Spruzzo Restaurant and Bar - Malibu, California

This was my second time to Malibu and my friend told me he wanted to take me to his favorite place to eat, which of course was Spruzzo Restaurant and Bar.

It is located in a small strip mall directly across from the ocean.

Although there is beautiful outdoor dining,

we decided to eat indoors, in an equally beautiful space.

They brought out some focaccia to munch on while we decided what to order.

I started with a Ceasar Salad. Nice but very simple.

Then for my entree I decided on the special of the day, Fusilli with Chicken.

(sauteed chicken, broccoli and sun dried tomatoes finished in a gorgonzola cream sauce served over fusilli pasta $16)

I really enjoyed this dish, however it also had asparagus in it. Fortunately I love asparagus, but I hate it when the menu description does not match what they are serving.

Still, I really enjoyed Spruzzo.

Firehouse Restaurant - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

On a recent trip to Harrisburg we had friends who lived there that picked us up and took us to dinner. They took us to Firehouse, and although we were running a little late, they already had someone there holding a table (which was great because the place was packed). 

Shortly after we sat down tons of appetizers were brought out that our friends had pre-ordered. There were 8 of us total so it was great that we had all of these things to share.

For my entree I ordered The Backdraft (char-grilled chicken breast with lettuce, tomato, onions, brie cheese and roasted garlic aioli on a toasted country white roll $9) with mashed potatoes as my side. 

The potatoes were bland (would have been nice to have gravy) but the sandwich was really good.

Overall it was not a bad place, and by how busy it was I could tell that it is a favorite among the locals!

Kasa - Restaurant and Bar

So I was dining with some friends before we went to the theater and one of them suggested going to Kasa. They had been there before and said it was Tapas style dining with a great happy hour from 5pm until 7pm during the week.

After looking at the menu and talking to our amazing server I decided on a Sangria ($4, delicious) and three small plates (which were at a special happy hour price).

Kasa Corn (miso lime aioli, spices, manchego, queso fresca $4)

These three mini corn cobbs were slathered with cheese and spices and were really flavorful. Regretfully they got stuck in my teeth (as corn on the cobb often does) and there were no toothpicks to be found. Won’t order those again unless I have flossers in the car, but they were really tasty.

Brussels N Bacon (miso bacon, brussels cooked two ways $4)

Although these were well cooked they were really spicy, which was not in the description. I still ate them but they definitely had a kick.

Yuca and Cheese Fondue (crispy yucca, tableside fondue $6)

This was my favorite of the three items. The crispy yucca had a nice seasoning on it, and the cheese fondue (which stayed warm through a votive candle underneath) was delicious (and there was plenty of it).

I could have easily had two orders of it.

Then for dessert I splurged and had the Decadent chocolate Cake (flourless, gluten-free, with orange chantilly cream $8)

This was indeed decadent. It was more of a fudge then a cake and with the orange flavor was absolutely scrumptious. I ate every bite!

Although I feel it is a place that I won’t go very often, if I found myself in the downtown Orlando area again during happy hour times I just might go back!

Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery - Lake Mary

I was recently given the opportunity to meet a friend at Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery in Lake Mary.

It is located in the old “Uno Bar and Grill” location on Lake Mary Blvd just off of I4 (just look for the big Tilted Kilt sign).

I knew that I was going to enjoy it when I walked in, but I didn’t realize that I was going to enjoy it this much!

The building is quite large and they huge have a bar that it half indoor,

half outdoor to suit everyone’s needs.

The main dining room is very spacious and there are tons of TVs everywhere to watch your favorite game or sporting event.

They have a million Beers to choose from and they also have really great drink specials…. I mean Really Great!

The servers wear scantily clad uniforms and are beautiful, however they are also exceptional at their job. 

Nicole was our server and not only was she on top of her game with keeping my glass refilled, but she was very personable and offered great suggestions.

Now on to the food!

They offer a cross between classic Irish pub food (Shepherd’s Pie, Irish Stew, Gaelic Chicken) and American bar food (Burgers, Fries and Salads). There food is made to order and they use all fresh ingredients, and even make their own sauces and dressings. They can also custom make many Burgers and Pizzas upon request.

I was told of their amazing nightly specials (Monday night All You Can Eat Wings, Wednesday night All You Can Eat Boneless Wings) and they also offer “Hoppy Hour” daily from 3pm -7pm, then again from 9pm – close where they have personal sized items for $2 - $5.

I have a weakness for Potato Chips in general, but when the TK Irish Nachos were described to us and I found out that they make their own Chips I knew that we had to get those for our appetizer.

(Fresh cooked crispy Potato Chips, covered with out signature Guinness Beer Cheese Sauce, seasoned Ground Beef and Tomatoes $7.50)

This dish made me very happy. The Chips were thick cut, which made them substantial enough to hold all of the toppings and were also super-crispy. The Beer Cheese Sauce gave it an interesting flavor too so that it wasn’t just like eating Chips and Queso. On a side note I didn’t want to fill up just yet so I boxed half of it to go, and then later that evening I heated up the leftovers under the broiler and they were just as good the second time around.

They had many delicious-sounding Burgers to choose from, so I figured I had better try one of them for my entrée.

I decided on the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger.

(Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Crispy Shoestring Onions and Guinness BBQ Sauce $10.50)

I can see why their Burgers are so popular. It tasted really fresh and the ingredients were above average in quality and flavor. One of the better Burgers that I have had in quite some time.

It came with regular Fries, but to be a little different I decided to upgrade to Parmesan Garlic Fries. They were also full of flavor and were really garlicky.

My friend ordered the Chicken Tenders.

(Lightly Battered Chicken Breast Tenders, served with Cayenne Ranch Sauce, Pub-made Coleslaw and a side of French Fries $10.50)

She just had them as is, but they can also toss them in one of their Six Wing Sauces if you want. I didn’t try them but they looked really good and by the looks of them I would definitely order them in the future.

Then to close out our meal we decided to have the Tilted Guilt.

(A partially baked gooey Chocolate Chip or White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie served hot from the oven and topped with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Syrup $5.50)

I don’t normally order dessert, but this particular one sounded so good. Indeed it was. The Cookie itself was HUGE and they weren’t kidding about being “gooey”. We split it and I must say that these are definitely big enough for two. I was also told that you get one of these free on your birthday.

So when I first thought about what the Tilted Kilt would be like I figured that it would be "just mediocre" in certain ways, but I can honestly say that I really enjoyed every aspect of it.

The place was pretty cool, the service was outstanding, and most importantly the food was exceptional (and the price is very reasonable, especially for what you get). If you haven’t already been I would highly recommend giving the Tilted Kilt a try! 

You’ll be glad you did.

Salt Rock Tavern - Tampa

My friends from Tampa took me out to Salt Rock Tavern.

It has a sports bar feel to it, but I feel like most of the people were there for dinner rather then just a drink.

We started looking at the abundant appetizer menu and were finding some interesting sounding things on it when our very friendly waiter pointed out that many of the appetizers were on special for just $5.

With this new information we decided to get three of them.

Coconut Crusted Shrimp

These were quite large and tasty and came served with an orange-ginger dipping sauce.

Tyson’s Makin’ Bacon

(candied nueske bacon with brown sugar, cinnamon and cayenne)

Although the taste was good, an order is just three small pieces (each served in a shot glass). I feel like even at this discounted price that there was not enough of it to make it worth it.

Southern Hushpuppies.

This was my favorite of the three appetizers. The adorable little basket was filled with delicious cornbread hushpuppies, and it was accompanied by a pimento cheese fondue for dipping.

I could go back for more of those at any time!

Then for my entrée I ordered the Ybor Burger.

Topped with guava jelly, melted gruyere, potato sticks, nueske bacon and tavern sauce. This was normally $10, but for a $1 upcharge I switched my regular fries to truffle-parmesan fries.

 The fries were good, definitely worth the extra buck, but it was the Burger that shined.

Everything tasted really fresh, and the guava jelly gave it a little sweetness that I was a big fan of.

To be honest it was one of the better burgers that I have had in a while!

Thank You Salt Rock Tavern! You were really delicious!

El Paso - Tampa

My friend and I love going to Mexican restaurants and are always looking to find one that is new to us. Well she recently introduced me to one of her favorite “new” places called El Paso in Tampa.

On a side note she pointed out that the logo on the door was practically a direct rip off from the “Old El Paso” brand of salsa. I thought it was kind of funny.

The interior was quite cute and spacious, and the server was friendly and efficient.

Like most Mexican restaurants they brought out complimentary chips and salsa, and it was pretty good with a slight kick.

We both opted for what the menu called “Super Lunch”

A little bit of everything: 1 Taco, 1 Burrito, 1 Enchilada, 1 Quesadilla. Served with Beans and Rice. $8.75

It was delivered quickly and was very satisfying. Nothing on the plate was amazing by any means, but it was all quite good and the quality of the ground beef was above average.

I would have no problem going to El Paso again.

In fact I think I would enjoy it.