Is there such a thing as healthier fast food?

There is such a thing as healthier quick service restaurants and EVOS in Carrollwood is a great example.  They serve many different menu items that will satisfy your appetite, remain easy on the wallet, and friendly to your heart.  Unlike large chains like McDonald's and the like, EVOS does a great job at bringing you fare that is decently tasty and made with better quality ingredients.  Instead of emulsified chicken battered, flashed fried, flash frozen, and then fried again, EVOS makes it a habit of throwing things in the oven to crisp them up.  Their air fries are baked, light, and crisp.  I am a spud lover and EVOS fries are not laden with grease that detracts from the potato's starchy goodness.  I met with the store manager and she delightfully offered me a sample of their strawberry, banana smoothie.  It was cold, smooth, and fresh tasting.  You could tell fresh fruit was used, not flavored powders or artificial sweeteners.  The sample was refreshing on a sweltering summer day.  The main piece to me meal was the thai peanut chicken wrap.  The very first thing I noticed was that the tortilla was not soggy, which in my world is always a good thing.  The rice inside was cooked well and not mushy and broken like most places like to make it.  The chicken, was, well, real!  No formed, emulsified crap you find even at places like Chick Fil A.  Yes the last time I ordered at Chick Fil A the grilled chicken sandwich was made with such a mutant.  The rest of the wrap was delightfully light.  Most attempts to make Asian inspired dishes end up too salty and lack depth.  This wrap did not try to go into realms unknown.  The sauce was refreshing and seasoned properly.  To my surprise, the mixed greens used were crisp and fresh.  In all, I am putting my food snob stamp of approval on this one. 

Simply Yummy

This is was literally thought up as I was rummaging through the refrigerator for something to whip up. The best part of this creation is that it is easy to make and deliciously seducing on the palette.  We sliced brussels sprouts and sauteed them in butter with onion, garlic, baby bellas, peas, and ham.  At the very end we splashed some fresh lemon juice and zest in the dish and tossed it in well.  There is no recipe, just chop up your ingredients, saute on high heat for a few minutes, and put it over pasta.

  

Oakley's Grill: Keith and Ryan Oakley's New Tampa Gem

For those of you who like simple, down to to earth, juicy, yummy burgers and sandwiches, Oakley's Grill is the place to try.  Unlike the other burger joints in town, Keith and Ryan have one location to worry about.  They are picky about the beef they use, the cold cuts that adorn their sandwiches, and their breads that bring it all together.  Every time you walk into the door you are greeted with genuine southern charm and a smile from the guys behind the counter.  The best part of this burger joint is the juicy, char-grilled burgers, that are not served on soggy buns.  Most other burger places that have popped up cook their patties on a flat top, which is ok, if you like mediocre hamburgers.  Their other items are very delicious as well including their tender beef dip, their rib eye phillies, and their hot pressed sammies.  Here is their website with their menu available to view:  http://www.oakleysgrille.com/

Try them out and let me know if they become a new haunt for you.

Yummy In My Tummy

Yummy House produces some of the best chinese cuisine in the Tampa Bay area.  They offer a very extensive menu of very fresh and flavorful dishes.  To our surprise, Yummy House has a location in Sarasota.  The one we go to often is off of Hillsborough avenue and offers a enticing bistro ambiance.  The location in Sarasota is not as nicely designed compares to the one in Tampa however, the food is just as good.  We decided to eat Dim Sum and share a large bowl of beef soup with our friends.  All of the Dim Sum items were fresh, tasty, and delightfully filling.  It is hard to describe the flavors of each piece without going into a long novel.  Just try it out for yourself and you know why words can not be put the flavors you will experience.  The soup sparked notes of earthy, meaty mushrooms, spicy ginger, and fresh herbs.  Tender bits of beef swam thick through the broth.  Each bite was satisfying and left each of us wanting more.

The Croc' Madame, Normand, and The Evocative Lunch

There are some places that when you sit down to eat your mind charges and opens up the way for forgotten memories to surface:  The drifting scent of fresh apple pie baking in the oven.  Microscopic mists of hot olive oil, mushrooms, onions,  and searing beef firing on the stove top.  Laughter and banter roaring, with wine gently swirling in one hand, creamy, stinky cheese bits in the other, and half tended cards haphazardly spread on the table.

Cest La Vie is one such place that excites the neuronal pathways and brings fond memories to the surface.  This little cafe and bakery brings the french countryside to main street Sarasota.  The owner and workers at this eatery are fantastic.  They do everything they can to bring a taste and sense of simplistic, rustic, french fare to the plate.  The menu is delicious, the breads and baked goods fresh from the oven daily, and of course the Croc' Madame and Normand have whispered to our taste buds a delightful surge of clean flavor.

The Croc' Madame is a sandwich with a twist.  Delicious ham and creamy cheese nestled in between two pieces of rustic bread, topped with bechamel, quickly broiled to a golden brown on top, and garnished with an over easy egg.  Each bite is addictive and hooks you strong in the mouth.  I would have to say this is one of the best sandwiches I have had in a very long time.

 
 

Mandi ordered Normand.  When Normand came to the table, it was, well, a little underwhelming on the looks.  A house made baguette was buttered on both pieces and adorned with shaved prosciotto, aged swiss cheese, and double cream brie.  The taste of this sandwich was fresh, clean, smooth, and delicious.  I said above that the Croc' Madame was the best sandwich I have had in a long time but that would a bit of a lie.  Both sandwiches were equal in the satisfying category, both brought affectionate memories of wonderful times long past.

The Summer Catch

Despite the smoldering heat that has turned my beloved herbs into atrophied stems, I have been in the kitchen making some great, simple food.  My friend Matt gave me some freshly caught Mahi Mahi sourced from off the coast of Key West, and I went to work.  I lightly seasoned each fillet with fine sea salt and cracked black pepper, quickly seared each side, and poached the fish in a tomato, saffron, olive oil, and garlic bath for a few minutes.  We topped it off with our fresh basil that surprising wants to grow in the heat, while the other herbs feign.  Here is the product of simply wonderful ingredients.

I thought that only the fish should be featured this time around as it turned into eye candy by itself. 

The Things I do For Mandi

My wife is an amazing, creative person.  She puts up with my antics in the kitchen and seldom shies away from trying my new experiments.  Every year for her birthday I strive to do something different, yummy, with a little flair of mischief.  Here is what I made for Mandi's birthday this year. 

Seared Lamb Loin Chops with Roasted Apricot, Mint Cream

Creamy Baby Bella Mushrooms and Peas Risotto

Sauteed Green Beans- Not Really Shown

 

Everything turned out perfect.  To put a twist on the lamb, I roasted some apricots, and pureed them up with demerara sugar, chocolate mint, and greek yogurt.  The chops were seared with a hint of ancho chile powder, cracked black pepper, and salt.  If some of you have not tried risotto, you need to, soon.  It is one of the creamiest, buttery dishes that around.  For those of you who have had risotto and have tried to replicate it at home with little success, all I have to say is be patient grasshoppa.  Risotto is not a hard dish to make, but it takes patients, timing, and constant coddling.