Category Archives: Lunch

Cajun comfort food at Angelette’s

27 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Breakfast, Lunch, Review

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First off, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to get to Angelette’s Cajun Kitchen, but better late than never!

I am a big fan of Cajun and Creole dishes, we try to visit New Orleans at least once a year so that I can eat my way through the city. Tallahassee has some decent New-Orleans style restaurants, to varying levels of success (exception the short-lived Tallahassee location of Stinky’s Fish Camp – which had the best po’ boy I have ever had in town).

I had heard that the brunch at Angelette’s was amazing, but it is hard to get from the NE side of town to Southwood on the weekends for us with various activities always keeping us busy. But I knew that I could get breakfast dishes any time there…so why go at lunch?

Eager to get the full experience, I chose a breakfast dish and the hubs got the roast beef po’ boy, with a bowl of gumbo to start. And what a way to start…

The gumbo was rich and flavorful without being very heavy. Nice chunks of sausage and chicken were liberally sprinkled throughout the gumbo, and you can tell the roux was cooked to a deep rich brown. The bread toasts that accompanied the gumbo were light and buttery – perfect to dip and sop up the sauce.

My Eggs a la Duane arrived soon after the gumbo, and it was amazing. It is a crawfish cream sauce over pan-fried grit cakes, seared andouille, and eggs over easy. Not a light dish, but man was it good. The sauce was creamy and well-seasoned, including lots of lovely crawfish pieces. The over-easy eggs became part of the sauce and made a wonderful bite with the grits and sausage.

This dish also came with toasted butter bread (score!) – critical to cleaning up any remaining sauce.

The roast beef po’ boy was not as photogenic, but delicious. The same soft, but crusty bread was used, piled high with roast beef and fixings. It came with a very good traditional southern potato salad, similar to the way my mom makes it but with larger chunks of mild pickles. (Other side options included dirty rice, baked potato, red beans & rice, and Zapp’s potato chips.)

Several times during our meal, the owner checked on us and our server was attentive and quick. I was really impressed by the staff and food, and am itching to bring my daughters here for breakfast on the weekend as the French Toast and the Beignets looks ridiculous. (Early to miss the lines though!)

Angelette's Cajun Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Quiet Lunch at Mickey’s Lakeside Cafe

21 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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Some times is it hard to come up with a creative option for lunch that isn’t too far from downtown. Fortunately, that has become less of a challenge with new places cropping up in the Midtown area in Tallahassee on a fairly constant basis.

One that has been around for a little bit, but has been flying under the radar by Lake Ella is Mickey’s Lakeside Cafe. After reading TastyTallahassee’s review, I moved it to the top of my to-do list.

When we arrived, the outside area seemed to be more populated with students/hipsters and the inside with more of the retiree/professor crowd. The music was a very soothing selection of 1940s classics such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

View of Lake Ella from inside

The hubs and I easily got a great table by the window and perused the menu. The polite server let us know that they had fresh corn chowder and black bean soup as their specials and recommended the Roast Beef and California sandwiches.

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We got both soups (I got the last corn chowder, FTW!). They were both very light and tasted very fresh. Mine was more of a corn soup than chowder, with almost no cream – but I liked the pronounced taste of the corn. The black bean was good with nice chunks of onion and carrot. They both could have used a little more seasoning, but a dash of salt seemed to help.

Mickey’s Roast Beef had sliced beef with mozzarella, onions and peppers on ciabatta bread, which was nice and soft inside, crispy on the outside. The sandwich also came with homemade au jus, which was yummy. I had the cole slaw on Tasty’s recommendation and it was very nice. I liked the use of sour cream for the base, although a little mayo would help ratchet up the richness of the texture.

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My husband’s California was a hit with Boar’s Head Sausalito Turkey, avocado, swiss cheese, onion and peppers on Ciabatta. Both sandwiches were pressed and hot.

Mickey’s Lakeside Cafe was a nice, low-key option for lunch. I especially look forward to visiting when the weather is better and I can sit outside with the hipsters (people watching!)

Make sure to find Mickey’s Lakeside Cafe on Facebook to learn more about them.

Mickey's Lakeside Cafe on Urbanspoon

Want Thai food in Tally? Try Siam Sushi

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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Siam Sushi in the Lake Ella Publix Plaza is one of those places where, if you haven’t been there before, you have probably never heard of it. If you go there for lunch before noon, it is almost always barely occupied.

But, I love this place. The staff seems to be either family or friends. The food is fresh and good, even if not the fastest. They are very accommodating if you want to adjust the order from the menu.

I used to come in and just order the sushi rolls (creative and very large portions). Then, I tried their Thai curry dishes – game changer.

The Panang Curry and the Pad Thai are delicious. But, do you know what keeps me coming back? The Tom Kha soup.

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I have always been hesitant about coconut milk. But, after this soup was recommended by our waitress, I have never entered their doors without ordering it. And if I have a head cold, this will heal you. Regular spicy is perfect, but if you really want to clean your sinuses out – the “Thai hot” is the way to go. You can choose between chicken, tofu and beef…I usually get the chicken.

Smooth, creamy, herbal and spicy – it’s like a comfort food I didn’t know I needed. (The (almost) 10 yr old loves it – her comment “it’s spicy, but it is so good I want more.”)

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My friend got the the spicy tuna roll, which was good as usual. I got the Sashimi app, as I was trying to keep the calories down that day. The sashimi was in thick slices, and not as tender as Masa or Kitcho, but I think their strength lies in their Thai dishes. (And I have never had a bad sushi roll there.)

If you need a quiet lunch spot, this is the place. Or dinner, for that matter. They also have a cute outdoor space if the weather is nice (although you overlook the Lake Ella Publix parking melee.)

And please, for the love of all that is holy, get the Tom Kha soup.

Siam Sushi on Urbanspoon

First Caribbean Food at G & G Caribbean Restaurant

05 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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I am lucky to have friends that love a wide range of cuisines and tastes. When I was searching for something a little different last week, a friend recommended G & G Caribbean Restaurant over on West Pensacola Street (across from the old Publix and Hobbit Hoagie complex).

The parking lot was cramped, but we were lucky and got a front spot. The restaurant is simple but clean, with cafeteria style service that allows you to look at all of the options. The most expensive entrees were the Oxtails and Goat Curry, which come with two sides, at $11. My friend got the Oxtails, for us to share, and I got the Chicken Curry, which was $5. I was disappointed that they were out of one of their specialties, the Goat Curry, but hope to sample that on a future visit.

The Oxtails were in a rich, beefy gravy over fluffy rice and beans, with buttered cabbage. I loved the Oxtails, but would have liked more veggie options. The gravy had a warm allspice taste to it with a little sweetness. Very comforting dish.

The Chicken Curry was a great portion for the price and had a light and mildly spicy gravy that was delicious over yellow rice. (Not photogenic, but tasty.)

As we ate, the restaurant quickly filled up. And with a small staff of one manning the counter, expect to wait. This was a solid lunch for the price, and I look forward to coming back again to try the Goat Curry. There is also another location that the Urbanspoon reviewers like better – I may try that one next time. However, I was happy with the experience and hope to have more Caribbean food in the near future.

G & G Caribbean Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Mmmm…Cuban!

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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I have to admit that I was not a fan of the original Carlos’ Cuban Cafe here in Tallahassee – I was more of a Gordo’s girl, and grew to love Black Bean Cafe.

However, Carlos’ shut down and has reemerged as a small bistro, the Cuban Grill,  over on Capital Circle NE, to the far north end by Esposito’s. They have also added a cute outdoor seating area that will be nice when the weather is cooperative.

The menu is relatively small, but filled with great Cuban classics. I decided to get the Cuban, as it is one of my favorite iconic sandwiches.

I hate to say it, but their Cuban may be the best I have had in Tallahassee. The biggest difference was that the bread seemed lighter than most, and more delicate (in a good way). And it still had that great crunch necessary to a great Cuban sandwich. The meats were flavorful, and the cheese was perfectly melty and gooey. (One of my pet peeves is unmelted cheese on a pressed sandwich. Yuck!)

NOTE: Get the Half (6″), not the Full (12″) sandwiches (unless you want leftovers…)

My husband got the Pan con Pollo sandwich, featuring grilled mojo chicken breastErmahgerd...MERHER CHERKEN!, onions and mojo sauce. The chicken was cooked well but still juicy, and the onions gave a nice bite. In addition, the sides of beans and rice was rich and yummy, especially when topped with the obligatory doses of hot sauce.

Although we had sandwiches this time, I look forward to coming back and trying some of the dinner entrees. I am really glad to discover this Cuban phoenix, and hope to come back to this side of town for lunch (or dinner) soon.

The Cuban Grill on Urbanspoon

Bagelheads: Surprisingly Good Lunch Spot

21 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Lunch, Review

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I knew going in that Bagelheads had great bagels and muffins, so I was hoping that their lunch would live up to my expectations. Thank goodness it did!

Bagelheads is a small deli/bakery housed in a former fast food restaurant on Apalachee Parkway – very convenient for downtown and east Tallahassee.

The DudeThe interior is clean and bright, with more seating than I was expecting. I met a friend for lunch who got a sandwich called The Dude that had ham and melted swiss cheese, lettuce, onions, yellow mustard, and mayo on a Super Asiago Bagel Disk.

The bagel disk bread looked amazing with the cheese baked into the top, and my friend said that it was toasted perfectly. Boar’s Head meats are always a welcome feature as well.

I ordered The Big Apple containing lettuce, granny smith apple chunks, walnuts, dried onions (like you put on the top of green bean casserole!), sliced chicken breast, and bleu cheese crumbles. I got the Raspberry Vinaigrette, which complemented the sweet and savory elements perfectly. As you have probably guessed, I love starch and meat, but a nice salad with layers of flavors is a great lunch option when I don’t want anything too heavy. And this salad was perfect, especially with the surprising fried onions adding crunch and a savory component.

Bagelheads also has the option to order online or by telephone and is very active on social media. I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other sandwiches and salads, I’m thinking that the Strawberry Sensation (fresh strawberries, feta cheese, chicken, walnuts, and vinaigrette) will be my next order. Yum!
Bagelheads on Urbanspoon