Riverhouse Reef & Grill, Palmetto, FL

With a view of the marina on the water's edge, Riverhouse was the perfect spot for my book club to enjoy getting together for lunch. The Book Ends have been reading together for ten years and although several years ago we put a ban on bringing food to meetings, we make sure to dine out a few times a year.

I indulged in a delicious Bloody Mary to pair with my AHI Tuna BLT - crisp bacon topped with a very generous portion of Ahi Tuna slices, with Lettuce & Tomato on a Brioche bun, and served with their home made chips. We all tried something different....Crab Cake Sliders, Lobster Pot Pie, Coconut Shrimp, Chicken Salad. The only complaint we had was that the Lobster Pot Pie wasn't quite as expected, just okay.

I give River House high marks for food, service and ambiance. A nice touch is the trolley they provide that carries you from the parking lot to the restaurant across the marina's boardwalk. You might want to ride it on the way in but walk back to burn off some calories and enjoy the views.

I'll be back soon and often.

http://www.riverhousereefandgrill.com/

995 Riverside Drive, Palmetto FL 34221

Kaz's Seafood Dive, Apollo Beach, FL

Come here often? Yes we do! Every couple develops a ‘rotation’ of their favorite ‘go to’ restaurants and Kaz’s Seafood Dive is definitely on ours. When the Seafood Dive moved from Sun City Center to Apollo Beach a little more than a year ago they experienced somewhat of a rebirth. The new location has a lot going for it. Apollo Beach and its surrounding communities are comprised of a young and affluent demographic so this opened the restaurant up to a whole new customer base. Many of Kaz’s Sun City Center customers followed him and remain regulars, while new faces are showing up all the time from as far away as Tampa and Sarasota.

With renewed vigor Kaz set about expanding his menu to include Daily and Weekly specials designed to take advantage of the freshest options at the fish market. The canoe standing upright near the entry serves as the “Specials” board and customers need to know when he runs out, that’s it. He uses fresh fish and that’s why it’s called a “Special”.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Kaz’s Seafood Dive is that all they serve is fried food. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Except for the BOGOs (Tuesday its Fish N Chips, Wednesday its Fried Shrimp) mostly everything on the menu can be ordered broiled or blackened.

My favorite is the big salad topped with Broiled Tilapia. The salad is always fresh and crispy and the fish is seasoned perfectly. Hubby enjoys the Shrimp PoBoy sandwich and he prefers it with broiled shrimp. The bread is fantastic and is baked on premises daily. We’ve enjoyed some wonderful “Specials” too like the Grouper Dinner, the Fish or Shrimp Tacos, and the Crab Stuffed Flounder w/Shrimp. All of it deliciously prepared.

With football season here Kaz has created some Game Day Specials to enjoy while watching your favorite teams play on one of nine big televisions. And the staff is absolutely delightful – eager to please and well trained. The restaurant also has a lovely outdoor patio and at this time of year it’s a most pleasant spot to relax and enjoy a cold beer and an appetizer or two with friends. My favorite appetizer is the Coconut Shrimp - big juicy shrimp with a crispy crust and a spicy/sweet dipping sauce - I can't resist.

If you’re looking for excitement, try stopping in on the first Thursday of the month when Kaz’s surrounding parking lot is home to the Roamin’ Oldies Car Club. There’s music and very cool cars on display and of course you can end the evening with a meal at Kaz’s Seafood Dive. I urge you to put this restaurant on your 'rotation' and hey, maybe we'll see you there soon!

Kaz’s Seafood Dive, 6190 US 41N, Apollo Beach, FL 33572 T: 813-331-3915 www.theseafooddive.com