Weekend Recap: ZooRun & CASK Social

Friends! How are you?!

First, let me congratulate all my giveaway winners! Winners were randomly chosen (out of a hat, picked by Sophia) and notified on Friday evening. 

I'm up early today, getting breakfast ready, and bags packed for a busy day! This is officially our last week of summer, so we're gong to make it 7 AMAZING days! A lot of stuff on the agenda....to the point where I'm probably stressing myself a little too much. School may be starting but we always have next weekend and probably the next 15 weekends until the weather doesn't feel like summer anymore. Gotta love Florida.

Nelpe doesn't start school until November (when she's two), so she still has 3 more months of summer. Although it'll be a more boring kind of summer without her sister and following me to the office most days. Poor Nelps... :) 

Many of your kids have already started school or will be tomorrow (in Hillsborough County). Anyone celebrating with breakfast cocktails?! Mimosa anyone?

This weekend was a blast! 
Friday night we stayed in and ate pizza. Angelo said he needed carbs for the race on Saturday morning. It was a 5k, but he'll say anything if it means he gets to eat pizza. 

Saturday morning we woke up early for the Zoo Run 5k at Lowry Park Zoo. This race was one of the best 5ks I have ever run. The course was mostly shaded and half of the run was in and around the zoo. We stopped for a brief minute so the girl's could look at the monkeys and turtles during the race. They were such troopers the entire time. 

This was the first race (in the past couple years) that I ran without headphones. Usually I'm a music person 100% when I run. I used to think it was the only thing that kept me going but for some reason I didn't even want it that morning. It's kind of a freeing experience, if you're used to running with headphones in. It was very interesting, to say the least, so stay tuned for a post this week: "I ran a race without headphones and this is what I heard..." 

Saturday afternoon we had a coed baby shower to attend and celebrate a precious little boy making his arrival soon! 

Sunday was a no plans day. After church Angelo asked what I wanted to eat. I gave him 2 options, he added a third, and we chose Cask Social in South Tampa.

Opening in June, I've wanted to give CASK a try ever since. I've read and seen so many delicious things about it. 
CASK (an acronym for Craft A'fare Social Kitchen) has an old Southern/Industrial feel to it. The decor is rather simple, although definitely something to look at with exposed brick and wood planked walls. 

We arrived to CASK at 1pm, thinking we may have missed the brunching fun, but CASK serves Brunch on Sundays until 4pm. Perfect, because brunching is my favorite. 
Angelo is more a burger person, so he was all smiles when he saw burgers on the menu!

After looking at the menu, we ordered a round of beers (they have a great local craft beer selection) and were served a bucket of Brown Sugar & Cornflake Popcorn. 
Instead of a starter like bread, CASK serves different flavored popcorn throughout the week. I love popcorn, so it was a great start for me. 

For our meals:

The Big Bird. 

Sweet Potato waffles and buttermilk fried chicken served with a spicy bourbon syrup and spiced watermelon. The waffles had the perfect sweetness to them which would have been delicious on their own, but adding the chicken just took it to the next level. By far the best tasting Chicken & Waffles I've ever had. 

 The Morning Moo. 

Angus burger topped with bourbon bacon onion jam (can I get some of that in a jar to-go?!), fried egg, arugula, provolone, and spiced mayo served on a brioche bun.

I took one bite of this to taste because I looked over 2 minutes later and the plate was clean.  I can say Angelo was quite impressed.  

The girls ordered a hamburger and chicken off the kid's menu. The kid's hamburger was huge (in a good way) and the chicken was the same chicken served on my waffles. They are not skimpy with the kid's meals and they are served with the same supremacy as the others. 

Overall, CASK Social is a win! The atmosphere and food were wonderful. A breath of fresh air in the South Tampa restaurant scene. I look forward to returning to try some of their mason jar cocktails and supper options. 

We ended the weekend on this note:

I hope everyone enjoyed great company and heavenly food this weekend!

XOXO

Explore St.Pete (#LoveFL)

Hey guys!!! 
This week is a little insane for me. I'm sorry if I neglect the blog a bit (Ill try my hardest not to!). We have to be out of our house by Wednesday night, Sophia has a field trip, and work and life are still happening. Running is being pushed to the side and I'm considering this whole move as my exercise for the next 3 days. ;)

This past weekend we went across the bridge to have a "stay-cation" at the Vinoy. It rained almost the entire time we were there, but we didn't let a little rain ruin our time! We relaxed, explored the streets of downtown St.Pete, ate, and ate some more. I am officially in love with downtown St.Pete. Downtown Tampa...take note.

Sundial. We used to go to BayWalk and eat at Dan Marino's and Gratzzi a lot. This was my first time being back since Sundial took over and MAN! They did a great job! Locale Market was packed and we were starving so we decided to skip it. Next time...

We ate dinner at Moon Over Water, a British place off Beach Drive. I got the chicken curry, and Angelo ate their Guinness burger. We all shared pierogies for an appetizer. 

Our walk back to the Vinoy. I love this park!

Breakfast the next day was at Cassis. We each got an almond milk latte, shared an almond croissant, and eat their Three Egg Breakfast. Sophia and Nelps shared pancakes. When I say this almond croissant was the best thing ever,I'm not kidding! My friend Lisa, from SoLocal, told me about them and THANK YOU Lisa. They were amazing! We ended up picking some more up on our way home Sunday for a quick breakfast in the car.

Saturday after breakfast, we decided to walk to Great Explorations/Sunken Gardens, because it was only about a mile away from us. We got half way there and the rain started. Down pour. We made it into a CVS, drenched at this point, and purchased towels and umbrellas. We only had about a quarter mile to go so we made a dash for it. The girls were dry, in the stroller, but Angelo & I were basically soaking wet by the time we got to Great Explorations. We let the girls run around, join a drum circle, and get their energy out. By the time we were ready to leave the skies looked like they were clearing up. We started walking back to the hotel and before we even got out of the parking lot, buckets of rain started coming. We ran back under cover and called an Uber. 

Saturday night we went to dinner with Luisa & Steven to Red Mesa Cantina. It was delicious!! I needed about 19 margaritas but settled with one and three tacos. They sang Happy Birthday to me with an apple empanada and strawberry flower. The way to my little heart... 

Sunday morning, we came home early and packed up the rest of the big items in our house. The couches and our bed frame went to storage. All the girl's outside play stuff (bikes, scooters, cars) went to my parents and we rearranged my parent's bedrooms to fit our needs. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend! What did you do? 

Have you explored downtown St. Petersburg lately? What's your favorite restaurant? 

XOXO

REVIEW: ULELE

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Ulele

1810 N Highland Ave

Tampa, FL 33602

ULELE (YOU-LAY-LEE) just opened in Tampa in August of this year. It is located on the Riverwalk, North of downtown Tampa, right next to the newly renovated/restored Water Works Park.

When we first pulled up to Ulele, there was a , “OK where do we park?” moment. But no worries, complimentary valet is there for you! 

It was a downpour last night and running to the doors under an umbrella didn't allow for any views of the amazing Waterworks Park.

Once we walked through the doors, we met our friends at a table by the bar where everyone was waiting until our table was waiting. Everyone had a drink in their hand, and so I annoyingly asked to try them all. Right next to the bar is an open-air grill with flames crackin’ and food cookin’. Great restaurant atmosphere.

The décor of the restaurant is eye catching from the beginning, starting with a glass enclosed wine cellar located under the staircase. The building is also highlighted with stained glass windows, modern sculptures(including a huge horse statue), and industrial accents. Just Gorgeous.

What we ate:

Oysters: These babies were huge! Two different people at our table ordered Oysters. Personally, I don't like oysters, but all were eaten and smiles were seen. 

Lobster Cake: Small appetizer (One large patty). Paired with a cucumber and ginger salad. Delicious

14 oz NY Strip Topped with buttery sauteed crab (Night Special): The hubs and I shared this plate. The steak was perfectly cooked to our liking and the crab on top was a superb partner.

Berkshire Pork Chop: This was ordered by my friend sitting right next to me, so obviously I snuck a bite. And a tasty bite it was. 

Squash Gratin: Roasted zucchini, summer squash, onions, and tomatoes topped with a cheese (manchego) crust. This was basically my meal, since the hubs almost devoured the steak.

White Cheddar Popcorn Mashed Potatoes: This deliciousness was hiding under our steak.  With garlic and cheese, you can’t go wrong. Then they top it with white cheddar popcorn and your mashed potato world will never be the same.

Mac and Cheese:  I’m not hard to satisfy with mac n cheese. As long as it’s creamy and cheesy, I’m sold. This was no disappointment.

White Limas and Collards: My favorite side. Simply collards and lima beans sautéed in olive oil, and garlic. A bowl of green heaven.  

Drinks: Ulele has their own on-site brewery!

Ulele Light: While this beer wasn't a huge success, it wasn't bad. Just a simple light beer.

Wedding Beer: A Fruit based beer and table favorite.

Native Summer: Also a table favorite. A Gin based cocktail served in a tall glass filled with cucumber slices. .

Moscow Mule: This wasn't on the “Handcrafted Cocktail” list but the hubs ordered one anyways. OK OK, I know we just need to stop ordering these at restaurants. If you want to try a good Moscow Mule, ask my sister-in-law to make you one.

The complaint box:
Our main food dishes took little longer than expected to come to the table. We had a rather larger party, and I was taking a tour of the restrooms and outside sitting area (when it stopped raining) to really care anyways.

Score Card

On a scale from 1-5 stars (in the high end restaurant category) Ulele gets a 5! It’s been a while since I was so impressed with almost everything about a restaurant. It is just an overall neat place. The food, décor, staff, everything was unique.  I highly recommend having a date night or night out with some friends at Ulele!

XOXO

REVIEW: Gratzzi Italian Grille

Graztti Italian Grille

221 2nd Street, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

This same restaurant used to be at BayWalk (before the complex went down the drain) in downtown St. Petersburg. We went a handful of times many years ago and I remember it being really good Italian food, our favorite being their gnocchi.

Last night we went to their new location (still in downtown St. Petersburg). It has a loud, family atmosphere with an upscale bar/restaurant feel.  It was a Monday and it was PACKED with people! The owner was walking around flirting with everyone and actually cooked one of our meals right in front of us! Our daughter enjoyed it, after she got over her fear of the huge flame. Her face says it all in this picture…

What we ate: The menu has all the Italian classics and grille items. Their bar menu is brought out on an iPad and their wine menu is extensive.

Moscow Mules – ehhhh, by this point you should know how I feel about Moscow Mules. They have to be perfect to get an A from me. My Hubs ordered one and said he wouldn’t order it again. Boo

Chicken Isabella – Grilled chicken topped with goat cheese, prosciutto, and asparagus. Great flavor! I would recommend if you want something other than pasta.

Goat Cheese Baked Ziti – We Ordered it with a vodka sauce. The hubs loaded it with parmesan cheese (like everything else) so I didn’t get a good taste but it was devoured by him and our girls, so I’m guessing it was delicious.

Gnocchi – I had a bite of this dish and it was just as good as I remembered!

Cavatelli Bada Bing – This is the dish that is made table side with the big flame. I didn’t taste any but the entertainment was good...

The complaint box:
None!

Score Card

 On a scale from 1-5 stars (in the restaurant/bar category), Gratzzi gets a 4.5! 

The place was great. Perfect atmosphere for a group of friends/family or just going to the bar to get some drinks. I wouldn't recommend it for a romantic place, as it was kind of loud. I felt bad for the couple in front of us trying to have a conversation…while we're doing these shenanigans at the table..

XOXO

REVIEW: Anise Global Gastropub

Anise Global Gastropub777 North Ashley DriveTampa, FL 33602

A relatively new restaurant in downtown (opened beginning of 2013), Anise has a good feeling to it when you walk in. It has a long inviting bar when you walk in, making you think “Ohhh let’s see that bar menu!”  With smaller tables scattered over to the sides and Asian inspired décor on the walls.

There’s a TV over the bar (for all your football fanatics) so the boys could watch theys foosball.

The menu is kind of all over the place. I was thinking it was all going to be Asian-ish food but then they throw Mac n Cheese and deviled eggs in there. Guess that's where "Global" enters. Whatever, it works!

What we ate:
The menu is tapas/small plate style (hubs is not a fan of these types, but I am!)

Moscow Mules – No Bueno!  I guess I’m a Moscow mule snob or something (because my sister-in-law & hubs make PHENOMENAL Moscow mules) but these were just {insert sour face}. I’ve come to find out that Moscow Mules are very simple drinks to make. They got it all twisted and messed up a good thing. Keep it simple ladies

Deviled Eggs –I’m a fan of deviled eggs and these were good! Served with a tiny piece of bacon on top and daaaaamn.

Baked Goat Cheese – Another hit and great pick for an appetizer! Comes with bread and the bread is like HEAVEN right out of the oven.

Charcuterie & Cheese Plate – This is fancy and even though everything on the plate was good, I’m just not a fan of these things. They give you 1-2 tiny pieces of 4 different cheeses to share between like 6 people. Not happening bro. The guys barely even touched it. They probably didn't want to get death stares from us ladies over taking the single piece of cheese. LOL

Truffled Tator tots – Good, nothing too special. I mean unless tator tots are cold and soggy, they’re good.

Sticky Buns –We ordered the Chinese BBQ Port and Fried Zucchini buns. These little steamed buns are delicious. Bravo Anise

Lobster Mac & Cheese – ehhh. The hubs is a huge Mac & Cheese person and he had like 2 bites. Not impressed.

The complaint box:
I don’t really have any complaints…other than the Moscow mule being a bust, everything was good and I enjoyed my time eating here.

Score Card

 On a scale from 1-5 stars (in the restaurant/bar category), Anise gets a 4.5! Good for you Anise! Hope you stick around!

XOXO

REVIEW: EATS! American Grill

EATS!American Grill

This is a fairly new restaurant in town (opened within the past month or 2). We decided to give it a try last Friday. It is a sports bar type restaurant with TVs and sport paraphernalia decorating the walls, and a bunch of beers on tap. 

I heard two things before we went:

"You Gotta have their Rib & Mac sandwich" and "It’s an overpriced burger place."

What we ate:
Key West Style Moscow Mules –this was a “special” so I don’t know if they serve them all the time, but it wouldn't hurt to ask because THESE WERE GOOOOD! 

Fried Pickles – let’s be clear, if there’s fried pickles on the menu, you best believe I’m ordering them. It’s just the right thing to do. You can’t really go wrong with fried pickles so obvi these were fried goodness.

Rib & Mac Sandwich – Pulled pork topped with macaroni & cheese in between texas toast. This was OK. I didn't think it was spectacular or anything. It was actually a little dry.

The V Jack Burger - pulled pork sandwiched between two small burger patties, topped with cheese & bacon…On a hamburger bun.

-      
The complaint box: I’m not one to make complaints…BUT what would a restaurant review be like without them?

I     - I think the pulled pork was sort of dry. I didn't eat the bread of the sandwich so I can only imagine the dryness if I did. The hubs told me to just douse it with ranch. He’d eat cardboard with ranch…

-The service was slow. I know this can be part of being a new restaurant and still trying to iron out some kinks, but it was slow and took forever to get water cups filled.

Score Card

 On a scale from 1-5 stars (in the sports bar category), EATS! gets a 3.5

All in all, the food was OK, but absolutely nothing healthy about it. Sometimes you just have those kind of dinners…It’s good for the soul, right? They have this special sauce (kind of like ranch) that is real good and my husband dipped absolutely everything in.

This is a great place to go watch sports with a group of friends.