BLU HALO, Tallahassee, FL

IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT ESCAPE........... Our Great Escape Dining Group, together for more than a dozen years, disbanded when a couple of the members moved away. But we don't let a little geography get in the way of a good time do we? So we chose a spot on the map that was midway between Atlanta and Tampa and came up with Tallahassee, a comfortable drive for all. We dined out for Lunch, Dinner, and Breakfast together, catching up on our lives and reminiscing about Great Escapes past. The most enjoyable meal we had was at Blu Halo, a beautiful and classy restaurant located off Thomasville Road. I gave it high marks for ambiance. The eponymous 'blue halo' spanned the center of the restaurant emitting a beautiful glow and the decor was crisp and clean with just the right amount of adornment.

The food was delicious and our server couldn't have been more charming and efficient. I had to order the Blu Halo Martini and it not only looked good but tasted wonderful. We had prime rib, petit sirloin, pasta, caesar salad with chicken, swordfish. All of it was prepared perfectly and presented with style. For dessert we ordered a couple of Bread Puddings to share around the table and here was my one disappointment. Not that it wasn't tasty, but I consider myself somewhat of an aficionado on this dessert since I grew up eating it on holidays made from an old family recipe that I'll share below. Blu Halo's Bread Pudding tasted more like french toast. I challenge you to try my Abuela's recipe and judge for yourself!

It was a lovely one night 'escape' and we plan to do it on a regular basis because nothing beats good food, good company, and good friends.

ABUELITA'S (GRANDMA'S) BREAD PUDDING Ingredients:

2 loaves bread (any variety *)

½ gal milk (whole, skim or 2%)

1 lb sugar (brown, white or combination)

3 eggs (or egg beaters)

½ cup Karo or maple syrup

1 tspn vanilla

½ tspn cinnamon

8 oz raisins (or prunes, dates, dried cranberries etc)

Cut the bread into 1” cubes and put in a large 6 qt bowl. Add milk and let stand for 20 minutes while bread soaks it up. Using a potato masher, blend the softened bread with the milk till it looks mushy. Add all the other ingredients and blend well.

Pour into two 9x12 lightly greased baking pans and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/5 hours or until brown at edges.

Serve warm or cold.

* save the ends of any kind of bread…Italian, white, wheat, rolls….in a plastic bag in the freezer till you have enough to be the equivalent of 2 loaves.

The Blue Halo

3431 Bannerman Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32312

www.thebluehalo.com

850-999-1696

Speaks Clam Bar, Lakewood Ranch, FL

Father's Day and aren't we smart?! We celebrated the day before and avoided crowds and long wait times and took this opportunity to try out a restaurant we'd been reading good things about - Speaks Clam Bar.

Hubby just loves raw clams on the half shell, a throw back to his NYC upbringing and fond memories of his mom taking him to Louie's Clam Bar where they'd share about 3 dozen while talking about life. It doesn't get any better.

Speaks is located in Lakewood Ranch and I'm happy to report they are opening a second Speaks in St. Armand's Circle sometime this summer. The restaurant was packed and if that's any indication all signs point to another successful location in Sarasota. I very much liked the whole vibe of Speaks. It was decorated with original graffiti art, tin ceilings reminiscent of NYC, and the service was very good - many thanks to our wonderful waitress Courtney. The owner came by as well to introduce himself and he and my husband shared their Italian heritage and some recipe stories.

Hubby started with two dozen raw clams and I restrained myself and had only four so that he could indulge to his heart's content. He was quite satisfied. Then came a salad and for his main course he and my cousin chose Linguini Vongole (Fresh whole clams served over linguini and clam sauce). My cousin had Shrimp Scampi Linguine and declared it fabulous. And I had the Lobster Shrimp Lasagna which was deliciously stuffed with lobster and so filling I couldn't finish it. We were gifted some sweets by the owner to have with our espressos and it was a perfect bite on which to end the evening. And yes, we will be back soon and often as I want to try some of the other dishes like the Maine Lobster Roll. Since they're so busy a reservation is recommended.

8764 E State Rd 70

Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

http://speaksclambar.com/

941-232-7646

DEMI'S NOODLE HOUSE, Palmetto

This was my first ever visit to a Vietnamese restaurant but you can be sure that it won’t be my last. Hubby loves noodles of all kinds so a quick search for ‘something new’ led us to Demi’s Noodle House in Palmetto. The building they are located in may have some identity problems. Its façade was Italianate and a Spanish Bienvenido plaque was affixed to the front. But once you walk in the Asian atmosphere takes over and it is a small but lovely interior. A sign directs you to the outside around the corner should you need to use the restroom so we figured out this building must have had a previous life as a gas station. No matter. It’s a lovely restaurant now.

The servers were charming and professional and knowledgeable about the menu. I explained it was our first time eating Vietnamese and the owner came by to introduce himself to us and explain the concept. He’s American and his wife is Vietnamese and we are so happy that she is sharing her country’s cuisine with the rest of the world because it is delicious.

Hubby had Pho (soup) with flank steak, a large steaming bowl of goodness that he very much enjoyed. I opted for the Chicken Lemongrass with jasmine rice and pickled carrots and radish. The flavors were so deep and intense that my taste buds were dancing in my mouth. The heat of the dish was enough to clear my sinuses and the rice and pickled vegetables were the perfect accompaniment to cool down the heat. We also tried the shrimp spring rolls, a cold appetizer that was crunchy and made even more yummy by dipping it in the peanut sauce. We finished with Crispy Shrimp Rolls wrapped in Wonton wrappers.

There are lots more dishes I plan to try and look forward to going back with friends very soon.

Update: Demi's has closed for about a month while the owners are travelling to Vietnam to visit Demi's ailing grandmother. I suspect she'll return with the some new and enticing recipes. Check out their face book page for news of their travels. facebook/DemisNoodleHouse.

http://www.demisnoodlehouse.com/

1318 10th Street W., Palmetto, FL 34221

941-301-1212

The Bull Grill Brazilian Steakhouse, Tampa

Hubby had been dying to go to one of these for a long time. We'd eaten at one in NYC before we moved down here and he remembered it fondly. The Martins invited us along to Bull Grill and we said sure, why not?! The restaurant is dimly lit creating an intimate atmosphere. We were guided to the buffet sides which included some less than inspirational salad fixings, but the hot dishes were pretty good with our favorites being their Seafood Paella and the Lasagna Bolognese.

But in this place IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MEAT! Once we got our sides and drinks a steady stream of young handsome waiters glided past our table with a skewer of some kind of meat (sirloin, rib eye, sausage, pork loin, lamb, chicken) and all the encouragement they needed was to see our card facing with the green side up which meant bring it on! I'm embarrassed to say it took us quite a while to turn our card over to red and by then we were so stuffed. It was very tasty BUT, how much can one eat? This is the trouble with most buffets and Americans are known for over indulging, myself included. Buffets set up a mindset of "let's taste everything and let's get our money's worth", but really it's a bad trap.

I'm glad we went as we had a pleasant evening out with friends, but I don't need to go back as that would be a bad habit to start.

Bull Grill Steakhouse

4820 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa FL 33603

Phone: 813 877-7500 / www.bullgrillsteakhouse.com/brazilian-steakhouse-Tampa

Ulele, Tampa

Our hungry group headed over to Tampa Heights to check out Ulele, a very cool restaurant that opened to great reviews and long waits for reservations in 2014. The brainchild of the Gonzmart family of Columbia Restaurant fame, this converted Water Works factory offers great views of the Hillsborough River. The building was restored beautifully with a mix of industrial and modern art and sculptures, many from the Gonzmarts’ private collection and some commissioned just for Ulele. With seating on two floors and an outdoor bar and tables, it can accommodate huge crowds which when combined with the high ceilings accounts for Ulele’s one negative – the noise. However, if you can score a table upstairs you’ll find it a little quieter.

The menu offers a fusion of Native American cuisine and multicultural influences using items indigenous to the area.

I ordered the “Chief Red Eagle” Duck made with a port wine orange marmalade and in my usual corny spirit comically ducked when the waiter brought it to the table. (groans all around) I haven’t had duck in about 40 years and following Chef’s suggestion wisely asked for medium to well done. It came with Mashed Potatoes and Spinach sautéed with garlic and while I absolutely loved the duck and the spinach, the mashed potatoes were thick and cold. But what stood out for me was my Roasted Beets & Poached Pear appetizer with a balsamic charred red onion, whipped goat cheese, blackberry honey gastrique, toasted almonds and watercress. As I'm writing this my mouth is watering and I will definitely order this next time.

Hubby had the Crackling Pork Shank served with Wild Rice and Green Beans and he enjoyed every bit of it. Kathy went for the Water Works Meatloaf which was served as thin slices similar to Salisbury Steak and served with Popcorn Mashed Potatoes – yes you heard me right, Popcorn and Mashed Potatoes. Weird but delicious and an obvious nod to the Native American corn - it was very good.

Hollie ordered the 3 Sisters Stuffed Portabello and it was not only delicious but plentiful enough to take half home to enjoy another day. We followed dinner with a little stroll on the River Walk and it was a brilliant evening - gorgeous views and a lively energy from the crowds enjoying the outdoor seating on this balmy night. We'll be back to Ulele for sure. A great place to bring out of town visitors or your ladies' lunch club.

http://www.ulele.com/

Bernini's, Ybor City

A lemon drop martini and dinner at Bernini's was a great way to start off our Great Escape. As part of our "Restaurants Revisited" theme, this year we're picking out some old favorites to see if they still measure up to our first experience. Bernini's gets a somewhat mixed review not for the food which was excellent, but for the other things that can make or break an evening out. My lemon drop martini was served in a stainless steel glass which I found quite interesting - a good way to keep it cold. But I was disappointed that it had no lemon garnish so the one you see pictured here came out of my water glass. It's the little things you know?

We had made our reservation more than a week in advance knowing what a busy place this is. When our party of 8 arrived they led us to a table on the main floor that literally had 6" of room all around it with people pushing past from the bar and diners knocking knees on the other side. We politely but firmly declined and noticing a free 8 top by the door simply said we're taking that one. Once seated comfortably the service was pretty good and very friendly. Our food came in a reasonable time frame and we were all happy with our meals. I had the Arugula/Pear Salad and the Lamb Lolipops which were delicious and 'peared' beautifully (forgive me).

For traditional Italian entrees, hubby had the Eggplant Parmesan which didn't measure up to his home made, but in some perverse way he insists on ordering things he knows he can make better (sigh). Ken had the Penne and Sausage and enjoyed it. Cheryl had a simple Linguini tossed with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella - it was light and very pleasing. Having eyed a platter passing to another table nearby, Mike ordered the Lasagna and loved it.

The negatives were the noise - the location was once The Bank of Ybor and was built in grand style with lots of marble and high ceilings so it's extremely noisy. And while we could put up with that, we were less than thrilled to learn that the women's room was out of order on a Saturday night. Yikes.

We ended the evening with dessert at Jollywood where very tasty Mini Cannolis from Publix were served with Coffee and Espresso along with some Fresh Strawberries. We'll go back to Bernini's for sure, but it will be a weekday evening to avoid the crowds.

http://berniniofybor.com

1702 E. 7th Ave, Ybor City (Tampa) Florida 33605

Reservations highly recommended

Wheat + Water, Bradenton

The first thing that hits you when you walk into Wheat and Water is the aroma of something wonderful happening in the kitchen. The intensity of it put my taste buds on high alert and made my mouth water.

The restaurant has a nice ambiance, and they had a full house.

We settled in and ordered some classic Italian dishes like Spaghetti and Meatballs or Shrimp Scampi. My Chicken Parmesan was a too generous portion of three cutlets so two came home with me for the next day. The pasta was very good and home made (hence the name Wheat & Water - what you need to make pasta from scratch). I noticed great looking pizza at nearby tables and vow to try one next time. A couple of us had the Caprino Chicken - Grilled chicken breast, goat cheese, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil with a white wine lemon butter sauce and it was declared delicious. The service was very good, and we enjoyed a lovely glass of Malbec and their crusty sour dough bread, both perfect accompaniments to the meals.

One person in our group follows a Gluten Free diet and while the menu boasts several GF options, on closer inspection I noted that at least three GF dishes were described as being lightly coated in Italian bread crumbs. Whoa, that's not Gluten Free - so make sure you read that section carefully. I'm guessing you can always ask them to 'hold the bread crumbs'.

The evening ended with coffee at Casa Martin and dessert was a Duff Camouflage Cake made by our cake expert Mike. It was quite unusual and of course quite tasty. Duff cake mixes are the brainchild of Celebrity Chef/Baker Duff Goldman who opened his cake decorating studio in West Hollywood in 2015, a place where you could have a cake decorating party and let your imagination run wild. Now my only hope is that after indulging in a slice of 'camouflage' cake the resulting calories will also be camouflaged and not end up on my hips!

7303 52nd Place East, Bradenton, Florida (941) 216-3562

http://wheatpluswater.com/demo-home/