Dining Back in Tampa!

I was back in Tampa for my niece's christening last weekend. And, of course while I was there, I dined out at some fantastic restaurants in the area. First, we went to Restaurant BT. I had been there one other time with my sister and brother-in-law and thought it was one of the best restaurants in Tampa. It's a French-Vietnamese menu and very different than many of the restaurants I've been to. It's also has a great modern, clean decor that makes you feel like you are part of the trendy crowd even if you're not!

After going back for a second time, I confirmed that it is truly the best restaurant in Tampa. The only part that was surprising was that it was about 8:30 on a Thursday night and the restaurant was empty. There was one other table. I'm not sure if it's because Tampa is a bit slower paced than Boston or if it was an off night. We ordered a few appetizers since the waiter told us they were small. They actually were good-sized portions. We could have only ordered two and been fine. We had the crispy spring rolls which according to the web site are filled with chicken, tree ear mushrooms, glass noodles and chili garlic dipping sauce and the Tuna Martini fresh tuna sashimi tossed with ginger, chili, sesame oil, garlic and roasted shallots. Both were fabulous. So fresh tasting and the presentation was so beautiful as you can see from the pictures. For dinner, I had what the waiter called BT's signature dish -- the Shaken Beef cubed Filet Mignon which was seared in Cognac on watercress and tomatoes with jasmine rice. It was very tasty. I would have actually liked it a bit better if there was less beef. It was a big entree after a good size appetizer. My boyfriend got the special that evening which was a Cornish hen. That was also very tasty.

I've been traveling back and forth to Tampa a lot this year since this is my first niece and there's been a lot of reasons to visit her in the past few months. In the past few months, I've noticed that Hyde Park where Restaurant BT is located seems to be very sleepy no matter what time I browse around that area. I'm not sure why more people who live in Tampa don't visit that area. Maybe I've been there at off times, but it seems like it's a hidden gem in a city with a lot of chain restaurants. And, the parking is free! If I lived there, I think I'd be a regular at Restaurant BT.

The Best Pizza ever -- in an Unexpected Place!

You may say I'm biased about my all-time favorite pizza. It's at Bosco's in Amsterdam, NY. Amsterdam, NY is my home-town and Bosco's is now my cousin's restaurant. The reason why I probably have a true affection for the pizza is because it's what I was raised on. I think the recipe for the pizza started out as a family recipe....I'm not exactly sure which family member is started with, but the pizza is incredible. Now, even though I say I'm biased, all my college friends, their boyfriends and husbands all who have visited Amsterdam have also asked for the pizza again and again when they visit my mother's house. In fact, there are a number of us who return to Amsterdam once a year for a golf tournament in honor of my friend Sue's brother, and the night before the tournament my mother has to have Bosco's pizza on hand.

I love the plain cheese. It's Sicilian style with lots and lots of red sauce! You can taste the tomatoes! And, the crust is always done perfectly. To me, there is no such thing as a good pizza pie. I like the Sicilian way so much better.

So, if you are driving on the New York State Thurway and are hungry for a good pizza, take exit 27 and find your way to Bosco's to have a bite of this great pizza! Or go ahead and order it ahead of time and eat it in your car on the way to wherever you are headed!

Good winter recipes!

The winter in the Northeast brings out desire for foods that bring you back that feeling of warmth and comfort as a child. A few years ago, I started receiving Cooking Light magazine and I truly think they have some of the best recipes all year round, but some of their winter recipes have become my all-time favorites that I love to make when entertaining. One recipe that is so easy to make and you're able to serve as a main course or a side is the Cooking Light recipe for porcini mushroom risotto. While my Italian grandmother didn't make risotto for me the way I now make it, there's something about this dish that is familiar and warm and makes you brings me back to simpler times. Another great winter dish is chili and the recipe I truly like best is simple and right from my Mother! It's also really easy since it can be made in the crock-pot and the smell of something cooking all day in the crock-pot is SOOOO good. Even if you weren't hungry to start out with, you get hungry from smelling the aroma all day long. I will be sure to share that chili recipe in my next few posts.

A Great Birthday Dinner!

I celebrated my birthday this past Tuesday night at Bin 26 in Boston's Beacon Hill. My boyfriend and I both were impressed with the restaurant when we entered. The decor was very clean and crisp. We were seated at a table by the window and had a perfect view of the snow coming down on Charles Street which was the perfect setting for celebrating a birthday....on a birth date that has seen its share of snow storms over the years.

We had an excellent dinner that started with tasty appetizers, a great bottle of wine and exceptional service. We started with the rice balls and calamari. I'm not a huge calamari fan but I know my boyfriend orders it almost everywhere we go and can be quite critical about the various calamari dishes he tries. Once he proclaimed how good the calamari dish was, I knew that we'd enjoy the rest of our meals. I ordered the special which was pork that was marinated in an apple flavoring with brussel sprouts and pancetta. The pork was so juicy and tender and the brussel sprouts were the perfect combination with the pork. The funny thing is that for the past few months, my boyfriend and I have been obsessed with brussel sprouts and just recently I told him that I couldn't eat another brussel sprout if I was forced to...so it was somewhat ironic that I chose this entree under my own free will! :) He had the chicken dish with sweet potato ravioli which was also fantastic.

We ordered a 2006 Clos La Coutale Cahors, a Malbec blend from France. Our server told us was a different type of Malbec and it was-- I think it was a lot smoother than most Malbecs. The wines are available in three different sizes which is nice if you like to try a few different wines. We decided to go with a bottle since it was a celebratory dinner.

And, then of course, we had to have dessert and tried what the restaurant calls ThreeRamisu which is a tiramisu dish with a small shot of coffee flavoring and ice cream. So good! You have to try this dessert when you're there.

Overall it was a fantastic experience for my birthday dinner!

Some Recent Good Flavors

Last weekend my sister and I celebrated my mother's 75th birthday at my sister's house in Tampa, Florida. My sister had been raving about this bakery and said we just had to get my mother's birthday cake from a bakery named Wrights. The cake was so decadent -- chocolate cake with thick chocolate frosting to die for. And, the bakery said that the one my sister ordered was for eight people, but I swear 18 people could have lived off it and it alone for about a week. It was HUGE! My mother and sister did go on to eat it every day for the next three or four days. I brought two pieces back to Boston with me and kept scooping large pieces of the frosting into a spoon and enjoying that sweet chocolate flavor for about 2 more nights. It's definitely not what you want to be eating if you're on a diet, but it was one cake that was truly worth the calories!

My girlfriend Robin and I went to a restaurant in Watertown this past weekend that I had never been to called La Casa de Pedro. It's Venezuelan and the Web site says "come experience a true taste of Venezuelan hospitality" and that's exactly what my friend Robin and I experienced. The chef grew up in Caracas, Venezuela and the Website talks about how he wants all to "celebrate family and friends, to resolve all matters, to laugh out loud and to love life!" Doesn't that sound fantastic? Robin and I arrived on Sunday around 1 and you could choose from a brunch menu, a lunch menu, a tapas menu and all kinds of drinks. I didn't have a mojito, but when my friend Robin was there once before she said she tried them and they were great. I had the Pabellón Criollo -- which is a typical Venezuelan dish of shredded beef, white rice, sweet plantains and black beans. It was the perfect way to warm up on a cold Sunday afternoon. And, there was live music in the background -- an acoustic guitar player -- which always makes the atmosphere so much more lively.