Delicious History

This is another review i wrote for Metro Mix Tampa Bay, The Cork in the Hyde Park area.

Check it out here.

To read the review, click the link below the summary for “more.”  It is set up in a slide show format.

Here’s my latest review for Metro Mix Tampa Bay.  I love Chopstix (in North Tampa).  I love the Du sisters.  I love the lo mein. I ate there again for lunch today and wanted to beat my chest I felt so good.

There are some good pictures, too.  Thanks to my imaginary friend.  But that’s another story.

Read the review and see the pictures here.

Choosing a place to eat Chinese food in Tampa just got a little more difficult.  The public is about equally divided on the superiority of China Yuan or Yummy House, and the befuddled critics haven’t even tried to choose a favorite.  You all know I don’t shrug off tough decisions, but it would be expensive ande time consuming to sample enough of all three menus to make a definitive judgment. If I could secure corporate sponsorship, it would be within reach.  Probably an anti-cholesterol drug.

I think this calls for a group evaluation.  But this will be no simple clash between two Chinese dragons, but three!  (Insert exaggerated anime gasp here!)

The new Chinese dragon is Chopstix, which i stumbled across quite by accident.  I was attending a show at the Brass Mug on Fletcher Avenue.  My neighbor invited me to see his friend’s metal band play.  I arrived hungry and a little tipsy.  I walked past a storefront where a lousy Chinese fast food place had resided.  I discovered a new restaurant had opened in its place, and although it was late (11 at night), the sight of their empty restaurant made me want to like the place.  They invited me to sit down and sample the food.  Soon, various small dishes of food graced the table: steamed chive dumplings, a seafood and tofu hot pot, shrimp— like from the tank— with garlic sauce, and crispy milk balls— a milk custard battered and fried.  All washed down with jasmine tea.  (Sometimes I order oolong just because i like to say it.)  I was in heaven that night.  After the great food, the concert and flying headbanger hair rather bored me.

Brand new upstart Chopstix has some fire to breathe of its own in the upcoming tournament of Chinese dragons.  Opened in September by three siblings: Michelle, Eva and chef Stan Du.  For a man of just 28, his skills are impressive indeed and boasts of training in China as a young man and honing his restaurant kitchen skills in places such as T.C. Choy’s, a Hyde Park Chinese/Pan-Asian “Bistro” with prices higher than the quality of its food.  Down there, you’re paying for waterfalls, slick decor, and the “bistro” monikker.

After my first night of bliss, I returned a couple weeks later with some friends to sample the menu further.

The watercress soup was delightfully subtle, with sliced pork, soft tofu, and the namesake vegetable, which was cooked just right, not boiled to death.  The honey and black pepper short ribs arrived sizzling and steaming.  They did not disappoint.  The sauce was slightly sweet, and the white mushrooms were lovely in the dish.

The seafood and tofu hot pot was excellent, with shrimp, scallops, fish, squid, and a more firm tofu.  It also arrived steaming in a pan, with some folded Chinese newspapers to protect the plate underneath from the intense heat.  This was not a  giant pot of gravy, but all of the ingredients cooked immediately in the pan with a slightly spicy sauce.  So simple and so good.  This could be the best tofu I’ve yet tried.  Someone on Chowhound mentioned that tofu is normally like eating water, and I must concur.  The heat and sauce of hot pot at Chopstix improve it.

The beef with ginger and scallion stand up well to China Yuan’s, but lacks the large pieces of ginger that I love so much.  Then again, I like the ginger to burn my mouth a bit, and I imagine most people aren’t this fond of it.

Bok choy flowers out from a shitake mushroom to the right of the vegetable pan fried noodles.  The noodles varied between crispy and softened with the subtle sauce.  The baby bok choy with mushrooms were beautiful and glossy.  I loved the meaty texture of the mushrooms and the bok choy was perfectly cooked.

I returned again for a weekday lunch, and was disappointed to find only a menu of typical lunch specials.  I later discovered that I should have been given a regular menu as well.  The food was still good, but the lunch special menu was too limited.  If you have company, skip the cheap lunch specials and pay a couple extra dollars for the family style portions off of the real menu, which is quite extensive.

Call it what you will, a clash of the three Chinese dragons, or a menage a Chinese, but I look forward to comparing Chopstix, China Yuan, and Yummy House side by side.  It will probably feel a little promiscuous, but sometimes that’s okay in service of a good cause.

I wrote this piece back in 2002 or so just for fun.  I miss the Palios Brothers’ fried chicken, and happy to still have Snack City’s ice cream— especially the coconut.  And the mango.  And the cashew-raisin.  And the ginger  (Snack City appears in Culinary Crawl Down Boliche Boulevard below).   The two friends depicted in this story are two of Florida’s top historians.

———————–

Two friends invited me to accompany them to dinner the other day. One—whom we’ll call “Jimbo” to protect the guilty—had found the best fried chicken he’d ever eaten. I was not surprised when he said he found the best golden-brown bird at the Palios brothers’ fry shack on MacDill. Our mutual friend “Adam” is one of those poor souls condemned to eternal health food and rice cakes for medical reasons. The doctor makes the rules, and Adam’s vigilant wife enforces them.

Jimbo had learned that Adam’s wife would be out of town on this night and he discreetly called him to arrange our meeting. I fasted in preparation, and I’m sure my buddies did, too. Unfortunately for Adam, he had a doctor’s appointment the next morning, in part to have his cholesterol tested.

Walking into Palios—which is named after the brothers who run it—is like taking a few steps back in time. The board on the wall displays their entire menu, almost all of which is fried. Fried chicken, fried shrimp, onion rings, etc., all served with Cole slaw and French fries. For those wary of grease, they make a good Greek salad, too. The only proof that time has elapsed in the building is the prices on the hand-painted board. When decades of cost of living increases forced them to raise prices, the brothers nailed new boards over the old prices rather than paint them over again.

Jimbo and I started off with some great onion rings while we waited for Adam. We did not have to wait long—Adam could hardly contain himself. We ordered a big plate of chicken and Adam ate the crumbs of the onion rings directly off the table, relishing the only grease he’d tasted in many months.

Then, the chicken arrived and we dove in. The most striking thing about Palios’ chicken is the slightly burnt flavor that lends a bold heartiness where there normally would be simple breaded saltiness. The best fried chicken is not uniformly cooked, but has slightly burnt edges around the browned surface. Although I suspect it is deep-fried, their chicken tastes more like it comes from mom’s cast iron skillet, and everyone should know that taste at least once.

Before long, we sat wiping the grease from our lips, eyes rolling back in bliss. Adam could not resist eating the crumbs from the table once again. We had not even finished lavishing praise on Palios’ fried chicken when Jimbo suggested another indulgence, ice cream. “The place looks like a 7-11,” Jimbo said of the store he had in mind, “but they have great Cuban ice cream. Do you want to go?” Without a tinge of guilt, newly-liberated Adam nodded, and we were off, a two-car convoy on a classified mission to indulge in Cuban ice cream.

Snack City is a simple-looking store, an utterly unremarkable structure at Howard and Columbus that one can drive by without so much as a glance. Even inside, the building looks slightly run-down with a few tables and a counter. The robust, friendly man behind the counter had just finished taking an order for one hundred one-gallon buckets of mango ice cream from an Indian gentleman. “People from India are crazy about mangoes,” Jimbo quipped. When asked about the ice cream, the Indian gentleman said simply, “It is the best I’ve had.” His massive order would supply a party he planned on throwing. Images of a vast ice cream orgy sprung to mind, except that the participants would be fully clothed and the moans would be mango-induced.

There are many flavors to choose from, but Jimbo insisted we try the maméy (pronounced ma’am ay) flavor, derived from a Cuban fruit of the same name. Maméy is considered to be Cuba’s national fruit, and looks somewhat like an avocado with a red interior. The ice cream resembles a pink sorbet, with a subtle and intriguing flavor, somewhat like guava and not too sweet. After hearing the Indian man’s praise, we tried some mango as well. The mango and maméy contrasted each other in glorious fashion, but shared qualities delicate and delicious, light and refreshing. Cuban ice cream is neither as sweet nor as creamy as its counterpart here in the U.S. Unlike the decadence of American Heath Bar Crunch and Cookies ‘n’ Cream flavors, Snack City offers ice cream made with dignity and restraint that seems to touch off subtle possibilities instead of cloying extremes.

We thought we’d done it all at Palios, but Snack City offered something more exotic and slightly less sinful. Once again with our eyes rolling about, Adam and I thanked Jimbo for the generous invitation to explore Tampa’s culinary delights.

In parting, Adam said, “After all this, I think I’m going to reschedule my doctor’s appointment.” He rescheduled the appointment for one week later. His cholesterol went through the ceiling, but it sure tasted good.

Let’s face it, the Tampa Bay area can’t get enough good Mexican cuisine.  For years, the middling Mexican food in our metropolitan area left us awash in bad margaritas and blankets of oily orange cheese.  The increasing Mexican population in the the bay area has brought a few good places, but has yet to stabilize.  Sometimes our bashful suburban dwellers need to experience ethnic food “once removed” from its rustic roots.

Mekenita (once known as Mariposa) is casual, the prices are reasonable, and the decor is kinda groovy.  “Chef Rand and Tiffany Packer” have created a manageable business model, with a simple menu and solid flavors.  For squeamish suburbanites and fans of the flavors of Mexico, Mekenita is definitely several notches above Chipotle or Tijuana Flats.  To raise this restaurant further, a couple details should be addressed.

The salsa bar is appreciated.  The best variety was surely the guajillo salsa (center), made from the tough, dark chile found in Mexico.  It is tangy, with enough spiciness to keep me interested.

I have a major weakness for tamales (among many other things), so I ordered one of Mekenita’s Oaxaca style tamales with mole.  The smoked pork adds wonderful deep notes to the mole sauce and tender masa.  I must commend chef Rand on the presentation.  Very little of the mole pool on this plate remained two minutes after serving.

The “crispy tiger shrimp salad” was a rather unfortunate affair.  See those weird slugs sitting on a lump of refried beans and rice?  Those are the shrimp, which were more spongy than crispy.  There is ostensibly a salad under this mess.  I was hoping for an actual salad, with no rice and no refried beans.  Make it lighter and brighter.  When you want shrimp, you don’t want these lumpen beasts.  When you order a salad, you don’t want a burrito in a bowl.

The enchilada special was quite good, but i soon tired of the sauce, which was plenty tangy but could have used more body.  Although I’ve quibbled about some of the details, Mekenita’s does a good job, and I look forward to trying more of their food.  I’ll post an update soon.

The University of South Florida is happily announcing the opening of the new student center and some eateries there, but it is more of the same.  I was especially disappointed by Beef O’ Brady’s.  Stick to the wings, Beef people.   I prefer to spend my money at independent restaurants, and there are none to be found at USF.

Nothing on campus comes close to Pho Quyen, an excellent Vietnamese restaurant just across 30th street. A little farther down Fowler Avenue, Trang Viet Cuisine paved the way, introducing Tampa to Vietnamese food in the early 1990s. They are among the best Vietnamese restaurants in the Tampa Bay metro region. My only complaint is that deciding where to eat can be difficult. In the USF area, that is a great problem to have.

Over the years, I’ve eaten at and evaluated both of the restaurants many times. They might not have known it, but both restaurants have waged a great struggle to win my business. I’m the best five customers they have. Here then is a review of the bout, all ten championship rounds of it. I will score the individual rounds, but there is no point in declaring a winner or loser. I love both restaurants, and the struggle for my constituency continues.

Trang Viet opened up his namesake restaurant in the early 1990s, long before most people in Tampa knew the first thing about Vietnamese food. He wisely honed his menu for the conservative, squeamish American palate, leaving the beef tendons and tripe out of his pho, and offered a myriad of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Pho Quyen doesn’t pull as many punches. The food is more saucy, spicy, and robust, while Trang’s relies less on seasoning. Both approaches are perfectly delicious, and are largely a question of mood. Trang’s very reasonable lunch specials are tough to resist, about $6.50-$7 for soup, appetizer, and entree. A friend of mine sometimes says that Trang’s portions aren’t quite big enough. But at prices that low, one could easily order two lunch specials for under $15. Sometimes we do just that.

Round 1: Service and ambiance

Trang’s boasts the most attentive and helpful service. Trang himself is a treasure, and answers questions, suggests wine pairings, helps plan special meals, and sometimes gives away free portions of his latest kitchen creations. Pho Quyen’s service is usually fine. But the restaurant is rather sprawling, and the servers are responsible for too many tables. It can be especially difficult to get water or drinks refilled. In a state as hot as Florida, the kindness of a cold drink should not be underestimated.

There is little point in comparing the ambiance of the competitors, as they are both in plain strip malls, but I find Trang’s more airy and pleasant, especially during the day. Still, Pho Quyen has one major advantage: booths. Winner: Trang.

Round 2: Rolls

Pho Quyen’s rolls are excellent.  The fried spring rolls stand out.  Don’t forget the veggies on the side.  I like to wrap a roll in lettuce with the shredded carrot and jicama.

While I prefer Pho Quyen’s spring rolls, Trang offers three other seasons to choose from.  The autumn (bottom) and winter rolls (top) are my favorites.  The autumn roll’s hot grilled shrimp and pork are paired with cool lettuce, herbs, and pineapple.  The winter roll is both light and hearty, with shredded jicama salad, eggs, sausage, and ground peanuts.  Winner: Trang

Round 3: Appetizers

In the realm of appetizers, Trang has distinct advantages, and his salads are just the beginning.  Pho Quyen has a nice meatball appetizer with tomato sauce and French bread.  Trang offers better appetizers, including his Four Seasons platter, stuffed chicken wings, pork and coconut milk, and calamari.

Among Trang’s most elegant and spicy appetizers are the mussels with a chili and basil sauce.  In this dish, Trang has married his most delicate sensibilities with his spiciest sauce.

Trang’s steamed bun is very simple, with a sweet dough surrounding sausage, ground shrimp and pork, and boiled egg.  This Vietnamese nod to China is essential.

Contrary to my expectations, the buns even look good when torn apart.  Winner: Trang.

Round 4: Pho

In the realm of Pho, Pho Quyen lives up to its namesake dish.  Trang’s is almost too delicate.  Pho Quyen’s broth is more robust and laced with herbs.  The huge bowl is a meal in itself, but based on flavor alone, winner: Pho Quyen.

Round 5: Other Soup

I’ve always enjoyed Trang’s Hieu Thieu wonton soup’s subtle tones of roasted garlic and the luxurious simplicity of his seafood soup.

Once again, however, Pho Quyen has shown its aptitudes with soup.  The flavor of the curried chicken soup is excellent, and the potato chunks make it especially satisfying.  I haven’t had a bad soup at either place, but Pho Quyen’s consistently have more flavor. Winner: Pho Quyen

Round 6: Noodle bowls

You can’t go wrong at either restaurant.  At Trang, the beef with lemongrass is a favorite vermicelli bowl for me.  While it didn’t photograph well, it makes a fine meal.  At Pho Quyen, the grilled shrimp is a real treat, as are the dehydrated onions that garnish every bowl.  The grilled pork and fried spring rolls make for an indulgent bowl.  The pork has especially good flavor.  Bowls with curried chicken bring a more gentle flavor to the proceedings.  Winner: Pho Quyen.

Round 7: Fried Rice

I try to avoid fried rice, but my friend Peterton Crackers is all about it, and I respect his opinion on matters of food.  When asked which restaurant’s he preferred, he answered without hesitation, “Trang’s,” where it is lighter, less greasy, with a better flavor overall.  For an interesting take on fried rice, try Trang’s “Emperor’s Coat,” a tasty combination fried rice covered in a thin blanket of fried egg.  The sausage adds a note of sweetness.  Winner: Trang

Round 8: Vegetarian

Trang has focused a lot of his creative energy on his vegetarian and vegan menus, and cultivated a sizeable meatless clientele.  Although Pho Quyen has its own humble vegetarian section of the menu, it cannot compete with Trang’s diverse offerings.  I can’t say I’ve sampled heavily from any vegetarian menu anywhere, but I’ve had a few of Trang’s meatless options, and they are good.  Winner: Trang.

Round 9: Entrees

This is the toughest category.  Both restaurants shine in the entree department, and the entrees I’ve featured here exemplify the individual style of each place.

The best I’ve had yet at Pho Quyen is the beef with lemongrass and peppers (above).  The sauce is quite spicy, and almost seems Chinese in preparation, even if the spicing is more Vietnamese.  This signature taste is served with other meats as well.  Highly recommended.

Trang’s kitchen is more inventive, with great original dishes. Just try his shrimp sauce over rice noodles some time, his answer to spaghetti and marinara. His version is so light, fragrant and bright that it defies description.  Winner: too close to call.

Round 10: Drinks and desserts

Both restaurants serve a variety of strange Vietnamese beverages, but Trang takes this category with his fried banana dessert: rolled in coconut, wrapped in spring roll skin, and topped with tapioca and ground peanuts.  It tastes delicious wiuthout being too sweet.  Winner: Trang

But this is not the end of this epic conflict.  The struggle for my considerable patronage continues into the championship rounds.  The ultimate winner is anybody’s guess, but these first ten rounds have been a joy to behold.  Please give a round of applause for our Vietnamese pugilists— they are among the very best in the Tampa Bay area.

This article is a slightly altered version of my piece that ran in Cigar City’s July/August issue, “Go West”. The editor suggested that I write something about Boliche Boulevard, which inspired the culinary crawl documented below. I’ve also included the photos I chose to accompany the article: a friend snmapped one or two of them.

A Culinary Crawl Down Boliche Boulevard

For many years, Columbus Avenue has been fondly known as “Boliche Boulevard” because so many Latin restaurants could be found there. The namesake dish is an accurate mascot for Tampa’s Latin comfort food. A beef eye round roast stuffed with chorizo and topped with tomato based gravy, boliche is a common blue-plate special, the Cuban equivalent of meat loaf or brisket. I recently took a trip down Columbus to appraise its status as Boliche Boulevard. Beginning at its intersection with Dale Mabry, I drove east in search of good food.

You won’t find any fancy bistros on this chow trail, where Cuban cuisine is the norm. Tampa’s Cuban culinary scene remains frozen in the pre-Castro days of the 1950s. Cuban exiles have largely been cut off from developments on their mother island. Culinary change in Cuba itself has been slowed by shortages and Communism’s suppression of the restaurant scene through regulations. Tampa’s Cuban cafeterias specialize in comfort food like the “meats and threes” of the Deep South. The old style food reminds one of a time before Castro, the Cold War, and the U.S. trade embargo.

Tampa’s Cuban community celebrates its cuisine daily in humble diners and cafes on Boliche Boulevard. Three standbys uphold old-fashioned Boliche Boulevard: Arco Iris, La Teresita, and the Lincoln. Arco Iris is my current favorite, although that is subject to change. La Teresita’s counter is tough to beat, especially when dining solo, because no one there eats alone. It is also open all night on weekends, a great plus for the dancing and drinking crowd. La Teresita is the Cubano version of the greasy spoon. The Lincoln’s Spanish bean soup is among the best in town, although I’ve heard the food was better under previous ownership. With Arco Iris, which boasts the highest quality food, all three restaurants provide a comforting, predictable experience. The food in these places will rarely surprise or disappoint you. They are the old guard.

Intent on having Boliche on the boulevard, I enjoyed a tender and flavorful roast at Arco Iris.  But first, I delved into a bowl of Caldo Gallego, a Galician soup of white beans, turnip greens, and abundant pork fat.  Yes, that floating mass in the bowl is a hunk of pork fat.  And don’t forget the Cuban toast.  Enjoy!

Some Cuban favorites in Tampa: black bean soup, morro rice, Spanish bean soup, fried plantains, Cuban roast pork, and boliche.  Arco Iris does Cuban diners proud.

Further down the street, you will find Snack City, a humble little place that has one secret weapon: Alfredo Naranjo’s wonderful ice cream. His vibrant tropical flavors cater to a variety of immigrants. His coconut, mamey, and guava flavors satisfy the local Cubans. Mexicans love the strawberry. Several Thai restaurants serve Alfredo’s wonderful ginger ice cream for dessert. Colombians love the guanabana, or soursop. Indians treasure the mango, cashew/raisin, and kesar pista, a curious blend of saffron and pistachio.

Although Snack City is known especially for ice cream, it serves full meals as well. My favorite is the Cubana frita, a hamburger with ketchup, onions, and loaded with potato sticks. A burger and fries in a bun.

Colombian food, with its penchant for beef, seems right at home on Boliche Boulevard. Down the street at the intersection of Howard, Antojitos is one of many relatively new Colombian restaurants in Tampa. Antojitos serves up huge platefuls of steak, fried fish, and a fried pork chop as big as your head.

You’ll notice the hot case at the counter, brimming with all kinds of exotic-looking treats. The chorizo is juicy and larger than its dried Spanish cousin. The dark blood sausage is mild and flecked with rice. Arepas are a Colombian snacking mainstay, an unleavened corn cake often topped with farmer’s cheese. The white farmer’s cheese is thick and mild and the arepa crisp. The corn-crusted empanadas score big points, especially loaded with aji, a thin green salsa with a spicy heat but no burn. The aji seems to compliment most of the food, especially the fried and grilled items.

Cold drinks, in turn, balance aji’s insistent heat. Colombians love fruit we don’t even have names for. Fruit nectar shakes come in 15 flavors such as pineapple, mango, papaya, and tamarind. I especially like to order flavors I’ve never heard of. A curuba milkshake is a favorite, as is blended lulo and ice.

On a cruise down Columbus, you might want some lighter fare than the chicharrones (fried pork skin) down the street. If so, get thee to Grass Roots Organic Restaurant, where the food is radically different from the nearby Latin eateries, and no less earnest. This haven for vegetarian, vegan, and raw diets relies on fresh vegetables and inventive seasoning.

This is no simple beans and rice kitchen. Instead, Grass Roots seems to have thought deeply about how to make such healthy food a little fun, too. The zucchini “spaghetti” is actually a highly stylized salad. The zucchini is shredded into long, thick noodle shapes. The “alfredo” sauce is an intriguing paste derived from cashews and spices, with a nice pinch of black pepper. The “meatballs” were crumbly veggie matter that tasted more nutty than meaty. The shredded house salad sports a smooth mango dressing. The falafel and veggie burgers are tasty, satisfying, and quite healthy. Veggie drinks include a variety of natural juices, fruits and vegetables, including seaweed.

For those who cannot go without meat and dairy, there is one more essential stop on Boliche Boulevard. At 60 years old this year, Brocato’s is the oldest restaurant along our chow trail, and it wins a loyal following with massive sandwiches, stuffed potatoes, and some of the best deviled crabs in the Tampa Bay area. Just north of Columbus east of 50^th Street, hard hats, blue collars, and hungry locals crowd the dining room and counters on weekdays. Truly a Tampa institution, Brocato’s has expanded several times to accommodate its growing clientele. There is an outdoor dining room and shaded picnic tables for al fresco dining, nice alternatives to the loud, cramped, and crowded dining room during lunch rushes.

The regular sized sandwiches are too much for most, and for a couple dollars more, the large is truly massive, even for this ravenous writer. The Italian sub above is a well stuffed, well pressed feast for three. The Cuban sandwich is impressive and generously laden with meat, but not overstuffed. The roast pork sandwich is a real winner, and the meatball is hard to resist. The chicken parmesan sandwich is also massive, with a two layers of fried chicken cutlets with the sauce and cheese.

There are a variety of other great sandwiches, and a few entrees, but the devil crabs stand out among the region’s best. So many other devil crabs are greasy dough balls with questionable seafood content. Moist and not the least bit doughy, accented with tiny pieces of onions and bell peppers, you will probably find a bit of crab shell in Brocato’s croquette, and take comfort in it. They are worthy successors to the old Seabreeze’s legendary devil crabs. Don’t forget the stuffed potatoes, they are too good to be ignored, stuffed with a real picadillo, not plain ground beef. The olives are especially appreciated.

By my estimation, Boliche Boulevard still lives up to its name quite well. It reveals a Tampa in constant flux, where various ethnic roots and lifestyles vibrantly mingle and coexist. One can taste that diversity and goodwill on a culinary crawl down Columbus Avenue.

I gave my signature sauce another try, using many of the same ingredients (peaches, chilies, rum, etc.), but took a much different approach. I wanted the flavors to be much bolder and more concentrated as I continue my continuing Quest for Sauce.

As a vehicle for my sauce, I chose country ribs. They can vary widely in quality, so I selected the best i could find. If none look good at the store, I get something different. When relying on likes of Publix for every day shopping, be flexible in the meat and produce departments.

I used a very similar rub as last time, 2 teaspoons each of brown sugar and hot paprika, 1 tsp each of coarse salt, black pepper, white pepper, onion powder, ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom.  The cardamom brings a fresh, aromatic quality to the rub.

Now for the sauce. I created my hot and sweet sides of the sauce separately. For the hot stuff, I roasted tomatoes, onions, jalapeno and serrano chilies after rolling in olive oil and seasoning with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and a touch of salt.  I added about a quarter of the seeds from the chilies.  Pureed, the vegetables turned into an excellent salsa.  To make a more concentrated sauce, this mixture would have to be cooked down.  On this occasion, I left it in its salsa consistency.

For the sweet side, I began with fresh peaches, peach preserves, diced onion, sugar, rum (Mount Gay this time— Barbados), a little cinnamon and salt.  I reduced it and pureed it, leaving a thick sauce.

Hot and sweet simmered side by side, leering at one another suspiciously. Would they get along?

To accompany our ribs, I sauteed carrots and cabbage and made some corn fritters, cooking them in a skillet with a little butter like pancakes rather than deep frying them.  They came out golden brown and tender.

Green onions and a little garlic powder sure taste nice in Jiffy cornbread mix.

The hot and sweet got along famously, but was more a salsa than a traditional sauce. It delivered a deep heat and peachy sweet to our aromatic ribs. I drizzled the fritters with a rum and honey butter, and the vegetables rounded out the plate perfectly. This attempt at the sauce yielded a wonderful salsa that I would make again. But I want something even more concentrated and spicy. I have a few ideas for my next Quest for Sauce.

The Acropolis Greek Tavern in Ybor City pleasantly surprised me this week.  Dinner was reasonably priced, timely, and tasty.

Cooked in a chunky tomato sauce and topped with feta and lemon juice, shrimp saganaki was fragrant and rather light.  The shrimp were a touch overcooked.  Since the dish arrives hot to your table, the critters continue to cook.  Note the steam in the photograph wafting in front of the falafel.  The saganaki was supposed to be flambeed, but I didn’t taste any alcohol.  That may have elevated the dish to something truly special.

Served with hummus and tahini, the falafel were among the better I’ve had in town, and a thin, crispy golden crust surrounded the chickpea interior.  Their shapes were very uniform.   Frozen?  Perhaps, but they were tasty compared to most of the specimens in town.

The Acropolis Salad was a monster pile of gyro meat, potato salad, bell peppers, cucumber, sweet peppers, tomato, lettuce, mixed greens, and a huge slab of feta.  I think the presentation is a disaster.  It was an awkward dish to eat and share, because everything is piled on.  It would be especially nice to be able to order half orders—- this $10 mountain makes two or three nice salads.  Oil and vinegar dressing would also be a nice option.  All that said, it was still a nice salad.

The Shish KaBob ($15) didn’t photograph well, but it was perfectly cooked to order.  There must have been 8 to 12 ounces of filet on the skewer with grilled onions, peppers, and tomatoes.  Nothing was overly seasoned or salted.  It seemed strange to blanket the orzo in feta cheese.  Serve it on the side if you must.  The orzo underneath was cooked al dente and lightly seasoned and buttered.  The vegetables were a bit soft, but were still appreciated.

There is, of course, theatrics to admire or tolerate, depending on your disposition and the time of night.  At about 7pm, all the shouts of “Opa!” seemed premature.  The musicians were a bit loud and sometimes seemed to be playing off-key to a canned drum track, and the waiters did a line dance through the dining room.  They also tossed fistfuls of napkins in the air, which is cute until it starts landing in your food.  It would be more fun while you’re drinking than while you’re dining.  This is Ybor City, after all.

Overall, Acropolis provided a pleasant dining experience for a reasonable price.  Most appetizers for $5, sandwiches for $6-$7, entrees average $10-$15.  Those dinner prices in Ybor City for such large portions are welcome, indeed.  Just keep the napkins out of my food.

After the inspired performance of 15,000 Chinese performers that opened the Beijing Olympics, I craved Chinese food. When i got to China Yuan, owner Peter Chen was in a fine mood watching replays of the opening ceremonies. As always, his food shined.

The fried taro dumpling’s batter is delicate and crispy. Soft taro paste underneath is mild, with a savory center of ground pork. The sweet barbecue pork bun is a sticky honeyed delight inside and out. The shrimp dumplings pack a nice garlic punch. In between bites, tea helps cleanse the palate.

Part of the dim sum experience is finding your favorite ratio of soy sauce, vinegar, and hot chili. I like the hot oil and vinegar to dominate.

Chowhound Rebekah recommended I try the minced beef and cilantro soup. She did not steer me wrong. The soup is thick with egg whites and corn starch, finely chopped beef, and abundant with cilantro. The steamed chive dumpling was thick with chives, with a chewy exterior.

The final item to arrive was the Chao Sin(?) FunGor(?) (sic?), which was tough to handle. My brother removed one and some of its stuffing had fallen out. It was like trying to handle a small and very hot water bed or bean bag chair. But it tasted much better. The chopped, mild pork was seasoned with peanuts and scallions.

My two companions and I left completely satisfied, or so I thought. When I passed by Mr. Empanda on Armenia, my brother and I had to stop for their excellent guava and cream cheese empanadas. Our dim sum binge had come to an end. Then we went shopping for the ingredients of that night’s dinner!