I am in grocery stores more than the average American, because, well, it is my business to be. So, when it comes to buying food for my own home, I like to travel as little as possible, and get in and out as quickly as possible. My logical choice would be to hit up the little Publix off N. Nebraska Ave. Yet, I prefer to bypass it all together and go to the Sweetbay at the corner of MLK and Nebraska. Why? Because there is no such thing as a quick trip to the lil' Seminole Heights Publix, especially if it involves the assistance of any employee.
I've had very few good experiences here especially when it involves the deli. The employees have an air of "You want me to do something? You mean actually lift a finger?" I've actually looked at the deli employees before and said, "Just forget it. You obviously have other things to do than help me get lunch meat." This was of course after waiting for 7 minutes (I timed it) just to be asked, "Is someone helping you?” You would think the counter would have been slammed, right? Nope. There wasn't a soul at the counter, or the sub counter, or the fried food counter. Just little old me. There were 5 employees behind the counter. One was frying more food, one was bagging rotisserie chickens, one was talking to the employee frying food, one was walking back and forth with a complete blank stare, and one was sweeping while talking to the employee bagging rotisserie chickens.
Perhaps they just didn't notice me. Sure, it's hard to miss a 6'3 woman with white platinum blonde hair standing at the counter leaning over looking at each employee with a desperate expression of “Please Mister. Please help me.”
When I was asked “Is someone helping you?” I stated “No. Not yet.” This was the employee talking to the employee frying food. He sauntered over asked what I wanted. I gave him my order and asked if I could go around and shop and come back in just a few minutes. He nodded his head and said, “Yes. It will be ready when you return.”
I walked off to complete my shopping list and returned around 10 minutes later. I again had to wait for someone to help with my order, this time it was only 5 minutes. The gentleman who had assisted me, was now bagging more rotisserie chickens with the other employee, the employee frying food was still frying and the employee walking around with an aimless stare was still walking around with an aimless stare. This time the aimless stare employee asked if I needed help. “Yes, I said, I had left an order for lunch meat with that guy. I’m just picking it up.” She walked over to the gentleman who had originally assisted me. He walked back over to the slicer and began to continue to slice the meat I had ordered. The cheese had not even yet been opened. The woman returned and said “He’s slicing it now.”
Now, by this time a total of roughly 22 minutes had passed since I had walked up to the abandoned deli counter to order a ½ lb of turkey and a ½ lb of cheese. Had this been the first time, I may have been more patient. Had the other employees been doing any thing other than busy work, I may have been more patient. Had there been anyone other than me at the counter, I may have been more patient. But this was not the case. At all. Hence my reply of "Just forget it. You obviously have other things to do than help me get lunch meat." I walked away, deli meatless. I didn’t bother to complain to the manager because I have complained before and it hasn’t changed.
I’ve asked around and the general consensus is that go to the Lil’ Publix as long as you don’t need help with anything.
It’s the Lil’ Publix that can’t.
Negative 1 Possum
6001 N Nebraska Ave
Tampa, FL 33604-6855
Main: (813) 238-7720
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Dives, Diners, & Hole-In-The- Walls
I need your help Seminole Heights. Where are those scary looking hole-in-the-wall places that have amazing food or maybe they serve what some may consider to be questionable fare? Here's the catch......in St Pete.
I need to compose a list of at least 12 places. These establishment's can be anywhere in the St Pete area. The scarier, the better, but the food should be good food. The more "unusual", the better.
Speak up Seminole Heights!
I need to compose a list of at least 12 places. These establishment's can be anywhere in the St Pete area. The scarier, the better, but the food should be good food. The more "unusual", the better.
Speak up Seminole Heights!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Blog No. 2
Dave has invited me to be a contributor for Eating Tampa. I was surprised and accepted. I had simply offered help in his run-offs for Best of Tampa.
So now, you can read all about Tampa and all about Seminole Heights. I'll be keeping this up-to-date when it concerns a Seminole Heights food related subject, everything else can be read over at Eating Tampa.
Happy Eating!
So now, you can read all about Tampa and all about Seminole Heights. I'll be keeping this up-to-date when it concerns a Seminole Heights food related subject, everything else can be read over at Eating Tampa.
Happy Eating!
Thursday, October 04, 2007
A Bistro in a Bungalow
I share an office space with my friend, Chris Bilar; owner/ operator of Moneywell Financial (yes, that was a plug). Today he wandered into my little piece of heaven and asked “Where ya wanna go for lunch?” He and my other office space mates have been nagging me to take them to any of the places featured in Jeff Houck’s Tampa Tribune article The Tampa Underbelly Tour, in the hopes of free food. I smiled and said, “I have a better idea. Let’s try out Bungalow Bistro. Elizabeth opened today.” Chris was game.
We headed out for the 6 block drive to Florida Ave just before Hillsborough.
I guess I should say this first. I know Elizabeth. My clients are her clients and I patron her salon. I also like Elizabeth. She is much like me, in that we are business women. When it comes to business, friendships are put aside and the matters are handled. I respect her for that. Now, this isn’t to say if the food was bad I wouldn’t be writing. In fact I would still be writing because it is just important to showcase bad food as it is to showcase good food.
Luckily, there would be no bad food to be had.
Chris and I entered the very beautifully remodeled Bungalow, designed by Nikki Couture, one of my favorite clients. As you enter, you are greeted by maybe 10 good sized dark oak tables. Earth tones drapery falls from the original windows, and a bank like teller counter separates you from the kitchen. A large mirror holds the hand written menu of the day. The process is to decide what you want, go to the counter and order food and beverages. Food will be brought to the table.
“Michelle! I am so glad you came!” announced Elizabeth. At this time, there was only one other table and they were heading out the door with what appeared to be large Cheshire cat grins snuggled along their jaw lines. Good sign I thought.
Elizabeth and I caught up (I won’t bore you) while Chris examined the menu. He chose the Smoked Turkey Sandwich on whole wheat with aioli, tomato, sharp cheddar, and arugula along with a cup of the Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese soup. I decide on the Roast Beef Sandwich with garlic aioli, tomato, arugula, red onion, and munster (I think, I can’t remember what the cheese was now) on wheat berry bread along with a cup of the Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque. At the time, I didn’t know there would be roasted chicken in the soup simply because the lines were a little off and you couldn’t quite tell they were together. Later, I would over hear I was not the only one to be confused. Another item on the menu caught my attention, the chicken salad served in an acorn squash shell, after seeing it come out to another table, I had orderer’s remorse instantly. It looked amazing.
I also ordered one of Elizabeth’s mother’s famous Sticky buns. I had heard so much about them, I had to. I then spied heaven in a pastry pan. Freshly baked lemon squares.
Typically, I am not a sweet eater, but there are some things I have an unhealthy passion for. Lemon squares are one of these things. They bring back fond memories of being a little girl assisting my Mother while she baked éclairs, German chocolate cakes, cookies, and my Father’s favorite; lemon squares. Juicing a thousand lemons for one batch, churning the batter to the right consistency for that perfect separation. All of this without the ability of a KitchenAid mixer, just good old Southern forearm.
I decide to hold back my gluttony and remain seated. As we waited for our lunch to arrive, I scanned the very pleasing atmosphere of the Bistro. It looked, well, like a Bistro if Bistros existed in Tampa in 1925. The lighting is pleasing, the long accented windows hide the ugliness of Florida Ave., and the large tables allow diners to eat without having your friends elbow in your ear. We almost felt like we were sitting at our own tables at home. Very shortly after, Elizabeth returns with our lunch and what a lunch it would be.
First, the sandwiches are huge and they are jammed packed with tons of deli meat and some of the freshest produce I have seen at a Tampa restaurant in a long time. The aioli (or mayonnaise) is homemade (yes, homemade) and you can tell. The roast beef is perfectly medium-rare (none of that end cap crap) and the bread is delicious (also made on site by Elizabeth’s Mother). The sandwiches were accompanied by roasted herbed potatoes, a little surprise to us. The potatoes were done well, nothing special, just done well. I can’t tell you which one of the sandwiches Chris and I liked best. I ate some of his, he ate some of mine, we would then trade again. Let’s just say, they were damn good and priced accordingly. Both sandwiches were right about $6. A very good deal.
Then the soup. Let’s start with the Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese. This soup was very good. You can tell the tomatoes were perfectly ripe before they were roasted off, you can taste the bite of the goat cheese, and you can smell the fresh herbs aroma melding with the liquefied roasted tomato. This is the kind of soup you want to dip your grilled cheese into on a cold, rainy Tampa day.
Now for the Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque.
I used to manage a restaurant/ bar in Austin, TX called the Empanada Parlor. It was made famous by the law suit brought on by Sheridan Hotels, a noise ordinance issue. The Empanada had a beautiful back courtyard along a creek right off of 6th street (this would be equivalent to Ybor city) where a stage was set up and bands would play, just like every other bar or restaurant along 6th street. To make a little more money, The Empanada would serve lunch during the day and small dinners at night before the 10PM bar crowd moved in. The owner was a drunk of an English woman who attend Le Cordon Bleu in London and cook anything to perfection regardless of her stage of sobriety. One of my fondest Ash (that was her name) recipes, was her Portabella Cream Soup. I don’t know what she put in it, but it was so damn good, I would often lick the bowl. I lived off that Portabella soup for the entire 10 months the place was open. I am surprised I didn’t grow spores.
With that said, I have claimed myself to be a Mushroom soup aficionado.
I am sorry to tell you, Ash. Your Portabella Cream Soup is dead to me.
This Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque was so damn good, I found myself scraping the bowl for every last remnant. The chicken was juicy and flavorful; the baby bellas were almost puréed, allowing for some very fine pieces to add to the texture of the bisque. The herbs were perfectly paired. There was a smoky component; I believe to be a little sausage? I had quickly grown to regret ordering only a small cup.
My friends, this is the type of soup you can eat anytime of the year because the flavor is so addictive. If for any other reason, visit Bungalow Bistro for this soup. A very large bowl will set you back $6 and it will be the best $6 you have spent in a long, long time.
I sat back, looking at the 3 bites left to my sandwich, about to take the last of it on, when Elizabeth came walking over holding a Sticky bun in one hand and a Lemon Bar covered with fresh whipped cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in the other. I almost began to weep. Note: I did not order the lemon bar.
At this point I was stuffed from the Roast Beef on Wheat berry sandwich big enough to feed King Kong and the Heaven in a Cup (aka Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque), but I sat staring at these little works of art (and works of art they are) in a trance of gluttony. I agreed to have a maximum of 2 bites each.
First I broke into the sticky bun. A perfectly, tightly rolled dough with cinnamon and pecans peaking through. As my fork broke through, the center poured out it’s bounty of sticky honey, toasted pecans, nutmeg and brown sugar. Delicious.
I then nestled into the Lemon Bar, oh sweet, sweet Lemon bar. The fork sliced through the bar as if it were slicing through clouds. I lifted my fork to my mouth with only anticipation Dr.Frank-N-Furter would understand. The moment my lips touched the lemon bar my tongue began to dance with the zesty punch of the 1000 juiced lemons and the forearm strength of hand churning. The back end of my tastes buds, right where your jaw meets your neck, tingled as if being tickled. Delicious really doesn’t describe these little bars of gold. I believe I am speechless.
A large Cheshire cat grin crawled across my face.
Bungalow Bistro is currently serving a light breakfast and lunch with dinner to come very, very soon. With every new restaurant, hurdles must be jumped and Elizabeth has done a good job not letting the most important thing be affected, the food. Equipment didn’t show up on time, a brand new cooler broke, and Coca Cole was a no show, but you would never know.
This is a place we want in Seminole Heights, forever. I can’t wait for dinner.
4 Possums, I hope dinner will change that to 5.
Credit Cards will be accepted soon.
9AM – 3PM Tuesday – Saturday
5137 N. Florida Ave
813-237-2000 Orders may be called in for pick up
We headed out for the 6 block drive to Florida Ave just before Hillsborough.
I guess I should say this first. I know Elizabeth. My clients are her clients and I patron her salon. I also like Elizabeth. She is much like me, in that we are business women. When it comes to business, friendships are put aside and the matters are handled. I respect her for that. Now, this isn’t to say if the food was bad I wouldn’t be writing. In fact I would still be writing because it is just important to showcase bad food as it is to showcase good food.
Luckily, there would be no bad food to be had.
Chris and I entered the very beautifully remodeled Bungalow, designed by Nikki Couture, one of my favorite clients. As you enter, you are greeted by maybe 10 good sized dark oak tables. Earth tones drapery falls from the original windows, and a bank like teller counter separates you from the kitchen. A large mirror holds the hand written menu of the day. The process is to decide what you want, go to the counter and order food and beverages. Food will be brought to the table.
“Michelle! I am so glad you came!” announced Elizabeth. At this time, there was only one other table and they were heading out the door with what appeared to be large Cheshire cat grins snuggled along their jaw lines. Good sign I thought.
Elizabeth and I caught up (I won’t bore you) while Chris examined the menu. He chose the Smoked Turkey Sandwich on whole wheat with aioli, tomato, sharp cheddar, and arugula along with a cup of the Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese soup. I decide on the Roast Beef Sandwich with garlic aioli, tomato, arugula, red onion, and munster (I think, I can’t remember what the cheese was now) on wheat berry bread along with a cup of the Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque. At the time, I didn’t know there would be roasted chicken in the soup simply because the lines were a little off and you couldn’t quite tell they were together. Later, I would over hear I was not the only one to be confused. Another item on the menu caught my attention, the chicken salad served in an acorn squash shell, after seeing it come out to another table, I had orderer’s remorse instantly. It looked amazing.
I also ordered one of Elizabeth’s mother’s famous Sticky buns. I had heard so much about them, I had to. I then spied heaven in a pastry pan. Freshly baked lemon squares.
Typically, I am not a sweet eater, but there are some things I have an unhealthy passion for. Lemon squares are one of these things. They bring back fond memories of being a little girl assisting my Mother while she baked éclairs, German chocolate cakes, cookies, and my Father’s favorite; lemon squares. Juicing a thousand lemons for one batch, churning the batter to the right consistency for that perfect separation. All of this without the ability of a KitchenAid mixer, just good old Southern forearm.
I decide to hold back my gluttony and remain seated. As we waited for our lunch to arrive, I scanned the very pleasing atmosphere of the Bistro. It looked, well, like a Bistro if Bistros existed in Tampa in 1925. The lighting is pleasing, the long accented windows hide the ugliness of Florida Ave., and the large tables allow diners to eat without having your friends elbow in your ear. We almost felt like we were sitting at our own tables at home. Very shortly after, Elizabeth returns with our lunch and what a lunch it would be.
First, the sandwiches are huge and they are jammed packed with tons of deli meat and some of the freshest produce I have seen at a Tampa restaurant in a long time. The aioli (or mayonnaise) is homemade (yes, homemade) and you can tell. The roast beef is perfectly medium-rare (none of that end cap crap) and the bread is delicious (also made on site by Elizabeth’s Mother). The sandwiches were accompanied by roasted herbed potatoes, a little surprise to us. The potatoes were done well, nothing special, just done well. I can’t tell you which one of the sandwiches Chris and I liked best. I ate some of his, he ate some of mine, we would then trade again. Let’s just say, they were damn good and priced accordingly. Both sandwiches were right about $6. A very good deal.
Then the soup. Let’s start with the Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese. This soup was very good. You can tell the tomatoes were perfectly ripe before they were roasted off, you can taste the bite of the goat cheese, and you can smell the fresh herbs aroma melding with the liquefied roasted tomato. This is the kind of soup you want to dip your grilled cheese into on a cold, rainy Tampa day.
Now for the Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque.
I used to manage a restaurant/ bar in Austin, TX called the Empanada Parlor. It was made famous by the law suit brought on by Sheridan Hotels, a noise ordinance issue. The Empanada had a beautiful back courtyard along a creek right off of 6th street (this would be equivalent to Ybor city) where a stage was set up and bands would play, just like every other bar or restaurant along 6th street. To make a little more money, The Empanada would serve lunch during the day and small dinners at night before the 10PM bar crowd moved in. The owner was a drunk of an English woman who attend Le Cordon Bleu in London and cook anything to perfection regardless of her stage of sobriety. One of my fondest Ash (that was her name) recipes, was her Portabella Cream Soup. I don’t know what she put in it, but it was so damn good, I would often lick the bowl. I lived off that Portabella soup for the entire 10 months the place was open. I am surprised I didn’t grow spores.
With that said, I have claimed myself to be a Mushroom soup aficionado.
I am sorry to tell you, Ash. Your Portabella Cream Soup is dead to me.
This Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque was so damn good, I found myself scraping the bowl for every last remnant. The chicken was juicy and flavorful; the baby bellas were almost puréed, allowing for some very fine pieces to add to the texture of the bisque. The herbs were perfectly paired. There was a smoky component; I believe to be a little sausage? I had quickly grown to regret ordering only a small cup.
My friends, this is the type of soup you can eat anytime of the year because the flavor is so addictive. If for any other reason, visit Bungalow Bistro for this soup. A very large bowl will set you back $6 and it will be the best $6 you have spent in a long, long time.
I sat back, looking at the 3 bites left to my sandwich, about to take the last of it on, when Elizabeth came walking over holding a Sticky bun in one hand and a Lemon Bar covered with fresh whipped cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in the other. I almost began to weep. Note: I did not order the lemon bar.
At this point I was stuffed from the Roast Beef on Wheat berry sandwich big enough to feed King Kong and the Heaven in a Cup (aka Roasted Chicken and Baby Portabella Bisque), but I sat staring at these little works of art (and works of art they are) in a trance of gluttony. I agreed to have a maximum of 2 bites each.
First I broke into the sticky bun. A perfectly, tightly rolled dough with cinnamon and pecans peaking through. As my fork broke through, the center poured out it’s bounty of sticky honey, toasted pecans, nutmeg and brown sugar. Delicious.
I then nestled into the Lemon Bar, oh sweet, sweet Lemon bar. The fork sliced through the bar as if it were slicing through clouds. I lifted my fork to my mouth with only anticipation Dr.Frank-N-Furter would understand. The moment my lips touched the lemon bar my tongue began to dance with the zesty punch of the 1000 juiced lemons and the forearm strength of hand churning. The back end of my tastes buds, right where your jaw meets your neck, tingled as if being tickled. Delicious really doesn’t describe these little bars of gold. I believe I am speechless.
A large Cheshire cat grin crawled across my face.
Bungalow Bistro is currently serving a light breakfast and lunch with dinner to come very, very soon. With every new restaurant, hurdles must be jumped and Elizabeth has done a good job not letting the most important thing be affected, the food. Equipment didn’t show up on time, a brand new cooler broke, and Coca Cole was a no show, but you would never know.
This is a place we want in Seminole Heights, forever. I can’t wait for dinner.
4 Possums, I hope dinner will change that to 5.
Credit Cards will be accepted soon.
9AM – 3PM Tuesday – Saturday
5137 N. Florida Ave
813-237-2000 Orders may be called in for pick up
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Pork Chops, Gravy, Biscuits! Oh My!
After a short (ahem) hiatus, I have returned to my post at the wheel of The Seminole Heights Eats Blog. You’ll be hearing from me more frequently (cross my heart), as well as from some other Seminole Height’s residents. We aim to show Tampa that Seminole Heights and our surrounding areas are filled with good food, well, hopefully good food.
I received my “nudge” from Tony today via email.
He wrote: Came across your Blog while looking for the number of Ybor Pizza. What happened? You haven't posted in so long! It's a great Blog. Helpful too. I hope everything is ok?
Yes, Tony, everything is all right. Just got a little consumed with other projects. I do; however, appreciate your comments. So this one is for you.
A few of us took a little tour around Tampa a few weeks ago; you may have read about here and there. If you haven’t, this link we’ll get you up-to-date. There's also some video footage here, for the more adventuresome.
Where as, two more notable bloggers have already posted the hims and haws of this little gem-in-the-rough along Nebraska Ave just shy of Hillsborough, I haven’t and I would like my turn.
I’ve been to this establishment a few times now, but I’ll focus on my first visit.
Walking into Martha’s Place along Nebraska Ave on a Saturday at noon didn’t seem like a good idea at first. The exterior was a block of a white building; however, from the entrance you could hear the hustle and bustle of people dining, food flying, and spouts of laughter. It was the Country Cooking on the building that got me.
You see I am a born and fed Southern girl. My scrambled eggs were made with bacon grease and my collards were chock full of ham hock. We never said Chicken Fried Steak; we said Country Fried Steak and Sundays were spent in the kitchen, all day, cooking a feast big enough for an army.
My husband and I entered, found a seat and stared. The waitress (note: there are no servers in this joint) came to our table and pulled menus from behind the napkin canister that sat on our table and handed one to each. With a big smile she said “Whatchall folks drinking this afternoon?”
“Sweet Tea” said Greg. “Sprite” I replied. As she walked away to retrieve our drinks, I knew this would be good.
The menu is filled with every country breakfast item you can imagine, including catfish. I did notice at that time that just about every person in the place had catfish on their plates, but I just wasn’t feeling the catfish this time around. I spied my all time favorite breakfast almost immediately, fried pork chops, with scrambled eggs, grits, and a biscuit. I was happy. Greg chose his all time favorite, biscuits and sausage gravy. “I gotta try it, a place like this doesn’t exist without having good biscuits and gravy.”
The waitress returns with our drinks promptly, a huge vat of a glass for Greg filled with genuine brewed sweet tea and a can of Sprite with a cup of ice for me. We order, chat for a little bit and to our surprise the waitress arrives maybe 10 minutes later with our order. We could understand the biscuits and gravy being ready-to-serve, but how could fried pork chops come out this fast and the place be this busy?
We both dig. Almost simultaneously we begin to groan with awws of delight. You can read all about the biscuits and gravy here, they are good, no great, if not the best in Tampa. I’ll focus on the lesser-known pork chops.
Fried to a perfection, I received a plate with two honkin’ huge bone in pork chops. The only way to perfect this kind of fried pork chop is to have a deep fryer filled with Crisco (hence the quick time). The kind of pork chops my Mom would make and serve with Hoppin’ Johns. The pork chops were accompanied with perfectly scrambled eggs topped with melted cheese (per my request) and a side of creamy, creamy grits. A lone, gorgeous biscuit tilted to the side of the plate. I was very happy. I decided at that moment, I would choose Martha’s fried pork chops to be the food I would request should I be stranded on a deserted island and could only eat one thing for the rest of my life.
The service at Martha’s was top-notch. Friendly, fast and consistent. The folks at this place, well, I have come to know and they are a great group of ladies. As Jeff Houck of The Tampa Tribune reported, Della (owner of Martha’s) has been forced to sell due to a third bout with cancer. But fear not my friend’s. Della said the new owner has stated he will not change anything. The staff and the menu will remain the same. Let’s hope this is the case.
I highly recommend everyone go to Martha’s on a frequent basis. This is country cooking at it’s best. Perhaps, the owner will keep his word, especially if he sees all of us sitting in the dining room.
4 Possums
5202 N Nebraska Ave
Tampa, FL 33603
(813) 239-1819
I received my “nudge” from Tony today via email.
He wrote: Came across your Blog while looking for the number of Ybor Pizza. What happened? You haven't posted in so long! It's a great Blog. Helpful too. I hope everything is ok?
Yes, Tony, everything is all right. Just got a little consumed with other projects. I do; however, appreciate your comments. So this one is for you.
A few of us took a little tour around Tampa a few weeks ago; you may have read about here and there. If you haven’t, this link we’ll get you up-to-date. There's also some video footage here, for the more adventuresome.
Where as, two more notable bloggers have already posted the hims and haws of this little gem-in-the-rough along Nebraska Ave just shy of Hillsborough, I haven’t and I would like my turn.
I’ve been to this establishment a few times now, but I’ll focus on my first visit.
Walking into Martha’s Place along Nebraska Ave on a Saturday at noon didn’t seem like a good idea at first. The exterior was a block of a white building; however, from the entrance you could hear the hustle and bustle of people dining, food flying, and spouts of laughter. It was the Country Cooking on the building that got me.
You see I am a born and fed Southern girl. My scrambled eggs were made with bacon grease and my collards were chock full of ham hock. We never said Chicken Fried Steak; we said Country Fried Steak and Sundays were spent in the kitchen, all day, cooking a feast big enough for an army.
My husband and I entered, found a seat and stared. The waitress (note: there are no servers in this joint) came to our table and pulled menus from behind the napkin canister that sat on our table and handed one to each. With a big smile she said “Whatchall folks drinking this afternoon?”
“Sweet Tea” said Greg. “Sprite” I replied. As she walked away to retrieve our drinks, I knew this would be good.
The menu is filled with every country breakfast item you can imagine, including catfish. I did notice at that time that just about every person in the place had catfish on their plates, but I just wasn’t feeling the catfish this time around. I spied my all time favorite breakfast almost immediately, fried pork chops, with scrambled eggs, grits, and a biscuit. I was happy. Greg chose his all time favorite, biscuits and sausage gravy. “I gotta try it, a place like this doesn’t exist without having good biscuits and gravy.”
The waitress returns with our drinks promptly, a huge vat of a glass for Greg filled with genuine brewed sweet tea and a can of Sprite with a cup of ice for me. We order, chat for a little bit and to our surprise the waitress arrives maybe 10 minutes later with our order. We could understand the biscuits and gravy being ready-to-serve, but how could fried pork chops come out this fast and the place be this busy?
We both dig. Almost simultaneously we begin to groan with awws of delight. You can read all about the biscuits and gravy here, they are good, no great, if not the best in Tampa. I’ll focus on the lesser-known pork chops.
Fried to a perfection, I received a plate with two honkin’ huge bone in pork chops. The only way to perfect this kind of fried pork chop is to have a deep fryer filled with Crisco (hence the quick time). The kind of pork chops my Mom would make and serve with Hoppin’ Johns. The pork chops were accompanied with perfectly scrambled eggs topped with melted cheese (per my request) and a side of creamy, creamy grits. A lone, gorgeous biscuit tilted to the side of the plate. I was very happy. I decided at that moment, I would choose Martha’s fried pork chops to be the food I would request should I be stranded on a deserted island and could only eat one thing for the rest of my life.
The service at Martha’s was top-notch. Friendly, fast and consistent. The folks at this place, well, I have come to know and they are a great group of ladies. As Jeff Houck of The Tampa Tribune reported, Della (owner of Martha’s) has been forced to sell due to a third bout with cancer. But fear not my friend’s. Della said the new owner has stated he will not change anything. The staff and the menu will remain the same. Let’s hope this is the case.
I highly recommend everyone go to Martha’s on a frequent basis. This is country cooking at it’s best. Perhaps, the owner will keep his word, especially if he sees all of us sitting in the dining room.
4 Possums
5202 N Nebraska Ave
Tampa, FL 33603
(813) 239-1819
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