Marchand's Farm to Fork at the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel #VinoyF2F

The Renaissance Vinoy Hotel is a St. Petersburg landmark. The history and the ambiance of the Vinoy provide charm that you can’t find anywhere else. Since the grand opening in 1925, the historic hotel has played host to countless guests, including Presidents, professional athletes, and A-list Hollywood stars.

I was recently invited to wine and dine my way through the main dining room at the hotel – Marchand’s Bar and Grill. Lucky for us, Marchand’s is open to the public - not just hotel guests.

The six course tasting dinner at Marchand’s featured locally sourced ingredients. Chef Mark Heimann and Chef de Cuisine Ross Clingman turned these locally sourced ingredients into pure food magic. At the presentation of each course, we marveled at the dish presented to us. Each course built upon the last to create a memorable dining experience that I won’t soon forget. Not only did every course look fabulous, they tasted even more fabulous.

The start of a perfect meal

Here is a look at the dishes we tried:

Florida avocado, crisp prosciutto, pickled radish, duck egg, rocket greens, buttermilk dressing

Not your mama’s typical lettuce and tomato salad! This salad was a great way to start the meal, and a tasty preview of the meal ahead.

Spiny lobster cake, celery seed, chipotle-lemon grass remoulade

Before the dinner, I saw a tweet hinting at this glorious spiny lobster cake. I was looking forward to this because I love lobster. What could be better than a bunch of lobster meat stuffed together to form this tasty cake? Mmm. And see those little black squid-ink croutons? They were unique and so tasty. A return trip to Marchand’s would be in order based on this dish alone.

Braised veal cheeks with cabernet linguini, escarole, bronzed sweet onion, pecorino

Lots of firsts for me on this dish. Veal cheeks? Cabernet linguini? They both sound intimidating but were both super delicious. The veal cheeks were melt-in-your-mouth tender. The cabernet linguini was fresh and not too bold or too heavy.

Lake meadow’s game hen, orange-honey crust, charred cabbage, saison beignets

I’m not sure if the best part of this dish was the orange-honey glaze or the saison beignets. I could have easily had a few spoonfuls of the orange-honey glaze and a few saison beignets and been happy. Together, this dish was spectacular. And then…

Fried flounder, corn spoon bread, Andouille stuffed peppers, jalapeño butter

Save the best for last! Just when we thought the meal couldn’t get any better, out came this stunningly delicious (and adorable) plate. The flounder was fried to crispy perfection with a light batter. The corn spoon bread tasted like a spoonful of Southern happiness. Then I tried the Andouille stuffed peppers - a mini bite of sweet heat and the perfect way to wrap up the savory portion of the meal.

Plant City strawberry cannoli and banana cream pie duo

Dessert is always a requirement for me. Marchand’s dehydrated local strawberries and turned them into this cannoli shell and stuffed it with a smooth creamy filling. This duo also contained a deconstructed banana cream pie. Both mini desserts were refreshing and light. This was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Along with every course we had a pairing from Marchand’s in-house sommelier. As if the food wasn’t enough, here’s what we enjoyed sipping on throughout the evening:

Chardonnay – Hahn SLH Estate, California

Sauvignon Blanc – Starmont, California

Malbec – Trivento Amado Sur, Mendoza Argentina

Jai Alai IPA – Cigar City Brewing, Tampa

Key West Sunset Ale – Florida Brewing, Melbourne

Prosecco – Mionetto, Italy (does this place know the way to my heart or what?!)

You can have your own Chef's Surprise Tasting dinner at Marchand's (with or without wine pairings) or try these dishes a la carte. There are lots of other dishes on the current menu I'd love to try, like the Lobster and Oxtail Ravioli Duo and the Sea Scallops. 

Another awesome feature of Marchand’s is the new tabletop sommelier. This iPad feature has the full bar/wine menu, suggested pairings, and other nifty features. You’ll even be able to save and send yourself notes on the drinks you enjoyed so you’ll be able ask for them again at a return visit or purchase them to enjoy at home.

After this exquisite dinner, Marchand’s is moving up to the top of my list for go-to special occasion dining. There’s no need to spend lots of money on a chain steakhouse when you can have locally sourced gourmet fare for practically the same price. To top it all off, you can’t beat the charm of The Vinoy for any celebration. And even when not celebrating special occasions, Marchand’s is perfect for your next date night, girls night out, or whenever you’re in the mood for a delicious meal.

PS: Marchand’s also has weekend brunch, sushi on select nights, and a special prix fixe menu. I can’t wait to try these soon.

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Everglades BBQ at Tropicana Field {Go Rays!}

Why I've never been to Everglades BBQ before, I am really not sure. When I visit the Tampa Bay Rays at the Trop, I usually stick with a classic hamburger from the concession stand. This is now going to change!

Recently I was invited to have dinner at Everglades BBQ. Everglades is the perfect compromise between rushing through dinner before a game and missing plays waiting in line for food during the game. You don't have to rush through anything at Everglades, because you can watch all of the action while you eat! We decided to eat at Everglades before a recent home game. We arrived around 6pm, and we enjoyed watching the pre-game warm ups from our dinner table. Imagine how great this view would be during the game!

Once we got settled in, it was time to decide what to eat! The menu at Everglades features all of your favorite BBQ staples, and some twists. All of the BBQ served at Everglades is smoked onsite daily. I knew it was going to be good!

The appetizers by themselves are a tough choice to choose from! The appetizer menu includes Pulled Pork Nachos, Beef Brisket Quesadillas, Pork Rinds, and Crispy Chicken Wings. Are you hungry yet?

Everglades has a full salad bar as well. The salad bar includes Parker House Rolls and Brunswick Stew. You can have the salad bar as a meal, or add it on as an appetizer or side when you order a sandwich or entree.

The sandwiches at Everglades would make my friend SandBookWich very proud! How does a Fried Georgia Trout BLT with Bacon Mayonnaise sound? Pretty awesome, right? We decided to try the classic Pulled Pork sandwich. All of the sandwiches at Everglades come with Ranch Potato Wedges, Vinegar Slaw, and Red Jalapeños.

The smoked pulled pork was perfect. The fries weren't bad either. Perfectly crispy with the right amount of salt. Then came the Smoked Beef Brisket. With 2 sides. The brisket was extremely flavorful and tender. You can taste the freshness in the meat. I chose baked beans and mac and cheese for my side items. The baked beans were tangy and the mac and cheese was extra cheesy. 

Of course any great BBQ joint has their signature sauces. Everglades has 3 available - Smoky Original, Carolina Gold, and Citrus Chipotle. While the meat was so good I didn't even need BBQ sauce, I tried all 3. (For the sake of science. Right.) The original was my favorite - a good ol' mild BBQ sauce. The others were good and I recommend trying all 3 when you visit. Find the sauce that's perfect for your taste, and your entree. 

The portions at Everglades were very generous and well worth the price! The pulled pork sandwich is $12 and the brisket dinner is $14. I know that everyone thinks ballpark prices are outrageous, but we found Everglades to be very reasonable. For a few dollars more than a ballpark hamburger or hotdog, you can get a full plate of really good quality food at Everglades.

I barely had room left for dessert, but again decided I better give it a try for the sake of science. (I love food "science"!) The choice was hard - should I go for the Classic Sundae, a Pecan Pie Sundae, Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, or an old fashioned Root Beer Float? After serious deliberation and input from my server, I chose the peanut butter pie. It lived up to it's menu name of Extreme Peanut Butter Pie. 

The pie was just the right size for an after dinner treat. I loved the chocolate cookie crust and the smooth peanut butter filling. I loved the chocolate and caramel drizzle on top. It was perfect. Extremely perfect. Now I see where the name comes from!

I highly recommend visiting Everglades BBQ the next time you attend a Rays Home Game. There are several options for trying out Everglades food - the sit down restaurant (which I visited) at the Gate 1 Rotunda on the 2nd level, the 100 level seating bowl in the concession stand area, and inside Gate 1 at Right Field Street.

Dining spot at the Captain Morgan Deck

If you have a large group attending a Rays game, you can rent out the Captain Morgan Deck which is attached to Everglades. The best part is you can have Everglades cater the event. Your colleagues, business partners, vendors, friends, and family are sure to be impressed. I checked out the Captain Morgan deck for myself to experience the view and atmosphere. It's a great place to watch the game, and have access to some great food.

{Disclosure: Thank you to the Tampa Bay Rays for providing me with a complimentary visit to dine at this restaurant. All opinions expressed are my own.}

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EATS! American Grill

Sometimes you just want to go where everybody knows your name. Or maybe just to a spot where you can go as you are and be enveloped in a warm easy-going environment of good food and good drinks. That spot is EATS!

Eats American Grill is a casual American eatery in Tampa that serves up classic American comfort foods. I visited EATS on a Saturday afternoon and there were plenty of regular customers on hand. These frequent EATS diners had nothing but wonderful things to say about this Tampa eatery! 

My meal started with Saratoga Potato Chips. While many restaurants are eliminating the complimentary bread basket, EATS is serving up housemade fresh potato chips to their guests. The chips are served with a cool Saratoga dipping sauce. It is hard not to fill up on chips while you ponder over the menu! 

EATS has a big variety of dinner salads, sandwiches, and entrees to choose from. I knew I wanted to try one of the new menu items EATS offers. This was a really tough choice! I wanted to try the Houseblend Burger (bacon and Angus beef on a brioche bun), the Rib and Mac sandwich (rib meat, mac and cheese, and onion on Texas Toast), and the Tree Dog Mad Sweet Chicken (grilled chicken breast with Tree Dog onion salsa and cheese, baked). Don't they all sound amazing? These are just a few of the new menu items EATS recently added to their lineup. Once my eyes found the new Mahi Fish Tacos, my mind was made up. 

The Mahi Fish Tacos can be ordered blackened, grilled, or fried. The fresh fish is served on a warm flour tortilla with cabbage, fire roasted corn salsa, and EATS signature spicy sauce. A rice pilaf accompanies the tacos. Here are some close-up shots of the tacos. As you can see, the mahi is fresh and flaky, and the corn salsa is filled with diced peppers for an extra kick. The EATS spicy sauce is definitely spicy. Maybe not for you big heat seekers but it's spicy enough for me - a big wimp when it comes to seriously spicy food! Speaking of spice - did you know EATS was featured on a Food Network episode of Heat Seekers? Pretty cool! 

While I was at EATS I also wanted to try some of their macaroni and cheese. When a restaurant has a good homemade mac and cheese, you can't pass it up. Check out this fresh baked dish of deliciousness! I could have eaten a whole meal of this mac and cheese and been happy. It was topped with crispy bacon bits. 

Even though I was full at this point I wanted to make sure I tried one of the new dessert items, an Ice Cream Truffle! I can't resist ice cream. EATS offers 3 truffle choices: The Manhattan, Cookies and Cream, and Strawberry Cheesecake. This was another very hard decision! I decided to go with the Cookies and Cream truffle. The truffle is ice cream in a crispy chocolate shell with whipped cream. It was a perfect ending to an afternoon meal. On my next visit to EATS I look forward to trying the Fried Oreo Sundae and the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. 

EATS is located near Gandy and Dale Mabry - a short drive for us St. Pete folks! EATS will welcome you with whatever you're in the mood for. Whether it's a cold beer, a BLT, or some classic Apple Pie, EATS serves up good classic American comfort food with a lot of heart!

Special thanks to Tracy from My Other City by the Bay for introducing me to EATS!

Check out what others are saying about EATS on UrbanSpoon

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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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