Quick Bites - Lobsters meet The Claw

If you thought the life of a captive lobster was bad before, check out this "game" at High Tide Harry's seafood restaurant. For just $2 per try, you can try to capture your own (captive) dinner! If you are good at those claw games, you could probably end up with a cheap lobster dinner. Kind of tricky though, because these "prizes" move.

Restaurant Review - Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, 7760 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL

I had eaten at Roy's for dinner before with one of my girlfriends for a night out and with my husband for our wedding anniversary, however, tonight I was on a date with someone else... my 8-year-old son. I decided we needed some talk time away from his little brother who has been monopolizing my time lately. I called ahead to make reservations and said that I was going to be on a "date night" with my child. We received an aloha greeting at the podium and then we were promptly escorted to our table. There was a sprinkle of curling ribbon at our table to signify the special occasion, which was a nice touch.

There are several seating areas at Roy's and each one has a different mood. When I dined at Roy's for our anniversary, my husband and I were seated in the much quieter front room. I would highly recommend requesting this room if you would like to have a romantic dinner. When I ate with my friend, we asked for the sushi bar area which is great for friends as you will be seated with other diners, either at the sushi bar itself, where you can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen, or at a large family-style table in the bar area. Then there is the main room which, I think, is the place to sit with children. It has enough noise that your children will just blend in, yet you can still hear each other at the table.

As soon as we sat down, a server brought us Roy's seasoned edemame as a complementary appetizer. A little too spicy for my son, but he enjoyed the soy beans after he flicked off the spices.

My son ordered off of the Keiki's (children's) menu - a sort of prix fixe menu for kids. For $12, children receive an appetizer of cheese quesadillas and vegetable crudites (a fancy word for some carrot and celery sticks) with ranch dressing, a choice of entrees, as well as a sundae for dessert. Kid's entree choices range from buttered pasta or crispy chicken and fries, to short ribs, salmon, or even a children's sushi entree. My son decided on the short ribs, which is a smaller version of the adult entree.

I decided to order off the regular menu versus the relative bargain of the prix fixe adult menu. If you are eating at Roy's for the first time, or if you have a limited budget, I highly recommend the seasonal prix fixe dinner. For $35, you have a choice of one each of selected appetizers, entrees and desserts. Everything on the regular menu sounded good to me so I asked our server for her recommendations. She recommended the Island Style Ahi Poke appetizer ($13) and the Pesto Seared Opakapaka (Hawaiian Pink Snapper) for an entree ($34). I went with both suggestions and was glad I did. The poke tuna salad had sushi grade cubes of tuna surrounding a mound of sticky rice and covered with mixed greens topped with an Asian vinaigrette and slices of pickled ginger. As I dug down to the bottom, the sticky rice had a brown sauce on it that I could not place. I asked our server about it and she very knowledgeably told me it was made with kukui nuts, sometimes called a candlenut, which are also used in Hawaiian ceremonies to make bracelets and leis. In Hawaii they are roasted and made into the condiment called inamona, which I then remembered seeing on the menu as part of the appetizer. The whole dish was very complex with lots of flavor layers. I found my main dish to be the same way. I had originally wanted to try the butterfish as I had eyed it on my last trip to Roy's but the new Opakapaka entree looked very intriguing. Topped with a pesto sauce, it was served with a buttery burgundy cream sauce and accompanied by potato and chive "raviolis" and carrots and leeks. My son tried the raviolis and said they tasted like his grandmother's pierogies and I realized he was correct as it was the same concept. However, the pasta for these raviolis was very light, almost translucent so that all you tasted was the potatoes and chives. The fish had taste of Italy due to the pesto sauce and also came with slightly spicy finely diced tomatoes on top.

My son's short ribs were so extremely tender that the meat just pulled apart with a fork. It had a slightly mustard taste and was served with wonderfully flavorful mashed potatoes, asparagus (which he didn't touch - pretty much the only vegetable he doesn't eat) as well as squash and other vegetables (he ate all those).

Since I had requested a "date night with your child" dinner, our server told us we were going to receive the chocolate souffle for dessert, compliments of the restaurant. The chocolate souffle was served with a molten hot chocolate lava flow in the center that oozed out when the outer cake layer was cut open. It was served with a raspberry sauce swirl that ended with two actual raspberries hidden in the large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Most special was the chocolate writing that said "Aloha to mom and [my son's name]" -- awwww.

The service was absolutely impeccable. As soon as we were done with a dish, someone came to take it away. Plus, all of the servers and managers made it a point to come by our table and talk about our special dinner. They couldn't have treated us more nicely. From the Aloha's at the door to the Mahalos when we were leaving, we were treated as treasured guests through our meal experience. It was a very enjoyable evening that I'm sure my son and I will remember for a long time to come.

Restaurant Review - Joe's Crab Shack, 10 Blake Blvd, Celebration, FL

Since Joe's Crab Shack is right around the corner from where I work, I often go there for lunch during the week. About six months ago, I noticed that Joe's completely changed their menu - both in look and in food items. They went away from the very flashy "Eat at Joe's" designed menu with mostly fried foods to a beach-scene look with more "healthy" items. (Too bad their interior decor stayed the same - a junky garage sale mounted on the ceiling and walls of the place). Also, while perusing their children's menu, I saw they has some really fun new items. The boys and I have eaten there several times recently for dinner, with the boys inviting friends with them.

Joe's Crab Shack has a playground outside their dining patio which draws the kids in like a magnet. My boys are no exception and they typically run there first and I have to remind them that we need to get seated at a table first. On two recent occasions we were able to get a table on the patio right by the playground. However, Joe's does allow smoking on the patio so keep that in mind. The last time we went, it was about 100 degrees out so we opted for an inside table with the promise that the kids could go on the playground after dinner.

A note (warning?) about the playground. For some unknown reason, Joe's decided to use small pebbles on the ground around the play area. They post several signs that say "Don't throw the rocks" but EVERY SINGLE time I have been to the playground, kids are throwing the pebbles at each other. Also, there is one "swing-out" bar that the older kids like to fly out on. The last time we went, a friend's 2-year old got tackled as she walked by the area from an older kid swinging out on it. So, I definitely recommend watching your kids while they are playing here.

Joe's Crab Shack did a good job with their new kids' menu. I like that they have a little cartoony picture of each of the entrees so that even little kids can pick out what they want by pointing at it. For $4.99, kids get a choice of chicken fingers, mac-n-cheese, popcorn shrimp, grilled chicken, mini beach burgers, pizza, or cheese quesadilla. Each meal comes with a side item such as fries, mandarin oranges, corn-on-the-cob, or rice, as well as a drink - soda, lemonade, or milk/chocolate milk. On our latest trip, BB ordered the popcorn shrimp and LB ordered the mini burgers, with cheese.

The regular menu now has some nice salads - the Aruba salad comes with a choice of chicken or coconut shrimp mixed with field greens, bacon, tomatoes, candied nuts, and bleu cheese, topped with a strawberry vinaigrette ($10.49). The mix of flavors is really tasty, as well as the variety of textures. I ordered the chicken, trying to be healthy, and then wished I had gone for the fried coconut shrimp. The chicken cubes were very bland and even the tangy-sweet dressing couldn't help them. My new favorite item is the Pacific Coast Wrap - fried fish wrapped in a spinach tortilla with black bean & corn relish and a jalapeno ranch sauce ($7.99). The crispy fish is warm and crunchy and contrasts nicely with the cool relish. The jalapeno ranch sauce is not too spicy at all and just adds a very small bit of heat - nice! Plus, the spinach tortilla gives the illusion that you are actually eating something healthy when in reality you know you are eating a fried fish sandwich. And, my old favorite is still there - the lobster bisque soup - although you have to ask if it is the soup of the day. Seriously, this is the best lobster bisque soup I have ever tasted. I don't know how much real lobster is in it, or if it is just langostino, but all I know is it is good! The broth is very creamy, but not too thick, with a rich lobstery, buttery flavor. And it is loaded with meat so you get a taste in every bite.

One strange (annoying) thing about dining at Joe's Crab Shack at night is that the servers have to stop periodically to dance. Yes, it's true. The disco ball in the ceiling will start to spin, and a song will come on such as the Macarena, and all of the servers stop what they are doing and go to the edges of the restaurant and start doing a choreographed dance. This can be fun if you already have your food but it is very frustrating when your server is about to bring you drink refills and then tells you that she has to go dance and will bring them after. Luckily, this does not happen during lunch hours.

The kids did very well finishing their meals so we decided to get them dessert. We ordered each of them the new Paint-a-Crab. For a very reasonable kids' dessert price ($1.79), each kid gets a Rice Krispies Treat in the shape of a crab along with a paint brush and three "paints". The paints are strawberry sauce, chocolate sauce, and wildberry sauce. The kids had a blast with this and got very serious about their artwork. Then they had a good time eating the crabs afterwards.

Now, Joe's Crab Shack is certainly not a relaxing dinner out with the kids. But for a fun, slightly hectic, and loud night out, it does fit the bill.

Restaurant Review - Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, 7760 W. Sand Lake Rd, Orlando, FL

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine is on Sand Lake Road's "restaurant row", near Seasons 52 and Roy's sister restaurant Bonefish Grill. Roy's, Bonefish Grill, and Carrabba's are all owned by the Outback Steakhouse group. From the exterior with tiki torches lighting your way to the interior with beautiful wood touches, you can tell that Roy's is a first-class restaurant. I visited Roy's twice, once as a "date night" with Hubby, and once as a girl's night out. While I did see parents with their kids at Roy's, I don't think my kids are mature enough to eat there yet. See the end of this review for kids' options at Roy's (I picked up a kids menu on my last visit just to see what they offered).

I highly recommend making reservations to Roy's to ensure you have a minimal wait and get the dining time you want. There are three eating areas at Roy's - the main dining area, the front room and the bar/sushi area. The main room is darker and rather loud. The front room is a bit brighter and a lot more quiet - I'd ask to sit here if you want a romantic dinner or just want to be able to talk. Finally, there is the bar/sushi bar area which is where my friend and I sat during our girls night out.

What is really fun about sitting at the sushi bar is that you get to see everything going on in the open kitchen. Also, we got slid several different appetizers to try, just because we were there, including spicy edamame (big green soybeans served in their pods) and seafood potstickers. Both were really good and were served to us as soon as we sat down. Roy's menu, being based on Hawaiian cuisine, is mostly seafood (although I had the short ribs when I ate with Hubby and they were outstanding - tender and tasty). It is also pretty pricey with entrees in the $20-$30 range. So I highly recommend, for those of you on a budget like me, the prix fixe menu. For $35 per person, you get an appetizer sampler, a choice of selected entree (both seafood and meat dishes are offered), and a choice of macadamia nut almond tart or hot chocolate souffle for dessert. Not a bad deal at all.

My friend and I both chose the prix fixe - I picked the Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi for my entree and the Macadamia Nut Tart for dessert (what can I say - I like macadamia nuts!). My friend Stacey could not decide between the mahi mahi or the Grilled Salmon Filet so our wonderful server Jackie (ask to sit in her area if she is working) said she would check with the kitchen on a way to help my friend decide. When she came back, she said she had gotten approval to serve a half portion of both items to Stacey. We couldn't believe it - that is true customer service. We also decided to get the signature Roy's Hawaiian martini ($10). Let me tell you, it was a strong (true?) martini - not like those chocolatinis and other-tinis that have become so popular. In fact, one of the managers saw us drinking them and came over to warn us not to eat the pineapple that was at the bottom of the martini glass - apparently they have been soaking in vodka for 5 days (I guess he could tell that we were lightweights).

The appetizer sampler was a shrimp stick, BBQ rib, and a crispy seafood ravioli (which looked like a fried potsticker to me). All were excellent and made a good combination of tastes. Our dishes were quickly whisked away and soon our entrees arrived. Wow, the mahi mahi was cooked to perfection - flaking away easily but still very moist. The lobster butter sauce served with it was to die for - I almost felt like licking my plate. Stacey liked her "entree sampler" very much as well - the salmon was also very good. Next came our desserts. Stacey's Hot Chocolate Souffle is like those chocolate lava cakes where you cut into the cake and the hot fudgy chocolate sauce comes flowing out. She let me try some and it tasted just like chocolate fondue. My macadamia nut almond tart was great as well, although less rich than the chocolate dessert. The almond flavor really comes out under the nut crust and actually I avoided the mango and raspberry purees dotting the edge of the plate - they kind of took away from the nutty flavor that was my favorite part.

Kid's Offerings at Roy's: Roy's apparently does encourage you to bring your kids with you when you dine there. There is a kids' menu which is kind of it's own prix fixe dinner. For $10, your child will get an appetizer (sliced raw veggies and a cheese quesadilla), a choice of entrees (short ribs, salmon, chicken fingers, or pasta with butter sauce), and dessert (vanilla ice cream sundae). Now, I don't think I'll be bringing my 3-year-old because I don't think he will eat $10 worth of food. But, I might take my 8-year-old. Roy's also has Parent-Child "Date Night" which just means any time you bring your son or daughter with you for some one-on-one time at Roy's. They will apparently do a custom menu for you and your child with your names, a photo and a personalized message. If I ever do this with BB, I post an update to let you all know how it went!

Restaurant Review: High Tide Harry's, Airport area, Orlando, FL

This weekend, we took Grandma M (Hubby's mom) to a pre-Mother's Day dinner at one of our favorite family restaurants - High Tide Harry's at the NE corner of Hwy 50 and Semoran/436. Hubby likes it because it is good, inexpensive seafood, and we never have to wait for a table. I honestly don't know how that latter part happens, though. We've come on weekday nights, weekend nights, and weekend lunches, and the parking lot is almost always full, as well as the restaurant. But, they always seem to have one more table for any folks coming in the door. The decor is cute, kitschy ocean motifs like crab-trap light fixtures and aluminum fish cut-outs on the walls. There's a bar along one side of the restaurant and a batch of arcade games on the other. Oh, and pay close attention when you walk in the front door. Taped to the door and along the walls of the entrance are the "specials" for the day. Don't miss them! That's where I've found some great, surprisingly delicious dishes like "crab fingers" (more on that later). After we were seated, our server Joan (about 8 times out of 10, we get Joan; it's happened so much that now she knows us) arrived and got our drink orders. It was a round of sweet teas for all, except for Little Boy (LB) who wanted lemonade. Then, Joan came back with our drinks and yummy hush puppies with cinnamon butter, loaded up in a bowl. These are complimentary and are pretty much unlimited, but watch your kids or that'll be all they eat (and you, too)! They are always hot and fresh and taste great dipped in the butter. The kids' menu is simply a paper placemat with the entrees listed at the top and the rest of the paper for drawing. Crayons come already on the table which is nice, although the boys have complained about the color availability in the past. Today was fine, though, lots of nice colors to choose from. The kids' entrees are seafood such as fried fish or shrimp, as well as non-seafood entrees like grilled cheese, hot dog, or chicken fingers. Most are about $3-$5, with the shrimp on the high end and the spaghetti at a total bargain at $1.99. All except the pasta come with fries or a veggie side, as well as a package of Goldfish cookies. This time, LB ordered the grilled cheese and Big Boy (BB) ordered the hot dog. Both like the corn on the cob on the side. The adult menu is HUGE. Pretty much any seafood you can think of, they probably have. Think simple, though, no fancy preparations here, just fried, grilled, broiled, or blackened. They even have a delicacy called "crab fingers" that I tried last time. They are like the little forearms of the Blue crabs, shelled except for the very tip of the claw, served fried or sauteed. It's served as an appetizer for $6.49 and they don't always have them so try them if they got them. I thought they were great and had them as my entree as I wasn't very hungry last time I came. This time, though, I got one of my favorites, a pound of Dungeness crab, today going for $15.99. Adult entrees get either two sides or one large house salad or a cup of soup. I've learned if you're going to do crab and have your hands all greasy and buttery, it's better to get the cup of soup to start instead of having to deal with two sides as well. High Tide Harry's signature Blu Stu (stew, get it?) is really unique and tasty with blue crab meat and veggies and spices. But, I was in the mood for the clam chowder so I went for that. Grandma M also went for the 1 lb. Dungeness too and added the green beans and steamed veggies on the side. Don't bother asking for the rice pilaf - they don't have it anymore - even though it's been listed on the menu for at least the past year or two. My soup arrived, along with crackers that the boys promptly grabbed and started devouring. I like High Tide Harry's version of New England clam chowder - it's creamy but still light with big pieces of crab and potatoes. After I finished, I knew I was going to have leftovers of the crab - but that would make a good dinner for Hubby who had been too sick with a cold to come out with us. He's also a big fan of the steamed clams, but that would have to wait until the next time he comes. Our meals arrived and pretty much filled the table with all the bowls and utensils for the crabs. BB started digging into his hot dog and corn; LB seemed content with just the corn, I suspect he had eaten too many hush puppies. One pound of Dungeness equals one whole big honking crab. I find Dungeness a bit easier to eat than other crabs as you don't have to work as hard. A few cracks with the nutcracker and the shell usually comes off leaving a big piece of crab meat. Half a crab later, I was done. Grandma M kept going and did really good, only leaving two little claws - more for Hubby with the other half of my crab. Grandma M also still had a lot of her side dishes left (heed my words - get the soup or salad!) because she had been so busy with the crab so she tried to eat some of those now. We had timed it just right as the boys were just starting to get antsy, having just finished their Goldfish cookies. Definitely check out Harry's as it is a great place to take your family for seafood.

Restaurant Review: Dixie Crossroads, Festival Bay Mall, Orlando, FL

Update 5/31/08: We drove by Festival Bay Mall a few weeks ago and it looks like the Dixie Crossroads there has closed. Too bad, I liked a local place to get those little rock shrimps. However, if you liked Dixie Crossroads, you can always visit the original flagship restaurant in Titusville at 1475 Garden Street, Titusville, FL 32796. It is a LOT bigger than the Festival Bay restaurant ever was.

A new addition to the Festival Bay Mall at the end of International Drive is "World Famous" Dixie Crossroads (of the Titusville Dixie Crossroads), a Florida-style seafood restaurant. The restaurant is located outside of the main entrance to the mall, next to the now defunct Caddyshack restaurant. There's a fun looking patio with an indoor/outdoor bar at the front and the main restaurant area inside. Of course, since this is mostly a tourist mall, you can also take your picture by the Mr. Rock (Shrimp) statue by the door. I actually really liked the decor with whimsical undersea motifs including manatees, dolphins, and other Florida underwater creatures. When you are with children, I believe the best area to be seated is the center "house" that features a large aquarium to occupy the little ones' attention. There is but one menu at Dixie Crossroads, all listed on your paper placemat, kids' meals included. Prices are a little high for some of the entrees but the restaurant boasts that they catch all of their own seafood and ensure it is fresh. I won't be able to do the menu justice but be prepared for a boatload of different types of shrimp and seafood preparations (pun intended). Pretty much any type of shrimp or fish (that is in season, of course) can be done almost any type of way - fried, broiled, steamed, grilled, blackened, seasoned, stuffed, "coconutted", etc. All kids' meals are $2.99 and include fries, drink, and a chocolate pudding. Kids' choices are limited to a hamburger, chicken nuggets, shrimp, fish or clams. BB asked for fried shrimp and we ordered chicken nuggets for LB. Hubby was hungry this Saturday afternoon and so ordered a crab cake for an appetizer and then the mahi-mahi basket ($7.99) for lunch. From what I could tell, the only difference between the baskets and the entrees on the menu was an extra side item for the entrees (and about $2). Hubby chose the shrimp soup as his side and asked for the fish simply broiled with butter. I went for the specialty of the house - the rock shrimp. I had first tried rock shrimp about 3 weeks ago at this same restaurant and had come back for more. If you love lobster, you'll love rock shrimp. They are like tiny little lobsters pretending to be shrimp. Last time, the sweet potato side had been a disappointment due to its small size (although the cinnamon butter served with it helped) so I went for the regular baked potato hoping for the best. The rock shrimp basket goes for $9.99 and comes with one side; if you go for the entree with the two sides it will run you $11.99. Before we even got our drinks, my favorite part of eating at Dixie Crossroads arrived at our table - the corn fritters. These little hot balls of fried cornmeal dough come dusted with powdered sugar and are just wonderful. LB's eyes lit up as soon as the basket hit the table and he quickly grabbed one. Hubby is not one to eat sweets before lunch so he left the rest of us to gobble up the little goodies. Soon enough, Hubby's shrimp soup arrived. He claimed it was "okay" but was similar to potato soup with some tiny shrimp thrown in at the last minute. But, LB was willing to help him finish. Hubby was a little annoyed that our request for an extra spoon took a bit of time, especially with LB chanting, "Soup, soup, SOUP!" Our meals arrived soon after and I was pleased to see a large baked potato accompany my shrimp. Hubby peered down at my 12 small shrimp and asked if I had enough food. Okay, they do look small but they taste really good and with a baked potato and a bunch of corn fritters, it makes a nice meal. Hubby tried one of the rock shrimp and did declare that they tasted like lobster but that a dozen would probably have not been enough for him. His mahi-mahi he said was good and done as requested. LB had apparently stuffed himself with fritters, crackers (they come ready for snacking on every table), and shrimp soup and was just picking at his chicken (which really resembled chicken fingers versus nuggets). BB was carefully eating his fried shrimp, trying to avoid the tail shell that we warned him about. He actually got pretty good size shrimp with his kid's meal, most hidden under the french fries. Hubby, who is a quick eater, finished and then took LB to walk the mall so BB and I could finish our meals. BB did pretty good, eating most of his shrimp, and I polished off all of mine. The kids' meal dessert - the chocolate pudding - is of the pre-packaged variety and comes in the basket when the food is delivered so BB dug into his, and, well, okay, I ate LB's pudding (what he doesn't know won't hurt him). It was actually pretty good, almost mousse-like. Dixie Crossroads is a nice place to bring the family for a seafood meal, only marred by some hit-or-miss service (trust me, you don't want to hear about the service the first time I visited). You've got to try the rock shrimp when you visit [Mr. Rock told me to say that].