There's something to be said about local restaurants that are set so far in the middle of NO WHERE... they are typically a gem that you'll be happy you found. Courtnnie and I went up to Homosassa, FL for a road trip adventure which is always a blast. While we were traveling down some windy roads we fell upon a small building that had a ton of people parked across the street. It looked like it was a bait shop or just a small marina, but when we saw families walking inside without fishing poles we knew it had to be something else.

The Freezer Tiki Bar may not look like much from the outside, but follow the hoards of people that are gathering to get some grub and you'll be pleasantly surprised. When we started to walk up we were a little nervous that we were going into the back door of some weird marina or something, but once we got through the plastic door strips we saw that this place has character. The Freezer Tiki Bar was filled to the brim. Everyone was hustling and bustling around with a ton of smiley faces. People at the bar were already saying hello as we walked by, families were sitting with their children at the fold out tables and chairs and retirees were sitting at the high tops drinking buckets of beer.

Courtnnie and I found a great picnic table that over looked the boats and water. We had to set our stuff down to save the table before we went back inside to stand in line to order. The ordering process is really the only thing that I didn't care for about this place, but honestly it does make it a little more unique. You have to stand in line in the middle of the restaurant and the menu is on the ceiling. The menu is small and only consists of about 20-25 items. They have items such as hot pretzels, clam chowder, steamed shrimp, crab claws, mullet, tilapia and more. From what I could tell there was no fried seafood on the menu. You also need to know that The Freezer Tiki Bar is CASH ONLY. Luckily we came from yard saling so we had cash on hand.

They gave us our clam chowder and drinks right away which was nice because the wait time for our meal was about 10 minutes longer than you'd expect. It got to the point where we were wondering if we should go back in to check on our food. The atmosphere and the people keep you busy for most of the wait, but it still seemed like a long time. Once our food was ready they do bring it out to your table. It comes in a take-out box which makes it easy if you're looking to get going right away. The chowder tasted great! There was plenty of clams in it and the potatoes and seasoning was the perfect mixture. When our half order of steamed shrimp came we were please to see that it was plenty to split between two people. Maybe even three people if you come with a light appetite. The shrimp had a light cajun seasoning and cocktail sauce and butter garlic sauce on the side to dip. It worked out perfectly for Courtnnie and I because I liked the cocktail sauce and she was enjoying the butter garlic sauce. Both were tasty.

When Courtnnie and I left The Freezer Tiki Bar we expected the lunch rush to be gone. Well it wasn't. The rush had gotten even bigger and we couldn't believe how many people came from all over this town to eat at this little seafood place. If you're looking for 5 star service and a quiet conversation between you and your friends, this isn't the place. If you're looking for a low key, chill by the water, drive up in your boat, bring your dog and kid and neighbor and family type atmosphere then The Freezer Tiki Bar is where it's at.

This place is ridiculous! Ridiculously good! I've been going here for a few months now and I always forget to write a review about it. Or maybe I just didn't want to secret to leak out about how incredible it is. Just like most sushi places this location is in a shopping center next to a gym and a furniture store. In my opinion the only thing missing is a Twistee Treat location. You could start with the gym, eat some sushi and head out to the furniture store to spread out after eating your heart out. I mean seriously, this stuff will put you in a food coma.

Okay let's take an inside look. When you walk in it's pretty dark inside. The decor is mainly black with hints of lighting to at least get you to your table. There is a large fish tank that the kiddos seem to enjoy. The tables have a tablecloth, but then it's covered with brown paper (because of the high turnaround I'm sure). Although I believe that Sushi Alive isn't the most romantic of places inside it does have its charm and to die for sushi. That's romantic enough, right?

The wait time for Sushi Alive during the weekdays tends to be pretty lengthy. I suggest calling ahead if you have a larger group. The service is always pleasant, but not overly talkative. They come to your table and take your order and make sure you always have fresh drinks. We have our favorites of course, but even they don't say much when they come to our table.

For starters I always order the ginger salad. It's medium size and always fresh and they add the best dressing I've ever had. The ginger dressing that they add is very chunky and has a peppery undertone that lingers after the spicy ginger. I could probably just go in and order this on occasion and I'd feel full after two of them. I've only had the miso soup once and it was tasty, but nothing to brag about. Just normal miso soup.

Whenever I go to Sushi Alive I seem to go in large groups. We end up ordering enough sushi to feed an army because of the specials that they have Monday through Friday from 5pm - 7pm. They have about 6 or 7 different sushi rolls that are only $3.00 for 8 pieces and they have half price house wines. It's great!

The sushi always comes fresh and with plenty of ginger, wasabi and even spicy mayo. The tempura style sushi is one of my favorites because it has a great crunch and it's never soggy. There's nothing worse than soggy tempura sushi. My friends are a little more daring and they get some pretty cool dishes that always seem to be presented so well.

There's really not much left for me to say about this place without sounded like they hired me to do this review for them. Which they didn't! I just absolutely love their sushi and even the dark atmosphere.

I have eaten here so many times I can't even count. Every time I visit my parents we are always hopping in the car and driving up to The Loop to grab some Bonefish Grill. We love Bonefish Grill because we can't get enough of the fresh tuna sashimi.

This is one of the better locations, because it has a ton of shopping available and plenty of parking. We're always treated so well here and I love that all the servers are dressed to impress. We have never had a bad experience here that they didn't fix right away. Once I had some sashimi that was a little too overcooked for my blood and they immediately got me a new order. You really can't beat that type of service when you go to a place all the time.

My mom always gets the house salad, wontons and bang bang shrimp. My dad and I always get the same thing, house salad and tuna sashimi with extra ginger. Honestly it's the best I've ever had from ANY restaurant. I'm typically the only one that gets a mixed drink and I always try to pick their seasonal drinks. They make an incredible Cold Snap Blackberry Frost that's served in a glass made out of ice.

I love going to visit my parents because of our trips to Bonefish Grill and the time that we get to spend together chatting in a relaxing environment. Once we leave it's back to our hectic lives.

One of my friend's was having a surprise birthday party at Kobe Italian in Clearwater on a Monday night. Being that it was a Monday we didn't expect it to be very busy. The restaurant was a little hard to find because there is only one sign on the building and it's on a side that isn't very visible in the parking lot. When I walked it the first thing I noticed was I was in a very dark bar area. I was greeted right away and when I told them which party I was with they took me into the back where they had large U shaped tables with a grill table on two sides. In the restaurant area we had plenty of room for the 15 guests and aside from one table finishing up, we were the only ones there.

We were offered drinks as soon as half of our guests arrived, which I found to be a little odd. I thought it was standard to be given a water while we wait. Once we were completely seated two waitresses came through to take our appetizer and dinner order. I ordered a Crunchy Baked Salmon Roll which had baked salmon, smelt roe, asparagus, tempura crunch, avocado and mayo, and I also ordered Jaguar Roll which had Eel, cream cheese and avocado. With my meal I also received a side salad and soup. On Kobe Italian's menu they offered sushi, hibachi and a lot of tempura options. Most of the desserts on the menu sound like they would be brought in or frozen. They offered cheese cake, ice cream and mochi along with a few others. I couldn't find anything on the menu that would represent the Italian food that the restaurant name would lead you to believe.

No one from our party had to wait long for their salad to come (for those that ordered it). The soup was right behind the salad and both were delicious. The ginger dressing had a hint of fish sauce flavor and it was light on the spicy ginger. It was pretty good, but different from other restaurants. Unique. The miso soup was hot and delicious.

Both of our waitresses were pleasant, but I couldn't help but get the feeling that one of them wasn't happy about having to deal with 15 people. The other seemed pleased as punch to have the business and she was very attentive. My friend sitting next to me no sooner did she put down her empty beer and make a sad face about it and the happier waitress brought another one immediately. That was nice!

When they started to bring in everyone's food we were disappointed when some people got their food and were already half way through before the rest of us got our food. When I got my sushi I noticed that they did a great job with plate presentation. Some plates had drawings on it using the sauces and some were just clean and crisp looking. I tried my first bite of the Crunchy Baked Salmon Roll and I tasted a lot of tempura. The flavors were overtaken by the strong salmon flavor and grease from the frier. The Jaguar Roll was really tasty and although the texture was mushy, the flavor was excellent. I shared my roll with my friend and she said the same thing I did about the Salmon Roll. I tried one of her spice tuna rolls and I had trouble keeping it down. It was extremely mushy and didn't taste like spicy tuna, but almost rancid. She kept eating her roll, so she must not have felt the same way I did about it. When I talked to other friend's about their meal they said it was okay, but nothing spectacular. Then again, I'm sure I'm the more opinionated one out of the group... hence the blog.

I knew our friend's had brought in our own cake, but I wanted to try the dessert on the menu for the sake of this review. I ordered the only dessert that sounded authentic to the restaurant. I ordered the green tea mochi which didn't taste much different from the boxed kind you can get at Trader Joe's. Sooo I ended up eating the cake that we brought instead.

After the food was taken away and we were waiting on our bills a few of us started to notice a horrible smell. A few people had started to get up and use the restroom which was in the back of the restaurant and when they came back they complained about the sewer smell. I had planned on using the ladies room but my friend told me that I should steer clear of it because the smell would have me running for the hills. I was surprised that we didn't smell it when we came in, but I remembered that another table was in the middle of their hibachi experience when we walked in. At the time the only thing we smelled was the food on the grill table. It's a shame that we had to leave so soon, but none of us could take that smell any longer.

Sorry to say, but Kobe Italian is not on my return list. I'm sure everyone has an off night and with 15 people I can see that it might be a difficult party, but we were the only one's there when we started to order. Make your own assumptions here, but in my opinion this Kobe Italian is a "No Doggy Bag For Me" restaurant. Thank god for good company with friends because we still enjoyed ourselves being in each others presence.

This is a pretty decent place to have some Mexican food here in Tarpon Springs where the Greek blood runs thick. It's hard to find anything other than Greek food and Seafood in Tarpon Springs. This location is nice because it has a large parking lot and it's large enough to see from the busy 19N Rd.

When my neighbor Linda and I went in here it was around 6:30 which is prime dinner time for the snow birds around here, but it seemed a little empty. This made me a little nervous considering Tarpon Springs is a hot zone for tourists especially around dinner time. The waiter that we had was pleasant and helpful, but not very social. He was there when we needed him and everything came as it should, but he didn't say much to us at all. This isn't a complaint considering she and I went to dinner to talk shop, but merely an observation.

When we sat down we were given a huge bowl of chips and a spicy salsa that wasn't chunky at all. My neighbor had been here before so she knew to ask for a mild salsa. This salsa came and it was chunky and warm and seasoned more like a marinara sauce. Both of us like that sauce much better.

She ended up ordering something called Pollio Fundido which was delicious. She said that it's the only place around that will make it. Pretty much it's a fajita without being all cut up. It comes as a whole chicken breast with green peppers, onions and cheese on top. Then it has a side of rice and tortilla shells to use.

I'm boring and I just ordered the fajitas because I couldn't kick the craving. I asked for my peppers and onions to be cooked very well which they did perfectly. The seasoning on mine was delicious and not too oily. I've had a lot of fajitas in my day and most of the time the chicken and vegetables are overly oily or under seasoned. This was not the case here.

When our meal came we both ate about half of the meal and decided to take the rest home. Their portions were a little bit bigger than most Mexican restaurants that I've been to.

They had a list of desserts, but I have to say that we couldn't even look at that portion of the menu after eating so much food for dinner. I will definitely come back to this place the next time I'm craving Mexican.

On a visit to see my parents and sister Patti over the weekend, my sister and I decided to grab some sushi. We love having sister time and Celebration is a great place to enjoy a Starbucks, dinner and nice walk. Ari Sushi has been a favorite on the food review sites so we thought it only appropriate to check it out for ourselves.

Upon walking into Ari Sushi around we first noticed that the place was only half full on a Friday night. This is odd since all the places around us were spilling with people inside and out. When we looked around we both agreed that we liked the calm feel that you get with the dimly lit lights and darker decor'. We waited in the front to be seated, but after a few minutes went by and no one came to seat us Patti and I decided to go sit at the sushi bar. We said hello to the sushi chefs and asked if it was okay that we sit there and they immediately said yes. We waited a few minutes longer and no waiter or waitress came by to say hello or to give us a menu. Finally my sister got up to go get a menu and after she sat back down she realized it was the lunch menu. Two minutes later a waitress came by to grab the menu and said "I'll take that, it's not the right one. I'll send someone over to you with the right menu." I felt it was a rude introduction considering we had waited a while before even having anyone ask if we had been helped. Luckily we were given a server who was outgoing and perky to help mull over the tension that was stirring.

We ended up ordering a cucumber salad and gyoza to start. The cucumber salad had a nice light dressing on it and beets to sweeten the flavor. The gyoza was delicious and filled to the brim, but the dipping sauce which is normally sweet and salty was extremely spicy and salty. We ended up using the dressing from the salad on the gyoza which gave it a much better taste.

When our meals came from the sushi chefs in front of us they were beautiful. I ordered a West Coast roll which had baked salmon on top and a crab salad with cream cheese on the inside and a Mexican roll. My sister ordered a Lobster roll which had a mango drizzle on top. All of the rolls came out looking beautiful.

I found that the West Coast roll was a very flavorful, but it could have used a cucumber or asparagus for crunch. The Mexican was very good and it wasn't greasy from the fried shrimp either. My sister seemed to like the Lobster roll, but she commented that the mango drizzle made it taste a little more like a dessert. It didn't stop her from eating a couple pieces though. We both ate about half of the meal and ended up taking the rest home for my dad. These rolls came out a little larger than most sushi places that I go to.

Maybe the next time we go we'll be able to try some of the other amazing rolls that they have listed. They definitely had a special variety of rolls and sauces. Hopefully next time the service will be better from the start so we don't feel like we're putting anyone out by actually eating there.

Recently I was introduced to Pho by some of my amazing foodie friends. They showed me how flavorful broth can be and how adding just a few simple veggies and raw meat can change the flavor to make any type of Pho you'd like. While having homemade Pho was never on my "to do list" I have to say that it should have been and will be on that list again. It's bound to happen that I'll be craving it as much as sushi.

We stopped into a place called Tasty Pho after a 5k walk because I was cold from the 70 degree breeze. All I knew was I had Pho about a week ago and I needed more ASAP. Tasty Pho is a smaller restaurant with not much decor. It reminded me of a plain Jane sushi place that you'd stop into during lunch time. This wouldn't be a place to take a date, but it was perfect for us since we were dressed in workout clothes.

I ordered the Thai Iced coffee (New Englander at heart) and the Thai Pho, which is just broth, scallions and raw meat. They put a tray of limes, sweet basil and bean sprouts in front of us to add to our Pho. I ended up trying the wonton wrapped shrimp which was very simple, but had lots of flavor. Then we tried some type of Thai pancake thing (the thing in the bowls, in the picture) that I was NOT a fan of. Way too fishy flavored for me. Thank god the Thai Iced Coffee was sitting next to me because it helped kill the flavor. Mmmmm Thai Coffee. So sweet and delicious. I can feel the caffeine high as I write about it now.

Soon our server comes to the table with a bowl in his hands and two other servers behind him who were also holding bowls. When he got to the table he says "Who ordered the Pho"? I couldn't help but point out that he may want to be a little more specific since they have about 10 types of Pho on the menu and the name of the restaurant is literally called Tasty Pho. We had a little giggle about it and then moved on to eating out delicious Pho.

For those of you who have never had Pho before, I highly recommend it. However, keep in mind that this dish is typically HUGE and a regular size is about 3 times the size of a normal bowl of soup. I ended up having two days worth of left overs from this dish.

It was a surprise to walk into this adorable place with no one seated or eating. Typically this would be my first red flag for me to make a bee line to the door. On the other hand it had a beautiful almost meditative type feeling from the moment you step in the door. White walls with amazingly huge colorful paintings on the walls with real orchids on each and every table. At first glance I just felt as if I had found a gem.

After being seated I took one look at the menu and the prices were average for a lunch at a Thai restaurant. I was a little disappointed at first when I ordered my meal and I couldn’t change the soup for a salad. However, after getting my cucumber soup I quickly realized that they obviously knew what they were doing. The smell was warm and inviting and the taste was even better with a cool crisp flavor of cucumber and tofu.

A few moments later my Red Curry Chicken came with an amazing display of culinary talents. Between the selection of vegetables in the Red Curry Chicken to the side of Pad Thai and carrot butterfly on my plate I couldn’t hold in the excitement. It smelled delicious and tasted even better. I didn’t expect to have a side of Pad Thai on the side and I had never tried it before. I’m not sure how its suppose to taste, but after I took my first bite I knew I was in love. While the Red Curry Chicken was delicious and oozing of flavor the Pad Thai reminded me of a bar-b-Que. I realize how that must sound, but it really was my first thought. It had a light flavor of sweet and spicy with a smell similar to bar-b-Que sauce. Plus with noodles being so light it reminded me of summer. Maybe I should have tried Pad Thai earlier. Yum.

After finishing my meal I noticed that more people were coming in for a late lunch. I suppose that this area of town could just eat lunch later then people on the west coast of Florida. As I began to people watch I listened to this one business woman tell the waiter to have his wife make her something special. He did exactly that and she did make her something special indeed. She also brought the meal out to the woman personally so I was also able to thank the chef for a great meal.
If you’re ever in the area and you have the option to check this place out I would suggest it for sure. It might be a little quiet and you may not find it to be a place to meet new people, but your taste buds will thank you in the end.

Today I was Boca Raton and there was a ton of places to choose from in this area. While I looked on Urban Spoon for a selection of places I realized that almost everything in the area was more expensive then back home. Finally I found something that sounded healthy and fair in price. Meza Mediterranean Grill & Bar in Boca Raton sits in a little shopping center with other eateries available just doors away. I was surprised to see that when I walked in at lunch time it wasn’t busy at all. Usually it’s not a good sign if the parking lot is packed and there is no one in your restaurant around lunch time, however I wanted to give it a try.

I was greeted at the door and seated wherever I like by a waiter named Robert. He had a smile on his face and he took my drink order immediately and he told me to ask if I had any questions about the menu. At first glance I felt that I was just sitting in another dinner or deli style restaurant, but after looking around I realized that this was a place to come at night. They are set up for live music, there’s a covered patio where you can choose from a huge selection of hookah and they even have belly dancers on weekends. The décor inside is mainly a mural painted on the walls that makes you feel like you’re in another country and then simple neutral colored booths and chairs. The bar is in the back and although it doesn’t seat many people it looks inviting.

With the lamb kabob sandwich you are offered French fries or Greek salad. Based on my choices I opted for the Greek salad. It came as a chopped salad with pickled beets and fresh feta. When I say fresh feta I mean it was fresh and delicious. The lamb kabob sandwich came perfectly wrapped up in pita bread and tin foil for those who are messy. It was filled with lamb, tomatoes, red onions, feta, tahini sauce and lettuce. The lamb was tender and moist and cooked to perfection with some seasoning that I couldn’t seem to put my finger on. Either way it was a delicious addition to my already amazing meal. I ended up taking three boxes of food home with me, just from the leftovers of this meal. I can’t wait to enjoy it for a second time as I’m sure it will taste just as good. Overall my experience with Meza's Mediterranean Grill & Bar was far superior to any local Greek restaurant we have in the Tarpon Springs area. I might even go as far as saying this is probably the best Mediterranean food I've ever had.

I would like to point out that in other reviews someone had mentioned the service being bad and I would like to say that things may have changed since then. The ipads that they mentioned are still being used, but they aren’t being brought to the table. My waiter took my order and went back to the bar to type it in the ipad. I did witness someone cleaning off a table which was right next to me and I didn’t smell any bleach once he was done. Maybe they saw your review and changed up some of the ways they handled business, which in my opinion is a great way to take constructive criticism. They did a wonderful job of checking in on me and they gave me plenty of attention during the course of my meal.

One of the things that I like about their menu is that there’s a description of the food and ingredients next to the original name. Being that I have tried a lot of Greek food before I wanted to see how they were different from the local Tarpon Springs area. I ordered the Middle-Eastern Sampler which came with a large portion of hummus, eggplant dip, grape leaves and Falafel. It was served with a side plate of pita bread for dipping and the Falafel was sitting on a bit of lettuce and cucumbers which worked well for dipping. The food was amazing! The eggplant dip (eggplant hummus) and the grape leaves were my favorite. The flavors in both were so unique and fresh, I could tell that I was eating a meal from a recipe that came from a traditional Mediterranean family. When I asked Robert about the dish he confirmed that these meals came from the mother’s recipe box. The grape leaves were made fresh and the eggplant dip was made earlier today. The Falafel didn’t look as appealing, but the taste was incredible especially once it was dipped in the tahini sauce. After taking a few bites of everything on my plate I asked Robert to tell me what his favorite meat plate was on the menu. He told me that I couldn’t leave without trying some lamb.

The gyoza was very tasty and it was cooked perfectly. It was hot and crispy with soft fresh ingredients inside. I wasn't a fan of the sauce because it had an unusual taste unlike any other Asian sauce that I've had. When my red curry and chicken came out I was so pleased with the amount of veggies in it. The portion or red curry and chicken was huge compared to the small scoop of rice that they give you. I also really didn't like the smell of the meal compared to other red curry dishes that I've had in the past. The flavor was amazing though and it made everything worth it. The chicken was tender and the veggies were fresh and slightly crunchy giving the whole dish some great texture.

Hopefully next time I go to Lemongrass Asian Bistro I'll get a chance to try some of the sushi that I hear is incredible. Everyone raves about the lobster roll, but I wasn't in the mood for sushi this evening. After enjoying that salad so much I'm positive that I'll be back to have more and a roll of sushi with it.

Who would have thought that this would be a surprising delight. I was in the mood for meatballs or something hearty and yet Lemongrass Asian Bistro looked cute and possibly tasty. I was right.

When I walked in I felt that it was kind of small, but it had an Asian home/family kind of feel to it. People were nestled up with pillows next to them on the cushioned benches or they were enjoying a quaint little table for two by the window. The decor was simple and not all that fresh, but the colors were modern and the place settings made this place feel a bit more fancy.

I was immediately seated at a table for one on a cushioned bench with a couple pillows to relax on. The waitress waited for me to get off the phone before asking me for my drink order. I try not to be on the phone when walking into a place but sometimes you just can't help it. Most places just interrupt because they feel that it's rude to be on the phone (as I do agree, I appreciate it more if they give me second to handle my business). This waitress was very understanding about it.

After looking through this menu I knew that if I'm planning on staying in this area for a week then I am going to have to come back to this place. There was so much to choose from on the menu I could hardly decide what type of food I wanted. They had a Thai, Sushi, Salads and tons of different noodles and soups made in several different ways. I wanted to try some of their gyoza so I ordered that for an appetizer along with the red curry with chicken for dinner. The first thing that came was my house salad that had ginger dressing on it. Honestly this was the best ginger dressing I've ever had. When the gyoza came and it had a side of shredded carrots as a garnish I almost poured the dressing all over it, but the bus boy picked up my empty salad bowl as soon as I put the fork down. Granted he did ask me if I was finished, but I didn't want to look pathetic grabbing it and pouring the dressing on what was meant to be a garnish.