We have the honor today to have a special guest columnist. Jacqueline B. brings extensive experience in the field of culinary appreciation. Though we remain completely committed to our goals, we are going to depart from our usual fair of hometown eateries to bring you another great option. I hope this is the first of many occasions when we will be privileged to have Jackie's experienced perspective. - Jessica
"Though I feel remiss that my first contribution to this site is of a chain, I feel it’s recognition in the best of Tampa polls justifies this post. My first experience with Five Guys Burger and Fries occurred in the carefree days of a summer archaeological dig in northern Virginia. Unaware of its growth into an East Coast chain I was thrilled with the fact that I had found a “local” joint but sad that my occasional moments of hamburger bliss would soon end. So it was with great surprise that I spied the familiar red sign out of the corner of my eye on Fowler Ave. Turns out my fears were unnecessary as there are now three Tampa locations where you can gorge yourself on the best fast food has to offer.
Five Guys strides a fine line between being welcoming and corporate. Sparkling clean interiors are hallmarks of each location I’ve visited as well as friendly staff. The open kitchen format allows you to watch the entire process of your order being prepared. The unintended consequence however is that the air conditioning system is shared and hence, to those of us not working by hot fryers or grills, the restaurant can be uncomfortably cold at times.
While classified as fast food, Five Guys does not offer prefab food that has been waiting under a heat lamp for hours. Instead all food is prepared only after you have placed your order. The consequence is a long list of options for customizing your dinner any way that you desire. The vegetables offered have always been fresh – making even my personal nemesis, the tomato, appear brilliant red and almost tempting. While their mission statement makes them seem like a one hit wonder (“We are in the business of selling burgers.”) they do have a few other options for those not fond of burgers, including hot dogs and grilled cheese. The options are also generous in the beverage department – consisting of one of only three restaurants I have yet found that serve a caffeine free soda option that’s not sprite. Some options are limited though – burgers are only cooked well done yet they still retain a great flavor.
Portions here are overly generous and are perfect for sharing. For the novice, start small as regardless of how full you will feel later, to stop eating is a much harder task than normal. While the “fresh, never frozen” ground beef is advertised as lean, it is still best to not look at the nutritional facts until after it has been enjoyed. Peanuts are always available in an open bin for anyone not thrilled with the concept of yet another fried vegetable, though this is certainly a perfect place for exceptions to be made to almost any diet.
Overall Five Guys is the apex of any fast food restaurant. If you’re overly concerned about health or nutrition, steer clear. Once you’ve had a taste of what these guys have to offer you will be back!"
http://www.fiveguys.com/
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Mallena's
This is the epitome of urban exploration. I can finally say I ate food from a bus...well, a motor home. 
It’s no marginal affair – this trailer has satellite. It is a family affair – mom does the cooking and the kids help out. They do quite a service in providing a delicious glimpse of their homeland for the citizens of Tampa.
I was slightly apprehensive when Jackie B. asked, “so…how good is your Spanish,” (mediocre?) but I had an easy time of it. Jessica, a very sweet girl, handed us laminated menus in English, which she speaks fluently. When Jackie and her friend used to go to the bus, her friend would order in swift Spanish and the only menu options were painted on the side of the vehicle. Jackie always ordered "torta con carnitas" which she thought of as a generic meat product. She finally asked her roomie who told her it was chicken. For months Jackie consumed a mystery meat until she finally figured out somehow was pork. It just proves that you don't need to know something's identity to enjoy eating it!
The neighborhood does not inspire confidence - I thought I might be shot, but the food is GOOD. My torta was the size of a dinner plate (the photograph is just half) and only $4.50.
I ate the whole thing, though I’ve no idea how. (It didn’t seem like it would keep, especially with the avocado in there.) Splitting is a definite possibility. The whole thing is very flavorful - just yummy. A huge vat of horchata is $3.00. That also is really too big, but hey, if you have some time on your hands, you can just keep plugging until it’s all gone. Since my visit, I have been informed that there is a more manageable size. Jackie pointed out that horata is not very easy to find in Tampa, and it is worth finding.
Jackie says there is a “special sauce” which other people have IDed as simply mayonnaise, but since I don’t like mayonnaise, I’ll go with the secret sauce idea.
The bus years are coming to a close however, and a real restaurant on Fletcher is opening soon. It brings the interest quotient down perhaps, but the comfort level up significantly. However, there's just something about ominous looking fellows circling aimlessly on bicycles that gives flavor to a place. The bus is a limited time experience! Get it while you can!!
The food and prices will keep you coming back!
Location - Turn north off Fletcher at Krystal’s near
1916 E Fletcher Ave
Tampa, 33612
Price - :-)!
Hours: Mostly weekends, but it really varies...
It’s no marginal affair – this trailer has satellite. It is a family affair – mom does the cooking and the kids help out. They do quite a service in providing a delicious glimpse of their homeland for the citizens of Tampa.I was slightly apprehensive when Jackie B. asked, “so…how good is your Spanish,” (mediocre?) but I had an easy time of it. Jessica, a very sweet girl, handed us laminated menus in English, which she speaks fluently. When Jackie and her friend used to go to the bus, her friend would order in swift Spanish and the only menu options were painted on the side of the vehicle. Jackie always ordered "torta con carnitas" which she thought of as a generic meat product. She finally asked her roomie who told her it was chicken. For months Jackie consumed a mystery meat until she finally figured out somehow was pork. It just proves that you don't need to know something's identity to enjoy eating it!
The neighborhood does not inspire confidence - I thought I might be shot, but the food is GOOD. My torta was the size of a dinner plate (the photograph is just half) and only $4.50.
I ate the whole thing, though I’ve no idea how. (It didn’t seem like it would keep, especially with the avocado in there.) Splitting is a definite possibility. The whole thing is very flavorful - just yummy. A huge vat of horchata is $3.00. That also is really too big, but hey, if you have some time on your hands, you can just keep plugging until it’s all gone. Since my visit, I have been informed that there is a more manageable size. Jackie pointed out that horata is not very easy to find in Tampa, and it is worth finding.Jackie says there is a “special sauce” which other people have IDed as simply mayonnaise, but since I don’t like mayonnaise, I’ll go with the secret sauce idea.
The bus years are coming to a close however, and a real restaurant on Fletcher is opening soon. It brings the interest quotient down perhaps, but the comfort level up significantly. However, there's just something about ominous looking fellows circling aimlessly on bicycles that gives flavor to a place. The bus is a limited time experience! Get it while you can!!
The food and prices will keep you coming back!
Location - Turn north off Fletcher at Krystal’s near
1916 E Fletcher Ave
Tampa, 33612
Price - :-)!
Hours: Mostly weekends, but it really varies...
Monday, October 1, 2007
La Creperia Café
A crepe cafe was truly an appealing and interesting concept. The restaurant itself is beautiful. I’m a sucker for architectural details, and I couldn’t get enough of the high ceilings with their classic plaster work, the exposed brick walls and painted tile floors. The espresso bar is vaguely reminiscent of an old soda fountain. 
Local artists’ work and photographs adorn the walls. It is very hip - one of those “trendier than thou” joints that are appearing in South Tampa for the upwardly mobile with big sunglasses and a taste for light emo-jazz. The couple next to us was a blonde body builder and an extremely thin 20 something with extravagant highlights, a bored expression, and a cell phone affixed to her ear.
Crepes are made in the front window to amuse patrons and attract passer bys. The menu is extensive and crepes range from $6.75 to $10.25. The crepes are large and the portions filling. 
The crepes themselves were delicate yet rich. I got the Le French Riviera, a combination of cheese, chicken, artichokes, and tomatoes in a white wine sauce. The chicken was very unfortunate. As if it had not suffered enough, they saw fit to kill it again. It was shredded into oblivion, resulting in a squishy filling and a strange taupe mound of mush plopped on top for “garnish”. I can only imagine that this chicken must have started its life in a can. I love wine sauce, but crepes are not cooked long enough to burn off the alcohol. This left all the bitterness which overshadowed any other flavor, and it made the shredded chicken taste like cheap canned tuna fish. Flavors did not blend well; the artichokes and white wine clashed with the cheese. The meal included a lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad, but my crepe was plopped on my lettuce, making it nice and hot. Jackie got La Paris which included some random cheese in addition to feta, spinach, more shredded chicken, and some token red pepper. She wasn’t thrilled with the result, and I kind of made the situation worse by commenting on the chicken/tuna connection. The rest of the meal was ruined for her, and she didn’t eat more than a few bites. Her crepe was also exuding liquid at what she felt was an alarming volume and rate.
For dessert we split the Butterball, with cream cheese, butterscotch and almonds. As a meal, it would not have satiated me and and at $8 it was quite overpriced considering the size and ingredients. I wanted to try something from their extensive espresso bar, but most items were about $4 and I couldn’t justify that and a dessert crepe.
The service also was unremarkable. It took a while to get our drinks and the waitress disappeared before we could order. She presented us with our meals and tried to beat a hasty retreat, but we had to call her back to ask for silverware. We told her we were splitting dessert, but she brought only one fork after taking our other eating equipment. After giving her two credit cards, our request to add the dessert crepe to Jackie’s card was met with an empty stare, and five minutes later she was back to re-inquire about our wishes. An eternity later, she reappeared with the crepe on the wrong check.
It was a great idea and an interesting concept, but unfortunately, our high hopes were met with great disappointment.
Hillsborough County - Ybor
1729 E. 7Th Avenue
Tampa, Fl
813-248-9700
http://www.lacreperiacafe.com/index.html
Price: $-$$
Monday - Closed
Tuesday – Thursday - 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday - 10:00 AM - Midnght
Saturday - 9:00 AM - Midnight
Sunday - 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
2-3 Forks
Local artists’ work and photographs adorn the walls. It is very hip - one of those “trendier than thou” joints that are appearing in South Tampa for the upwardly mobile with big sunglasses and a taste for light emo-jazz. The couple next to us was a blonde body builder and an extremely thin 20 something with extravagant highlights, a bored expression, and a cell phone affixed to her ear. Crepes are made in the front window to amuse patrons and attract passer bys. The menu is extensive and crepes range from $6.75 to $10.25. The crepes are large and the portions filling. The crepes themselves were delicate yet rich. I got the Le French Riviera, a combination of cheese, chicken, artichokes, and tomatoes in a white wine sauce. The chicken was very unfortunate. As if it had not suffered enough, they saw fit to kill it again. It was shredded into oblivion, resulting in a squishy filling and a strange taupe mound of mush plopped on top for “garnish”. I can only imagine that this chicken must have started its life in a can. I love wine sauce, but crepes are not cooked long enough to burn off the alcohol. This left all the bitterness which overshadowed any other flavor, and it made the shredded chicken taste like cheap canned tuna fish. Flavors did not blend well; the artichokes and white wine clashed with the cheese. The meal included a lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad, but my crepe was plopped on my lettuce, making it nice and hot. Jackie got La Paris which included some random cheese in addition to feta, spinach, more shredded chicken, and some token red pepper. She wasn’t thrilled with the result, and I kind of made the situation worse by commenting on the chicken/tuna connection. The rest of the meal was ruined for her, and she didn’t eat more than a few bites. Her crepe was also exuding liquid at what she felt was an alarming volume and rate. For dessert we split the Butterball, with cream cheese, butterscotch and almonds. As a meal, it would not have satiated me and and at $8 it was quite overpriced considering the size and ingredients. I wanted to try something from their extensive espresso bar, but most items were about $4 and I couldn’t justify that and a dessert crepe.
The service also was unremarkable. It took a while to get our drinks and the waitress disappeared before we could order. She presented us with our meals and tried to beat a hasty retreat, but we had to call her back to ask for silverware. We told her we were splitting dessert, but she brought only one fork after taking our other eating equipment. After giving her two credit cards, our request to add the dessert crepe to Jackie’s card was met with an empty stare, and five minutes later she was back to re-inquire about our wishes. An eternity later, she reappeared with the crepe on the wrong check.
It was a great idea and an interesting concept, but unfortunately, our high hopes were met with great disappointment.
Hillsborough County - Ybor
1729 E. 7Th Avenue
Tampa, Fl
813-248-9700
http://www.lacreperiacafe.com/index.html
Price: $-$$
Monday - Closed
Tuesday – Thursday - 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday - 10:00 AM - Midnght
Saturday - 9:00 AM - Midnight
Sunday - 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
2-3 Forks
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