Fisherman’s Cove

 

I don’t know about you, but I am an old Florida seafood shack guy.  I just love them.  There was a great one on 441 in Leesburg called Cedar River it was off the charts it closed during Covid sadly.

Well I stumbled onto another one today, Fisherman’s Cove.  It’s near Inverness on Gulf to Lake Hwy.  I asked the waitress how long it had been open and she said it started back in the 50’s as a beer joint bait shop combo.  Then in the 80’s a family bought it and made it into a seafood place.  It has just recently changed hands again but she says the new owners are determined to keep the old Florida feel to the place.

The interior is just prefect from all of the craved Pelicans to the old pictures, maps, old fishing pictures, all the old style fishing nets, ropes, old tackle and things that are required to be in a place like this.  I loved every moment of it.

Then the next requirement is a perfect waitress, which this place has the friendly welcoming kind.  The one that truly seems glad you were seated in their section. 

Then the menu, all the standard’s everything fried or broiled or grilled.  Sides were French fries, bakes potatoes, green beans.

Well we had one of the specials and one of the menu items.  We had Fried Grouper cheeks and a fried shrimp plate.  Both came with an ample portion of perfectly friend fish.  The fries on mine were seasoned with a bit of red pepper making them have a wonderful bite.  The baked sweet potato was pure country.  Baked until falling out of the peel with cinnamon butter to just make a sweet thing a little bit better, hush puppies we nice crispy and hot. But the show stopper was the Coleslaw!!!  I am the world’s biggest critic of coleslaw.  I like a certain kind and no other  will do.  I am a mayo dressing with a little sweet and chopped small.  This ticked every box on my list.  I ate all of mine and half of my wife’s!!

We ate until we felt like we were going to pop. What a treat!

I highly recommend Fisherman’s Cove for a stroll back in time and a wonderful lunch!

 

Bon Appetite,   

Chez Bubba

 

Fisherman’s Cove

12311 E Gulf to Lake Hwy,

Inverness, FL 34450

(352) 637-5888

Flying Boat Tap Room

 

We have a monthly dinner outing with great friends.  The object of the evening is to take the other couple to anew place we have never been to and enjoy a meal.  Well last night was our friends turn and man did they knock it out of the park.  We went to the Flying Boat Tap Room in Belleview. 

We arrived to a full parking lot.  The place is set up like an old airport bar.  Huge prop on the front wall. Next to the open kitchen with all of the busyness that creates.

We were seated in the back room at an ample table.  The beer menu is on big screen TV’s.  Last night all 21 places were filled.  Lot’s of IPA’s and Stouts.  But the first one was a cider which was described as a cream sickle. I am not a beer person.  But I do enjoy a Cider every now and again.  We sampled it, as you can all 21 selections.  It tasted like a cream sickle and I was amazed. I still enjoyed a bottle of Cabernet off the small wine list.

The menu is exhausting.  Everything you can imagine Tapa’s, Sandwiches, Pizza, Entrees and sides.  What a selection.  We started with the garlic Truffle Tater Tots!  They were amazing, followed by the grilled octopus of the charts.  Then I had the Flying Frenchman, their take on a French Dip.  The wife got the Lobster pizza.  The friends another pizza they chose the ingredients on. Every dish was perfectly done!  From the Jus on the Flying French, the lobster on the pizza not over cooked.  Just a pleasure all around.

Ok I’ll mention something here.  Your food comes out whenever it’s ready.  The order last night was tots, Octopus, my sandwich, the wives pizza, and then the friend’s pizza.  I thought that a bit strange but every dish arrived hot and ready to eat.  We were splitting everything so in the end it worked perfectly for us.  But know your food will not come all together like you might expect.

I cannot recommend this place high enough.  If you can get over the food coming out in progression this is a must stop.  If you are a beer lover you might be over whelmed with all of the choices. We are already planning a return to try the things on the menu we wanted last night but knew we couldn’t eat because we were so full.  The pizzas are 12 inches ample for the 4 of us and took plenty home as leftovers.

Run do not walk to the Flying Boat Tap Room!!!

Bon Appetit,

 

Chez Bubba

 

The Flying Boat Tap Room

9672 SE 58th Avenue, Ocala, Florida

(352)545-2337

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