Under the Sea in Orlando, FL - Flipper's Pizzeria

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 2 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 3 out of 5

Our first food stop on a recent trip to Orlando, Flipper's Pizzeria is no doubt a chain restaurant. I mention this because, if you share my wife's opinion, you're not real big on chain eateries. I'm not sure why; the logic has never been explained to me.

Now don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of unique, 'there's only one of these' type places. It's kind of special, like 'This is MY place, and I found it." However, there's an appreciation I share with most Americans on the chain/franchise restaurant.

It's convienient. It's cheap. And best of all, there's usually one 5 minutes away in any direction. Now I'd never been to Flipper's before, but they are apparently popular in the Orlando area, and we were walking around Old Town killing time until we could check into the timeshare.

Pizza sounded good, as it often does when the mood strikes, so we gave it a shot. To be honest, it was a very good pizza. Was it unique? No, not particularly. Was it comparable to an Anthony's Coal Fire or Amore? Don't think so. But that being said, it was quite delicious.

We ordered a medium pie with baby bella mushrooms and 1/2 with smoked bacon. The sauce is always key in any pie, and here it didn't disappoint. It was a little sweeter than I'm used to (this happens with chains), but it did have strong notes of basil and oregano which toned down the sweet factor quite a bit.

The mushrooms were interesting, as I usually cook with them, but never see baby bellas at your everyday pizza joint (hell, not even at some of the 'stand alones'). They provided a subtle earthiness to the meal, which was a welcome change from teh norm.

The bacon was indeed as described: Smoked. You really got that bite in the pork, and it was crisped up for a great crunch in each chomp. And sitting outside enjoying the fall weather with a good pie, a great woman, and a vacation to boot? Well it doesn't get better than that, friends.

I was pleasantly surprised by this place, and I think you will be too. They offer your typical pizzeria/bar type food as well, if you're not feeling a pie: Wings, calzones, salads. Give it a try if you're out that way.

After all, it's just Da(m)n Good Food.

Flipper's Pizzeria
5770 W. Highway 192
Kissimmee, FL 34746
(407) 397-9509
http://flipperspizzeria.com/Locations/OldTownCelebration/tabid/107/Default.aspx

Under the Sea in Orlando, FL - Cap'n Jack's Restaurant

Price: Affordable
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 4 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

On a recent mini-vacation to Orlando, FL. my wife and I had spent all day at a themepark and by the time we left, we were starving. Chalk it up to all the rollrcoasters, shows and outdoor excitement, but we needed to feast...and soon.

We drove over to Downtown Disney, which if you've never been, is probably the coolest open air 'shopping center' in the US of A. Disney themed shops where you can buy anything from the parks without dropping the dough for admission, a Lego store that you have to see to believe, candy shops, even a resident Cirque Du Soliel.

And the restaurants. House of Blues, Bongos (Gloria Esteffan's cuban inspired joint), and this place: Cap'n Jack's on the water. It was late, and everywhere else was booked solid.The hostess was able to get us a seat at the bar, which was fine by us, and we began perusing the menu.

As it is on the water, Cap'n Jack's hosts a good amount of seafood dishes, ranging from large crabcakes to a baked tilapia filet served with a cool mango salsa. However, this night I was in the mood for some comfort food. And what's more comforting than pot roast?

Old Fashioned Beef Pot Roast, served in a bath of onion ragut, with a heaping side of red skin mashed potatoes and sauteed green beans. The pot roast was fall-apart tender (of course it was; how else do you expect to eat it?), but the sauce was simply divine. You instantly get the tang from the onion, with that red wine sharpness and of course that singing slow cooked beef flavor.

The potatoes had that perfect hint of garlic to them, and were just velvetly enough to be good mashed potatoes, and not overly creamy. The green beans had that 'fresh picked' snap to them, but were cooked all the way through.

If you're ever out that way and need that warm 'only-momma's-cooking-will-do' meal, stop in on Cap'n Jack. (Note: Although it is a part of Disney World, there was no sign of Johnny Depp or affiliations with this restaurant. Yeah, I was disappointed too.)

After all, it's just Da(m)n Good Food.

Cap'n Jack's Restaurant
Downton Disney
Orlando, FL.
(407) 827-2253
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/capn-jacks-restaurant/

Porky & Beth's BBQ/Bedner's Farm Fresh Market

Price: $
Atmosphere: 2 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

I’m an equal opportunity restaurateur. I can slum it in the dives, hole-in-the-walls and grease pits. I also clean up real nice for the establishments (fancy word for ‘pricey eatery’) that require a jacket, tie, reservation and a third mortgage.

 Truth is, if the food is top notch, there is no pro or con to either type of food spot. Sometimes you need the homey feel of a small time restaurant, and sometimes it’s a special occasion and you want to play dress up.

Today’s subject is almost in a category of its own: The Food Truck. Although I’m pretty sure it lives on campus at the wonderful Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market in Boynton Beach, FL. (more on that in a minute), it’s still in that convenient portable design. You’ve seen them before: The lines outside a little window, with 1-3 people inside taking your order as you make new friends in line waiting for your meal to be fresh prepared.

In my opinion, food trucks are the Facebook of the world outdoors. Everyone’s waiting to eat and slowly but surely they begin to bond over their delicacies to come, discussing their order and what they love about this place. And Porky & Beth’s BBQ has plenty to love I assure you.

My wife and I went to Bedner’s one day with a friend to do some shopping. If you’ve never been, then shame on you for eating less-than-the-freshest produce and paying twice as much for it through chain grocery stores. Bedner’s has it all: Homemade ice cream, freshly made pickles, just-picked herbs, unique fruits (I’ve had the blackberry plums and mango nectarines; both are delectable) and when in season, a U-Pick strawberry farm. During the fall, they deck the place out with haunted houses, pumpkin patch rides (and by that rationale, a U-Pick pumpkin patch).

Ok, so why bring this up, you ask? I thought this was about the ‘Que? My friends, I’m getting there, but you need to understand one to appreciate the other.

Porky & Beth’s uses (the day I was there, at least) a nice cut of hickory wood to perfectly smoke their meats. I ordered the rack of ribs with cole slaw and baked beans, and my wife had the chicken and sweet corn. Since it’s my blog, well…me first.

The ribs were fall-off-the-bone material, with that beautiful smoke ring encompassing each tasty one. Very lighty sauced, and as I’m a big sauce person I can say honestly that the way they were served up was just the right amount.

The baked beans were nicely done as well, with those notes of brown sugar coming through every other bite, as almost to switch up your taste buds. The cole slaw wasn’t the sweet processed stuff you buy at the commercial stores, and here’s why: That market we talked about? Yeah. Fresh, on-the-premises ingredients.  It was a lovely, creamy slaw with raisins thrown in the mix for that sweetness this side dish requires. It was crunchy, it was delicate, it was refreshing.

Now my wife’s chicken had that beautiful pink color you get from a perfect smoke, and it remained juicy all the way through. The corn…oh my. I’m sure you’ve had sweet corn before, but let me tell you: This was like nothing else. It didn’t need a thing. Straight out the husk, smoked a little, and have at it. It tasted naturally buttered, and I thought about getting a few for the road (we did go back in and buy a few for the house however).

The best part of all this? The smoke stays on your fingers for hours. The drive home was like being in a car made of that killer ‘Que, and it followed me in the house. Bedner’s is worth the trip regardless, but the on-location BBQ they’re cranking out is no joke either. And hey, while you wait you can even get your car washed.

So pack up the family and head down to Bedner’s, and hop on line for Porky & Beth’s BBQ. It’s truly just a nice day outdoors, and you’ll definitely remember the meal.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

John G's

Price: $$
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
Quality of Service: 5 out of 5
Food Overall: 5 out of 5


To be honest, I've never been a big breakfast person. On the weekends, sure; I like to get up, throw some bacon and eggs in a skillet and enjoy my coffee with a plate of grub, but during the week, who has time? It's usually a banana and out the door to face the corporate world once again.

In fact, up until a few years ago, I never used to eat breakfast at all. However, I do LOVE to go out to breakfast, on any occasion. If I'm going to make a conscious effort to wake up early-esque on a Saturday or Sunday, I want to be fed right, and sometimes that grits-in-a-pot at the home front just won't cut it.

And I don't mean just 'any' breakfast. You won't catch me at Denny's, IHOP or Shoney’s. Granted, they served a purpose in my life once, but when I graduated high school, I decided that a working man deserves a hearty, cooked-to-order morning meal when he goes out to spend his hard earned dough.

Enter John G's, a South Florida staple for over 40 years. Owned and operated by a firefighter and his always friendly wife, They're cranking out huge comfort meals every day of the week.

Whatever your fancy, John G's delivers in droves. Be it blueberry pancakes, homemade corn beef hash, or the classic eggs Benedict, you just can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

"Anyone can quote a menu, Dan. Where's the detail??" Oh, ok. I see how it is. You want to drool for this place, eh? Fair enough. One of my wife's favorite dishes (and I gotta admit, mine too) are the Buttons & Bows: Two extra large eggs atop a more than generous mountain of mushrooms, sautéed in a sauce that can only be described as 'liquid love', served with grits or hash browns (more on that in a sec) and toast.

This past weekend when we showed our support for their grand re-opening in a new & prominent location, my love ordered the Steak & Eggs, which consisted of a perfectly seasoned and wonderfully cooked strip, kissed with a little helping of those mushrooms we spoke of earlier, and served up with your way eggs, hash browns/grits & toast.

Of course, my staple is the picture at the top of this review. I love this dish. Hands down, one of my favorite breakfasts anywhere. This, my foodie friends, is the Stuffed Croissant. Since your eyes can see it, let me paint the flavor on your palette: A large and fluffy buttery croissant, split in half and filled with a sort of diced ham-and-egg concoction, and topped with a blanket of the most amazing cheese sauce you will ever taste.

I’d go so far to say that you could put that cheese sauce on ice cream, and with the proper marketing, put Ben & Jerry’s out of business. It’s rich, but not to the point of being ‘too rich’. It’s velvety. It’s decadent. It’s the perfect way to finish this dish off.

Oh yeah, those hash browns? Simply amazing. They are fried up with just the right amount of salt, and it seems like nothing else. But there’s the beauty: The potato is the star, as it should be, and there’s something about the way it is cooked up that brings out this…You know what, you just need to go. I really can’t explain it. It’s like standing at the Grand Canyon and trying to explain a picture of it to someone else.

They’ve got a new look for the new location, but they kept the friendly service, great food and just homey vibe they’ve been doing since they’ve opened. So do yourself a favor, hard working man (and woman): Take that hard earned cash over to John G’s and tell them Dan sent ya. You deserve it. But go early: The line is usually pretty extensive, but well worth the wait.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Great Food.

John G’s
Plaza Del Mar, 264 S. Ocean Blvd.
Manalapan, FL. 33460
(561) 585-9860
http://johngsdotcom.wordpress.com/

Why go out? – BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 ball of pizza dough (found in local grocery/specialty stores)
1 bottle of BBQ Sauce (use your favorite brand. After all, it’s your pizza.)
1 medium white onion
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 bag fine cornmeal
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup fresh cilantro
2-3 cups fresh grated Gouda cheese (depending on your cheese intake levels)
Garlic powder/Salt/Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch of cayenne pepper (add more for a kick, less if you’re not a heat fan)


**NOTE: It is advisable to have a baking stone for this recipe. If you do not…uh, go get one. However, it may work on a baking sheet, but I can’t confirm that. Sorry.**

Ok, so here’s the skinny: Peel and slice the onion very thinly (use a mandolin if you have one). Heat a sauté pan to medium and add in your olive oil and butter. Add in your onions and sweat for about 5 minutes.

Once they become slightly translucent, add in the sugar and some salt; stir. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to slow cook for another 25-30 minutes until onions are nice and brown, or ‘caramelized’, stirring occasionally. Place to the side for now.

Take the chicken breasts and season lightly with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Grill both breasts until almost cooked completely (you should see some pink in the center). Allow them to cool and then cut into bite sized chunks. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place the baking stone inside as it warms.

Pour ½ the bottle of BBQ sauce into a sauce pan and heat on low. Add in the honey and cayenne pepper; stir and let cool. While this is simmering, take out a large cutting board and sprinkle the cornmeal on top of it generously. (The cutting board will act as a transport to your oven and the cornmeal ensures that it slides off with ease.)

Place your dough ball on the cutting board and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Start from the center and press the dough outwards, rotating your hands and making the ball flat and wide as you push out the shape. You know what a pizza looks like, right? Ok, do that here.

I do NOT recommend flipping it in the air like you see on TV. Quite a few pizza places will do it by hand without flipping it, and store bought dough is not really the kind you can ‘toss’ and hope for a successful pie afterwards.

Now, the fun part: Place a ladle of the BBQ sauce in the center of the pizza-to-be and cover the dough with it in an outward circular motion. Next, take your onions and place them all over the pie, making sure that every bite will ensure that sweet oniony goodness.

Take your chicken chunks and spread the love all over the top of the onions. Next, grab a small handful of fresh cilantro and finely chop it; sprinkle it all over the chicken. Finally, cover the whole thing with that cheesy blanket of Gouda. Mmmm…Gouda.

Get that sucker on the baking stone and let it achieve taste perfection for 15-17 minutes. Slide it back on to the cutting board from the stone and allow to cool about 1-2 minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy.

After all, why go out? You’ve got Da(m)n Good Food right here.

Cheeburger Cheeburger

Price: Cheap
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

“Hamburgers! The corner stone of any nutritious breakfast.” While I agreed with Samuel L. Jackson when he made this iconic foodie statement in the film Pulp Fiction, there was way too much left open to interpretation here.

What he should have said was ‘good’ hamburgers. Now you’d think that it wouldn’t be too difficult to take bread, meat, cheese and toppings, slap them together and call it a meal. But then again, you’d be wrong. I myself had a horrible experience in France once with a frozen patty that was just awful.

However, Cheeburger Cheeburger tends to take a shaker full of TLC and sprinkles it all over their menu. You can order your burgers in varying sizes (up to a pound) and how you like it cooked (Tip: The wait staff will ask you if you want it Medium or Well Done, but if you say Medium Rare, they’ll do it for you.)

Choose your side (salad, cole slaw, fresh cut fries or amazing onion rings) and then the fun really begins. They have a literal laundry list of fresh toppings for your beef circle, from the usual suspects (lettuce, tomato, grilled onions) to the obscure yet tempting (banana peppers, peanut butter).

The burger itself is cooked as you order it, and the flavor depth rivals the ocean blue. It’s got just the right amount of grease (not overkill, but just a hint to know this isn’t something you could do everyday), seasoned well, and (depending on if you are a purist or not), the cheese is nice and melty (which there is about 15 to choose from here as well).

The bun is soft and absorbs the burger juices nicely, and the fries/onion rings are just wonderfully crisp. Their cole slaw is tangy, with that nice vinegar and horseradish bite. And then, well…there’s the shakes.

The cornucopia of frozen concoctions stretches the entire back of the menu, including your typical chocolate, vanilla and strawberry mixes, and reaching out as far as their more signature flavors such as Apple Pie (my favorite), Pear and Choco-peanut butter.

They are very fairly priced, depending on what you order. My last visit was about 12.00, and that included a ½ shake, a 10 oz. patty with all the toppings, fries and cole slaw. The ambiance is 50’s-60’s diner-esque, and the staff is friendly and high spirited. If you haven’t been here before, you should be there soon.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

Cheeburger Cheeburger
460 S Rosemary Ave. #186 (City Place)
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 833-1997
http://cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp

Tijuana Flats

Price: Cheap
Atmosphere: 2 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5

Living in the Sunshine State, you are provided certain ‘perks’ when it comes to dining out. Florida is home to a cultural melting pot of flavors, from the Indian and Asian variety, to a plethora of Italian and Cuban delicacies.

One of the great iconic ethnic groups we have is Mexican cuisine (and no, Taco Bell doesn’t count). From fast food to high class, high priced meals, the wonderful world of Mexican eats is far and wide across this great state.

One such joint is Tijuana Flats, serving up authentic dishes with unique twists. It’s not really fast food, it’s not really classy sit-down-and-eat type food, but somewhere in the middle it comes through with flying colors.

The atmosphere is loud and fun, with extreme pastels and rockabilly artwork on the walls. Even their mass selection of hot sauces fits into the theme here (‘Slap my Ass and Call Me Sally’ hot sauce, or the ‘Chickenshit’ weak sauce).

But these aren’t just ‘hot sauces’. They each have an undeniable creativeness to them, and the flavors are just incredible. I tried three different ones while I waited for my order to arrive: The first was a garlic and peppery glaze of sorts, housing a touch of heat with that strong garlic kick.

The second was their signature sauce, made with habanero peppers. Spicy with just a wonderful taste, it’ll bring some sweat to your dome. And finally, my favorite: the Georgia peach & Vidalia onion sauce. This one wasn’t much for heat, but good God man; the flavor. The sweet, the savory…just amazing. You can try and buy any of these to take home if you so desire.

Oh I almost forgot…you want to know about the food, eh? Fair enough. You walk in and head to the counter, order your meal from a list of classic dishes like enchiladas, burritos and tacos.. Choose your meat, cheese, fillings, and have a seat while it’s prepared and they’ll truck it out to you when it’s ready.

I opted for the burrito, stuffed with shredded pork (carnitas), sour cream, lettuce and cheese. Top it with a red chipotle sauce and more melted cheese, throw in a side of chips (or black beans and rice; your choice) and you got a meal to be proud of.

The burrito was hearty and filling, the pork was braised in its own juices and had that pungent garlic and citrusy flavor. I had the medium one (you can choose between three sizes) and with a handful of chips I was stuffed.

My wife had the tacos, which she claimed were excellent. She also had the beans and rice that I tasted (you know, for the sake of the blog and all), and they were perfectly seasoned with a back bite of spice. Very nice.

And all this for less than $20.00. I will definitely be going back (and this time, I’ll be bringing home a bottle of that peach & onion sauce for sure) and throwing together a new mad scientist style lunch, mixing meats and fillings like some sort of nouveau Mexican chef.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.

Tijuana Flats

278 South Federal Highway

Deerfield Beach FL 33441

954.834.0227

http://www.tijuanaflats.com/