Suzanne Calling

Yes, I've written about New Moon before, under their old name . This is our go-to for sushi in Lakeland and we tend to visit a couple of times a month. Now that they've completely changed over from Shingetsu since purchasing it from Kay last year, I noticed the Urban Spoon listing had one vote and no reviews. So, link to old review, more pictures and words about this sushi place that makes me worry about what we might find when we move away from Lakeland in a few years. This sushi is THAT good. It's hard to believe, but it has been nearly a year since Kay sold Shingetsu, but I'm happy to say that she left her restaurant in capable hands. We've been at least a half dozen times since the change and would have been a few more (if they were open for Saturday lunch, that is). The sushi is fresh, with several new favorites for Ed and me, especially the Louisiana roll. For a while, the menu had all of the Shingetsu options, plus the additions from the new owners....

As we had plans to visit Brass Tap Saturday afternoon, we set our sights on lunch within Lakeside Village. Ed suggested trying Burger 21, as we'd been looking at the place when it's been closed for the better part of a year. Who was I to argue with that suggestion? Thankfully, my sister saw sliders on that awning and she was excited at the prospect of getting mini burgers. I have to admit, the idea of sliders appealed to me, too, because it made it easier to pass off what I don't finish to Ed. (final score: 3 sliders for me, 5 for Ed.) Right outside the door, there's a sign that has menus in the top. Grab one, because there isn't a menu board inside. Oh, and if you're easily tempted by libations, be warned: they've got plenty of beers on ice right there in front of you. Apparently, they have shakes. I say it, because I was blinded by the beers, but not enough to get one-the plan was to get those at Brass Tap across the parking lot. We all dec...

Last week, I had time to kill between work and picking up my sister at the airport, as she had a pretty late flight in from New Jersey. I asked on FB if any friends were going to be around, and was happy to get a response from L, who was one of my cast members at Disney too many years ago. We needed to pick something toddler friendly, and between where she was and the airport. Urban Spoon came to the rescue and I asked if she wanted to try Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. It sounded good, so off we both went to a new location. We arrived around 6:30 and there were only a couple of tables occupied, but the staff was moving about, active in the operations. We were quickly seated, then greeted by three different servers. L quite liked this, commenting on the nice view of cute servers. They also were rather polite, because we were yakking instead of looking at our menus. Finally, we both selected pizzas and continued our yakking. I debated between a 12" traditional and th...

I wanted seafood for lunch, we got sushi. Still a little frustrated that New Moon isn't open for lunch service, but Gosh delivered the goods. According to Urban Spoon, we've dined at all but one of the sushi places in town. Guess we need to try that one sometime soon.

The lunch truck today was one I hadn't seen before, PaniniRiffic. I like paninis, they're good. In fact, if I suggest making my family paninis (using a cast iron pan as my press), they're all over it. In fact, we had roast beef with horseradish mayo and cheddar last Saturday. So, the idea of someone else making them definitely appealed. They came prepared, truck at the ready with a staff of three. Smart move, as they'd be the only truck and it was a gorgeous winter day around here. The menu had something for all tastes: roast beef, mojo chicken, a cuban, and a vegetarian option. Plus, they had fried yucca, plantains, and guava balls for dessert. This was my mojo chicken panini. I asked for grilled onions along with the mojo, because it seemed like it'd be a little better with them. Each panini comes on a bed of seasoned french fries, similar to the kind you get at Checkers. That was kind a surprise, because I saw one or two peeking out from ...

Some days, a new food truck is paired with one that has food that smells so good and you KNOW it's good that the temptation is to forgo the exploration for the sake of blogging and just get the tried and true. Such was the case Thursday, as Just Smokin' BBQ was there, some 'que would have been good right about then. Instead, I forged ahead with trying the new guy. I'm glad I did. Street Surfer is an apt name for a food truck, surfing the streets of Tampa on a quest to bring funky flavors to the masses. The truck has a great retro vibe. The menu, oh the menu. I was like the couples on house hunters, forced to rule choices out in order to make a decision. Italian beef was scratched off merely because I make a respectable version at home. I didn't want hot dogs, and I was down to the Mojo Nachos or the Shrimp Po Boy. In situations like these, I ask the person on the truck which to get. The gentleman told me the nachos were good, but the PoBoy was b...

Yesterday's new food truck appealed right off the bad, for it is Asian inspired. Kind Grinds is relatively new to the food truck business, and was a first timer at USF's lunch trucks, but if what I had is any indication, they're going to be around for a long time. Smart business practice: start small. It's easier to build your business when you are already out there serving your food, so they've got a pull along trailer, instead of one of those Grumman delivery trucks. It's small, with an eye catching exterior. Personally, I think the windows on both sides idea is good, especially as they build a clientele, they may need to serve out of both someday soon! The menus boast a variety of tastes and it was really hard to decide what to get, because there wasn't a single thing that didn't sound good. Ultimately, the idea of trying something I'd never had before (daikon) tipped me from a bowl to the Banh Mi, but which meat was going...

We seem to be getting one new contender into the rotation of lunch time selections at USF, and the addition this past week was A Dude and His Food. The offerings were all sorts of 'cheesesteaks' with beef or chicken, then various fries, and the day we saw them, cheese fries or onion rings. They also run a lunch special with fries and a soda for $10. In looking over the menu, I liked the idea of a gyro-inspired philly sub, though I fully expect it to be a huge mess to eat. The staff running this truck were very friendly and fast-an important skill on this blustery day. None of us wanted to be out there waiting for food, so they were speedy. I opted for the special with the drink and fries. I started off with the fries and they were closer to the crispy side and perfectly salted, which makes me happy. Didn't need anything added to them, a bonus. Started off eating that sandwich with a fork, and was afraid to pick it up, due to the quantity of fillings. ...

The other day, I decided that studying during my lunch just wasn't going to cut it and asked a coworker to leave campus for lunch, because I needed conversation instead of solitude. He suggested 'a really good sub place', and that is how we ended up at Subs n Such. It's a basic, no frills kind of sub shop, with walls lined with antique bottles of soda, coolers filled with hard to find varieties of other sodas and a menu signboard from the 80's, one that you place the blue plastic letters on a white background. My friend suggested getting the steak and cheese, and I did, opting for it as a pressed Cuban. While the meat was microwaved, it still had good flavor. It was then pressed with mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and onions. The whole package was perfect- good crunch on the bread, just the right amount of mayo, fresh tomatoes, not too much onion, and ample lettuce. The best part is that it had great flavor without being greasy. The bonus was that I g...

Since the daily food truck placement at work began, we have seen about a dozen regular participants with a new option here and there. Kudos to Tampa Bay Food Trucks, who coordinates all of this with USF, for starting to mix things up. This week and next, it seems that we're starting to see a 'veteran' truck paired with a new to USF option. It's smart marketing, giving us a familiar name to get us out there if the new guy's offerings aren't appealing that day. Another thing that has changed is that the original schedule was one truck Monday through Thursday, then things got so busy that they quickly realized two would be better. The most recent modification has been to add one truck on Friday. As two of the four colleges of the medical school either offer morning classes or no classes, it makes sense to plan for less traffic. And so it was that a new contender arrived today, AmericanWiener. They're old school, simple looking van, big graphic that r...

Today's food truck offerings were two that I hadn't tried before, Yukon Mike's Fry Bread and LizzieCakes. I wasn't sure if fry bread was going to end up being lunch (I was in the mood for veggies), but I assumed that LizzieCakes was desserts. Thankfully, I was wrong. I wanted fresh, I wanted veggies, and they had several options that sounded good. I went for the Chicken salad croissant with a side salad. Why not, it's croissant day. I debated the Greek salad, but also had a trip to Wawa for their chicken salad hoagie on my to do list for the coming week. (Yeah, Wawa. Good sandwiches, with my current fave being the chicken salad on whole wheat, pressed with cheddar. Yum.) The menu did have some tempting dessert offerings, but I just went for the lunch. Maybe next time I'll get one, like the coworker who got the bacon caramel brownie. The ladies were super friendly and quick. I had my food in under three minutes, though the weather really ...