Category Archives: Lunch

French Fry Corndog? Challenge accepted.

25 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Lunch, Miscellaneous, Review

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As a fan of Madison Social (especially their brunch), I’ve been curious about their new restaurant Township, whose menu seems to be perfect “gastropub” drinking food, honestly. Meats on a stick? Check! Salty breads with cheese dip? Check!

I knew I needed to make a plan to visit when they posted a pic of the most ridiculous hot dog, crusted in french fries and topped with beer cheese and Sriracha.

Township is located right across the street from MadSo, and also looks out on the FSU Intramural Fields and Doak Campbell Stadium. It is a great space with high ceilings and a very relaxed atmosphere. The menu is straight forward, divided in the categories of Cones, Bowls, Sticks, Buns and Feasts.

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For the beer lovers, the selection was widely varied and had some intriguing options.

I was able to sit for a minute in the garden area, waiting for my friend. So relaxing!

Thank goodness I could recruit @wakullawriter to assist me in sampling the menu. Below is the Mac N Beer Cheese Cone and the Shrimp Ceviche Tacos. Both delicious.

My fave was the Pork Belly Bites Cone, each bite had a lovely, caramelized glaze and were perfectly cooked (where they weren’t too fatty.) The bites were topped with a fresh and spicy kimchi.

And here is the monster…this “corn” dog was delicious. I was surprised that it wasn’t heavier, the potato crust was actually a great complement to the dog.

This was a great lunch, but I need to come back when I can sample the great drinks and hang out for longer.

I am continually jealous of this generation of college students for having such amazing food at their hangouts. (Sorry Guthrie’s!) But glad I can access them now that I can actually afford to have more than just fast food.

Getting my Shawarma on at the new (old!) Sahara Cafe

22 Wednesday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Review

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The Sahara Greek and Lebanese restaurant (formerly on E. Lafayette Street in Tallahassee) has been a reliable option for an affordable, delicious lunch. However, the building was definitely aging, and the restaurant needed more seating and parking.

(An aside: the original building used to house a fantastic Pizza Hut when I was growing up. Sit-down Pac-Man game and a jukebox, yes!)

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They recently moved into a new location, across the street, in the shopping center facing Apalachee Parkway, with New Leaf Market, Cabo’s, Ross, etc., with a lot more room and much more convenient parking.

One big change is that you now have to go to the counter to order before sitting, and they then bring your food out to your table. This change appears to have streamlined their lunch service, and worked great for me as I have been ordering the same thing for years. (Chicken Shawarma, please.)

As you can see below, the Shawarma is always a good choice.

The Chicken Shawarma features well-seasoned and charred chicken with the best tzaziki in town. The Greek salad is solid, though on the small side, and I am completely addicted to their lentil soup. They have great options if you are looking for low-carb or gluten free eating as well.

The Hubs got the gyro platter (yum!) and the hummus is very creamy with a nice garlic kick.

The new location provides more parking, added convenience and plenty of seating space. The new ordering system seemed to make the process much faster, and the staff was very attentive on drinks and making sure we knew about the new procedure. Not fancy, but a great choice for a solid lunch.

 

 

Sous Vide or How I Leveled-Up My Meat Cooking

19 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Miscellaneous

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There is a saying that “Perfect is the enemy of good.” Which is also my not-so-excusable reason for the delay on posting. (Whoops!🙃)

BUT I have been having so much fun with my new cooking toy and can’t wait to share my adventures so far. 

So here she is, my Anova Precision Cooker. In brief terms, “sous vide” is the process of cooking food sealed in plastic (vacuum-sealed or just freezer bags with the air squeezed out). 

And just FYI, I have a cool little vacuum sealer (Waring Pro Pistol Vac), which I love. Completely not necessary. (It’s so fun though!)

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My first attempt was cooking 1 1/2 inch thick ribeye steaks heavily seasoned with salt/pepper and rosemary sprigs. Because I had to run around town that evening, I cooked them that morning at 129 degrees for 2 hours. (Here are some lovely charts from The Food Lab on the effect of different temps and times on steak.) That night I was able to pull them from the fridge, pat dry, and sear them quickly in a very hot pan, and have them on the table in minutes. The color was gorgeous and the texture was much more tender than when cooked with mostly high heat. 

Note: because they absorbed so much of the seasoning in the bag, there is no need to season again before searing.

After that first use, I realized that there are some serious advantages to the sous vide process.

  • Can pre-cook meats to exact desired doneness, refrigerate, and sear/serve whenever you want with 2-3 days.
  • No clean up. Just dump the water out of the plastic bin. (Nice!)
  • Easy to cook (gorgeous) chicken breasts for the week’s lunches.
  • Can put the bin and cooker on the porch or in the garage, so it doesn’t necessarily take up kitchen space.
  • Is operated via app, so you are alerted at every step (can’t overcook.)
  • No need to “rest” after searing.
  • Can completely skip defrosting, just add 30 minutes to 1 hour to the cook time (depending on six of meat).

(For cons, the only real drawback is the cost, but at about $150 it still costs less than a good blender or mixer and would potentially see much more use.)

Next up, I put frozen pork tenderloins (sealed with Greek seasoning, oregano, garlic) in the water – a few minutes before the water was fully preheated to defrost the pork a bit. (Cooked for 2 hours at 135 degrees – halfway between medium-rare and medium.) Then seared in hot skillet on all sides. Here is an article detailing the temps and any food safety considerations. Even the food safety cautious Hubs was good with the final product. This was really nice, great texture and it was easy to get a nice crust.


For an extensive look at sous vide recipes and techniques, The Food Lab over at Serious Eats has all of the information you need to get started.

I can honestly say that this has completely replaced the slow cooker for me, and has quickly become essential in my weekly meal planning, both for quick dinners and easy lunches. Let me know if you have any questions, and will keep you updated as I try new recipes.

A Lofty New Breakfast

22 Sunday Jan 2017

Posted by in Breakfast, Lunch

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Northeast Tallahassee has gotten some really interesting new dining options, but one that stood out was Lofty Pursuits‘ new venture into serving breakfast/brunch. They have long been a destination for spectacular ice cream, milkshakes and the lost art of candy making, so I hoped that their breakfast lived up to the quality of their other products.

Um…let me just show you first…

The least photogenic, but super tasty (and perfectly spicy) omelette


The Hubs got the Spicy Omelet with pepper jack cheese, Bradley’s sausage, fresh jalapeño peppers, green peppers and onions. This was seriously spicy, but delicious.

Nice and chunky, just how I like it

I got the Corned Beef Hash with perfectly cooked eggs over medium and a very fluffy biscuit. The texture of the Corned Beef was some of the best I have had in town very delicate and tender. It also had just the right amount of Corning spice flavor, and the potatoes, onions and green peppers were seasoned well. Lovely.

With my yummy Lucky Goat coffee with legit heavy cream, I was a happy camper.

Seriously….omg

Disclaimer: I do not have a sweet tooth, so I much prefer savory to sweet. 

BUT, HOLY SCHNIKES THIS IS AMAZING.

The pancakes have the texture of the lightest, airiest biscuit ever, with a from-scratch strawberry topping/syrup including strawberry chunks and freshly whipped cream. 

Also, this is a HUGE portion so sharing should be considered. (I do not blame you if you want to keep these all to yourself though…😉)

You need these pancakes in your life.

Glad to have this new breakfast option, and looking forward to eating there again.

Visit Lofty Pursuits as soon as you can. (And check out their cool YouTube channel!)

Medium to Meh at Vertigo Burgers and Fries

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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Tallahassee appears to be finally getting the trendy restaurants that have been spreading around the country. The Food Trucks have arrived, the fancy hotdog place has opened, and now a fancy hamburger joint.

Vertigo Burgers and Fries was recently opened by the Cypress folks, a haute Southern restaurant here in Tallahassee. You can tell a lot of thought and effort was put into creating the different topping options, and to use locally sourced, quality ingredients.

I got the “Round Here” burger that is KBH Farms grass-fed beef burger, SGD green hill cheese, Vidalia onions, locally farmed arugula, and vertigo sauce.

This was a gorgeous burger and I loved the toppings. Unfortunately, the burger was past medium toward well done. The restaurant has a sign at the counter saying that all burgers are cooked medium, which I can appreciate. However, if I can’t order medium-rare, then at least cook it correctly at medium. And with grass-fed beef I would definitely have prefered medium rare to really taste the beef.

On a high note, the onion rings were probably the best I have had in Tallahassee commercially. On a low note, the fries were far from crispy although they looked good.

Even the more browned fries were limp. I feel like if you are going to have “Fries” in the title of your restaurant, they need to have just as much care and thought as the burgers.

I’m not going to rate them on Urbanspoon since they don’t have a “Meh” option, but maybe they will improve as they are a pretty new establishment. I plan on trying again in six months, and will revise this post if they have settled in and brought up the quality.

I do know where I would go if I had an onion ring craving though…

Vertigo Burgers & Fries on Urbanspoon

Hit up VooDoo Dog for Bacon-Wrapped Goodness

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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Today I decided to correct an unforgiveable wrong, which is that I haven’t tried VooDoo Dog yet. I am a big fan of Dog Et Al for a basic hot dog, but I knew that I needed to visit the new fancy hotdog joint in town.

It is definitely an understatement to call VooDoo Dog “adventurous” by Tallahassee hotdog standards. The menu features such selections as the Abe Frohman (Bueller!!), which is served Chicago-style with tomato, cucumber, onions, dill pickles, sweet relish and celery salt, and the Jefferson, which is a bacon-wrapped dog topped with homemade mac ‘n’ cheese and crushed butter crackers. The basic VooDoo Dog is a hotdog wrapped in bacon, where you decide the toppings.

I shared the Abe Frohman, the Jefferson, and the Tijuana (bacon dog with guacamole and sour cream) with a friend, so we cut them in half. An ideal way to eat through the menu, I must say. 😉

Out of the three dogs, I think the one that surprised me the most was the Abe Frohman. The freshly-made relish was almost refreshing – with the pickle and onion adding a great crunch against the porkiness of the bacon dog. Highly recommend.

The Jefferson was as heavy as you think it will be; ideal for a late night where you need a base of pork and carbs. Very rich.

I really liked the sour cream and guac on the bacon dog, Tijuana. However, it needed another texture to balance all of the creaminess of the toppings – I may ask to add salsa or even the relish from the Frohman next time.

Not pictured are the fries, which may have been my favorite part. They were perfectly sized (not to skinny, not to wide) and salty. One portion of fries would feed two people, plus some to spare.

I love the location and the interior. I know lots of people who like to go there before FSU Basketball games due to the proximity. The quirky interior is decorated with 80s records, memorabilia and photos. The staff was friendly and helpful, noting that they would be putting out a new menu soon to replace the blackboard menu.

VooDoo Dog is a welcome addition to the All Saints/Railroad Square area, and to Tallahassee. I hope to visit again soon to try the burgers, but I feel like I need to abstain from eating for a day before to prepare. I’m sure the Abe Frohman will be calling my name next time I have a fancy hot dog craving.

Give it a try or tell me what your favorite fancy hotdog is…

Voodoo Dog on Urbanspoon

Tasty Food at Tasty Eats Beer Garden

17 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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As part of the Tallahassee Food Bloggers’ Association “best of” awards, I have been visiting several restaurants that I had never heard of previously (hard to do being a Tallahassee native!) The nominees have been really interesting in many of the categories, and the Asian food category has been the most enlightening.

The one that was a complete mystery was Tasty Eats Beer Garden, in the Railroad Square/Industrial Drive area. I looked on their Facebook page, and was intrigued by Pho Phridays! and the promise of authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

The menu has traditional appetizers, noodle or rice bowls, and a variety of sandwiches/wraps, with some surprising entrees like Sheppard’s Pie. I definitely needed time to decide, so we asked for an order of Spring Rolls.

I don’t even know how to explain why these rolls were so good. The wrapper was light and crispy, the interior was flavorful and moist. Even better was the spicy Asian mayo dipping sauce.

I got the Beef & Onion Vietnamese Rice Bowl and the hubs got the House Noodle Bowl. My Rice Bowl was a pretty arrangement of beef/onions, cabbage (lightly pickled) and carrots over rice. This was served with a Vietnamese Vinaigrette that was light, salty and sweet with a hint of fish sauce (one of my fave ingredients). The beef and onions were nicely spiced and the rest of the elements complimented each other very well, enhanced with a drizzle of sriracha.

The noodle bowl was arranged similarly; the House version features beef and shrimp. The hubs enjoyed it, even though he wasn’t feeling very well. The crispy onions were a nice touch adding some additional crunch and flavor. He even got another spring roll, which I completely coveted.

The one thing I wanted to try was the Pho, but apparently that is only available on Pho Phridays…I may have to make a quick stop on Friday too. 😉

The restaurant is housed in a blue and red caboose, in a great little artsy neighborhood that includes art galleries and vintage shops. They also have a large shady outdoor seating area (the “beer garden”) that looks like a great place to hang out, especially with the weather getting cooler.

I would highly recommend going at lunch. We were the only customers today, but I would imagine that Pho Phridays are probably more populated. They are very active on Facebook, so make sure to “like” them so that you can hear about the specials and events.

FYI: The map on Urbanspoon seems to point to the center of Tallahassee, instead of to the restaurant location. If you turn on Railroad Square from Gaines Street, you go over the train tracks and take a right onto McConnell Drive. Then take a right on Industrial Drive, it will be the blue and red caboose on the right-hand side.

Tasty Eats Beer Garden on Urbanspoon

Come for the Curry, Stay for the Naan at Essence of India

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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I would like to share one of my favorite hidden gems in Tallahassee, Essence of India. Before I started coming to this restaurant, I had convinced myself that I was never going to be able to eat and enjoy spicy food, ever. But I hated that I had never tried Indian cuisine, so I went with a friend to Essence of India.

I fell in love with the chicken curry.

Let me describe it to you this way. Imagine a deep yummy gravy with chicken chunks swimming in it, over fluffy rice – accompanied by fried bread that you can dip in the gravy. Yum.

Forget preconceived notions of “exotic” or “curry,” and instead think of “comfort,” “gravy” and “fried bread.” Also, the dishes are flavorful without the heat. So if you like mild or no heat – the mild curry will be fine for you.

When you arrive at Essence of India for lunch, you are immediately seated. As soon as you order, you get a light lentil soup and salad. These are basic additions to the lunch entrees and a nice way to begin. I like to mix a little of the onion/chile chutney to the salad to provide more flavor to the dressing.

Not long after, you receive your entrée along with a large plate of rice and a basket of naan – fried bread. I like to make a pile of rice and top with generous spoonfuls of chicken curry or butter chicken gravy. On this visit, I had the butter chicken, which has more of a tomato base to the gravy, but uses similar spices as the curry.

Get in mah belly.

I have the butter chicken pictured above in the lower left corner and the chicken curry on the righthand side. Look at that bread…mmmm.

This is a great lunch. Perfect for a cold or blustery day. I like to get it “hot” (not “Indian hot”), which is just spicy enough to get your nose running, but not painful.

Take a chance and try Essence. And if you need company, please take me. 🙂

Essence of India on Urbanspoon