found:

Daily- Tapas Happy Hour with the special price of $4 for select apps

Tuesdays- $9 Grill and Chill and Yeungs and Wings. This special includes an Open Flame Sirloin Burger, Turkey Burger or Grilled Chicken Sandwich plus any 3 sides! Or, a dozen wings and a pitcher of Yuengling for only $9!

Wednesdays- WTF Wednesdays?! which includes $5 sushi rolls, $5 burgers, $5 full pizzas, $5 for a dozen wings and $5 domestic beer pitchers.

Thursdays- Ladies' Night. A group of 4 or more ladies receive a complimentary bottle of champage and Happy Hour all night long for everyone.

Sundays- Industry night with 51% off with employment verification!

As the night goes on at The Lodge, the lights dim more, the music gets a little louder and it becomes more like a night lounge. A DJ plays Thursday-Sunday nights and they have a go-go dancer Friday and Saturday evenings. During the weekend The Lodge regularly gives away a bottle of Patron to the group that sings "Sweet Caroline" the loudest!

Also, on Saturdays and Sundays, come to The Lodge for their brunch and $3 mimosas! I know I am looking forward to trying their NYC Pretzel French Toast and their Monterey Hash.

When visiting The Lodge choose a table inside or outside. The patio features live music; we were treated to a live reggae band. If you are looking for a place to watch your favorite sports, The Lodge is it. With a vast number of TVs, you can find your favorite sports events here nightly, including the UFC fights.

Finally, with a full stomach and a nice buzz, the obligatory photos were taken:

with David and Erica, our server

with Carlos, the Chef

The sweet staff!

my friend, Tony! 

Now, of course I have to share my favorite photo of the night. I'm a huge Tampa Bay Lightning fan and wouldn't you know...Steven Stamkos himself agreed to take a photo with me! :)

And! The Lodge was gracious enough to supply gift cards for a giveaway! Enter using Rafflecopter below (***IF YOU DO NOT SEE THE GIVEAWAY, MAKE SURE TO CLICK "READ BELOW" UNDER MY SIGNATURE***). I have 3 gift cards (2 for $25 and 1 for $50) up for grabs and no one person can win more than one gift card. You have a total of 9 potential entries. This giveaway will run until Thursday night, April 19th, and the winners will be announced on Friday, April 20th. If you have any questions regarding Rafflecopter or this giveaway, please email me at jensfood@yahoo.com.

A huge thank you to The Lodge, David, Erica, Carlos and everyone who made this experience a great one!

Carrabba's has a secret.

Who loves Carrabba's? *raises hand* The boyfriend and I live next door to Carrabba's so it becomes a no-brainer to eat there for dinner. Usually, we split the Grilled Chicken because it comes with 2 sides and either a soup of salad. We usually get angel hair pasta with the tomato cream sauce for me and the fettuccine for him and then take turns on who gets the soup (him) or salad (me). And then, if we eat in the restaurant as opposed to getting it to-go, we'll usually order an appetizer (our favorite is the fried zucchini sticks with aioli). Anyway, frequenting Carrabbas as much as we do, we knew it would be totally beneficial to sign up for the Amici Club. If you aren't part of the Amici Club, what are you waiting for? It's free and you get benefits:

• Exclusive Offers: Receive valuable offers, like a mini coupon book, for complimentary items, special prix fixe menus and more.
• Flavorful Rewards: Be the first to learn about delicious specials, and enjoy cooking tips, recipes, and flavor pairing options.
• Invitation Only Events: Enjoy social events ranging from wine tastings, to chef specials and cooking demos.
• Insider Information: Find out about special events, gift card giveaways, and other Carrabba's happenings before anyone else.

Sign up here! The boyfriend and I attended a special Amici Club event before and it was such a blast. We got complimentary blackberry sangria and then chose our meal choice off of a special menu featuring all the potential new dishes. We spoke to different managers and came to understand what goes into the selection process. After, we were treated to a buffet line of sorts and got to eat some of the tried and true dishes from Carrabba's. After, we received coupons and food to-go! It was free and fun!

Being a part of Amici, I received an email not that long ago. Carrabba's was sharing their "secret" menu! And, being totally awesome, I wanted to share. You do not have to be an Amici Club member to order from this menu.  *Images are from the Carrabba's website*

Last night, we ordered the Pasta Rambo and Freduccine. I may never sway from these options. The Pasta Rambo, while sauteed in their basil lemon butter sauce, was not at all overwhelming or greasy. It tasted light, but with all the bold flavors of the spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and seafood of your choice. You can choose from shrimp, crab or lobster. The Freduccine basically combined all of my favorites from Carrabba's. Marsala, Fettuccine, prosciutto- all of the fettuccine had the taste of the Marsala wine sauce. Each dish came with your choice of soup of salad.

It was a treat (and kind of exciting in a weird way) to order off the "secret" menu!

Tell me: What is your favorite Carrabba's dish?



Jerk Hut

My boyfriend and I, thanks to a $7 for $20 deal through Creative Loafing, decided to go to Jerk Hut Jamaican Grille and Rhum Bar for dinner last week. Located on Fowler Avenue in the University area, Jerk Hut always seems to have a steady crowd. While we have never experienced stellar service, we have always experienced good food. This time around, we split the beef patty appetizer.

Ground beef seasoned with amazing and baked inside of a flaky pastry shell, this patty is so delicious. The beef was cooked perfectly and the seasoning is simply out of this world. The seasoning is a little spicy, which was a pleasant surprise. I couldn't ask for anything more from the pastry shell. Not only was the pastry so flaky and crisp, but it wasn't too thick. Too often, pastry shells tend to completely overwhelm the flavors inside. Jerk Hut did their beef patty justice.

For our main meals, we decided to go with the Jerk Platter and the Cool Jerk Chicken Wrap. The Jerk Platter is a combo dish served with chicken and pork (best of both worlds, right?) along with red beans and rice.

The pork was a little too fatty for my taste, but I could eat the chicken all day. I tried to pinpoint the flavors in the seasoning (I boast that I have a defining palate), but just couldn't. Turns out, it's a "secret blend of exotic Jamaican herbs and spices" and then grilled with a hint of pimento smoke. The rice and beans are smokey and make such a nice side.

The Cool Jerk Chicken Wrap (also available in Pork) is in a flour tortilla with lettuce, tomato and homemade Ranch dressing.

Again, the chicken flavor is unparalleled, but without it, the wrap and homemade ranch dressing isn't anything special. The menu didn't say so, but my wrap came with a side of fried plantains. Sweet, crispy and soft like it should be, this side basically made me happy about my entire meal. I grew up eating fried plantains and can certainly appreciate ones cooked right. 

Nearly all entrees come with a side of Andrew's Original Redd sauce. Sweet and tangy, the sauce pairs well with everything and is never too heavy of a dressing.

Of course, whenever Macaroni & Cheese is on a menu, I have to indulge. I ordered a side of the baked mac & cheese and delighted in the amount of cheese in the dish (mmm)! 

If you love your cheese, this side is for you. Along with the cheese baked in the middle of this, for lack of a better word, rectangle of macaroni, there is also plenty of cheese at the bottom. If you are unawares of this delight, it'll surely be the first thing you notice when you fork out your first bite!

Aside from the obligatory meats, wraps and sides, Jerk Hut also has imported Jamaican sodas, juices, salads and soups. They also have an extensive liquor and specialty drink selection, offer catering and have live music some nights of the week.

The Lime: Fun, Modern, Mexican

Located in the mix of Tampa's hottest district (SOHO), The Lime is one of the restaurants I've been meaning to try. More than its meals, The Lime offers something for all of your senses, lending uniqueness in the middle of the South Tampa restaurant scene.

With its lively atmosphere, The Lime captures you from the moment you walk in. This establishment is trendy and fun with a bustling crowd. A beautiful mural adorns a wall. Comfy, green booths and couches are available, offering an easy and relaxed at-home feel. The music playing (sometimes by a live DJ) is definitely noteworthy. The big flat screen TVs along the walls make this a great place to enjoy a game.

The Lime boasts that they have the best margaritas in Tampa and fortunatly for their patrons, they are right! I was drawn to the Marcorona, a huge house margarita with a nice Corona sticking out. This margarita will not disappoint!

Pair the Marcorona with their bottomless chips and salsa and you have the perfect start to a meal.

The Lime offers both sea salt and chili-rubbed chip options and between the two, I was impressed with the chili-rubbed. Even more impressive was the quality of their salsa. The salsa is made fresh daily and you can easily taste each individual ingredient. We finished the bowl in record time.

At about this time we were introduced to the manager, Jordan. Highly knowledgeable about his restaurant, Jordan was willing to answer all questions we had about the establishment, including bar selections and menu design (there is a revamp on the way- stay tuned!). He was seen continuously interacting with the crowd and assisting the staff with delivery of food to the tables and clean up.

Jordan, taking great pride in his beer selection, he personally teaches his staff members the ins and outs of the distinct brews offered.  Offering 22 beers on tap (switched out on a regular basis) and more than a dozen crafts, The Lime is a domestic beer house for every taste. When I shared that I wasn't quite on his level, he recommended a beer that he thought I'd enjoy. When I tried this beer, I knew that Jordan's advice was not to be taken lightly. From there, he recommended other dishes and let us know that if we loved spicy, be sure to request julienned peppers. 

The Lime's menu is composed of Tapas, Salads, Fiesta Bowls, Tacos, Sandwiches, Quesadillas and other traditional Mexican fare. Encouraged to try a little bit of everything, we did! On the Tapas menu, we opted for the Pollo Roll 'Yo and Fried Avocado Fries- both recommended by our bartender, Shelby. As an aside, we highly recommend Shelby!

Pollo Roll 'Yo (left), Avocado Fries (right)

The Pollo Roll 'Yo, avocado glazed buffalo chicken, crispy onions, julienne jalapenos & celery with bleu cheese crumbles & lime caesar dressing rolled in a tortilla and cut sushi–style, was one of my favorites of the night. The avocado glaze made this buffalo chicken unique and the lime caesar dressing paired nicely with the other ingredients, giving the rolls a clean and crisp flavor.

The Avocado Fries, another favorite, is lightly breaded and fried and sits on a bed of lettuce and pico de gallo. Aioli is offered as a dipping sauce, a perfect complement.

For the main meals, we turned to both Jordan and Shelby for recommendations and ultimately decided to sample some tacos and fiesta bowls! We ordered The Street Trio, where you can choose a combination of any three street tacos with a side of rice and beans. The tacos we picked were Picadillo (seasoned ground beef, rice, refried beans, cilantro, jalapenos and salsa fresca), Carne Asada (grilled marinate skirt steak, salsa fresca, cabbage and grilled tomatillo sauce) and Ancho Chicken (grilled chicken breast, avocado, pickled red onions, cilantro, queso fresco and chile de arbol). All tacos are served on fresh-made soft corn tortillas.

Picadillo, Steak, Chicken

The tacos tasted completely different and I thoroughly enjoyed each one. I will say, though, that the Ancho Chicken was so good that it blew the other amazing tacos out of the water.

Next, we sampled two fiesta bowls: Ropa Vieja (Cuban shredded beef, pickled onions, peppers, tomatoes, plantains, black beans and mojo vinaigrette) and Habanero Beef (spicy shredded beef and carrots with citrus vinaigrette and topped with queso crumbles, pico de gallo and mariachi aioli). 

 Ropa Vieja (left), Habanero Beef (right)

All of the Fiesta Bowls come with citrus jasmine rice, napa cabbage and fresh vegetables, with the option to substitute for brown rice. There are also bowls that are served stir-fry style, without cabbage. Again, I loved both bowls, but the Habanero Beef took the cake. It had the perfect amount of spicy and the sauces were unbelievably good.

When it came time for dessert, we decided to go for the Churros, served with vanilla bean ice cream. 

Mmm churros.

One thing I didn't order was the guacamole, but I did notice that each table that ordered a side of this delicious dip was met with their personal guacamole maker. That's right- when you place this order, the 'guac man' will show up at your table with a cart full of all of the trimmings for a perfect guacamole and he'll make your guac fresh before your eyes. This is definitely something I will experience next time!

Something we really loved about The Lime was the bar options. In addition to the 22 beers on tap, they offer a Fiesta Hour daily from 2pm-7pm and large tabletop drink dispensers that can be filled with any drink of your choice.

On top of the daily fiesta hour, you can find a different special being offered each night of the week:

Mondays- $10 Marcoronas and $5 Margaritas

Tuesdays- $2 tacos and $2 Coronas

Wednesdays- BOGO Sangria from 6pm to 7pm and Ladies Happy Hour all night

Thursdays- 1/2 OFF Tapas

Fridays- Free tequila shots at 11pm!

On weekends, from 10am-3pm, brunch is offered.

Be sure to check out The Lime for excellent food and drinks, service, and atmosphere! A huge thank you to The Lime for hosting me, for your generosity and especially to Shelby, who took great care of us, and Jordan, who made our experience that much better (and let me wear a sombrero!)

With Shelby- we got photo bombed by another manager  :)

With Jordan

The Lime, after just one visit, is already a favorite experience of mine! Beautiful people, great food, good times and catchy music make The Lime one of Tampa's best spots for dinner and then some!

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Ocean Prime: A True Dining Experience

For Christmas, I received a very generous gift card from my boss. Knowing that I'm a complete foodie and love nothing more than trying new restaurants, she surprised me with enough in gift cards to treat myself, my boyfriend, and my mom (almost- we went a little over) at dinner! She selected Ocean Prime since it's one of her favorites and guess what?- it became one of mine as well!

via

From the moment we walked on the red carpet, literally, before entering the restaurant, I knew this would be a great experience. Behind the hostess stand, Ocean Prime proudly displays their impressive wine selection.

The lobby's walls are also full of articles, proclaiming the greatness that is the Ocean Prime experience, which only served to make me more excited. On our way to our table, we all remarked at the terrific decor and ambiance. It was sophisticated, modern and relaxing. Ocean Prime has a bar/lounge area with live piano playing, drink specials (during happy hour), and a roaring fire to set the perfect mood. In the main dining area, intimate booths line the inner wall and the outer wall is composed mostly of windows where one can see to the outside dining and small lake bordering the restaurant.

via

Now, prior to coming to Ocean Prime, I browsed the menu and asked around for meal and drink suggestions. When I heard that Ocean Prime has a cocktail with dry ice, I knew I had to have it. With the perfect name of Berries & Bubbles, this drink did not disappoint. Shaken and poured right at the table, this cocktail immediately started to bubble and "smoke". I'm nothing if not a fan of a little show. Berries & Bubbles is made with Belvedere Citrus Vodka, marinated berries (poured right on top), Ocean Prime's house made Sour and Domaine Chandon Brut Champagne. My mom, preferring very sweet drinks, selected the Strawberry Smash cocktail, made with Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, muddles fresh strawberries and hand squeezed lime. Although I preferred my choice, the Strawberry Smash can best be described as an adult strawberry Starburst in liquid form. Divine.

Berries & Bubbles (left), Strawberry Smash (right)

Next, it was time for our main entrees. Ocean Prime's menu can be overwhelming. It's not because it's a large menu with seemingly unlimited options (think: Cheesecake Factory), but because everything sounds delicious. I seriously wanted a sampler platter. To start, I opted for French Onion Soup. French Onion Soup is one of those things that I have to order whenever, wherever it appears on a menu and Ocean Prime's, as I suspected, was near perfection. Made with a great brandy and aged swiss, I hereby declare Ocean Prime's French Onion Soup in my top 2, right up there with the soup at Malio's Prime Steakhouse, one I rant and rave about often. Good job, Ocean Prime!

Eager to taste more of what Ocean Prime had to offer, we snacked on complimentary sourdough bread while waiting for our main courses. Note: when a restaurant offers bread to tide you over, they immediately rank pretty high in my books. 

For our main course, I selected the Short Rib "Osso Buco" with horseradish whipped potatoes and caramelized carrots. Yes, I said caramelized carrots. They were out of this world and honestly, I don't even usually like carrots. My boyfriend opted for the Gerber Farms Chicken with asparagus and Lemon pan jus. Both of our dishes were featured in the Chef's Compositions section of the menu. All items in this section come with the sides listed. My mom went off of the a la carte menu and chose an 8oz Petite Filet Mignon with a twice-baked baked potato and those caramelized carrots. All of their steaks are prepared with homemade seasoning and while I didn't sample a bite, my mom commented enough for me to know that it was great. 

Short Rib Osso Buco

The meat from the short rib easily fell off the bone and was incredibly tender. The sauce was so complementary to everything in the dish so I'm glad all of the food was in one bowl. The horseradish whipped potatoes were so different from any other whipped potatoes I've had before and I couldn't get enough of them.

Chicken, asparagus, lemon pan jus

Admittedly, I was so obviously satisfied after tasting this chicken that my boyfriend asked me several times if I wanted to switch meals. I stayed with my own, though. The combination of crispy outside, tender inside and the lemon sauce was simply amazing. Everything came together so nicely. Frankly, this is the best chicken I've ever tasted.

Even though I didn't get a picture of my mom's steak, I just had to capture one of the twice-baked baked potato. All of the articles we were reading in the lobby mentioned this potato so we knew it would be delicious.

This potato is made with scallions, applewood smoked bacon and Vermont cheddar cheese and the tastes are much more elegant than the picture would let on. Also, for being a side on an a la carte menu, it was much larger than I thought it'd be. It was easily large enough to split between two people, even three. 

Of course, a true experience includes dessert so even though we were pretty stuffed, we requested a menu to look over. My mom, the eternal chocolate lover, selected the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. I selected the Creme Brulee, one of my favorite dessert choices. 

The Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, made with peanut butter mousse and bittersweet chocolate ganache, was similar to a Reese's Cup but with a crust at the bottom, a nice and pleasant touch. The Creme Brulee was vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar top and fresh berries and was unbelievable. I don't think you could get me to stray from this dessert in my future trips to Ocean Prime.

I have definitely added Ocean Prime to my list of favorite restaurants and since there is so much on the menu that I want to try, it's a perfect excuse to plan another trip there. Our waitress was attentive and fun and pretty much the sweetest girl ever. We were blown away by the atmosphere from start to finish and will definitely sit in the lounge area next time. 

Ocean Prime also serves lunch Monday-Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and this menu has my mouth watering as well. Enjoy the Blu Lounge during happy hour (4pm-6pm) for small plates and specials on select handcrafted cocktails and wines by the glass. 

Among others, Ocean Prime has won awards for Best Artisanal Cocktails, Best Dessert, Top 20 Steakhouse, Best Supper Club and Best Outdoor Space!