Brandon has been growing at a great pace since the recovery with new restaurants and bars such as Wok Chi and World of Beer heading into the area. The expo should be plenty of fun

The post Taste of Brandon & 25th Brandon Business Expo appeared first on Carlos Eats.

• Cafe Ole Tapas and Spanish Bar: Enjoy a FREE glass of house wine at Cafe Ole this Mother’s Day and a 3-course meal for $34.95.
• Sushi Wave: Receive a FREE drink (Strawberry or Margarita) and ANY appetizer.
• Takara Sushi and Sake Lounge: Receive a FREE special roll on Mother’s Day when you reserve your table by May 10th. Ladies Night specials all day long. Sushi tacos will be available and $8 specialty rolls from a selected menu. In addition, enjoy 1/2 off wine, sake, appetizers soup, and salad (from a selected menu). Buy a $100 gift card and receive an extra $20 gift card.
• Taste of Berlin: Reservations are available for 1PM and 3 PM.  A free glass of champagne will be provided for Moms.
• The Refinery: Brunch (11:00AM to 2:30PM) and Dinner (5-10PM) will be served this Sunday.

The post Mother’s Day 2013 Dining in Tampa appeared first on Carlos Eats.

Event name: Generation Food Truck Festival

Address: 8134 Colonial Village Drive Tampa, FL

Date & Time: Saturday, April 27th, 2013 – 12PM-5PM

Phone: (813) 562-9599

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GenerationFoodTruck

Twitter: http://twitter.com/GenFoodTruck

The post Generation Food Truck Festival: Citrus Park 04/27 appeared first on Carlos Eats.

When I took a look at the menu – I was torn on whether to take a traditional Italian route or to try some of their other options. When questioned, the waitress kept mentioning their Smoke House BBQ Burger and I was eventually convinced it was time to mix things up. I ordered a housemade meatball for my appetizer (only $1 per meatball) and the Smoke House BBQ Burger (~$9) for my main course.

The housemade meatball came out a few minutes after my order. The meatball consists of classic ground beef and veal blended with bread crumbs, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese in a tomato sauce with sprinkles of shaved Parmesan on top. The meatball was fantastic and went incredibly well with the complimentary bread provided. The fresh tomato sauce definitely made me think of ordering a spaghetti or lasagna in the future. In fact, many of the tips online highly recommended the lasagna.

After I ate the meatball it wasn’t long before my burger arrived at my table. The burger was appetizing just in appearance. The way the bacon was arranged on top of the burger, I knew this was going to be a glutenous experience that I would never be able to erase from my body, but it was worth the damage. The provolone cheese and onion straws were also neatly arrange in a way that I rarely see at restaurants.

As I arranged the burger, I started to wonder about the connection between great Italian restaurants and delicious burgers. There is a strange affinity between the two. One of my top burgers growing up and into adulthood was at Gino’s Italian Restaurant in Carrollwood (now The Refinery definitely takes the cake for best burger in town)…something about the cheese ingredients and fresh seasonings in the meat makes burgers taste great at Italian restaurants.

This burger was full of quality ingredients. It did get messy as I started to tear into it, but was enjoyable down to the last bite. Once I had my burger fix I started looking at dessert. The waitress recommended their signature Maker’s Mark Bread Pudding and although I was inclined to order my usual favorite, Tiramisu, I eventually followed her recommendation after some thinking.

Simply put, the bread pudding was one of the best desserts I have ever enjoyed. It reminded me of the delicious desserts at Jaymer-Q BBQ in Riverview, though a lighter version. The portion was huge and the ice cream scoop large. There was no way I could finish it after my meal and had to box it, but it was worth it just for a taste.

I left Antonio’s Pasta Grille completely satisfied and I look forward to going back soon and trying their Italian favorites. The restaurant has a friendly-staff, is clean, and affordable. It’s great to have a local Italian restaurant nearby that isn’t your average chain.

Restaurant name: Antonio’s Pasta Grille

Cuisine: Italian, American

Neighborhood: Temple Terrace

Address: 11401 N 56th St # 23  Temple Terrace, FL 33617

Phone Number: (813) 914-8899

Website: http://www.antoniospastagrille.com/

The post Review: Antonio’s Pasta Grille Tampa appeared first on Carlos Eats.

Read my past post about PhilFest 2011.

The after-party for the event will be at Ocean Blue Carrollwood in Tampa.

Event schedule: 

Friday, April 5, 2013, 4:00PM – 11:00 PM

Saturday, April 6, 2013, 10:00AM – 11:00 PM

Sunday, April 7, 2013, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Event Name: PhilFest 2013

Date: April 5th-7th, 2013

Address: 14301 9 Eagles Dr  Tampa, FL 33626

Website: http://www.pcfitampa.org/projects-and-events/philfest/philfest-2013/168-philfest-2013

The post 18th Annual PhilFest This Weekend in Tampa! appeared first on Carlos Eats.

• The Foodist Doesn’t Like Restaurant Star Ratings For Restaurant Reviews: Completely agree with this one. Stars on a ratings are not a fair way to compare restaurants and that is why I do not have star ratings here on Carlos Eats. I understand the intent, but you have to look beyond the stars.
• Why Chinese Hate Kung Pao Chicken (and Foreigners Love it): Nice piece by CNN Travel. Always interesting to learn more about Chinese dishes and their Americanization.
• McDonald’s McProblem: Why Millenials Are Rejecting The Golden Arch: While I hate being called a millenial (seriously…whoever coined that term should be erased from history), it’s true that I avoid McDonald’s at all costs and many people I know prefer pretty much any other chain.
• Food Truck at Disney | Truckeria Rolling Tacos: I actually visited this place this past weekend in Orlando by accident while celebrating a family birthday and it ended up on here. Fun times.
• Japan’s Top Five Favorite Sushi Toppings: I love salmon sashimi and 44.4% of Japanese people surveyed agree that it is also their favorite sushi topping. Woot.
• Being Snobby About Japanese Food: Yes I was on a Japanese Food article binge and I will be from now on until I go back to the wondrous city of Tokyo. The writer makes some valid points about authenticity and how it’s all dependent on the person who is claiming it.
• Quest For Japan’s Best Ramen: Adam Sachs is a beautiful food writer and pretty much the only reason I am reading Travel + Leisure. I could only hope to someday achieve his level of writing talent.
• Bite into the Journals of a Japanese Burger Critic: Japan’s love for burgers rivals my own. Not sure how they stay so skinny!
• Hong Kong serves up the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred eatery: Pretty cool. I definitely want to travel to HK someday!
• Victim ‘Terrorized’ By Violent Robbery at St. Pete Wood Fired Pizza: A local incident – we can only hope justice is served.

The post What I Read This Weekend: Restaurant News, Japanese Food, and HK appeared first on Carlos Eats.

My visit was left with complete creative control to me. My mission: to experience the Noodle Bar however I like and report my experience back to my readers. I walked up to the Noodle Bar (after getting some help from the staff on where to go) and there it stood – the Noodle Bar with probably about 10-15 seats and it was packed. I was actually surprised by the very diverse clientele, you had your Asians (always a good sign) and also plenty of non-Asian diners who were curious what all the fuss was about. The kitchen is open which is a smart way to draw in hungry visitors.

Noodle Bars like the one at Jubao Palace are commonplace in Asia and can be found in pretty much every corner and building. The most unassuming alleyway leads to a delicious and affordable meal. Japanese and Chinese people are addicted to ramen, Vietnamese to pho, and noodles are just a way of life in Asia. In America, we usually associate noodles with instant noodles which is a shame because most American instant noodle producers fail to capture the savory flavors of the cuisine and also cheapen the prized product to such a low standard.

The waiting area could be a little more organized, you don’t want to stand too close to someone who is eating like you are rushing them, but there is no real waiting area. In Asia, this is avoided by allowing diners to look at the menu before they sit at the bar and placing an order before they sit – since actually serving the noodles takes no time. I would recommend this to speed up the wait time at the Jubao Palace Noodle Bar. After a fairly short wait, I nabbed a seat and sat down to begin my journey into the Jubao Palace.

I perused the menu for some time, I can be very indecisive at restaurants but I tried my best to make a decision since I knew other people were waiting for their time to eat at the bar. For my appetizer, I decided on the Thai Tea and Vietnamese Summer Rolls.

I am a picky Thai Tea consumer. I visited the praised Tampa Wat Thai Temple long before the crowds and media found it, way back in 2006. The freshest Thai Tea there and the ones I have had at dozens of restaurants have shaped my opinion of Thai Tea into a very picky one that wants just the right amount of creamer and Thai Tea. I like the taste of the tea to be strong enough that it is not lost in the creamer (see what I mean when I say I am picky?). Anyway, I am happy to report that the Thai Tea at the Jubao Palace Noodle Bar was just right and something that even a picky person like myself will enjoy. The tea is fairly priced at $2.50 which is the standard price you would probably pay at a Thai restaurant. It was refreshing and went very well with the Vietnamese summer rolls.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls were once my favorite restaurant appetizer and found their way onto dozens of restaurant menus, even at corporate chain restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen. I had far too many disappointing summer rolls though and was eventually turned off to the dish. The best ones I had were with Vietnamese friends when I was in the Vietnamese Student Association at USF and we hand-made them with some rice paper, shrimp, and veggies. The Vietnamese Summer Rolls at the Noodle Bar were delicious and also very large. The peanut sauce was excellent, very fresh and enjoyable. Despite their size, I devoured them and they probably only sat on the plate for a few minutes. The rolls regularly cost $5 which isn’t a bad price either for an appetizer.

For my main course I ordered the Duck Soup with Rice Noodles (I never pass up an opportunity to have duck). The noodles came out lightning fast, even before I had finished my Vietnamese Summer Rolls. I caught some cool footage of the kitchen while I was sitting at the noodle bar and also some footage of my dish.

The soup broth was excellent. I was feeling a little under the weather and it made me feel incredible by the time I was done. The duck was savory, although the bones did make it a bit of a tough dish to eat, especially with chopsticks.  The rice noodles were excellent and enjoyable. I like that the soup didn’t scream of a strong fish sauce taste, which might actually make some Asian diners feel unimpressed with the dish. The soup was solid and tasty and well worth the going value of $12 with the amount of duck on the dish.

As I was finishing up the soup I had the chance to talk with Chef Mike who is fairly new to Tampa from New York and doing big things at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa. Chef Mike has over 12 years of experience in the Asian restaurant industry. He told me about his plans to evolve the menus at many of the Asian restaurants the Hard Rock including the Rock N’ Raw restaurant and was just a completely nice guy. I am hoping he gets to enjoy the food around Tampa and that he can bring fresh new flavors to the different restaurants at the Hard Rock with his New York experience. Chef Mike was actually featured in the March 2013 issue of Florida Asian magazine: AsiaTrend.

Overall, I had a great time at the Jubao Palace Noodle Bar and can recommend it to diners at the Hard Rock Hotel Tampa who want to explore an Asian Noodle Bar – something not found in Tampa. It’s also open late and an option if you’re craving noodles late at night. The amount of interest in the Noodle Bar apparent by the crowd forming around the bar as I was getting up was inspiring and certainly makes me think that Tampa’s food scene is just getting started with new exciting restaurants.

Restaurant Name: Jubao Palace Noodle Bar

Neighborhood: Northeast Tampa

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Vietnamese

Address: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, 5223 North Orient Rd. Tampa, FL, 33610

Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 12PM-2AM, Friday/Saturday: 12PM-4AM

Website: http://www.seminolehardrocktampa.com/tampa-restaurants/Noodle-Bar

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As a bonus there will be a giveaway for two $25 gift cards from the Hard Rock Cafe. Enter below and go try the Jubao Palace Noodle Bar for yourself.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Jubao Palace Noodle Bar @ Hard Rock Hotel Tampa appeared first on Carlos Eats.

Food trucks that will attend include:

Renny’s Oki Doki – Serving Okinawan food from a Japanese native. Soki soba noodles, harumaki spring rolls, and yaki-niku all look delicious

Rollin Zoinks – Dealing in fresh and healthy food with a focus on sandwich wraps, this truck is vegan friendly

Maggie’s On The Move – Fresh and healthy Mediterranean flavors offering gyro meat, small bites, and vegetarian options

Event name: Strawberry Shortcakes and Food Trucks

Venue: Parkesdale Market

Address: 3702 W Baker St. Plant City, FL 33563

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/418478274913694/

Website: http://www.parkesdale.com/

The post Strawberry Shortcakes and Food Trucks at Parkesdale Market appeared first on Carlos Eats.

This photo was taken at the Taste of New Tampa on Sunday. Post coming soon!

Look for updates from tonight on Twitter and Facebook. Also instagram! Sorry for the lack of updates lately I have been super busy, but there is tons of content coming your way. April is going to be a very busy month both on here and in the Tampa food community!

Here are some paella recipes:

• Mom’s Paella
• Easy Rice with Shrimp
• 365 Foods – National Paella Day Recipe
• Shrimp Paella
• Gordon Ramsey’s Perfect Paella

The post National Paella Day appeared first on Carlos Eats.

Participating restaurants for the event include:

The Baker’s Gallery

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream

Cafe Ole

Full Circle Pizza & Grille

Little Greek Restaurant

Oakley’s Grille

PDQ Fresh Tenders

PJ Dolan’s Irish Pub & Grille

Takara Sushi and Sake Lounge

Toast Fine Wine Bar & Cafe

Winners Grill

You can purchase armbands online or at ticket locations.

Event Name: Taste of New Tampa

Date & Time: March 24, 2013, 12-6PM

Address: 5307 Primrose Lake Cir. Tampa, FL 33647

Website: http://tastenewtampa.newtampachamber.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TasteNewTampa

The post Taste of New Tampa 03/24 appeared first on Carlos Eats.