Food Now and a sweet giveaway!

Sometimes you want a really good meal, but don't feel like dressing up or dealing with parking. You get wrapped up in a project at work and can't leave the office for lunch. Maybe you want to host a fabulous dinner party, but want to focus on the guests without being stuck in the kitchen. Whatever your case may be, Food Now has you covered!

Food Now is a local restaurant delivery service in the St. Petersburg area. Getting a meal delivered to your front door from your favorite restaurant is as simple as 1-2-3:
1) Visit www.727foodnow.com
2) Select a restaurant and place your order
3) Enjoy the meal when it arrives

Whatever you're in the mood for, Food Now delivers it!

The Food Now website is very user friendly! You can sort by zip code and then browse the menus for each restaurant that is available to you. Once you create an account, your order details are already in the system for next time. If you prefer to place an order over the phone, you can call them directly at 727-822-FOOD. I recently placed an order with Food Now, and my meal was at my door within 30 minutes!

17 new restaurants have recently been added to Food Now's lineup! New additions include Everything Dolce Dessert Bar, El Toro Negro Mexican Restaurant, La Teresita Restaurant, and Edo Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. They have also expanded the delivery area to include 5 new zip codes: 33707, 33709, 33710, 33781, and 33782. Whatever you're in the mood for, Food Now delivers it! Whether it's burgers, pizza, sushi, tacos, breakfast, or anything in between, Food Now has it. You can even add drinks and desserts to your order.

Food Now delivery areas

I have tried several of the restaurants Food Now offers, both delivered and in person. My personal favorite is Sushi Rock Grill. Their Krazy Kobe roll (crab and tempura asparagus topped with sirloin, eel sauce, and mixed greens) is so good I crave it! It is a must have for me when I order from Sushi Rock Grill. It's so nice to get fresh sushi delivered to me at home, instead of settling for grocery store sushi or having to go out after a long day at the office.

Are you ready to order yet? Food Now has graciously offered 1 Sweet! Tampa Bay reader a $25 gift certificate! To enter the giveaway, you must like Sweet Tampa Bay and Food Now on Facebook using the Rafflecopter app below. A winner will be determined on March 4th!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Brunch at Mangroves

Mangroves Restaurant in Tampa recently added Sunday brunch to their lineup. The new brunch menu joins hands with a dinner menu, full bar, and nightlife scene to make Mangroves a go-to spot in the Tampa SoHo area. I recently had the pleasure of trying some of the new brunch items. Mangroves does a great job of putting a new twist on some traditional brunch items.

Let's start with the cocktails - Bloody Mary's and mimosa's are available along with the regular bar menu. I had a couple of mimosa's (my favorite) and the Bloody Mary's get a thumbs up as well. We all need our daily dose of fruit and veggies, right?

Chicken and Bacon Waffles - a bacon infused waffle topped with crispy fried chicken and maple syrup. The fried chicken tender had a great flavor and crispiness to it. The bacon flavor was not overpowering in the waffle.

Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine - poached egg on a brioche roll, topped with hollandaise sauce. The Benedict has Canadian Bacon and the Florentine has creamed spinach. I really enjoyed the flavor and crunch of the crispy brioche roll. 

Truffled Scrambled Eggs - scrambled eggs infused with truffle, in a phyllo cup and topped with tobiko. Definitely not your mama's scrambled eggs! The eggs were fluffy and great, but I would have enjoyed this just the same without the tobiko on top. 

Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Cobb Salad - The sandwich had bacon, mango, and brie on a toasted brioche bun. The Cobb salad had avocado, bacon, blue cheese, red onions, tomato, and mixed baby greens. This was my 2nd favorite dish. I am a recent convert to brie cheese, so this was fantastic for me! The brie was perfectly melted and pairs well with the mango. You really can't go wrong with this option! 

Grand Marnier French Toast - this was my favorite dish on the brunch menu! Perfectly tender french toast with a hint of sweetness, it was almost like a dessert. I felt the only thing the french toast was missing was a little whipped cream and/or some fresh berries on top. It was a heavenly dish and I would gladly eat it again and again. I have been thinking about it since Sunday! 

All brunch dishes are served with sweet potato hash - diced sweet potato and bell peppers.

Brunch at Mangroves also features live music. The singer of the day was good. She played a lot of female lead songs from the 90s, like The Cranberry's and Sixpence None the Richer. Check out this cool disco ball! 

Outdoor seating is available

Cool interior design

Mangroves new brunch menu features everything you could want on a Sunday morning. Prices are reasonable between $9-$14. The next time you are in Tampa's SoHo neighborhood, be sure to check out Mangroves - for brunch, dinner, or a hip night spot.

Which brunch dish at Mangrove's would you most like to try?

Check out what others are saying about Mangroves on UrbanSpoon: 

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Ciccio's California Cuisine

Ciccio's California Cuisine is St. Pete's member of the Ciccio's restaurant family. The Ciccio's restaurant group includes Tampa restaurants Water, Daily Eats, and Green Lemon (formerly known as The Lime). The St. Pete location features fresh and healthy brunch, lunch, and dinner options.

Ciccio's California is located in the Northeast Shopping Center with Publix, across from Gold's Gym near 4th Street and 38th Avenue. Many diners stop by for a healthy dinner after the gym. The menu of Ciccio's California features bowls, wraps, and salads. They also offer thin pizzas (whole and half sizes) and "fit" entrees. Many items on the menu are gluten free and easily identifiable as such. They also serve beer and wine. Happy hour is from 5-7 daily - featuring $2 draft beers and $3 glasses of wine.

My favorite time to visit Ciccio's is on Tuesday nights. $2 Tuesdays features $2 Cali-Flats, and $2 sangria (served in a champagne flute). Cali Flats are a good way to sample the flavors in the Ciccio bowls. The bowl ingredients are served on a warm tortilla. There are 9 to choose from. My favorite is the Mexican - chicken, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and lettuce. For $6 you can have 2 tacos and a glass of sangria. Or, 2 sangria and 1 taco... Depends on what kind of day you had at work! $2 Tuesdays are very popular, so expect to wait for seating if you come at a peak dinner hour.

Ciccio's California is also open for brunch on the weekends. Breakfast wraps, bowls, omelettes, and more are served from 10-3. The best part about stopping by for brunch is the $3 mimosas! Bring your pooch and sit outside on a gorgeous Sunday morning - St. Pete style!.

The servers are Ciccio's are all extremely friendly. One standout is a server named Chris, who often works the outside tables. Ciccio's has healthy dining options, reasonable prices, and great service. What more can you ask for? Stop by Ciccio's California Cuisine today and tell them Sweet! Tampa Bay sent you!

 Check out what others are saying about Ciccio's California Cuisine on UrbanSpoon: 

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Super Sunday at Red Mesa

I love learning about restaurant deals on Facebook. A couple weeks ago, I saw Red Mesa's post about their Super Bowl Sunday specials. How could I pass up half priced appetizers and Happy Hour drink specials? Here are some pictures from my Super Sunday dining:

One of my favorite restaurants!

This has my name all over it

White sangria

Chips and salsa

Wild mushroom quesadilla

Shrimp fundido

If you missed the Superbowl specials at Red Mesa, their Sunset Menu is offered Monday-Friday from 4:00-5:45pm. $14 gets you chips and salsa, a beverage (sangria, margarita, draft beer, or soft drink), an entree, and dessert. It is one of the best deals in town!

Check out what others are saying about Red Mesa on Urbanspoon: 

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Papa Murphy's Pizza

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... pizza?! Papa Murphy's Pizza is making it rain pizza on Thursday February 7th at 6pm. YOU are invited to join Papa Murphy's for this event, where goodies will be tossed down to guests from a hot air balloon. Prizes include gift cards, pizza, and party packages. A few lucky guests may also win free pizza for a year. This fun and family friendly event will take place on the USF Golf Course at 3801 North 46th Street in Tampa.

Papa Murphy's is opening a new location in Tampa at 5383 Ehrlich Road, Suite 105. A portion of all proceeds at this store from Thursday February 7th-14th will be donated to Williams Syndrome Association, to help send local children to a music therapy camp.

Fresh pizzas baked at home

So what is Papa Murphy's? Fresh take and bake pizzas. Stop by a Papa Murphy's on your way home from work, order a pizza, and pop it in the oven when you get home. No more greasy delivery pizza or frost bit freezer pizzas! The best part is that the pizzas are made to order and completely customizable. Papa Murphy's uses only fresh ingredients, and your pizzas will be made right in front of you. Check out the Papa Murphy's menu here.

Which pizza from the Papa Murphy's menu would you like to try?

The Heart Baker - available for Valentine's Day

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