A Retreat For Your Mind, Body, & Taste Buds.

Comfort food can be many things. Typically, people associate Southern food, like Fried Chicken, with Comfort food. I am typically one of those people, yet, as of late; I’ve been steering towards the healthier sides of comfort. Not because I’m “watching what I eat” or “being health conscience”. That’s just what my palette has demanded.
Tonight, I’m going to make this scrumptious little dish for my hard-working Hubby and me. It’s a no-stress, fast comfort dish that is sure to ease the ins and outs of life. I recommend a good Semolina Batard and a cold glass of Pinot Grigio to accompany this tasty retreat.


Fettuccine with Bay Scallops, Artichokes, and Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked fettuccine pasta
½ pound, Bay Scallops
4 halves, Sun Dried Tomatoes, diced
1 can, quartered Artichokes hearts
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Basil

Cook pasta according to package directions: drain and return to pan to keep warm.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat olive oil; add garlic and sauté approximately 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the scallops and salt and pepper to taste (about a pinch each). Sautee for roughly 2 minutes, just until scallops have become slightly browned on one side. Add the artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes and orange zest; sauté approximately 1-2 minutes. Add white wine and butter, cover, and simmer approximately 8 to 10 minutes or until the wine has reduced to half. Add fresh basil. Stirring until just mixed. Remove from heat.
Toss the pasta with the scallop and artichoke mix. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; tossing to coat evenly. Serve immediately
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notice Something Different?

I've been contemplating this for awhile now. Changing my blog title from Seminole Heights Eats to The Urban Eater. I felt is was time to do so with the launching of New Heights Magazine, not to mention Eating Tampa. The original purpose of Seminole Heights Eats was to showcase the food and markets surrounding Seminole Heights, Tampa, FL. This is now being more than taken care of.
You can read all about the food in and around Seminole Heights at either publication.
Eating Tampa was founded by Dave, also a Seminole Heights resident and I will continue to contribute late breaking food news stories.
I've also started writing with the Sticks of Fire folks, driving their Hungry Bus. I'll be doing restaurant reviews, gadget reviews, fair reviews, and offering up recipes.
Finally, I am the Food & Drink contributor for New Heights Magazine, a printed publication showcasing the urban corridor of Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights, Tampa Heights, West Tampa, Downtown, and Ybor, a.k.a The UC. So don't worry. You'll still have avenues.
Instead, I will be using The Urban Eater as my personal foodie outlet. If it deals with food, well then, it is fair game. I've chosen the title The Urban Eater because that is what I am. I thrive off of the tastes and smells of the Urban cities, offering up their bounties of good food.
Feel free to email questions and suggestions. Complaints may be sent to whocares@gspot.com

Eat on Urban Eaters!

Mommy & Me Aprons

My Hubby will be doing a Mommy and Me Cooking Class for a darling little 11 year old and her Mother. He does these occasionally and really has a lot of fun. Kids are amazing in the kitchen and are like little sponges when it comes to learning new culinary techniques, so they make for great students.

The 11 year old's Aunt, Toni (a foodie in her own right) is giving the Cooking Class as a birthday gift. I suggested to Toni that she should get some Mommy & Me matching kitchen aprons, as I have always suggested to our Mommy and Me clients. I, not having upright standing children, (I have 5 furry ones)just assumed they are easy to find.

Toni emailed this morning saying she wasn't finding anything.

Now, I like to go above and beyond for my clients, because frankly, Customer Service is a lost art form in the US. I want my clients to feel like they are getting every penny they are paying, because after all, they have the choice to use my company or someone else's and I want them to use my company...forever. With that said, I also became quite curious about where to find these damn matching aprons.

One would think they would be every where. What I have found, is that their is an abundance for the tiny tots but not for the 10-13 year olds. Okay, my ears are twirling over this one. 10-13 is THE age to start really teaching your kids how to become comfortable in the kitchen.
So I set out to find the size appropriate matching aprons.
Here's what I found and they are SUPER cute!

Williams and Sonoma (Personalized aprons)
Initial Impressions (Personalized aprons)
Stitch Thru Time (Vintage Aprons, hand sewn)
Personalization Mall (Personalized aprons)
Twinklebelle (trendy patterns, only fits up to age 10)

Burgers At The Bistro

Dave over at Eating Tampa has something to say about the Burgers at The Bungalow Bistro. He dined there over the weekend while on his quest for the Best Burger in Tampa.

Bringin' The Sexy (Grits) Back

I also posted this on Eating Tampa, but I have such a fondness for Grits, I had to share it with all of you, too.

I am Southern girl, we all know this; however, I could not stand Grits as a child. Due to my hatred for Grits, I ignored the various uses Grits may provide. WWWHHHAAATTT????!!!!! A Southern girl who does not like Grits? I know, it’s strange. That is, until I was in New Orleans a few years ago (pre-Katrina) and found Mother's.
Every dish on the menu seems to come with Grits. So, I did as the natives did.

They were perfect. Heavenly (As was everything else there, don't leave New Orleans without going to Mother's.). Creamy, light, peppery, salty, buttery. Delicious. I am salivating just thinking about Mother’s amazing Grits. I became a Grit lover, as did my hubby (who had always thought Grits were repulsive). Immediately upon our return home, every breakfast we made was accompanied by Grits. Bacon, Eggs, and Grits. Sausage, Eggs, and Grits. Biscuits & Gravy and Grits. Grits were a breakfast food in our home, until a business trip landed me in Savannah, GA.

While there I had a little time and wanted to try out Paula Dean’s Lady & Sons’. Ever since I tried Michael Chiarello’s place, Tra Vigne, in St. Helena, CA (and found it to be amazingly bad), I have made it a piont to try the Food Network celebrity Chef spots while visiting said City, so that I may determine whether or not that Chef was truly a Chef or had slept with the right person to make a few Food Network bucks (I'm not hatin', I'm just sayin'). Paula Dean is an honest woman.

The food was fantastic and it was a buffet!!!! All foodie’s know, do not eat at buffets. The food will be mediocre at best and is undoubtedly not sanitary. Yet, somehow, Paula raised the bar for her Lunchtime buffet. It was filled with traditional Southern favorites, including Grits. One thing not on the buffet was Mashed Potatoes, yet there was a cauldron of Gravy? Surely, you are not supposed to replace the Mashed with Grits? Oh yes. That was the plan.

Sinfully good, buttery Grits with a perfect ladle sized bowl in the center molting with yummy gravy. Mmmmmmmmm. I was officially addicted.

The very night I returned home, I made my Hubby the bounty found in Savannah. To this day, he prefers Grits to Mashed Potatoes. Every Holiday, I make Grits instead of Potatoes. Every year someone moans, and every year the Grits are devoured.

I challenge you Tampa. Replace your boring Mashed Potatoes with creamy, buttery Grits. You can make small portions or large portions with the same amount of effort, it takes less than 7 minutes to make, and a 2lb bag will set you back $2. How can you go wrong!!!
I use Quaker’s Quit Grits. Here’s my simplistic recipe for the Grits, you add the Gravy.

Creamy Quick Grits
½ cup Quit Grits (5 minute cooking. NOT Instant)
1-cup Warm water
2 pinch Salt
1 pinch Pepper
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Cream Cheese
1 tbsp Sour Cream

Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Add Grits. Turn stove down to low, stir constantly for 1 minute. Turn heat to Low, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Check half way, to be sure you aren’t burning the bottom. Turn heat off if necessary. Cut heat off, add Butter, Cream Cheese, Pepper, & Sour Cream. Mix very well. Serve with any Gravy immediately.
*Add 1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese to turn them into Cheese Grits.

Other Grits recipes:
Shrimp & Grits
Grits with Goat Cheese & Chives
Maverick Grits (Sausage, Shrimp)

Punk Rock Pizza To The Loyal

A little birdy told me a food rumor. This little birdie (who could or could not be the actual owner of this establishment) stated Ybor Pizza and Subs may not be around much longer due to the lack of sales. WHAT!!!!! This little birdy also said he has gotten a lot of grief from the South East Seminole Heights Association for various “code violations” of which he has yet to be tagged on by the City. Yet, every week, like clockwork, another inspector is at the door. This little birdy also stated he invited the entire City’s higher up officials in for Pizza, to ensure he was in perfect compliance. He was.

So why has the neon PIZZA sign been removed from the side of the building? It wasn’t to code, but it was to code when the Copa Cabaña guy put it up when he bought the place last summer. All of a sudden, the sign is a problem? Because it doesn’t look like a partially rotted sign? Or perhaps because it was obstructing the view? Oh, that’s right, it was on the side of a big ass wall!!!!

I fondly remember Ybor Pizza and Subs when it was located in Ybor. The countless $1 slices of pizza I ate in that square block. Ybor Pizza (Punk Rock Pizza to the loyal) was forced out by Centro back then and moved to the present location. The original owner; Kerry, sold the biz, then it got sold again to the creepy Copa Cabana guy last summer. When the creepy Copa Cabana guy left in the middle of the night, Kerry stepped back in, painted the urine yellow back to white and called in the old Ybor Pizza gang, many of which agreed to work for free and still are.

If you have never tasted Ybor Pizza, you need to. I find it to be in the top 3 of pizzas in the City. The Spinach is amazingly good and the Pepperoni brings back great memories. The crust is thin and perfect. Ybor Pizza is a place that ignites late nights long passed. Don’t go there expecting shadow boxed tables with games pieces inside or a Mexican inspired pie. There is a reason why it is called Punk Rock Pizza. Hell, don’t even bother going there. Just call for delivery (813-238-3150) and don’t expect to spend a fortune either. A gi-normous X-Large 1 topping or Spinach will set you back $11.75. You’ll be eating it for days. Oh, and don't forget the Good As Hell wings. They trully are Good As Hell.

So, let me get back to this bitching part. What is the deal with you people who are after Ybor Pizza? Did your pepperoni not get cooked properly one night? Why is it, that we Seminole Heights residents say we want commercial success but yet, we try to put one out of business? Go after a car lot if you are bored. Leave my Pizza alone.

This little birdy also told me that he was thinking of having Punk bands play for a fair-the-well, just like in the old days. I’ve already made some calls and have Flat Stanley signed up. It’s rumored the Dukes of Hillsborough and The Tim Version will also be on board. Just like old times.

Word to the wise all of you people bitching out there. Don’t piss off old Punk Rockers and never touch our Pizza.

For everyone else, support Ybor Pizza. There is still a chance he can stick around, but we gotta get some pizza.

Ybor Pizza and Subs
Dirt Cheap
813-238-3150
4703 N Nebraska Ave.
Delivery available
Pizza, Subs, Salads, Pasta, Calzones, Wings, Fries
Mon-Sat
11AM-10PM

The Double Cheeseburger Wars

Last night, while watching the boob tube, I saw a new commercial for Wendy’s. They have launched a new 99 Cent double meat patty cheeseburger. They are calling it the Stack Attack. This got me thinking. Has Wendy’s succumbed to the More Is Better mentality of the Fast Food Nation? Are they launching this Stack Attack because McDonald’s and Burger King are doing so well with their own double cheeseburger programs? And that’s when it hit me. Like a boulder smashing me on the forehead, I thought the inevitable marketing ploy tag, “I wonder which is better?”
Now, I am not a Fast Food person. Yes, I do like my annual Whopper (not to mention the Whopper Freakout commercials are hilarious and make me want a Whopper every time I see one)and yes, if a road trip consists of 8 or more hours of driving, there will be a cooler filled with McDonald’s cheeseburgers, but these are all habits stemmed from childhood. Whoppers were as big as your head back in my childhood days and it was a treat only given to children when Burger King would run their annual 99 Cent Whopper specials in which you had to provide a coupon. Yes, a physical coupon. McDonald’s cheeseburgers were 39 Cents and made perfect shut-the-kids-up-for-awhile-so-Dad-can-focus-on-driving vessels, only offered during family road trips. Ah, found memories. With all of that said, I thought, “Who better than to judge the Double Cheeseburger Wars than myself? A person who has a culinary background, is a culinary professional, wouldn’t be caught dead at a Fast Food drive-thru (that’s why I go late at night, in an unmarked car), and has an extremely opinionated mind?”
Let the Double Cheeseburger Wars commence! I'll aplogize ahead of time for the picture layout. something is askew.
I set out today to buy 3 Double Cheeseburgers for the foremost Fast Food Giants. The contenders would be Wendy’s Stack Attack, McDonalds Double Cheeseburger, and Burger King’s Double Cheeseburger.

I’ll not get into the service or speed of any of the establishments, because that’s not what we’re here for. I’ll be judging simply on advertising appearance versus actual appearance and taste. Shall we?
First, the new Wendy’s Stack Attack. Well, as you can see the advertised Stack Attack looks quite different from the one I got. Um, where’s the beef?
The outer bun was coated in Mayonnaise and Ketchup. At first, I thought it was grease from the patties but as tasting would tell, there was no grease. In fact, this was the driest burger I have ever put into my mouth. Now I knew what it was like to eat cardboard. Without all of the Ketchup and Mayo, I would have needed a chug of water just to get the burger down. There was one slice of cheese buried between the two very tiny patties, although you wouldn’t have known because it was that kind of cheese that evaporates when heat touches it. The bun was super soft, way too soft for a burger. I guess that’s the reason Wendy’s uses greaseless burger patties. With this bun, all you would have is a soppy mess. By the way, when did real meat come in greaseless forms?
Upon my first bite my instant reaction was, “Wow, this is really bland.” It was like the burger patties, bun, and evaporating cheese were vessels for the Mayo and Ketchup. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
Overall, the Wendy’s Stack Attack reminded me of the burgers you got in High school. Ya know, the ones that had no flavor or moisture. You would drown them in catsup, mustard and mayo just for flavor. They came in the plastic pouch and were often used as slingshots through the cafeteria?
Wendy’s, I think the name Stack Attack is a little boisterous. Maybe, Flat Board?

Second up to bat would be Burger King’s Double Cheeseburger. Once again, my Double Cheeseburger
did not look like the advertised Double Cheeseburger. I will say that Burger King got a little closer to their advertised picture than Wendy’s did, but not much. I’ll also mention, that I did not cut this burger. It was already cut. This was strange to me. Is this a new trend Burger King will be offering? A refined Fast Food restaurant where your sandwich is cut for you? How odd.
Instantly, I noticed the sheer size difference. We found the beef.
The Burger King Double Cheeseburger was a good ¾ bigger than either competitor, but, as it should be. It costs 79 cents more than either of the other fighters.
First bite and you were brought right back to that Flame Broiled taste that Burger King has become so famous for. Two pretty good-sized beef patties, a good amount of catsup and mustard, and a slice of cheese lay melted on each patty. Every bite was consistent with the flavor of grilled meat, cheese, catsup, mustard, and white bread.
It wasn’t overly greasy. It had some grease, but meat does have fat, which does make grease when cooked.
Burger King’s Double Cheeseburger reminded me of the kind of burgers you get one someone throws a BBQ at a public park, grilling on the multi-purpose park-supplied-grill. The years of burger grease adding flavor to every BBQ to come.
I can’t believe I am going to say this. This wasn’t a bad burger. I don’t know that the double patty was necessary, seems a bit gluttonous to me, but hey, do as the Romans do.
Finally, our third matador, McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger. Okay, my Double Cheeseburger did not look anything like the advertised Double Cheeseburger. Like Wendy’s, advertisers whored up a completely different concept and tossed it out to Americans. To be expected, yes; but can’t somebody just be honest for once and not completely exaggerate the actual appearance of food for goodness sakes????? Oh, wait; I’m a food stylist. Hmm, false advertisement equals work for me. Disregard everything I just said!
The McDonalds Double Cheeseburger was very greasy. The paper was lined with grease. The bun was soaked in grease. Grease was everywhere.
It was also very heavy for a little burger. Perhaps dense is a better word. Let this puppy sit out for a while and I bet you could have a pretty hefty weapon on your side. At least we know they used real meat.
I can’t say the first bite was pleasurable or even bad. It was different. It was a burger flavor, but a flavor all to its own. Perhaps similar to the kind of burger you get at a gas station off I-10 in the middle of nowhere.
Diced onions mixed with catsup and mustard that topped two burger patties both lined with partially melted cheese. The bun, well the only purpose for the bun was to soak up the grease and to allow the eater a vessel for containing the above ingredients. That bun could probably sit on a counter uncovered during a Floridian summer and not mold for a few months.
Overall, I still don’t get the point or necessity of a double meat pattied burger, but Americans are eating them up. If I had to choose, I’d go for the more expensive Burger King Double Cheeseburger. I’d completely steer away from the Wendy’s Stack Attack and leave the McDonald’s Double Cheeseburgers for the road trips.
If I really had a choice? I’d make my own. Way better taste, way less chemicals, and way less fat. My tummy hates me right now.


Wendy’s Stack Attack: 380 calories, 20 grams of fat, weight: 135 grams
Burger King Double Cheeseburger: 570 calories, 34 grams of fat, weight: 189 grams
McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger: 440 calories, 23 grams from fat, weight: 165 grams