Sexy Man Roll
Pineapple Fried Rice
Chicken Cashew Nuts
Banana Coins with Coconut Ice Cream
Our Protagonist had heard lots of good things about this restaurant, but had never gone. He finally managed to go with a couple who said it was their favorite restaurant. When he arrived at the restaurant a bit behind schedule, he found that several things had already been ordered, including some decidedly non-Thai items, so there was to be no curry to be had on this instance. A shame, really, as our Protagonist goes to Thai restaurants specifically for this purpose. That, and Green Papaya Salad, but that will have to wait for another instance. So Chinese and Japanese a la Thai it was! The special Sexy Man Roll was excellent; good salmon topped with a wonderfully crunchy tempura eel, garnished with red and black roe. Presented beautifully in a serpentine pattern, with a ribbon of spicy sauce daring you to use your fingers. This should have been the entire meal, but no, there were things to share; the Pineapple Fried Rice had a nice touch with raisins. The slightly-oddly-named Chicken Cashew Nuts was very mild, but featured straw mushrooms, a favorite of one of the dining companions. Banana Coins with Coconut Ice Cream was a nice finish, lightly garnished with honey and sesame seeds. A forklift was then summoned...not really, but for lunch, this was an insane amount of food. The portions are very generous, and the prices are very reasonable; sushi, excepting, most things were under $10. A return trip is in order, and curry MUST be ordered...
Tropical Thai
1420 Main Street
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-364-5775
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Caragiulo's
Wild Mushroom and Leek Soup
Open Faced Tuna sandwich with dill, and capers
Tiramisu
Today our Protagonist hit the third of the "Holy Trinity" of downtown Italian resturants; Caragiulos. Yes, there are others as well, but along with Cafe Americano and Cafe Epicure, Caragiulos is definitely one of the go-to lunch destinations in downtown Sarasota. Some even refer to Caragiulos as their "second office", and the day's experience provided good reason.
The mushroom soup was loaded with all manner of mushrooms; most wild mushroom recipes seem focus on a single type, calling into question the "wild" moniker. This one was generous and hearty; a truly great soup. The sandwich (offered as a special) was good in its simplicity, on perfectly toasted fresh baked Italian loaf cut on the bias, and generously topped with large fronds of dill weed. The tapanade side of olives and mushrooms was tasty without overpowering the good taste of the tuna. One dining partner's "Chinese" calamari salad looked and smelled quite interesting, in a ginger dressing and a generous amount of breaded and fried calamari; further investigation may be called for. The Tiramisu was very light, which was a nice change from typical liqueur-drenched, cloyingly-sweet restaurant incarnations of the dessert. It was accompanied by berries; unfortunately they appeared to be previously frozen rather than macerated, which was an unfortunate strike against an otherwise fine meal.
Caragiulo's
Open Faced Tuna sandwich with dill, and capers
Tiramisu
Today our Protagonist hit the third of the "Holy Trinity" of downtown Italian resturants; Caragiulos. Yes, there are others as well, but along with Cafe Americano and Cafe Epicure, Caragiulos is definitely one of the go-to lunch destinations in downtown Sarasota. Some even refer to Caragiulos as their "second office", and the day's experience provided good reason.
The mushroom soup was loaded with all manner of mushrooms; most wild mushroom recipes seem focus on a single type, calling into question the "wild" moniker. This one was generous and hearty; a truly great soup. The sandwich (offered as a special) was good in its simplicity, on perfectly toasted fresh baked Italian loaf cut on the bias, and generously topped with large fronds of dill weed. The tapanade side of olives and mushrooms was tasty without overpowering the good taste of the tuna. One dining partner's "Chinese" calamari salad looked and smelled quite interesting, in a ginger dressing and a generous amount of breaded and fried calamari; further investigation may be called for. The Tiramisu was very light, which was a nice change from typical liqueur-drenched, cloyingly-sweet restaurant incarnations of the dessert. It was accompanied by berries; unfortunately they appeared to be previously frozen rather than macerated, which was an unfortunate strike against an otherwise fine meal.
Caragiulo's
69 South Palm Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-951-0866
Sarasota, FL 34236
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Miguel's (Siesta Key)
Coquille St. Jacques
Sopa de Ajo
Vichyssoise
Escalope de Vaue "Oscar"
Salmon Vent
Le Petit Filet Mignon
Chocolate Pecan Tart
A celebration of French food calls for one to participate fully, as the above listing attests. The Coquille St. Jacques featured tender scallops baked in a bed of mashed potatoes with white wine and cream. Our Protagonist doesn't make a habit of eating potatoes, but this felt just right to him, somehow; it seemed to have touched the "comfort food" nerve. The mistake was following this up with the very intense Sopa de Ajo; one should NOT have an appetizer if one is to have this. This might also be a consideration with La Soupe a L'oignon Gratinee, which is another offering; you won't be able to eat your dinner afterward! Just like the French Onion soup, the Garlic Soup was prepared with a generous melting of Gruyere on top, which when melted back into the mixture thickened with breadcrumbs, the consistency became not unlike fondue. Our Protagonist was beginning to question the sanity, the wisdom, notwithstanding, of the Veal that was coming. The vichyssoise that the dining partners partook of was lovely to taste, and probably would have been a safer following to the appetizer that wasn't shared.
Veal is always a challenge in terms of the texture, and this one came out a little on the tough side. The intense lemon of the saute wiped out the flavor of either the crab meat or the Bearnaise sauce. The accompaniments became the star in this case, including a little vegetable ratatouille that even out-sweet-potatoed the sweet potato whip! It had been caramelized to perfection, and resembled one of the best tasting baked yams, ever. The salmon vent was good, but, again, my dining partner raved over the various accompaniments, rather than the dishes itself, and then proceeded to steal them from her husband's plate. His Petit Filet seemed to hit the spot with no complaints, bedecked in its brandy sauce that seemed to be the house specialty. Our Protagonist's salad had a maple vinaigrette, which was subtle but good. In spite of nearly splitting in two from eating too much, he simply had to sample the chocolate pecan tart, for which he was richly rewarded for his previous troubles. Although, he found himself eying the pineapple upside-down tort for a return visit...
Miguel's
6631 Midnight Pass Road
Sarasota, FL 34242
941-349-4024
Sopa de Ajo
Vichyssoise
Escalope de Vaue "Oscar"
Salmon Vent
Le Petit Filet Mignon
Chocolate Pecan Tart
A celebration of French food calls for one to participate fully, as the above listing attests. The Coquille St. Jacques featured tender scallops baked in a bed of mashed potatoes with white wine and cream. Our Protagonist doesn't make a habit of eating potatoes, but this felt just right to him, somehow; it seemed to have touched the "comfort food" nerve. The mistake was following this up with the very intense Sopa de Ajo; one should NOT have an appetizer if one is to have this. This might also be a consideration with La Soupe a L'oignon Gratinee, which is another offering; you won't be able to eat your dinner afterward! Just like the French Onion soup, the Garlic Soup was prepared with a generous melting of Gruyere on top, which when melted back into the mixture thickened with breadcrumbs, the consistency became not unlike fondue. Our Protagonist was beginning to question the sanity, the wisdom, notwithstanding, of the Veal that was coming. The vichyssoise that the dining partners partook of was lovely to taste, and probably would have been a safer following to the appetizer that wasn't shared.
Veal is always a challenge in terms of the texture, and this one came out a little on the tough side. The intense lemon of the saute wiped out the flavor of either the crab meat or the Bearnaise sauce. The accompaniments became the star in this case, including a little vegetable ratatouille that even out-sweet-potatoed the sweet potato whip! It had been caramelized to perfection, and resembled one of the best tasting baked yams, ever. The salmon vent was good, but, again, my dining partner raved over the various accompaniments, rather than the dishes itself, and then proceeded to steal them from her husband's plate. His Petit Filet seemed to hit the spot with no complaints, bedecked in its brandy sauce that seemed to be the house specialty. Our Protagonist's salad had a maple vinaigrette, which was subtle but good. In spite of nearly splitting in two from eating too much, he simply had to sample the chocolate pecan tart, for which he was richly rewarded for his previous troubles. Although, he found himself eying the pineapple upside-down tort for a return visit...
Miguel's
6631 Midnight Pass Road
Sarasota, FL 34242
941-349-4024
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