The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, Florida

My kids are on spring break this week and we are enjoying a long-deserved Disney vacation.  But that does not mean that I take a break from my search for gastronomic delights.  Lucky for us, four Central Florida chefs recently earned honors as James Beard Foundation Award semifinalists.  Two such chefs, James and Julie Petrakis, have made their culinary mark in the upscale Orlando suburb of Winter Park with their restaurants, the Ravenous Pig and Cask & Larder.  Both feature seasonal fare from local farms, fishermen and purveyors, following the current farm-to-table trend.  Today, the Ravenous Pig was the ideal location for a reunion with a friend.

The one-page one-sided dinner menu features seasonal items.  I ordered Gruyere biscuits to start.  My  love of cheese and biscuits made me curious and I'm thankful for my curiosity.  The buttery flaky squares come served in a basket with generous pots of butter.  Hints of Gruyere were definitely there but not obvious or overwhelming.   That was a good thing because I love to slather butter on my biscuits and the mix of butter with Gruyere is a good one.

For dinner, I order Florida pompano paired with black lentils and rigatoni.  The pompano was nicely browned and properly cooked.  But I didn't find the fish to be a standout on the plate.  I was much more satisfied by the lentils, generously mounded atop what is billed as a romesco sauce.  I tend to be attracted to high flavor profiles and the romesco sauce satisfied that part of my palate, making it a nice compliment to the otherwise delicately flavored fish.  For me, the only miss on my plate was the rigatoni.  Others may not mind it, but the bite of this pasta was just too toothy for me.   I would have been just as happy without it on my plate.

Now usually I don't comment on what others at the table have for dinner, but I'm making an exception today for the steak frites.  Because I was on vacation I ordered dessert and while waiting I took the opportunity to finish off the last bit of this flat-iron steak straggling on my husband's plate.  I don't typically order steak for myself but, if I ever come back to the Ravenous Pig, I will certainly order this plate for my own enjoyment.  The porcini mushroom rub that coated this steak is really very good.  But more than that, there was a tender texture to this meat that I still have trouble describing.  I swear it has something to do with the way that it must have been cooked although the method is evading me.  The look and texture of the steak was not what I would expect of something cooked on a grill.   And if I wasn't concerned about embarrassing myself with my novice appreciation of the science of cooking, I might say this was made sous vide.  I suppose it will just remain a mystery to me, at least until next time.

And the next time, I am most likely to order the cannoli for dessert again.  This is no traditional cannoli so true die-hard fans of the Italian treat might think twice about this dessert.  All others, however, may enjoy this reinvention.  This cannoli is much more delicate than its traditional inspiration, much more like a tuile.  Good for me, because I happen to love tuiles (which are so reminiscent of the Filipino barquillos I grew up with).  These sweet thin cookies were still filled with mascarpone although in a consistency of a whipped cream rather than a soft cheese.  Dusted with pistachio powder, set atop minced strawberry and honey (another one of my loves) and accompanied with a tart spoonful of strawberry sorbet, this sweet treat was an ideal capper to my dinner.  It's that kind of dessert that sates my sweet tooth without overwhelming it.  Perfect.

How much we spent:  With tip, we spent about $200 for our party of five, about $40 per person.  Our check did include, however, a glass of chardonnay for myself (yes I took my antihistamine), a couple of pints for our friend and three desserts.  A more dollar conscious diner could spend less.

My overall rating:  3 1/2 spoons.  I liked this restaurant.  I definitely loved the dessert.

When you have a minute, check out Anna's mini review.

Anna's Mini Review: The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, Florida

Hi every one!! Its me, Anna, and I'm reviewing The Ravenous Pig !!!!

So, I had the sea bass (it is so clear that it's fish).  It had a spread of what I think was some sort of pesto all over the plate and it also had a baby onion on my plate.  It had 3 slices of radish on my plate too. Since I don't like radishes I decided to not eat them.  But if you like them you could eat them.

Oh! And I had yellow tomatoes too!!!! I also had what think was a little bit of quinoa and romanesco, too. Now for the sea bass. My fish had a little bit of pepper and a nice amount of salt. It was very tender too. 

I also had a lemonade. It was a little sour. I had to put two packets of sugar.

Now the service. The service was quick and very good. No spills and no messes.  I had a really really good time.                

I give the Ravenous Pig 4 spoons!

                                        

Now go read my Mommy's Review!

                                   

Bricktops, Naples, Florida

Bricktops Restaurant in the Waterside Shops.  Photo taken from www.watersideshops.com

I don't typically write reviews about chain restaurants but today I make an exception for Bricktops.  Why?  Well, because I ate something exceptional yesterday and now I am in love with the Palm Beach salad.  Maybe it was just because I was in the mood for a good salad, but I think this is one darn good salad.  And, let's face it, it is very hard to find a truly good salad.  Many underestimate the salad as a dish.  I've come to the realization that we put in too little effort in preparing salads.  But now that I've committed myself to cleaner eating, salads are quickly becoming a staple in my diet.  The unimaginative mix of lettuce, tomato, cucumbers and lettuce is just not going to suffice anymore.  Not when I'm in need of a flavorful, filling salad entree option.   The Palm Beach salad definitely fits the bill.

Bricktops' Palm Beach Salad.  Photo taken from the Dish by M.M. Cloutier for the Palm Beach Post.

This beautifully prepared deconstructed stack of avocado, lump crab meat, tomato, shrimp and chopped egg surrounded by micro greens and cherry tomatoes had me at hello.   I admit that my initial infatuation was ignited first by the micro greens.  I don't know what it is about micro greens but I can't help but love them.  Maybe it's because I myself am petite.  It's like they were made for me.  But the true stars of this plate?  The avocado and the shrimp.   The wonderful thing about avocado is that it soaks up the flavor of whatever it's paired and seasoned with.  In this salad, that allows the avocado to serve as a healthy, substantive and flavorful alternative to dressing.  That's a good thing because the shrimp on this plate does not need to be overwhelmed by anything else.  This shrimp is perfectly dressed, not drowned as so often can be the case.  And the methodical stacking of this salad makes it easy for one to compose each and every ideal bite.

I love the fresh clean taste of this plate.  You may too.  I guarantee that I will be making a return trip to Bricktops so that I can order this again soon.   Perhaps I may see you there.

Food & Thought, Naples, Florida

If you've been following along with my blog, you know that I have a penchant for farm to table restaurants.  And now that I've made a resolution to cut out processed foods, I'm in greater need to find good all natural/organic purveyors.  This Presidents' Day, the kids and I took a trip to the Naples Botanical Garden to enjoy the installation of the Lego sculpture exhibit.  But before we could take in the sights, lunch was definitely on the agenda.  In a world dominated by fast food options, finding a fresh and healthy lunch option pleasing to younger palates is a daunting challenge.  I think I could count on one hand the available options in our town.  But lucky for me today, our local Panera Bread is in the same shopping plaza as a local gem, Food & Thought.  I was introduced to this organic market and eatery by a friend but had not been back in quite a long time.  I had intended to bring the kids to the well-known chain restaurant but was pleasantly reminded of Food & Thought as soon as I drove into the plaza.  So, today was the day for a return trip.

Fronted by a full organic market, Food & Thought serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from a kitchen counter in the back.  There are some seating options indoors but the best spot to dine is outdoors, especially in pleasantly cool and sunny weather.   Outdoor seating is plentiful and includes wooden tables and benches built around grown trees that provide plenty of shade on a hot day.  Fruits and vegetables in carts along the windows and trees and plants for sale provide natural decoration.

Food & Thought offers various healthy sandwich options, including chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad.  Hummus is also available for those looking for a vegetarian/vegan option.  Salads and soups are also available.  Those looking for more substance can order entrees such as rotisserie chicken and salmon, each for $6.95.  Entree sides, like red potatoes, brown rice and baked plantains, are also available for $1.95 each.  Today, the kids and I split a rotisserie chicken quarter, red potatoes and a "cup" of vegetable soup.  The chicken was generously seasoned and moist.  My clear favorite, the red potatoes, were slightly mashed and properly salted.  The vegetable soup, although more mildly spiced, was generously stocked with green beans, corn, carrots, onions and potatoes.   The kids and I finished every bite, providing that healthy and flavorful can exist in the same realm.

How much I spent:  $  Our lunch, along with three bottled teas, cost $18 with tax included.  Not bad!

My rating:  3 1/2 spoons.  If you are looking for a good healthy lunch that you can eat without guilt, Food & Thought definitely meets the grade.  Certainly a good post-New Year option if you are sticking to your resolutions!

Anna Rose's Mini Review: Bricktops, Naples, Florida

Hello.  It's me, Anna Rose!  I am here today to tell you all about Bricktops.

First I ordered this really good grilled salmon.  It was very warm and a little salty, and I loved it.  It also had a little bit of a sweet taste to it.  There was no sauce on it but it was delicious.  They cooked it so good that it was tender.

I also had a side of fruit with it.  It had blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges and cantaloupe.  It was really exciting to have blueberries because I never get to have them.

I also had a lemonade.  At first, the lemonade was barely sweet and very sour.  I had to put in three packets of sugar to make it taste good.  Well, that is just my opinion.  My mom thought it made it very sweet.

The service was good.  Nobody spilled anything on me.  I'm grateful for that because I was wearing a very special dress.  They did things quite quick and I was glad about that.

My opinion of the restaurant was actually really good.  You should try it too.

This is the end of my mini-review.  Hope you come back to read more.