Nancy’s Bar-B-Q Sarasota, FL

Nancy’s Bar-B-Q Sarasota, FL 

 

So, it's my first day in Florida, and George tells me that we have to try this new BBQ restaurant in Sarasota.

Great; it is exactly what I am in the mood for.

Now, the place has what I like in BBQ: no thrills, picnic tables inside and out, customers walk right up to the counter, and you tell them what you would like before they put it together for you right there on a tray. Perfect.

George and I both order a combo plate with ribs, brisket, and some pulled pork, along with three sides. Now, the pulled pork was nothing special, but it was good enough.  The flavor was good, but overall, I was not too impressed. On the other hand, the St. Louis-style ribs were delectable! I would have given them 8 out of 10. Slow cooked, but not so much that they just fall off the bone; rather, the tender meat came off with a clean bite.  The brisket was cooked to perfection.  It had a nice bark on it, and it was extremely juicy.  You could tell that it was carved to order!

From my experience, sides are often overlooked. For our sides, we had collard greens with bacon, slow cooked baked beans with pork, and baked macaroni and cheese.

Out of the three, I would say I liked the collard greens the best. Collared greens are often too bitter for my taste, so it took me by surprise to have enjoyed them so much. But, these greens had a perfectly-balanced taste about them. They were most likely the best I have had!

Overall, I am a little jealous of George, who will get to have this meal again real soon.

Maybe he will bring some back for me?

Nancy’s Bar-B-Q

301 S Pineapple Ave
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 366-2271

http://nancysbarbq.com          

https://www.facebook.com/Nancys-Bar-B-Q

Fat Biscuit Southern Table and Taps

Fat Biscuit

Southern Table and Taps

335 Market Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940

781.342.5283

http://fatbiscuit.com

It is a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and we are getting ready to grill some steaks when the wife starts telling me about a restaurant that just opened at the Market Street in Lynnfield.

At first, she thinks it is a BBQ restaurant, based on its logo.

And after looking at it, I can see why.

But no, after reading the menu, we see it is southern food. (American cuisine with a definitive nod to the traditions and style of the South.)

Anyway, she starts reading the menu to me, and they have everything from a breakfast of biscuits and gravy to a dinner of shrimp and grits.

Long story short: we put the steaks away and take a ride.

At first glance, we were kind of shocked at the style and the look of the inside of the restaurant. I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe I was looking for something more along the lines of southern comfort and charm.

Instead, it is the standard concept of an open restaurant with the high ceilings and an open kitchen. This is not a bad thing -- just not what I was expecting.

We are looking for the bar. At first, we do not see one, but the host shows us where it is. It is only like a 6-seat bar. They have a good selection of beer both on tap and in bottles, but they do not have a full bar. Again, not a bad thing -- just not a place you will hang at the bar.

So, we start talking with the Manager (Mark) who could not be nicer, and he explains the menu to us and answers all of our questions about the restaurant.

We now are ready to start making our selections. We start off with:

SAUSAGE BALLS $6.00

(House-made pork sausage rolled in cheddar cheese and biscuit dough).

They are served with a dipping sauce/gravy, so they taste like biscuits and sausage gravy.

Nice way to start.

The wife goes for the fried chicken supper. $14.00

(24-hour buttermilk brined, fried chicken breast and thigh served with some cheddar grits).

The wife did order this with two thighs in lieu of the breast and thigh.

Unfortunately, they did get the order wrong, but they corrected it right away.

Now, for my dinner. Anyone who knows me knows I like any kind of fried chicken (with one exception that I will not say here) so I was very happy to see they had chicken and waffles on the menu. (Yes Alex, I said chicken and waffles.)

So I had the FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLE $11.00
(24-hour buttermilk fried chicken, scratch-made Belgian Waffle, and honey butter) 

My chicken was crunchy but not overdone, and the Belgian Waffle was pretty good, fluffy and light, with the added sweetness of the honey butter and a little of the maple syrup. This was exactly what I was hoping for. Oh, I cannot forget about the side of cheddar grits. These were good, fluffy grits.

*According to The Food Lover’s Companion, the word “grits” is really a shortened way of saying what it really means, “hominy grits.” Grits are derived from hominy. The Food Lover’s Companion further cites hominy as being one of the first foods that American Indians gifted to the colonists. Hominy is dried corn kernels with the hull and germ removed.

When this dried hominy is ground, it turns into what we know as grits.

Okay, we are now fat and happy, but the manager -- doing his job -- comes over and tells us to try the dessert.

BISCUIT HOLES $6.00
(cinnamon sugar Fat Biscuit donut holes, with maple apple or maple blueberry sauce) 

And, he was not wrong. These came fresh out of the fryer, and we were not disappointed.

To sum up our experience:

Good fresh food at a good price with good service.

And on a side note: I do not normally include the cost or the prices, but I thought it was important to show that I think for the price you are paying here, you are getting a good bang for your buck. We will definitely go back!

The Hub in North Adams

The Hub

55 Main St.

North Adams, MA 01247

(413) 662-2500

We took a trip to North Adams recently, and I wanted hot dogs for lunch, but the wife wanted a little bit more. So we went to The Hub on Main Street. This is a small restaurant that looks like it could be a nice local hang out. The wait staff was friendly and helpful; a little slow, but nice enough.

I started with the homemade soup of the day, which was Lobster Bisque. The only thing I can say about this is that it was one step up from the hot soup you can get at the local supermarkets.

Next, I had the Harvest Turkey Ciabatta Sandwich: turkey with sliced apples, smoked gouda, and maple cranberry mayo on a grilled wheat ciabatta roll. 

This could have been so much better if they just used fresh thick sliced turkey breast. Instead, they used the standard shaved turkey from the deli. Why? 

I will say that the sweet potato tater tots that came with it were a nice little surprise.

Alex started out with the Lobster Bisque, also. I believe she indicated that she thought that the soup was just ok.

For a sandwich, she had the Grownup Grilled Cheese: Grilled artisan bread with creamy muenster cheese, shaved ham, & tomato.

She liked this but thought it was a little greasy. Alex knows her grilled cheese, so I will take her word on it.

The wife did not have any soup, but for a sandwich, she went right for her favorite. And, if you have read any of my other reviews, you would know that is a Ruben.  As far as a Ruben goes, she said that this one was pretty good, and she would have no problem ordering it again.

Now, my whole take on this restaurant is this: North Adams is in the middle of nowhere, it is a college town, and that is probably why they are still in business. I think if they were located in a city with more competition, they would not survive very long.

With some small changes like fresh ingredients and larger portions, it would probably get a better review.

Just because there is little else around, doesn’t mean mediocre is okay.  I don’t think I will be back. I will try the hot dog place down the street next time.

Casa Vallarta Mexican Restaurant

Casa Vallarta Mexican Restaurant

114 Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906

(781) 813-3980
 casavallarta.org

So, our friend Steve suggested this Mexican restaurant. Steve loves to eat, so we are always up for trying his recommendations.  Keep in mind, we were in search  of a new Mexican restaurant, since two of our favorites recently closed. Papagayo in Saugus and La Casa de Luis Mexican Restaurant in Manchester, MA.

My daughter, Alex and I arrive at the restaurant and, of course, she is talking to them in Spanish and I am just wondering what the hell they are talking about, but I see a couple of seat's at the bar, so I am happy.

The wait staff and bar tenders could not be any better. They get us some fresh chips, salsa and this nice bean dip. And the bar tender got my tequila right away.

I would not call this bar a tequila bar, by any means, but they did have a few good options. They also had a nice drink menu with plenty options.

The food menu was a standard Mexican food, like chimichangac, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, etc.. The food was very fresh and exactly what we were looking for. It is nice to go out and try new things, but it is also nice to just go out and have some good old fashion Mexican food.  It is even better when it tastes this good and you don't have  to stop at a bank for a loan to pay the bill.

I will be going back real soon.