Stefano Greek-Italian Restaurant

Recently in Tampa with a friend who lives there I asked where I should go for a nice dinner. She told me there was a great Greek-Italian place called Stefano that had reasonable prices and large portions.

 I was sold.

It was obvious that the place use to be a Pizza Hut, but boy was the food good!

From the Greek menu I ordered the Mousaka (Layers of Potatoes, Eggplant and Seasoned Meat topped with a Cheese Sauce $9.95). It is served with your choice of homemade Soup or Salad, and also one Side Item.

I started with the Black Bean Soup. It was perfectly seasoned and very hearty.

When my Mousaka came out I realized my friend was right – they do serve Large Portions.

For my Side Item I chose Grilled Eggplant, which was tender and full of flavor.

As for the Mousaka itself, Wow! I make this dish and I do a really good job of it. I often order it when I am at a Greek Restaurant, but am rarely impressed. Actually I have only found one Restaurant that makes Mousaka better then I do… until now.

The layers of Eggplant and Potatoes were nicely balanced with the Meat Sauce, and the Custard Topping was perfection! Cover it all with some freshly made Tomato Sauce and you have one of the best (if not the best) Mousakas ever!!!!

The others that we dined with were also pleased with their meals, and if given the opportunity I would love to go back there again.

Waffle House

Why am I writing a review of Waffle House? Because it is delicious.

Regardless of which location you go to the service and food will be consistent.

Greasy? Yes

Healthy? No

Inexpensive? Yes

Quick? Yes

Satisfying? Yes

I always get the Breakfast All Star Special. It runs about $7 and consists of Two Eggs, Hashbrowns or Grits, Toast, (your choice of) Bacon, Ham or Sausage and a Waffle.

Their Waffles are always made fresh to order and are delicious when slathered in Butter (well, Butter-like Product) and Syrup!

Georgie's Alibi

I was recently in St. Petersburg and some friends of mine told me that the Burgers at Georgie’s Alibi were really good. I knew this place to be a nightclub and I couldn’t have imagined that the food would actually be good, but we decided to give it a try.

The atmosphere was nicer then I was expecting. There were video screens playing ads for upcoming events. Most people in this large space were just drinking at the bar, but as we found a table a bubbly server came over to greet us and take our order. We ordered Burgers, and then our server moved us to a different table because they were about to start a drag show and she wanted us to have a good view of the stage. The show was actually quite entertaining and before we knew it our Burgers had arrived.

I read that their Burgers are ground fresh daily and prepared to order. I decided on the Sticky Burger (Topped with Cheddar Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon on a Peanut Butter loaded Bun $9.95). This sounded both delicious and interesting so I gave it a try. I ordered Tater Tots for my side.

It arrived just as I expected it to look, however upon first bite I realized that it tasted much better then I was expecting. The Burger patty was so fresh and tasty, the toppings were great, the Bun was excellent, and overall it was an exceptional Burger. The Tater Tots were nothing special but not bad either.

Then to my delight when the bill came around I was only charge $5 for my Burger. Apparently Tuesday nights are Half Priced Burgers!!! How exciting. It is about an hour and a half drive for me, but next time I find myself in the area I would gladly go there again.

Linda's Winter Park Diner

From time to time I enjoy having a big breakfast from a Diner or “Greasy Spoon” establishment. I realize that to many this is NOT “Fine Dining”, but to me it is comforting and in many ways I prefer it to going somewhere “Fancy”. They are by no means healthy, but every once in awhile I like to indulge.

 

Linda’s Winter Park diner has been one of favorites for many years now. When I lived on that side of town I would get off from work around 3am and I would wait until 5:30am when they opened and be their first customer.

The Food is standard, the prices are affordable, and it is the type of place where the waitresses remember you even if you haven’t dined there in over a year.

I was there recently and had my usual, Bacon & Cheese Omelet, with Home Fries and Wheat Toast ($6.50). There is something about their Omelettes that I just love! Instead of the Eggs and Ingredients all being mixed together and then grilled it is like the Egg forms a “Burrito” around the crispy Bacon and melted Cheese.

I also am quite fond of their Home-Fried Potatoes. I’m pretty sure they just drop them down in the Deep Fryer because they are always perfectly browned on all sides. It is probably my favorite breakfast around.

My friend had the French Dip with Fries and was very pleased with it as well.

I had purchased a Groupon where I got $20 worth of food for $10. This more then covered our meal and we both left with full bellies and smiles on our faces.

Thai House

Thai House on Colonial Drive has been in this location for several years. I have dined in this building before when it was something else, and when it became Thai House I never bothered to give it a try until recently when I met some friends there who had been talking it up.

There is nothing special about the exterior or interior of the building, it’s just OK.

The service was friendly and our order came out promptly.

But the Food is what makes this place so great!

When we arrived there were already some Thai Spring Rolls on the table that our friends had already ordered. (Cabbage, Onion, Bean Threads and Carrots in Rice Roll skin, Deep-Fried and served with a Sweet Plum Sauce $3.00) They were crispy and the Sauce was sweet and we gobbled them up immediately.

Then I quickly decided to get the Cucumber Salad (Cucumbers, Tomato, Scallions, Carrot, Shallots and Onion in Sweet Tangy Thai Dressing $2.95) I couldn’t believe how fresh it was, so good!

For my entrée I had Chicken Phad Poong Galee (Yellow Curry simmered in a Coconut Milk, Celery, Carrot, Bell Pepper, Scallions and Onions “lunch special” $6.50). The Chicken was tender, the Vegetables were plentiful and the Sauce had a nice Coconut flavor.

I also had a bite of my friends’ entrée, which was Phad Sam Lot (Deep-fried slices of Meat topped with a sweet-spicy sauce on a bed of steamed Cabbage, Broccoli, Baby Corn and Snow Peas $9.95). It was so sweet and the Meat was so crispy that the next time I go I want to order it for myself.

We also split an order of Fried Cheesecake for dessert ($3.95). It was good but unnecessary and I think next time I will pass on dessert.

I have some other friends from Tampa that come to Orlando upon occasion and they love all forms of Asian Cuisine. This will definitely be a place that I look forward to taking them to in the future.

RAGA

We recently visited RAGA for a birthday dinner. It is located in Restaurant Row on Sand Lake Drive in the former location of Antonio’s. It is on the second floor so once you ride up the elevator you will enter a space with magnificent ambiance, impeccable service, and delectable Indian cuisine.

The décor of Raga has sophistication and class. You can tell that they put a lot of work into it. They also have a semi-open kitchen, which to me is a very nice touch.

Our server was excellent and we had three additional members of the staff (including the Chef) come and speak with us. Let’s just say that the service at RAGA is Top Notch!

And then there is the Food!

We started with the Lemongrass Chicken Kabobs (Indo-Chinese, Skewered Prime Farms’ White Meat Chicken, Lemongrass, Galangal & Garlic $10)

We already knew that we were at a nice place, but when this first dish was delivered and we saw the presentation we knew that we were in for something special. The Chicken was tender and succulent and it was spiced perfectly.

Off to a good start!

We also had Rajkachori (Crispy Puffed Wafers, stuffed with Sprouts, Potato, Yogurt and Chutneys $6) This dish was both interesting and flavorful and we practically licked the bowl clean.

For my entrée I ordered Murgh Kathmandu (A Chicken Breast stuffed with Goat Cheese, Nuts, Fresh Herbs and Spices $18). Once this was delivered to the table I knew that I had made the right choice even before I tasted it. The presentation alone was beautiful. Although I couldn’t exactly pick out the taste of the Cheese or the Nuts in the puree that the Chicken Breast was stuffed with I can honestly say that it was absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend it. The Green Bean and Carrot Bundles (secured with a Leek) were also a nice accompaniment to the dish.

Along with our meals we also ordered a couple of different Clay Oven Baked Breads. Both of our selections were flavored with Onion and were very fresh.

One of the staff members had recognized me as a blogger from one of his previous restaurants, and because of this the Chef actually sent over a couple of complementary desserts. They were delicious and we would have gladly paid for them, however the gesture was very nice and appreciated.

(I write restaurant reviews because I enjoy it, not to get free food, and this did not influence me to write nice things because they were going to receive a stellar review regardless!)

If you are reading this because you are considering dining at RAGA I can honestly say that if you are ready for a top notch dining experience with delicious food then please give it a try. I would recommend checking out their website first so that you can plan what you want to order, however the servers will be happy to answer any questions and help you along the ordering process. You will also find that their prices are pretty reasonable for the outstanding food quality.

RAGA, I wish you success, and I hope to dine with you again in the future.

Romano's Macaroni Grill

I have been going to Romano’s Macaroni Grill for years now. I have always preferred it to some of the other Italian chain restaurants, but it has been a while since I have dined there. I was recently given a gift card to Chili’s, but since there are four restaurants that are all part of the same company it could be used at any of them so we decided to return to Macaroni Grill to see what was new.

The space is huge and the kitchens are out in the open so you can see everything being prepared as you walk in.

In Macaroni Grill tradition the server came and wrote her name upside down in crayon on the butcher paper tabletop and then brought us that delicious Bread with the Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper to dip it in.

 We noticed that they offer a special where you can choose two Italian Tapas for $9. We also noticed that on the new Fall Menu that offered a Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Crostini (which was right up my alley) and on the regular menu they offered Crispy Artichoke Potato Cakes, which were right up my friends’ alley so we decided on those two for our appetizers.

The Crostinis were delicious! The crispy Toasts were piled high with Beets, Goat Cheese, Butternut Squash, Greens and a sweet Balsamic Reduction.

 The Artichoke Potato Cakes were fried to a golden crisp, and even though I didn’t care for the Sauce that accompanied them, there were good on their own.

For my entrée I selected another dish from the new Fall Menu that sounded appetizing to me, Butternut Asiago Tortellaci (Four Cheese stuffed Pasta, Roasted Butternut Squash, Crispy Prosciutto, Truffle Cream, Pumpkin Seeds $16).

For a few additional dollars I added the Bibb and Blue Salad (Bibb Leaves, Blue Cheese, Pancetta, Walnuts, Pickled Red Onions, Buttermilk Dressing). This was a fantastic Salad and I loved all of the flavors in it.

Then as my main dish arrived I knew that I had made the right choice. It was served on a long plate and since I had eaten so much already I knew that I was going to be taking most of this home with me. The Cheese-Filled Pastas were tender and creamy and the Butternut Squash and the Pumpkin Seeds meshed with it beautifully. The crispy Prosciutto made it hearty and gave it a salty flavor. 

My original plan was unsuccessful and I ate the whole dish, it was so good that I just couldn’t stop.

I passed on dessert, but still left feeling a little over-stuffed.

It was a very tasty meal and I’m sure it won’t be too long before I go back for more. Even if they change the seasonal menu it will be OK because they offer so many freshly made, delicious dishes.