Stella’s Modern Pantry

What a hidden gem located just off the square in Ocala.  This place so over delivers on every level of product, wine, food and ambiance.  It’s just hard to find a flaw  in Stella’s.  First you have the store as a whole.  With its upscale wine and cheese, the specialty products on the shelves.  Then the cheeses and the desserts in the cold case.  Everyone just a special as the next. 

 

The wife and I dropped in for lunch this week.  We were greeted right away by George a stple in Stella’s for quite some time. Always a smile and always making sure your experience is to your liking.  As we looked at the lunch offering a glass of Rose was in order.  We choose the Chateau Barbebelle what a great choice.  More about the wine HERE.

Our lunch choices flat-breads her the artichoke and sun dried tomato me the Chorizo sausage and egg.  As I sat there enjoying my Rose the wife made a run through the store.  Always returning with something either funny or interesting she had a blast. As did I! The flat-breads arrived.  My Chorizo piping hot and wonderful, spicy and hot with added heirloom cherry tomatoes fontina cheese and arugula on a crust so thin it almost wasn’t there, my favorite. (So sorry no pictures. I was starving) The Artichoke and Sundried tomato on the same crust fillings all the way to the edge of the flatbread Also had Greek olives and Parmesan cheese just a great combination.

The size of these flat-breads was impressive.  Neither of us could finish ours.  So we took them home and used them as Appetizers later that night and everyone enjoyed them.

I highly recommend Stella’s Modern Pantry.  It’s a great place to spend a lazy afternoon of noshing and sipping wonderful wine.  Hope to see you there soon

Bon Appetit,

Chez Bubba

 

Stella’s Modern Pantry

20 SW Broadway St, Ocala, FL 34471

(352) 622-3663

Tuesday – Saturday 9AM – 7PM

Closed Sunday and Monday

The Crazy Cucumber

 

Wanted to go on a little adventure the other day with the wife and saw this place in a Facebook post.  I’d never heard of it and looked at the menu.  Plenty of choices for the Pescatarian wife to eat so I figured why not?

We arrived a little after 11:00.  We were seated right way.  The dinner room is really cool.  Industrial modern might describe it.  Lots of cool lights in pipes surround a small dining area next to the bar. Painted walls high ceiling, concrete floors rustic bar area.  Industrial seating at nice roomy tables I the man dining room as well as large booths.  We were seated in one of the large booths.  Not as comfortable as it would have been with a padded seat but nothing to complain about either.

Nice menu full of options for any eater.  Our server came up asked us for drink orders, Spicy Bloody for the wife, iced tea for me.  We started looking at the menu there are so many options.  We finally decided.  Tuna Poke for the wife, Chicken popper wrap for me. 

The food arrived surprisingly fast.  All was prepared as ordered and tasted wonderful.  Her Tuna Poke was large pieces of fresh Tuna over rice with house made Won tons that were absolutely wonderful. Yes, I stole a bite!  My wrap was great.  Spinach wrap full of chicken breast pieces fried to perfection.  My sauce of choice was sweet chili.  The lettuce was super fresh tomato and chipotle ranch was great.  I ate every bite!

 One last thing.  This seems to be such a huge deal on socail media I feel the need for a consumer alert.  The restaurant puts a Service Fee on all tabs.  If you pay cash the 1.5% fee is removed.  So if you are not a fan of these fees please bring cash. Here is our tab so you can see how the fee is listed

I highly recommend this place it is kind of hidden in a shopping center but well worth the search.

Bon Appetit!

 

Chez Bubba

Tuna Poke 

Chicken Popper Wrap

 

The CRAZY Cucumber @ Market Street

4414 S.W. College Road, #1910,Ocala, Fl 34474

PH 352.390.6969 | FAX 352.433.2452

thecrazycucumber352@gmail.com

Lopez Legacy Restaurant

OK a little truth in advertising here.  We eat at Lopez Legacy every Monday night and have for the last 5 years.  So please understand this review is for the visit we made last night not a review made on a group Monday night dinner.

We called ahead and got a table in our favorite server, Maritza’s section. We were seated about 5 minutes after we arrived.  Maritza arrived took drink orders and our appetizer order and explained the specials.  There were four of us, two T-Bone specials, shrimp lemon penne pasta and a salmon salad. I had a bowl of special soup, Red Pepper and Gouda, it is one of my favorites and it was great.

The food arrived in a proper amount of time.  My steak was perfectly medium rare we added blue cheese and bacon.  I subbed a stuff baked potato in place of the normal sides.  All was great the Pasta got thumbs up as did the salmon salad. 

We always love this place every server and manager are always on the lookout for every customer.  It is such a welcome change from many places here.

I highly recommend going to Legacy and giving them a chance I do not think you will be disappointed.

Lopez Legacy Restaurant

Location: 17135 Buena Vista Blvd,

The Villages, FL 32162

Telephone: (352) 753-1475

Email: Suleimanlegacyinc@gmail.com

Coastal Del Mar

Last night we when to Spanish Springs to hear The Clark Barrious Band, he is one of our favorites to listen to.  If you aren’t from the Villages I will explain a bit.  Here in the Villages we have 3 town Squares where there is free live music every night of the year.  The music is from 5 -9 pm and there are bars around and people dance and just have a blast. 

So after we sat for a while we decided to have dinner.  We choose Coastal Del Mar a FMK group restaurant that has numerous restaurants in the Villages.  It is a seafood focused one and we have always enjoyed it in the past.

We walk in no reservation, I’m not sure I’s recommend that however it worked for us last night as we were sat down when we walked in.  Once inside we were greeted an offered drinks.  We choose a Manhattan for me and a martini for her.  Both drinks arrived timely and made correctly.

We decided on Fried Oysters as an appetizer and settled in to enjoy the cocktails’.  The oysters arrived fried to perfection crispy on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside.  Two sauces remolaude and cocktail sauce provided.  They were quite nice we both enjoyed them very much.

Entrees were grilled Salmon with Creamed Spinach and asparagus for me.  For her salmon Sushi roll.  The salmon arrived cooked to order and for me that’s medium rare spinach nice creamy and hot asparagus grilled al dente. Her sushi roll she said was very good with all the expected additions of ginger and wasabi even chopsticks.  She really enjoyed it.

I would highly recommend Coastal Del Mar for your dining pleasure.  Hopefully your experience will be as good as ours.

Cheers

Big Mike

Coastal Del Mar

990 Del Mar Dr.

The Villages, FL 32159

(352) 268-3701

Stirrups World Equestrian Center

Stirrups has become one of our go to places.  We love the restaurant.  From the moment you walk into the hotel you instantly know you are in a very special place.  From the dramatically high ceiling and all of the animal portraits that adorn the lobby to the wonderful appointments all around.

Then you walk into the restaurant and you are blown away.  Those same ceiling and portraits, then you see the grand arena through the huge windows and you simply know you’re in for a treat.   

Once inside you’re sat down in the dining room and met by one of the most if not the most professional staffs in the area.  All dresses sharply in black and white.  Menu’s presented along with the wine list. A note here about the wine list; the wine list is managed by Roland Micu.  He is a Master Sommelier, the only one in the area to my knowledge.  Roland has the distinct honor of being the youngest person to pass the Master Sommelier test on the first try.  And on top of that he is a great guy.  If you have any questions about the list or wines on it he will be tableside to answer any questions, if he is on duty of course.   The list is a study in good, great grand all in one place. All of the countries, regions and appellations of note are represented, all fairly priced and available. 

Cocktails are made with the same precision as the wine lists.  My I recommend the Manhattan made with your favorite Rye whiskey of course.

Now to the food, we always start with the deviled eggs and fried green tomatoes.  Plenty for our table of four to share while we study the menu and listen to the specials.  On our most recent trip I ordered the short rib over polenta. The others ordered the Sweet Corn Ravioli, 24oz. Kanas City Strip, and Shrimp and Grits.  It bears mentioning here that the sides a huge, plenty for four people so we only get one or two.  This trip we got Onion rings and Creamed Corn.

 

All of the food was spot on.  Steak cooked a perfect rare plus as ordered.  The Short Rib fall off the bone tender. The pasta dish was creamy and perfect.  The Shrimp and Grits were perfectly spiced and delicious.  The sides were great I love a good onion ring and theses didn’t disappoint.  Crispy and when you bit into it and the breading stayed on the remaining onion ring and didn’t come off a true test of a perfect onion ring.  The cream corn was great creamy and made of fresh corn and tasted like it was made to order and not off a steam table.

We received a complimentary dessert as it was my wife’s birthday we all shared an enjoyed.

I highly recommend eating here.  Here are a few details to help you along the way of getting to this gem.  Click on the name and it takes you to the website.

All of the staff is top notch but we especially love Talton.  Ask for him and get ready to have some fun.

Stirrups Restaurant

8510 NW 17 Lane, Ocala, FL 34482 | 352.414.7864

Hours of Operation:

Breakfast: Monday-Friday 6:30am-11am | Brunch: Saturday -Sunday: 6:30am-1pm

Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5-9pm | Friday-Saturday 5-10pm

 

Reviewer pays 100% for food and drink and is unannounced as a reviewer 

Introduction

 

My name is Mike Whitfield.  I have been in the food and wine industry for over 30 years.  I love a good glass of wine and a great meal.  I plan on using this blog as a place to recommend places in an around The Villages to eat.  We travel once a month to some destination for a great meal.  So check back here for updates.  I will be fair and honest.  I will no pan a place as we all have bad days.  If I have a bad experience I will not write about it untl we go back again to allow the restaurant to have a second chance because I truly believe that no one wants to provde something that isn’t top quality.

So  here we go

 

Thanks for reading and I wish you nothing but great wine and food always

 

Cheers,

 

Big Mike