Daily Eats Mac & Cheese

Daily Eats

Mac & Cheese moniker: Baja Mac

The damage: $4.95 small/$9.95 large

Why it makes us melt: Another option at SoHo’s favorite diner, Daily Eats, is the Baja version of the original. This dish is a combo of some impressively original flavors, including salsa, corn, tortilla strips, cilantro, and house-made cheese blend. You can taste the Jack cheese in the blend, giving it a fun kick. Not your style? Burger, Spicy Buffalo, Broccoli and Bacon, and Chili Mac are also on the menu, and all of them feature the signature Velveeta-style shells of the DE 3-Cheeser.

Lodge Mac N Cheese Pizza

The Lodge

Mac & Cheese moniker: Mac-N-Cheese Pizza

The damage: $6 quarter/$10 half/$14 full

Why it makes us melt: Yes, this is every bit as good as it sounds. The blend of pasta, bread crumbs , and cheeses melt into the brick oven pizza and are layered so generously that some noodles may even fall off. Hint: You can request the pasta on top to be any one of the four varieties from the $5 Mac and Cheese menu, so you can even end up with Hamburger Mac and Cheese on your flatbread.

Lodge BBQ Chicken Mac-N-Cheese

The Lodge

Mac & Cheese moniker: BBQ Chicken Mac-N-Cheese

The damage: $5

Why it makes us melt: Yet another heaping plate of pasta for only one five dollar bill that’s offered at The Lodge, and it is oh-so-delicious. The sweet BBQ chicken blends with the cheese and makes a melty concoction no one could turn away. Bacon and Broccoli and “Just regular” Mac and Cheese are also on the $5 menu.

Wade Tatangelo
http://www.ciccioandtonys.com

South Tampa mainstay remains a trendy, affordable dining destination

Ciccio’s began as more of a traditional Italian kitchen. It then morphed into primarily a “California Cuisine” eatery. Ciccio’s latest transformation has been the addition of the Water Unique Sushi menu.

Good chef. Everything is great (minus the stir fry’s, which I don’t love). Pastas are amazing, as are the salads. Good sangria and drinks. They also have sushi which is surprisingly good. My only gripe is that they can sometimes close on the early side. Claudia R., Tampa FL

So I have the Chicken Milano wrap and it is so friggin delish with that side of mushroom marsala sauce … (I’d recommend getting an extra side of the sauce).  Its so good!, Stephanie N. Clearwater, FL

One of my most favoritest places everrrrrrrrrr!
Yummy healthy wraps…..awesome sushi……stirfrys and meals that will keep you coming back!!!

Incredible prices and friendly service! get there early to get a seat….lunch and dinner!!!! I love love love their food….chef Luis knows what he is doing!!!!, Jamie Z., Tampa, FL

Feel free to leave your own coments at Yelp.com.

By Brian Ries, Published 04.15.2009

Walk into The Lodge and it’s immediately apparent that the place is easily going to break the curse of this location. It was the sputtering 42nd Street Bistro for a couple of years, then an ill-fated outpost of St. Pete’s Chateau France, then Manny’s Bistro. None of them were able to gain any traction, but then again none of them were imagined by the Ciccio and Tony’s guys.

Jeff Gigante and his crew looked at the space and proceeded to discard all but the barest bones. They didn’t even need to put too much effort into the remodel, just a few decorations and well-chosen pieces of furniture to immediately convey the theme of the restaurant, which is an odd melding of ski lodge and diner. There are gleaming white vinyl booths, tables rimmed by fluted chrome, and servers wearing fuzzy boots to go with their white T-shirts and jeans.

The Lodge has moved in to the oft-used site that has played home to 42nd Street, Chateau France and Manny's Bistro.

It’s not minimalist, but it is restrained, which ends up leaving a hell of a lot of room for the kinds of people who make SoHo what it is. Beautiful and young, or plasticized and middle-aged, the place is packed with the kind of energy that might make a restaurateur forget about the recession.

Of course, the menu makes it easy on the participants. Prices stick strictly to the low side of moderate, with very few dishes even reaching the $15 mark. Better yet, this inexpensive grub is fun.

Appetizers range from familiar favorites like calamari and chicken wings, to déclassé treats like mini-corn dogs, to re-imagined finagling like cheeseburger spring rolls. From the simple to the contrived, it’s all fine and tasty, with tater tots available on the side.

Entrées up the whimsical ante big time. There are essentially three sections to the main course menu: burgers, sushi and TV dinners. Burgers branch out from the basic beef patty into turkey, tuna and pork sliders — along with a list of 15 or so toppings. Here again, the food manages to fulfill expectations without wowing the tastebuds. The sushi, though, is another story.

Drop a slice of rice, nori and stuffings into your mouth and your mind is prepared for a certain experience. The Lodge can do that, with capable tuna, crab and shrimp rolls. But more than half the sushi on the list will have your mouth wondering what the hell you’re feeding it.

Fried chicken and lettuce maki with a spiced blue cheese fondue for dipping. Pulled pork and cole slaw tucked into rice and seaweed. Steak and fried onions, hot dog and sauerkraut, burger and bacon — and somehow, The Lodge’s kitchen manages to make them work. There’s even the occasional flash of brilliance to accompany the off-kilter fun of the experience.

The last type of entrée might be slightly less fun, but it’s also something I want every restaurant in the Bay area to think about. The Lodge’s TV dinners offer a list of main courses ranging from fried chicken to mac and cheese, along with a choice of three sides from an extensive list. You wanna go with a classic? Get Shake-N-Bake pork chops with tater tots, baked beans and fudge brownie. Yep, there are desserts on the list, so you can go all sweet with some mac and cheese laced with chopped hamburger accompanied by chocolate flan, fresh fruit and twinkimisu.

The only big flaw in The Lodge’s TV dinner plan — besides terrible fried chicken — is the way it’s served. No divided trays? What? The main course comes on a plate, with a separate plate for the sides. A glaring error.

The desserts are tasty — although the twinkimisu is not nearly as interesting as it sounds; the servers are attractive and occasionally pay attention to your order, and the scene will make you feel like things out in the world are still alright, especially if you’re on the patio drinking it up with the rest of the SoHo regulars.

Wow. Add The Lodge to recently opened Datz Deli a couple of miles away, and South Tampa is turning into the most interesting spot for new restaurants this year. Say goodbye to top honors, downtown St. Pete.

The Lodge, 516 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-251-5634

©1996-2009 Creative Loafing Media – All Rights Reserved

A sampling of reviews from Yelp.com.

I had the coconut covered french toast, with the coconut honey cream cheese. It was pretty awesome. They seemed busy but the service was prompt, and I didn’t see any ridiculous line waiting like I would a t breakfast spots in Chicago… Food was plated well, and the portions were right on. The only thing I didn’t like was the turkey sausage was tiny, but its only a minor err. Everything was not too terribly expensive either.My girlfriend ordered the Tijuana Breakfast Bowl, and said it was pretty awesome too. Outside seating was comfortable. Definitely recommended for breakfast. Justin R, Tampa

Deeeellliiigghhhtttffullllll!

Not a Tampa native, so I have to admit that I couldn’t be more pleased with this cute little diner. I’ll break it down and make it real simple like so you can decide for yourself whether or not to go. BUT if you want to take the easy road stop reading this review and hustle your sweet lil self down there. Alli J. San Jose, CA

Okay, so I’m in Tampa at the moment and need to comment on this AWSOME eatery!  I went here for Sunday Brunch and it ROCKED my world!  I started with a nice cup of joe.  Nothing to brag about, but not bad, either.  I was kind of a coffee snob, pre-tea drinking, so it’s possible my taste buds were off about the coffee…  Anyway, I ordered an egg omelette bowl.  It had egg whites, turkey sausage, provolone cheese and was served on a warm bed of spinach in a big ol’ bowl!  It really was Delish, so I need to share!  :)  I also split a coconut crusted french toast with coconut honey cream cheese.  Yeah, you read that right…yummy coconuts!!!  It was pretty crazy…I don’t normally eat frech toast, but HELLOOOO, this was AMAZING!!!  People don’t seem to Yelp much in Tampa, but I am really glad that someone already reviewed this place.  Hooray for their breakfast!!! Audrey B. New York

Feel free to leave your own coments at Yelp.com. ]]> http://blog.cicciorestaurantgroup.com/2009/04/yelpcom-daily-eats-reviews/feed/ 0 http://blog.cicciorestaurantgroup.com/2009/02/yelpcom-lodge-restaurant-bar-reviews/ http://blog.cicciorestaurantgroup.com/2009/02/yelpcom-lodge-restaurant-bar-reviews/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:33:52 +0000 admin http://blog.cicciorestaurantgroup.com/?p=48 A sampling of reviews from Yelp.com.

$2.50 Natty Lights on Friday night, with BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, and Matt Garza….The Tampa Bay Rays (for all you non MLB fans).

Went here on a Friday night around 8:30. The place was jam packed and really loud! Really cool decor…feels like your in a lodge! Love the red chandeliers, the antlers and the white booth seats.

We ordered several of the sliders… tuna, sirloin, and country chicken.  They all were very good… though a bit expense at $3.25 each.

We also had a basket of the sweet potato fries.  They come with maple syrup and powdered sugar.   So good!

Feel free to leave your own coments at Yelp.com.

TAMPA — The Lodge Restaurant & Bar’s food is funny. Not funny “strange.” Funny “ha ha.” • It’s got a wink and a nudge on every one of its menu’s seven pages, and a couple of knee-slappers. • There’s a Twinkimisu ($5), a Twinkie dressed up as tiramisu. Get it? There are “American sushi” rolls that include the following: the Home Run ($6), all-beef hotdog, sauerkraut and crispy toasted bun strips with ketchup and mustard puree. • I repeat: in sushi. • Tater Tots feature heavily (called Tatters, doubtless to fend off the copyright ire of Ore-Ida), and there are kooky spins on TV dinners (pick an entree and three sides, served in fun, sectioned melamine, not the sad, ye-old-timey foil trays).

The Lodge’s main dining room is “warm in the cool winters and cool in the warm summers,” says co-owner James Lanza.

The Lodge is the newest venture from Jeff Gigante and the Ciccio & Tony’s crew. These are professionals, with many a successful restaurant under their belts (beyond Ciccio’s locations, there are Lime, Water and Daily Eats, all in Tampa). Which is a good thing, because this location has been home to 42nd Street, Chateau SoHo, SoHo Bistro and Manny’s Bistro in the past couple of years.

It’s easy to get spooked with such a Disaster Cafe location, even if it’s across the street from always-mobbed MacDinton’s. But they’ve got a formula: super-attractive servers, a long list of South Tampa well-wishers, and a vibe that, as the evening wears on, leans more on the bar than the restaurant.

The restaurant itself is more attractive than it has been in any of its recent avatars. It’s a wide-open space, deep red, with gorgeous chandeliers and enough mounted antlers and such to hint archly at more traditional lodge motifs. Even the menu font is goofy good fun.

Because Gigante and crew know what they’re doing, the Lodge is funny without being a joke. The price point is modest, servers know the ropes, and much of the food is quite tasty. Very solid hamburgers ($7 to $8.50, with extras 50 cents each) will satisfy, especially the Single Stacked Phaty Melt with its tumble of caramelized onions and provolone, served crisp, panini- style. (On the other hand, the hamburger sushi, $7, left us a little freaked out.) A choice of baked penne dishes provide addictive comfort foods, the best a B and B Penne ($7 small, $13 large), with bacon and broccoli dotting a three-cheese sauce, the whole thing molten in the middle but crispy on top with bread crumbs and bacon bits.

It’s the rare menu that can accommodate edamame ($5) and baby corn dogs with mustard aioli ($4) on the same table. Not a bad combo, really, the salted soy beans adding a healthy gloss to the sweet, corn bread-encased mini dogs.

A number of Asian dishes seem like lifts from other Ciccio menus — seared rare tuna slices with spicy cucumber salad ($8) is a keeper that I’ve seen them do before, and the more traditional rice-paper-rolled sushi (spicy tuna, California roll, $9 and $6) are reminiscent of those at Water. No matter, they’re all competently assembled and pretty.

The wine list provides another strong indication that no one is taking themselves overly seriously at the Lodge: all glasses under $6, with huge-production standbys (Big Yellow cab, Blackstone merlot) and a fair number of misspellings on the menu. Cocktails are a little pricier, with a full complement of sillitinis: Crazy Candy Cane ($9) is Ketel One, peppermint schnapps (shudder) and creme de cacao.

Add live music on the patio some nights, DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, ladies nights and a bathroom attendant on busy nights. So far it’s cheek to jowl at the Lodge in the late evenings, the crowd skewing a little older (30s) than MacDinton’s. It’s too early to say whether Gigante and partner James Lanza have a hit, but it certainly seems like the Lodge suits the times. Not too fussy, not too expensive, and likely to put a smile on your face.

Laura Reiley can be reached at lreiley@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2293. Her blog, the Mouth of Tampa Bay, is at www.blogs.tampabay.com/dining. Reiley dines anonymously and unannounced. The Times pays all expenses. Advertising has nothing to do with selection for review or the assessment.

review

The Lodge Restaurant & Bar

516 S Howard Ave., Tampa

(813) 251-5634;

lodgetampa.com

Cuisine: American

Hours: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (weekday lunches start later in the month); dinner, 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday

Details: V, MC, Amex; reservations recommended; full bar

Prices: $7-$14

Rating out of four stars:

Food: ★★ Service: ★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★

Overall: ★★ 1/2

Tomorrow in Weekend: Some off-the-beaten-path Valentine’s Day dining ideas.

The Word: Very rarely do you hear something bad about this place from anybody. That’s good, since it sits about a block away from the most famous restaurant and bar in Tampa (Bern’s). This top location and list of food will pack them in around the clock.

The Spot: Ciccio’s looks like a chic, colorful eatery plunked from the West Village of Manhattan. It cools you down with blue decor and black tables and bar. Out with that special someone? Impress your date by reserving the spot inside secluded by curtains. The outer patio, equipped with fountain, is mighty pleasant.

The Juice: Only Bud and Michelob Light are on draft, and imports such as Peroni, Corona and Kirin are available in bottles. A full liquor bar, straight in front on entering, serves up a slew of martinis and specialty drinks.

The Grub: Ciccio’s cooks an amazing mix of cultures — Italian, Caribbean, Asian, Mediterranean and Latin cuisines that includes sushi, stir-fry and sandwiches at reasonable prices. They touch on anything from basil, tomato and mozzarella skewers to brick-oven pizza. If you can go for it, they’ve got it.

The Selling Point: Great for after-work decompression, Ciccio’s serves some of the best cocktails, coffees, wraps and grouper.

Bar Type: Bar & Grill, Neighborhood, Upscale

By Brian Ries, Published 11.29.2006

NICE NACHOS: The Lime does well by this sports-bar staple.

While eating at the The Lime on SoHo, dining companion Austin defended a mediocre movie by saying, “It’s easy to overlook the inevitable flaws when something is charming.” Profound, Austin. And especially apt when reviewing restaurants.

Of course, great restaurants don’t rely on charm. But most, well … they need the extra bit of good will that encourages customers to overlook “inevitable flaws.” The Lime certainly isn’t striving to be a “great” restaurant, so the obvious question is: Is it charming?

I guess a sports bar could be charming. That’s what The Lime is, via SoHo, so the vibe is upscale and the TVs are unobtrusive but omnipresent at the same time. The restaurant serves an extensive menu of gringofied Tex-Mex and Brazilian-influenced food with a distinct frat-boy vibe. This night, all the servers are male, and gentle but persistent ribbing commences the instant I order a diet Coke. “Live a little, man. It’s got to be a holiday somewhere in the world. We’ll have to get you into something stronger later.” That something stronger could be a shot off of Lime’s extensive tequila menu or, good lord, a beer bong.

Our gregarious server demonstrates the contraption. More an oversized tubular pitcher than the blood-alcohol delivery system of my youth, it comes with a stand and spigot for easy tableside refills. Don’t limit yourself to beer — The Lime will fill it with anything you want, from Jack and Coke to Grey Goose and whatever it is the trendy drink with Grey Goose these days. Maybe Pom or something. Apparently, the beer bongs are so popular on weekends that there’s a waiting list. “We’ve got a couple dozen more on order,” says the server.

Clever way to reinvent the beer pitcher as college reminiscence? Sure. Charming? Hmm. I’ll reserve judgment.

No matter how extensive the menu, there is no escaping that The Lime serves bar food. Nachos piled high on a plate and drowned in creamy queso fresco and hunks of pulled rotisserie chicken ($7) are among the best things on the menu. There are also under-stuffed quesadillas layered with everything from pork and manchego ($7) to chicken and pepper jack ($6). Nothing new there, just a little meat and a little cheese in a dozen combinations.

Guacamole — in three different flavors ($5-$5.50) — has the texture of thick mayo. Sure, there are chunks of almost ripe avocado in there, but the majority of it is processed until velvety smooth. Considering the lack of lime and cilantro, it’s overwhelmingly homogenous.

Ceviche ($7) with shrimp and calamari could also benefit from a lot more of The Lime’s namesake and more cilantro than a single leaf, as could the salsa and most of the menu items. Those two ingredients should be used in abundance, and their absence leaves the food with a distinctly Americanized flavor. That means dull. Certainly no better than the corner Mexican joint, even considering the wider variety of ingredients. That’s not charming.

The Brazilian influence on this menu of typical Mexican faves seems limited to the variety of grilled and rotisseried meats, chimichurri, fried yuca and something called Brajita bowls. What the heck is a Brajita?

Owners Jeff Gigante and James Lanza — of Ciccio & Tony’s, and Water right down the street — first displayed their love for the big bowl of food when they opened Daily Eats last year. At The Lime, bowlophilia comes in the form of fajitas in a bowl — those “Brajita” bowls — and a few “clay pot” rice stews. There appears to be no significant difference between these fajitas and the ones at Chili’s, except the “Brajita” bowl ain’t sizzling.

At least the clay pots show a little attempt at interesting flavor combinations. There are a few pseudo-paellas, including one with coconut milk and a bit of cilantro ($16) that makes for a tasty stew, or chicken and vegetables laced with a refreshing green tomatillo sauce ($14).

In the long list of sauces and cheeses and veggies available to be stuffed into The Lime’s tortilla-wrapped items, the meats are consistently the tastiest option. Slow-cooked rotisserie chicken and pork loin? Hard to beat it. Rotisserie lamb is a joy no matter what it’s served in. Skirt steak, especially when folded into a burrito ($7.50) — the best choice for an improved meat-to-tortilla ratio — is especially tasty, grilled quickly, then sliced right so it falls apart in your mouth.

One thing going for The Lime is that its menu — however banal in the grand scheme of restaurants — is fundamentally more interesting than the tired food you find at the Bay area’s standard sports bars. Or maybe that’s a strike against it. Depends on whether you want Bud longnecks and some hot wings, or a beer bong and burritos.

Some of The Lime’s charm might come from the crowd. This is SoHo, after all, so there are lots of pretty people doing serious drinking on the weekends. Still in its early days, there have already been numerous sightings at The Lime of Buccaneer and Lightning players, a fair number of whom live in South Tampa. It might be a fine place for that classic SoHo hobby — seeing and being seen.

Still, I’m going to have to come down on the wrong side of charming when it comes to The Lime. There aren’t many egregious flaws, but there also isn’t that extra something that allows me to overlook the problems. If The Lime were a movie, I might add it to my Netflix list, but I wouldn’t see it at the theater.

Brian Ries is a former restaurant general manager with an advanced diploma from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Creative Loafing food critics dine anonymously, and the paper pays for the meals. Restaurants chosen for review are not related to advertising.

The Lime, 2.5 stars

915 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-868-LIME; www.ciccioandtonys.com/lime.html. 5:30-11 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 5:30 p.m.-midnight, Fri., noon-midnight, Sat., noon-11 p.m. Sun.

©1996-2009 Creative Loafing Media – All Rights Reserved