Bay Area Eats: EATS! American Grill

Last weekend, my parents were in town, and for Sunday lunch, I decided to try something new and take them to a restaurant we all hadn't tried yet: EATS! American Grill. After reading favorable blog reviews as well as praising Yelp! reviews, I'd been wanting to check the place out for some time. I wasn't disappointed (my parents loved it as well!).

We started off with the complimentary basket of Saratoga Potato Chips and dipping sauce and an order of fried pickles ($4.99). The pickles were piping hot (a sign that they were made fresh!), and the chips and dipping sauce were just a perfect complement. I don't know exactly what the dipping sauce was comprised of, but it was very similar to the sauce that comes with Outback's Bloomin' Onion.

Perusing through the menu's variety of Americana fare, we settled on the Bin on Weck ($8.99--Pops' choice), the French Dip ($8.99--Mom's choice), and the Midwestern BLT ($8.79--my choice). That BLT was probably the best I've ever had. EATS! turned the simple sandwich on its head by making it with fried green tomatoes, peppered bacon, lettuce, its "Signature Spicy Sauce," and slapping the whole thing between two pieces of Texas Toast. I had the choice between the regular Spicy Sauce and "full heat," and opted for the regular (I don't like terribly spicy foods). The regular sauce added just enough of a kick that I could appreciate without draining my water glass. Its flavors also enhanced the fried green tomatoes and peppered bacon really well.

My parents' sandwiches looked equally as delicious. I can't really describe what they tasted like, as they weren't my sandwiches (obvs), so descriptions from the menu (and your own imaginations) will have to suffice:

 Bin on Weck (Beef on Weck):

Buffalo's other claim to fame. Brought to us by Michael Wuliger of Bin 27, this famous sandwich is thinly sliced roast beef served on a kummelweck roll and topped with our own Horsey Sauce. Au Jus served on the side. 

French Dip:

Born in 1918 in Los Angeles, CA. This classic is roast beef cooked and seasoned to perfection, topped with Swiss cheese and served with a side of Au Jus for dipping. 

Yummy. If the clean plates were any indication, I'd say they were received enthusiastically.

EATS! lives up to its reputation as being a great go-to for American food. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is casual (plenty of TVs for watching the big game and a full bar for those who want something a little stronger with their food), and you will feel right at home. It's definitely a place I plan on visiting again; I've got my sights set on its fried Oreo sundae!

EATS! American Grill
4502 S. Dale Mabry Hwy.
Tampa, FL 33611
813-835-3287

Hours:
Mon-Sun 11a.m.-10p.m.

Bay Area Eats: Yogurtology

I've been a fan of Pinkberry ever since it opened at Westshore Plaza. I loved the variety of fresh ingredients, friendly staff, and different flavors. Pinkberry is still my go-to frozen yogurt place--when I'm at Westshore Plaza. But for all those other times I get a fro-yo craving but don't feel like dealing with mall parking or mall crowds, I have a new go-to place: Yogurtology.

Located in a strip plaza on Church Ave., Yogurtology is unassuming. I was guilty of driving by on multiple occasions, but never stopping in (until a few weeks ago). I wish I would have visited sooner, because the place has an amazing variety of flavors (twelve!) and toppings (60!).

Yogurtology is self-serve, meaning you grab an empty cup and fill it up with whatever you want. Flavors ranging from Salted Caramel to Red Velvet to (my personal favorite) plain ol' Tart Nouveau are at your disposal, creating the temptation to mix-and-match. After you select your flavor(s), you can then select from toppings ranging the gamut from mango boba beads to mini donuts to fresh fruit to Twix and Kit-Kat bars. You do pay by the weight of your frozen treat, but unless you go crazy and attempt to shove all 60 toppings into your cup, you shouldn't pay much more than you would for a yogurt at one of those flat-rate places (lookin' at you, Pinkberry!).

My creation: Tart Nouveau yogurt topped with Hersey's chocolate, chocolate-covered waffle cone bites, brownie bites, chocolate chip cookie dough, and rainbow Sno Caps

Bonus: the friendly staff works hard to keep the place clean and sanitary. On every single one of my visits, workers were vigilant in vacuuming up stray toppings and making sure each topping had its own serving spoon/tongs. The floor and tables are mopped and wiped down as well, and the food itself looks and tastes fresh--never like it's been setting out for days on end. 

It's definitely worth it to give Yogurtology a try. If you can't find anything there to satisfy your frozen yogurt craving, then you are way too picky. 

1202 S. Church Ave., Suite C

Tampa, FL 33629

813-251-2717

store2@yogurtology.com

11a.m.-10p.m. Sunday thru Thursday

11a.m.-11p.m. Friday & Saturday

Bay Area Eats: Burger 21

Ever since Burger 21 in Westchase opened, I've been hearing rave reviews. Creative Loafing Magazine even proclaimed it, "The best burger in Tampa Bay." I love a good burger, so last week my friend Kathy and I made a visit to see if it lived up to the hype. My opinion: not so much.

First of all, the menu is a la carte, which means you pay for everything separately, which means you could end up shelling out a small fortune depending on which burger you select. I ordered the Black & Bleu burger and the Chocolate Cherry Bomb shake and that alone cost me $12.62. The burger was okay, but nothing to write home about. For such an original combination of ingredients (applewood-smoked bacon, bleu cheese spread, and  "award-winning" Gorgonzola crumbles) it didn't pack much flavor. As for the shake, well, you can get a better one at Steak n' Shake. I found the Chocolate Cherry Bomb to be incredibly bland. For twelve bucks, I expected more.

My opinion is to skip over Burger 21 and go to either Square 1 or Five Guys if you're looking for a good, quality hamburger. They have a better value for their prices, and they automatically include fries with your order, just as it should be.

Bay Area Eats: The Brunchery

On Saturday, I met Ali for brunch at the appropriately-named Brunchery. I had been there once before and really enjoyed it. The restaurant's decor, food and general atmosphere reek of going to grandma's house. It's comforting, and the food can go toe-to-toe with Denny's or Perkins in both taste and pricing (actually, it might even be cheaper!) any day. However, Saturday's visit left a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended).

It wasn't what I ordered. The Bayshore Benedict was a tasty variation on the classic eggs benedict, with a croissant, scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, and hollandaise sauce ($8.59). It wasn't the service; our waiter was incredibly polite and speedy with getting us our food and refilling our coffee cups. The trouble came when I went to check out.

Earlier this year, I purchased a $16 Groupon for The Brunchery. After that amount was deducted from our bill, the damage was only $5.78. I told Ali I'd take care of the meal, and she agreed to take care of the tip. When I gave the cashier my debit card, he said he couldn't take debit because they only run cards on amounts of $10 or more. I didn't have any cash on me, so what I ended up having to do was purchase a gift card for $10.78 and use that to pay for the rest of the bill. In short, I had to pay five dollars more than what I should have had to pay.

It's not the amount that pisses me off. $10.78 is still a pretty good deal for two coffees and two entrees. It's the principle of the matter. Even though it's no longer illegal for stores to refuse small credit card charges, I think it's a little ridiculous to penalize consumers for opting to use cards. I rarely carry cash on me simply because paying with a card is quicker and easier and I get rewards points every time I use my debit or credit card. I shouldn't have to over-pay just because my purchase falls under a certain dollar amount.

C'est la vie, I guess. But I don't think I will be going back to The Brunchery. Problem is, I still have a $5 gift card. So I thought I'd have a little giveaway. If anybody out there wants the gift card, be the first person to leave a comment on this post. It doesn't even have to be about the post. You can comment about how you're looking forward to the new season of Mike & Molly for all I care. ('Cause I sure am!) In all fairness, the food is pretty great. Just be sure to pay in cash if your bill is less than $10.

* * *
This gift card is only good for The Brunchery located off MacDill Ave. in Tampa. If you're out of state, you're out of luck. Sorry. Unless you are planning on visiting or something.  

Just so you know I'm not lying.

Five dolla, mo fos!

Bay Area Eats: Eddie and Sam's

On my lunch break today, I ventured once more into downtown, this time to grab some lunch at Eddie and Sam's. I've heard rave reviews, both via the blogosphere and word of mouth, and since pizza is a food I could eat everyday until the day I die, I had to try it out.

Eddie and Sam's specializes in New York-style pizza, and New York is a prominent theme in the restaurant's decor: the long wall on the right-hand side has pictures of the city, the Brooklyn Bridge, and other landmarks. The restaurant itself is long and narrow, but cozy--and also extremely crowded during the lunchtime rush.

My co-workers and I got the lunch special, two slices of cheese pizza and a soda for $5.99, a deal well worth the money. The pizza slices are HUGE, and I was stuffed by the time I finished eating. Eddie and Sam's also offers other types of pizza, such as white pizza and margherita pizza, as well as bread sticks and some delicious-looking buttery garlic knots (priced at 50 cents!).

I thought the pizza was delicious, if a little greasy (I had to dab some of it off before I ate it), and the prices were pretty reasonable. I can definitely see why Eddie and Sam's is popular, and am planning on going back to try a slice of one of the specialty pizzas as well as one of those garlic knots. Mmmmmm.

Bay Area Eats: Moxies

Earlier today, some co-workers and I walked downtown to Moxies for lunch. First of all, let me just say: I love downtown.

Every time I go downtown, I feel giddy, like a small child on Christmas Day. It's pretty quiet on the weekends, but on the weekdays, the sidewalks are filled with the hustle and bustle of Very Important People, walking to and from their Very Important Meetings, carrying their Very Important Briefcases. Even though I've not once been downtown for anything business-related in the last three years, I still like to pretend that I'm a Very Important Person doing Very Important Things (sans Very Important Briefcase) whenever I'm there.

As we were walking downtown today, I was pleased to see that new restaurants had popped up. If you couldn't tell from the above paragraphs, I always thought downtown was cool, but was disappointed that it didn't have more to offer in the way of eateries and cafes. From what I saw on today's excursion, that looks like it's changing, and it makes my heart happy.

Moxies, as usual, was jam-packed during the lunch hour, but the staff was excellent in taking orders and delivering food in a timely manner. I ordered what I always order whenever I go somewhere that offers Reuben Sandwiches: a Reuben Sandwich. I love a good Reuben, and I can't decide which restaurant makes a better one: Moxies or Datz. I thought Datz's Reuben reigned supreme, but when I re-visited Moxies today, I had to admit, theirs wasn't half-bad, either. Datz's sandwich comes with a side of their sweet and salty chips and bleu cheese dipping sauce; I ordered the pasta salad with my sandwich at Moxies, and that was delicious as well (sun-dried tomato--yum!). So now I'm internally conflicted.

I am happy to say that I did have leftovers, so I'll also be able to enjoy some more Reuben and pasta salad for din din tonight. That is, if I don't cave in and eat them before I get home...

Update (because I know you're just dying to know if I ate the rest before I got home or not): I was able to resist the pull of the leftovers. After wrapping up this blog post, I plan on eating them while catching up on Jerseylicious. Yes, I watch Jerseylicious. Don't judge me.