Bagelicious, Breakfast, Lunch & More

I mean can you sell bagels in Brandon? Einstein's Bros. can do it, but they also have a great location. Brandon Bagels, also right on Rt. 60, has been around for years.

On the corner of Kingsway and Windhurst in the Publix Shopping Center, specifically 1232 Kingsway Rd. 33510, is the home of a "new to the area" eatery Bagelicious, Breakfast, Lunch and More.

As the name indicates they are a breakfast and lunch eatery, open daily 6AM -3PM. If the name is at all familiar it may be due to the fact that the owner, Linda Carr, has a store up in Wesley Chapel and I understand they have also opened at the H.Lee Moffitt Center near International Mall in Tampa.

Le Menu to take away

They also offer specials daily.

The bagels are made in the Wesley Chapel store. I didn't get how or when they are brought to this shop.

Le Menu on le wall

Promise of and Expresso bar may add some interesting options to this little corner of the world and maybe provide some motivation to hang out.

Compact and utilitarian site.

Its a narrow and deep location with 7 or 8 four top tables. Oversized flat screen TV was set up on a big shelf in the corner. I did not see any indication that Wi-Fi was available. Rest Rooms in the back.

Order/decision/prep counter.

Erin's Cheese Omelet with Home Fries and a bread selection

As you can see, its another styrofoam zone type eatery. I don't mean to sound elitist about it, but there seems to be an air of "I'm just here temporarily" when the gear is throw away and the seating is so stark and "rented". Oh my, that does sound a bit snooty, no?

The above Cheese Omelett and Home Fries proved to be a plain and simple dish (bagel in the bag goes with).

Vicki's Smoked Turkey Wrap, with Pasta Salad & Dill Pickle

I would caption this as an eat and run, bare bones, moderately priced, reasonably clean neighborhood restaurant. Vicki liked her Turkey Wrap and Pasta Salad. Dill spear was good as well.

The "pepper or salt" shaker test

Cuban Sandwich, with Chicken/Poblano Soup & Bagel Chips

Now this Cuban was definitely the best deal going and the soup was a very nice blend of flavors with a southwestern kind of pepper kick to it. The Cuban was also the "Special" of the day. I got it in a basket too! (Plastic of course but an upgrade from the foam)

We were the only ones in the place at the time. It was a very slow day and we were told the weekends have been the busiest times so far. Just open about seven weeks, I hope it survives and makes an investment in "home-e-ness/personality".

On our scale of Yuck to Super, I will have to give this a Mini O.K. 

We only had water to drink and the total bill for the three of us was a little over $18.

Gaspar's Grotto, a Notorious Pirate Bar ala Ybor City

While my sister was visiting from Upstate New York we spent a morning at the Florida Aquarium. During the month of September they were allowing members of Tampa's MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) and/or Lowry Park Zoo reciprocal entry privileges. They called it "Swap-tember". Clever idea to increase traffic in all three venues. At least it worked on us. www.flaquarium.org/

My recently retired spouse, Vicki, sister Donna and me out front.

We have held a family membership to the zoo ever since we moved here and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. Even without the membership it is a great value for the price. One of the best in the area.

After the mid-day tour of the Aquarium it was time for a late lunch. Being so close to Ybor it seemed like the best idea to scope out a place to eat. We spotted "The Bunker" on our last visit and wanted to check it out. Its mainly a coffee and tea house with a menu too limited for our tastes, so it was back in the car to cruise 7th Avenue.

7th is the main drag of Ybor and has a healthy selection of shops and bar restaurants. One that has a fairly broad exposure to the street, with patio areas on both sides of the actual building, is Gaspar's Grotto. Gaspar's is self-billed as a Notorious Pirate Bar. www.gasparsgrotto.com/

The main building entrance.

This place just cries out PARTY! I'm sure it is a hot night spot with regular live music and activities in the center of all the parades and revelry that is Ybor.

The hostess and a handful of pirates at the main bar.

Our front window seats were adjacent to the start of what is an endless collection of memorabilia.

Picture does not do it justice

Menu offers a good selection of specialty drinks, dishes and desserts.

Blackened Mahi, tasty. Fries, well not so much.

Cheeseburger

Jamaican jerk chicken sandwich w/plantain chips, w/o bread

Buffalo chicken (as a wrap)

The kind of place you go to for the entertainment factor more than the scrumptious eats. However our server was very attentive and the food did make a lump where needed. We were having a very good day so it fit in to our theme of exploring Tampa quite nicely.

On our scale of YUCK to SUPER I would have to give it a Mini pass. Nothing to rave about but nothing to go the the ER over either.

Ybor City Distraction: La Creperia Cafe

OK. its not Brandon, I get it, but Erin and I were on an airport run to pick up my sister Donna. She was arriving from Rochester, NY, rising at some ridiculous hour (like 4:30am), and having only a breakfast sandwich to eat. It was now after 1:00pm and our collective tummies were on full alert.

Airport Success!!

Erin suggested that we should do lunch at La Creperia Cafe, in Ybor City. We had been talking about Donna joining us for "bistro day" during her stay. I immediately mentioned that it was not quite in strict keeping with the theme of the blog "Bistros of Brandon", but then I thought "Ah what the hell, why not".  http://www.lacreperiacafe.com/

Boutique sized shops on 7th Ave., Ybor City, Tampa.

I had never been to this cafe, had not been down to Ybor in quite some time and I do love the old town atmosphere. Erin, on the other hand, had been here a couple of times before and liked it a bunch. So it was a lock.

Small spaces + old building = eclectic decor/work tools

It was mid-afternoon when we got there so there were only a few customers around for a late lunch. The full menu is provided on the web site linked above so I will not bore you with a description other than this: The dishes are all numbered and there are ninety-six to choose from. For ease of selection they are in general categories. Drinks of all kinds are not numbered so you will have to either point or actually speak your choice.

Build-out area shelters diners from kitchen. Nice decorations!

Erin and I choose water and Donna got a Diet Coke. To our surprise they brought her a plastic cup with ice and a teeny little (8.5oz) bottle of Diet Coke. I'm sorry but for $2.25 I expected at least one free refill. That makes the per-ounce cost $.265! Thats only a few cents per-ounce cheaper than gas for the car, Boom! As you can see below, Donna was a good egg about it:-)

Donna as product model for teeny Diet Coke. (apparently not caffeine free) 

Skinny little Coca Cola cooler for skinny little bottles.

Tasty crepes all around for us.

The menu section that seemed most fitting for us was called Savory Crepes. All crepes in this section were made with whole wheat flour. We started to eat before I remembered to get a pic of the dishes, but this gives you the idea. Crepes totally stuffed with goodies and a little taste of salad along side.
Donna and Erin both got
#39. La Bechamel - Cheese, chicken, broccoli with bechamel sauce (white roux). Top two dishes in the pic.
I ordered #47. La Paris - Cheese, feta, chicken, spinach and sweet red pepper.

Both dishes were rich tasting and filled with nicely shredded chicken and a proportion of ingredients that did not cause the crepes to become too firm or overly watery. More than enough for a fine lunch treat.

Love the collection of stuff on the red brick wall

I think the ladies were laughing with me rather than at me, but we had a good time regardless.

See, Erin enjoyed it!!

On our scale of Yuck to Super, I would have to give this experience a Super.

Three meals and one soda came to  $37 and change. A bit on the pricy side but it is good quality food prepared fresh for you, so I would call  it a good value. There is likely a little cost included for the trendy/touristy locale.

New Restaurant: Smittys Chop House ~ IS CLOSED!!

Sorry to report this  restaurant appears to be closed ~ Never got back to try their dinner fare. It's always sad to see a local business go out after such a short tenure in the hood.

Smittys opened it's doors the end of June this year at 140 N. Parsons Ave., Brandon, 33510. They took over the old La Septima location on Parsons Ave. just north of SR. 60 in one of the busiest (ie. most congested) traffic sections of town. Unfortunately their location it is only readily visible to the southbound lanes of drivers on Parsons waiting in frustration for the brief green light that allows access to Brandon Blvd. on the way home. Being a little "out-of-the-way" probably keeps the rent down, but creates a challenge for a new restaurant looking to build a body of business.

Small light box sign needs some banner help I see.

One thing that helps draw some attention is the mammouth outdoor smoker kicking out wonderful smells from the south side of the building. When the wind is right and the car windows are open it may turn a few heads and plant the seed for a future visit when one can plan to get into the correct lane and pull into the parking lot. I was able to find them on Facebook and in a few web based Restaurant Guide Sites, but they do not yet have their own web page. Just in tonight, a link to their on-line menu, Smittys menu

(Brandon casual attire) Which means flip-flops and shorts. Tucked in shirts are discouraged.

Days and Hours: Serving Lunch and Dinner daily
Sun. - Thur. 11:00am to 12:00pm
Fri. and Sat. 11:00am to 1:00am
Features: Karaoke, special events, televised sports, beer and wine, daily meal specials, take-out, delivery and catering. A word of caution, the Friday fish fry special is catfish, just in case you were looking for a more northern Pollock, Haddock or Cod.

The Family Style Barbecue menu has a generous selection of traditional battered and fried appetizers like Jalapeno Poppers, pickles, green tomatoes (in season). Lunch and dinner selections also offered a good variety of sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads and dinners (almost every day has a dish on special at both lunch and dinner). They also serve beer and wine. Unfortunately I didn't take pics of the menu and our pleasant waitress said the to-go menu is not quite ready, so I'm working from memory and the F-book page.

We were the only ones eating, but it was an odd hour.

The interior walls still feature the expansive mirrors from the La Septima days, so we had some fun watching the special effects while we waited. See the "fun-with-cars" video below. Maybe you can hear Vicki's running commentary if you turn up your speakers:-)

Now wasn't that fun??

Club Wrap, Philly Cheese Steak and BBQ Cuban. All with rough cut fries.

Clockwise from the top left, Club Wrap sans "T" (Erin doesn't do tomatoes), Philly Cheese Steak on a hoagie (Friday's lunch special) and I had the BBQ Cuban (pulled pork w/BBQ sauce on cuban bread and pressed). We all thought the rough cut fries were very tasty and done to our liking (hot 'n fresh).

Club Wrap, Turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, shredded cheddar (upon request) in a wrap and pressed. Also a side of Ranch for dipping. Opinion was ~ nothing special, I could make it at home.

Philly Cheese Steak, chopped steak grilled with green peppers, onions and mushrooms, topped with a slice of Provolone cheese then oven baked to melt the cheese and slightly toast the hoagie roll, with a side of mayo. The vote here was also a mixed OK with a side of nothing special.

BBQ Cuban, pulled pork with BBQ sauce on cuban bread and pressed. I felt the portion of pulled pork was good, had a nice smokey flavor and I only got a little bit of fat in one bite. The sauce was their regular house BBQ and the bread was a little tougher than I like. This is presented as a signature sandwich creation so I expected a little more, well, creativity with the ingredients (maybe a slice of cheese and a long slice of dill pickle). It was really nothing more than a pulled pork sandwich on cuban bread instead of a hoagie roll.
I had to ask for a side of sauce to help with the slide down the throat. As our waitress brought out a plastic bottle of sauce and it struck me as odd that they did not have the bottle already at the table and maybe even a few bottles with a selection of flavors. The sauce itself was definitely on the "liquid smoke" side of the flavor grid, but it was OK for me.

On our scale of Yuck to Super I would have to give Smittys a Fair rating and withhold my final opinion until we give them a shot at wow-ing us with their tasty sounding dinner goodies, like Smoked Prime Rib or the BBQ Ribs and Chicken.

Lunch for three was $24.04 before tip.

La Septima Cafe, "a taste of old Ybor" in Brandon

Front (south-side) entrance for diners

Side (east-side) entrance for take-out

This is a relatively new location (14mos.) for a classic family run restaurant with 17 years of history in Brandon. Previously located on Parsons near SR 60, La Septima Cafe, http://laseptimacafe.com/, has been one of the areas favorite dining spots for Cuban/Latin fare since 1995. They are now located in the La Viva Plaza, at the corner of Kings and Lumsden. More specifically 702 W. Lumsden Rd., 33511.

Hours: M-F 7:00am - 9:00pm, SA 8:00am - 9:00pm. They are closed on Sunday.
Features: Full bar (w/Happy Hour M-F), about 10 tables in a covered patio area, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner menu items, Lunch Delivery (w/minimum order) and Event Catering available. 

Covered outside seating (nice)

Of course we walked in the "Take Out Only" door and were immediately directed to the front of the house where the hostess was waiting to pick us up like a couple of lost ducklings. Luckily it was near mid-afternoon so we were next and didn't come off like we were trying to cut ahead of others.

Very attentive and helpful waitstaff. Jose introduced us to a "trainee", Joe (who we never saw again) and helped me with my mis-pronunciation of "Palomilla". It was another duckling moment.

Daily specials board out front. We saw it on our way out. Oops.

If we had entered correctly we would have seen the bar area set off comfortably to the left, away from the dining tables. The walls are covered with nicely framed photos of the buildings and groups of people from a much earlier time in Old Ybor City. An old street lamp sits in the middle of the dining tables and a few displays of cigar boxes round out the effect.

For those of you who might not be familiar with Ybor City, it is a part of Tampa that was developed by cigar manufacturers in the late 1800's and served as a major community for immigrants mainly from Spain, Cuba and Italy. After several years of neglect and blight it has reemerged as a "club and arts" district with the buildings retaining the historical look of that earlier age.

Walls are covered with photos and renderings of Old Ybor City.

Erin ordered "The" Cuban Sandwich, smoked ham, roasted pork, Genoa salami, Swiss Cheese, pickle, mustard and mayo on Cuban Bread. It's an order I usually get, so I was glad she chose it. Now I could be more adventurous with my selection.

Erin's classic Cuban Sandwich. She said it was O.K. but not special.

I ordered the Palomilla Steak Sandwich, breaded and grilled palomilla steak, Manchego Cheese, grilled onions, with Valencia Mayo on toasted Cuban Bread and a garnish of Spanish Potatoes (homemade potato chips). Maybe not so adventurous after all (sandwich/sandwich), but oh well.

Lunch Special Palomilla Steak Sandwich, w/ homemade chips, delish!

Both sandwiches were made with Cuban Bread from the Casino Bakery, which has been in operation since 1912. I have to say it was the best and most fresh Cuban Bread I have had in some time. It wasn't just a home for the main ingredients. It added a special flavor all it's own to complement the fixin's.

Erin felt the same enthusiasm about the bread but for her the sandwich was just "good", not great or special. I really liked the Palomilla (Pa-low-me-ya). As you can see from the pic above it was a bit slip-slidy and chock full of perfectly grilled onions. The steak was tender like a thin cutlet, lightly breaded and nicely grilled. I really fell in love with the taste combination and textures of this sandwich and the spanish potato chips were a terrific surprise.

Kind a a homey touch. We'll go in next time around.

After lunch we walked down the front of the strip mall to check out all the little stores along the way. It is quite a collection of hopes and dreams; antiques, used books, used sporting goods, used baby furniture, coffee shop (opening soon), a bible college, news stand, real estate office and on and on.

Erin joked "That's my (her) new ride."

On our scale of YUCK to SUPER this has to go as a Super minus. Until we are really disappointed with something, this is one of the very best around.

Lunch for the two of us was about $16 with tip. We both had only water to drink and no extras like soup or appetizer. You should try it and we will be back soon.

Restaurant El Rinconcito Criollo, ~ IS CLOSED

They got a sign to fit the same light-box Raja's used

El Rinconcito Criollo is a new restaurant, with a new theme, in a familiar spot. You will find it directly across from the north entrance to Brandon Regional Hospital, formerly the home of the short-lived and now defunct Raja's Mexican Grill. The booths and tables were the same but at least they put table cloths, a clear plastic cover and placemats down to make it a little homier. The nice music playing over the sound system also helped add a Latin/Caribbean feel to the atmosphere. Not certain when it happened, but this place is CLOSED AND THE CITE IS AVAILABLE. (I might say for only the most brave of the hopeful restauranteurs that have confidence in their concept.) Interesting that this particular blog article received the most hits of any post so far (over 1,400) and yet it is gone. Ah me.

Traditional stuff  adorns the walls (nice machette)

ERC, bills itself as an Authentic Puerto Rican Food Restaurant. The Spanish/English printed and numbered (of course, It's a neighborhood thing) menu is relatively easy to find your way through, that is once you look past the two small chalkboard menus resting on the floor in front of the hot line. They have it set up like a cafeteria at the front of the line with the meat entree for the special, the main sides (veggie rice, plantains and a couple of other items), the drinks fountain in the middle and the register at the end. Behind the register they have two more chalkboards up on the wall with drink and sandwich selections listed.



Once we figured out that there was a pretty busy menu to make choices from we decided to sit down at a table for a minute to study up a bit. If you are asking, I think that's the way to approach ordering here. Menus are not on the tables, but in a couple of bins at the front of the hot line. The printed menu has everything listed except for the daily special. We made our decisions, stepped back up to the Order Station, took our plastic trays and fired away with our orders at the very pleasant staff behind the counter. Behind us on a small shelf were the plastic utensils, napkins, ketchup packets, sugar etc. for us to pick up as we moved down the line.

The physical address is 228 Oakfield Drive, Brandon FL, 33511. They can be reached at (813) 381-3832, fax:(813) 381-3997. On the web, http://www.elrinconcitocriollo.com/#! . The site has currently limited information, but nice guitar music.

Hours: easy to remember, Mon - Sat, 6am to 8pm
Features: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, delivery (Brandon, Riverview, Dover, Valrico and some Lithia Pine Crest locations), event catering.

Tri-fold brochure type menu lists all but the special of the day, which is on the floor chalkboard.
"The Special" this day was 1/4 roasted chicken, veggie rice, fried plantains and a fountain drink for $5.49. Good value. Erin loved the way the chicken was cooked, "better than rotisserie at the store."

Presenting "The Special". Patty and Erin got this. 

Mom and I both got Deli Sandwiches.

Mom ordered,  #58. De Pernil (Pork Sandwich) with Mojo Sauce. She liked the Mojo Sauce for sure and used almost the whole little container of it on the half she ate.

I got #63. Sandwich Cubano Con Cerdo (Cuban Sandwich with Pork). I also ordered a side of Fried Plantains. Not very adventurous of me as far as ordering anything "authentically Puerto Rican". Maybe next time I'll step out a little.

Mom goes after 1/2 of her Pork Sandwich with Mojo sauce

Both sandwiches were assembled as requested, delivered to our table by someone from the back and had generous portions of meat and cheese with good flavor. The plantains were moist and tasty but nothing special beyond that.

On our scale of YUCK to SUPER I would have to give this new place a Good plus rating.  Just can't get away from the styrofoam and plastic for some reason, but the food made a lump.

Lunch for the four of us came to about $26.50 without tip .

Saigon Corner Asian Bistro

The last of the Oakfield Drive bistros, Saigon Corner Asian Bistro, is straight across the street from the Tower Diagnostic Imaging Center near Kings Ave.. There is a cluster of four very different cafe style eateries within an easy stones throw of each other, at Corner St. and Oakfield Dr. This particular one is more specifically located at 518 Oakfield Dr., Brandon, FL 33511.

Easy to remember hours of operation.

Closest to the corner of Corner St.

The menu offers a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes (numbered of course) with chicken, meat (beef or pork), seafood (shrimp or "fish") and veggies, including tofu. They also have a very interesting selection of drinks and desserts like Bubble Teas (with flavors of Taro, Honey Dew, Red Bean and several others), Tropical Smoothies (Soursop or Durian), Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Fresh Young Coconut Juice, Soy Bean Drink and more. There are only two desserts listed, Honey Fried Pineapple and Fried Banana Ice Cream. 

If you are into spicy you have come to the right place. Five of the nine "Specials" are marked with that little red pepper thingy and each entree area has at least one spicy dish warning as well. Just in case your dish is not hot enough, there is a large bottle of hot sauce at each table.

Like many of the area restaurants they have worked hard to find an identity by choosing the best days and hours to satisfy their customers dining patterns. Currently they are open 7 days a week.

HOURS:

M-TH 11:00am - 8:00pm

F-SA 11:00am - 9:00pm

S 12:00am - 6:00pm

FEATURES: Inside dining only and an aquarium to look at. Seating in the dining area is not cramped and the decor is pleasantly understated. About a dozen tables.

Hot sauce and Hoisin for a flavor boost if needed 

We splurged and started with an Appetizer. It was a "must do" because they had Erin's favorite, Krabmeat (sic) Rangoon (#4), Wonton skins filled with krabmeat and cheese. Like the quality of the Salsa is the measure of a good Mexican Restaurant for me, this appetizer is Erin's measure of a good Asian Eatery.

When the appetizer order came there were six fried wanton pockets surrounding a small bowl of  dipping sauce. Fresh from the kitchen, they were light and crunchy on the outside with a warm creamy filling. I didn't get much crab flavor but Erin said they were the best she's had in this area. I liked them too, so thumbs up on this one. No pic, sorry.

For her main course Erin ordered #23. Honey Chicken, Crispy chicken in a sweet and tangy honey sauce, with a side of steamed rice. The generous portion of chicken was served on a bed of crispy rice noodles. In a couple of places, where the meat and the plate were not separated by the noodles, the honey sauce fused to the plate, but thats what honey will do.

Honey Chicken

I decided to go spicy and alternative (for me) ordering #45. Ma Po Tofu, simmered silken tofu served with chef's special sauce and a side of steamed rice. As you can see below I received a very big bowl full of hot spicy broth, vegetables and tofu, with a sprig of fresh parsley to garnish. The broth had a rich texture and the dish ate like a stew. Adding in a bit of steamed rice as I took a spoonful made each bite very satisfying and the heat from the red peppers permeated the gravy.

Ma Po Tofu

Both dishes were more than either of us could eat in one sitting, especially after downing the appetizer. I should mention I also had some hot tea with my lunch. Turns out it was a nice Jasmine flavored tea. Thats special.

On our standard scale of YUCK to SUPER we rate this place Super minus. Nice change of pace.

Lunch with tip $30.43, but that included an appetizer and a pot of hot tea. (Did I mention it was Jasmine?)